Red Riding Hood was an amazing movie, and I personally would’ve liked to have gone to see it as a date movie. Moving along though, it had lots of Pagan elements, and there was a guy in it that reminded me of Cotton Mather from the Salem Witch Trials. He was nowhere near as educated as Van Helsing. Essentially there is a town that is isolated by spiked trees and there is a myth about a wolf who demands food (livestock), in order to keep peace between itself and the people. So sacrifices are made to this creature, and hardly anyone goes within the gate of the actual church. The wolf is depicted on the church door in opposition to an angel, which could represent the wolf as the devil, or as a demon. In a sense the people are sacrificing to the demon because it manifests itself as opposed to God or angels manifesting themselves.
The father to the church calls in a high religious figure, who kills anyone who steps in his way, tortures the innocent, and if none comply with his wants or conceptions that person is considered to be a witch or one that aids the devil. When the towns folk believe they have killed the wolf they throw a lavish festival where people dress up as animals and spirits and they drink hefty amounts of wine. Once everyone is intoxicated, the wolf strikes. In a sense the idol they sacrificed too let them down, and the high church that was called in for assistance let the people down. They became like aimless wandering child who had revenge and fear on the mind. They were lost. When one chose to live outside the town, away from the devil and away from God, she found the most peace, and lived without their fears.
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
ReBecca Richardson Blog 12- film
Limitless was a surprisingly good movie. Initially it seems like a bum down on his luck becomes a drug addict. Eddie the main character kept saying through the movie that he wanted to do more in life. I give him credit for his political ideals, yet he never said what he was going to do in those positions. He borrows money from a thug and has a severely powerful drug; it was predictable where the movie was going to go. The initiative for Eddie seemed to be into making more money, make life better, get his lady back and change the world. We the viewers did not see what this change would be though. Survival became the main priority as he tried to clean up his decisions. I was content with the ending though when Robert De Niro made the audience believe he still had the power and the upper hand. Then we find out Eddie’s not hooked any more. That was a pleasing turn of events.
In a sense Eddie was like God, he could take every bit of information he had ever gathered and think through any situation. This is evident when we see from his perspective, and when he tries to tell his girlfriend that the drug makes her think her way out of tight situations. The problem with this drug’s capabilities in allowing one to play God is that the wrong person could take this drug. When the thug got ahold of Eddie’s drug and offered violence if his demands weren’t met, he became a smart criminal. If all criminals got a hold of this drug they would be able to play the role of the archetypical devil. Also Eddie as the favored character also had some prominent flaws. His promiscuity was never brought to light to his girlfriend, so he was also not held accountable for his actions.
In a sense Eddie was like God, he could take every bit of information he had ever gathered and think through any situation. This is evident when we see from his perspective, and when he tries to tell his girlfriend that the drug makes her think her way out of tight situations. The problem with this drug’s capabilities in allowing one to play God is that the wrong person could take this drug. When the thug got ahold of Eddie’s drug and offered violence if his demands weren’t met, he became a smart criminal. If all criminals got a hold of this drug they would be able to play the role of the archetypical devil. Also Eddie as the favored character also had some prominent flaws. His promiscuity was never brought to light to his girlfriend, so he was also not held accountable for his actions.
ReBecca Richardson Blog 11- film
In the film Northfork, a little boy is dying, and the viewer is led to question if the angels he finds, are real or a figment of his imagination. We know that the boy is sick and yet we know not why. As he dreams he is closer to death, to the angels. All four share the names of items on his night stand. A hand holding a flower, a comic of Hercules, a plane, cod liver oil, a cup of tea, and some spectacles. The angels names are flower Hercules, cup of tea, cod, and happy (who has fake hands, and wears spectacles). If these beings are figments of the boy’s imagination then it would make sense because he wants a family, and the items on his night stand are what he is most familiar with. No one wants a sick child, so in a sense he is stuck in the orphanage; his makeshift home. Also the preacher who is meant to lead the boy to find a home has a cane, and the head of the cane appears to be a dog head. When the boy dreams and goes to find an angel he is led by a tall creature with a dog like head. The Angel characters are also childlike in their demeanor, like when they were experimenting with the tranquilizer gun.
On another level the Angels could be real, and yet they visually suit the ideals and comforts of what the child would suspect or be comfortable with. One of the guys who is trying to kick people out of town sees these angels when he gets a concussion. We the viewers only know this because of his mannerisms after the encounter. He stares at them and when his son asks questions he simply rushes out of the house as though he were trying to run away from something. Also the way flower Hercules speaks to the boy when he is dying is not like the thoughts of a child, but rather something transcendent. The boy asks if flower is mother or father. She replies that she is both and neither, and then explains that she simply is. Eventually they leave together in a plane like the one on his night stand and he dies. Because of the other man’s encounter with the angels I think that they were real, but they showed themselves to the boy in a fashion that would be familiar to him.
On another level the Angels could be real, and yet they visually suit the ideals and comforts of what the child would suspect or be comfortable with. One of the guys who is trying to kick people out of town sees these angels when he gets a concussion. We the viewers only know this because of his mannerisms after the encounter. He stares at them and when his son asks questions he simply rushes out of the house as though he were trying to run away from something. Also the way flower Hercules speaks to the boy when he is dying is not like the thoughts of a child, but rather something transcendent. The boy asks if flower is mother or father. She replies that she is both and neither, and then explains that she simply is. Eventually they leave together in a plane like the one on his night stand and he dies. Because of the other man’s encounter with the angels I think that they were real, but they showed themselves to the boy in a fashion that would be familiar to him.
Themes From Blade Runner by Emily LaBrie
After watching the move Blade Runner in class, I was reminded of the recent remake of the show Battlestar Galactica. Other than starring Edward James Olmos, it tackles the issue of human made robots that are used for slaves. It also deals with these robots getting sick of their slave duties and rebelling against humanity. I went home during Spring Break and watched the made for TV movie that developed into the TV show that lasted four season on NBC and the Sci-Fi channel. The make-up of the Battlestar Story was able to address some other elements of humanity that are relatable to the religious experience that Blade Runner did not.
In BSG, the “skin jobs” as they are also called used to be shaped like, what we would consider robots. They had a red eye that looked like the eye on Kit from Knight Rider and had shiny metal bodies. They were then able to develop THEMSELVES to be able to look like actual human beings. And while the human race in the show has a pagan religion, the robots have able to gain a sense of religion or what we have learned to call the “Wholly Other.” They have a way of accessing immortality (unlike in Blade Runner). It is also interesting, that the writers kept these beings searching for the approval of a God or “Wholly Other.” They believe in one god. They believe they are god’s true children who deserve to wipe out their pagan and thus less than builders and claim their home worlds. This draws many parallels to the development of Western Judeo-Christian culture and its claimed dominance over lesser than pagan religions.
It is humanity, that is demonstrated in the speech made by Admiral Adama at the beginning of the movie, to not only find a new home, but to, in a way, search for that transcendent reasoning to why they deserve to be the winners in this struggle against the robots (or as they are called in the show, cylons). The creators took much from different religions like paganism, Judaism, Christianity, even Islam at points, in telling the four season long story. It is interesting to think about how the story would have continued in Blade Runner if Ridley Scott and the other creators had an opportunity to do expand their story.
In BSG, the “skin jobs” as they are also called used to be shaped like, what we would consider robots. They had a red eye that looked like the eye on Kit from Knight Rider and had shiny metal bodies. They were then able to develop THEMSELVES to be able to look like actual human beings. And while the human race in the show has a pagan religion, the robots have able to gain a sense of religion or what we have learned to call the “Wholly Other.” They have a way of accessing immortality (unlike in Blade Runner). It is also interesting, that the writers kept these beings searching for the approval of a God or “Wholly Other.” They believe in one god. They believe they are god’s true children who deserve to wipe out their pagan and thus less than builders and claim their home worlds. This draws many parallels to the development of Western Judeo-Christian culture and its claimed dominance over lesser than pagan religions.
It is humanity, that is demonstrated in the speech made by Admiral Adama at the beginning of the movie, to not only find a new home, but to, in a way, search for that transcendent reasoning to why they deserve to be the winners in this struggle against the robots (or as they are called in the show, cylons). The creators took much from different religions like paganism, Judaism, Christianity, even Islam at points, in telling the four season long story. It is interesting to think about how the story would have continued in Blade Runner if Ridley Scott and the other creators had an opportunity to do expand their story.
North Fork by Emily LaBrie
This movie was something of an acid trip of an experiance to me. That is not to say I did not think it was interesting or that I did not think that it pulls at the heartstrings. However, it is strange to have such a non-traditional story being told in such a traditional setting. The barren plains of Montana do not seem like a place where heaven and earth temporarily intermingle.
The angels were, interesting to say the least. They were fanciful creatures that were products of Irwin’s imagination. (or were they…..ominous music playing) I am guessing they individually represented different aspects of the human condition that Irwin felt was missing in his life. The influence of the world around him being evident in the dream world he entered. One example is Flower Hercules being a loving mother figure that he never had. Cup of Tea, ridiculous as the name is, is a bit of a grandfather figure (stern yet lovable) who oddly also dresses like a grandmother. Cod and Happy appear to be aspects of bitter sadness and curious wonder respectively. I liked how in the end, they all left with the deceased Irwin, taking him far away from the pain of his real world. The leaving was also symbolic in that it made me think the last bits of innocence and the old world were departing from the area that was being flooded in order to accommodate modernity.
The group of trench coat men who were trying to evacuate the last of the North Fork residents out of the valley would be the antithesis to the boy’s angels. They are the force bringing the flood and destruction for the sake of progress. The primary motivation for all of the men is self-gain of their own cars and lake front property, unlike the angels. The only part that is “secular” or normal in the town that is “good” is ironically the priest.
The other person that does not seem to fit in the depressing and greedy version of the Men in Black was the James, Woods Character. His life experiences, including the loss of his wife, give him a greater appreciation for the life they are leaving behind. It is because of this appreciation of his own mortality through the experience of death I think that allowed him to see the symbol of the snow that represented the veil between life and death, reality and fantasy, in the house where Irwin’s angels dwelled. Maybe this comes from a realization of something else, a wholly other that is due to the experience of loss Walter has lived.
Finally, I have to say, I did not understand the symbolism of the giraffe like looking stick horse at the beginning of the film. I thought it was interesting that it can be tied to the cane of the priests; a wobbly old cane leading a wobbly old man and boy. The final symbolism of Walter and Willis leaving the valley, up towards the heavens in their car with Walter’s wife on the top like a mattress, is much sadder than the exit of the boy. It is ironic though it was the boy who died from a horrible illness while the men just had to relocate and got to live. The fact that an “angel” like Irwin could not survive in the changing world in North Fork is also a symbol of the new world clashing with the new. The site of the dark “herce” leaving for the solid high ground of the mountains is quite depressing. The people were forced to flee to the higher ground of the steady mountains, but it was not their choice. People like Walter and the Priest were only yielding to unavoidable progress of the modern world while the rest of the men were just happy to get their lake front property.
The angels were, interesting to say the least. They were fanciful creatures that were products of Irwin’s imagination. (or were they…..ominous music playing) I am guessing they individually represented different aspects of the human condition that Irwin felt was missing in his life. The influence of the world around him being evident in the dream world he entered. One example is Flower Hercules being a loving mother figure that he never had. Cup of Tea, ridiculous as the name is, is a bit of a grandfather figure (stern yet lovable) who oddly also dresses like a grandmother. Cod and Happy appear to be aspects of bitter sadness and curious wonder respectively. I liked how in the end, they all left with the deceased Irwin, taking him far away from the pain of his real world. The leaving was also symbolic in that it made me think the last bits of innocence and the old world were departing from the area that was being flooded in order to accommodate modernity.
The group of trench coat men who were trying to evacuate the last of the North Fork residents out of the valley would be the antithesis to the boy’s angels. They are the force bringing the flood and destruction for the sake of progress. The primary motivation for all of the men is self-gain of their own cars and lake front property, unlike the angels. The only part that is “secular” or normal in the town that is “good” is ironically the priest.
The other person that does not seem to fit in the depressing and greedy version of the Men in Black was the James, Woods Character. His life experiences, including the loss of his wife, give him a greater appreciation for the life they are leaving behind. It is because of this appreciation of his own mortality through the experience of death I think that allowed him to see the symbol of the snow that represented the veil between life and death, reality and fantasy, in the house where Irwin’s angels dwelled. Maybe this comes from a realization of something else, a wholly other that is due to the experience of loss Walter has lived.
Finally, I have to say, I did not understand the symbolism of the giraffe like looking stick horse at the beginning of the film. I thought it was interesting that it can be tied to the cane of the priests; a wobbly old cane leading a wobbly old man and boy. The final symbolism of Walter and Willis leaving the valley, up towards the heavens in their car with Walter’s wife on the top like a mattress, is much sadder than the exit of the boy. It is ironic though it was the boy who died from a horrible illness while the men just had to relocate and got to live. The fact that an “angel” like Irwin could not survive in the changing world in North Fork is also a symbol of the new world clashing with the new. The site of the dark “herce” leaving for the solid high ground of the mountains is quite depressing. The people were forced to flee to the higher ground of the steady mountains, but it was not their choice. People like Walter and the Priest were only yielding to unavoidable progress of the modern world while the rest of the men were just happy to get their lake front property.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Willie Mears: Blog 5
Northfork was another good movie, what I found most interesting, along with Brynne apparently, was the way Irwin envisions angels in the film. The filmmakers have angels appear as whatever Irwin wants them to look like, as non-threatening beings that a child would not be the least bit scarred of. While I think that concept is certainly interesting, a big part of me disagrees with it because that is simply not how angels are portrayed in the Bible. Now the point of Northfork is certainly not to be an accurate representation of scripture, I know that, but all it does is give people incorrect notions of the God of scripture. In the Bible angels scare nearly everyone that sees them because of their obvious power that is very obvious (I am assuming) by their appearance. In the Old Testament an angel killed over 100,000 people single-handedly, where is that in a movie? If a movie showed a single angel kill a small city's worth of people that would be sweet, and I think people would better understand the power of God. With the angels depicted in Northfork going through people's minds, God is not an all-powerful being capable of doing whatever he wants whenever he wants, he is more a nice guy that asks people to be nicer when they let him talk.
I also felt that the movie was a little bit too visual and artsy. I understand that style of film is not my cup of tea, and that is fine with me, however there is a certain point when a movie is just so slow that I cannot imagine anyone really enjoying it. Certain movies, like action, you can pop in and out, see bits and pieces, and still enjoy it. Movies like intense drama keep you on the edge of your seat and you cannot leave the movie even if you wanted too. But movies of the Northfork genre, well I don't really know what they do, they are not entertaining in just bits and pieces, but don't really wanna keep you watching the entire time, so I guess that puts it into the genre of films I don't think are very good.
I also felt that the movie was a little bit too visual and artsy. I understand that style of film is not my cup of tea, and that is fine with me, however there is a certain point when a movie is just so slow that I cannot imagine anyone really enjoying it. Certain movies, like action, you can pop in and out, see bits and pieces, and still enjoy it. Movies like intense drama keep you on the edge of your seat and you cannot leave the movie even if you wanted too. But movies of the Northfork genre, well I don't really know what they do, they are not entertaining in just bits and pieces, but don't really wanna keep you watching the entire time, so I guess that puts it into the genre of films I don't think are very good.
Willie Mears: Blog 4
I have seen the movie Battle LA twice already. It's awesome. After the second time around however, I realized that there are not a lot of underlying themes in the movie, not a lot of subliminal messages, not a lot of thinking. Aliens attack Earth, we lose at first, then win. That's the movie, the whole movie. Now why is that the type of movie I am most drawn to? I think since I am an American and grew up watching mindless movies that is a factor, and also because I am a guy who would love to save Earth from aliens, if/when they attack, but why else? I mean I love watching movies in our class, and those are certainly ones that make you think, but I also feel like I need to take a nap after I watch those movies. The general consensus is that European films are deeper and make you think more, but I am skeptical of the notion that Europeans love to think and watch movies that are beyond complicated simply because they like to challenge themselves, but somehow lost to the Americans in the space race, atomic bomb race, and virtually any other race you can think of. It does not add up, unless the entire continent of Europe is, as a whole, dumber than americans. There is no way they love learning way more than americans but somehow cannot figure out how to launch a few guys into space before nose-picking, cheeseburger eating Americans can. The only think I can think of is that culturally we watch movies at different times and for different reasons. I watch a movie in order to not think, typically with friends and I usually talk for a lot of it. I think in Europe they watch movies less, and don't do it to unwind with buddies but probably more to think and be lame. I mean they certainly don't have to spend time thinking about space exploration, they are too busy trying to figure out why the heck Babett spent all that money on that one meal.
Wesley Crusberg, Film Clips (class assignment #1)
In today’s class we watched several film clips that all were interesting in their own right. Some of the clips were moving pictures and others were still images. The first clip was a short movie titled Bunny. This short film was on the DVD Ice Age and it was very interesting. It was an old female bunny who seemed very tired and very sad. These conclusions could be made by examining the surroundings in the short film. such objects in the film are old pictures of her and her husband that have not moved in a long time. This indicates that she has not moved the picture in a long time and that she is in fact old and she represents old life and how time progresses. She is annoyed by a moth throughout the short film. This moth is constantly going to the light in the room where the bunny is cooking a cake. The moth is telling the bunny to go towards the light and almost acts as if some sort of angel, maybe death angel. The bunny hits the moth in the cake batter and cooks the moth in the oven while she falls asleep. the bunny makes up and finds that the oven opens by itself and there is a huge light coming from the oven. The bunny looks inside and the oven takes her on a ride into space where the moth is there with thousands of other moths. This clip is very comforting at the end because the bunny is now safe in heaven and with the love of her life.
Clip number two was a series of images in the film Northfork. The first image was that of a church. This church was very interesting because the back of church was not there. It was open and you could see the mountains in the background and the cattle that roamed the fields. Seeing this gave the church a much added appeal. It made the church feel as if it was touched by God itself and that God was forever present while people were around. I had never seen a church portrayed as this and it was an interesting perspective.
The second image in Northfork showed to us as a class was a crossroads. This was a crossroads on the road. I saw this and immediately thought of Cast Away, the movie starring Tom Hanks. There was a part in Cast Away where the main character, Tom Hanks, comes to a crossroads and has no idea where to go. In Northfork the characters all go one direction. I saw this as knowing where and why we choose to go places and as long as you do not hesitate, your life will stay on track.
The third image in the film Northfork was a layering effect of a boy running and buffalo running. I do not know what to think of when I saw this clip. They were moving in opposite directions and the buffalo were shown in slow motion. I cannot grasp what was trying to be said in this clip and it was hard to understand. It could have meant nothing and it was just an effect, but who knows, anyone can interpret this however they feel.
The last clip shown in Northfork was the transporting of a casket. The movie took place in 1955, and the town of Northfork was being moved so that a man-made lake could be formed. This of course meant that the dead had to be moved and the character James Woods had to move is wife, who had passed away. The dead should be left alone, most would argue and this what most argued in the film including Woods son. Woods character felt that it just had to be done and he did it. The clip is moving because he was moving his wife and he eventually moved her to a very nice spot looking over a mountain valley. The clip showed sign of nature the human spirit and the human life cycle.
The third clip were clips from the movie Paris, Texas. There were two clips shown from this film both of a man named Travis walking. The first clip is Travis walking in the desert with a gallon of water. Travis is following phone lines where they seemed to fade off into the distance. The journey seems it could last forever and there is no end, the phone lines giving that illusion. Travis is stopped by his brother Walt and taken home. The desert had symbols of death and symbols of life and hope. A vulture followed Travis in the desert and the mountain range gave the slip a sense of nature and spiritualness. Life was represented by Travis and the will power he had to finish the walk. Walt, Travis's brother, represented logic and human worry because it made no sense to keep walking like that and he saved Travis.
The Second clip in Paris, Texas was again about walking. Travis again begins to walk and now he is walking the streets of L.A., where he now lives with his brother Walt. The walk has the same meaning just the surroundings make it a tad more interesting. Travis begins walking at night and into the morning. He seems to have no destination, and he seems to be thinking about a lot of things. As he walks he comes up on a bridge where a man is yelling in the middle. Travis stops to at first say something but realizes to just walk around him. The man yelling was an obstacle for Travis, just as Walt was in the desert. Travis did not let the man stop him and instead found an alternating route. As Travis walked around him he gave the man a pat on the back, almost saying you do not need to yell, everything will be ok. Travis seemed to have a clear mind and he seemed to know what he wanted in his journey.
The forth film that clips were shown from was Pink Floyd’s The Wall. This movie was very weird and I have to say I've heard stories of bad trips watching this movie and the clips seemed to be the reason why bad trips seemed to happen. The movie in general was creepy and strange. The first clip shown was the clip with the song Another Brink in the Wall playing in the background. It showed kids walking in straight lines in to a meat grinder and kids revolting against society. It seemed to be symbolism for fighting the system and for believing in one self and doing what it is you want to do. The movie progressed and another clip was shown of a wall being made of material objects. The objects ranged from computers to cars and cloths and it was forming a wall that surrounded today’s youth. The clip served as another form of symbolism for material things influencing the youth and creating monsters. The clip was full of colors and morphing. The morphing was trippy and creepy because it almost always resulted in a violent form.
The fifth and final movie shown was Cabeza De Vaca. This movie out of all of the move clips seemed to have more of a spiritual aspect. The man in the movie was a Spanish missionary and he was trying to pass Christianity to the natives in Florida. The natives instead captured the man and he was captive for many years. In captivity the Spanish man seemed to take a lot of abuse and he tried to escape in one of the clips. The native witch doctor performed a ritual involving a lizard tied to a rope. The ritual was performed as the Spanish man was running. The lizard ran in circles and so did the Spanish man until the Spanish man fell right next to the place the witch doctor was performing the ritual. This whole sequence was amazing to watch and examine because he seemed almost effortless for the witch doctor and extremely strenuous for the Spanish man. It was in this clip that the Spanish man felt he was not going to ever escape and he tries to hold on to his humanity. This scene was moving because he is yelling into the sky describing what it is that makes him human. It is not until he copes with where he is and he embraces the culture when the tribe lets him free. The clip serves as an understanding of different cultures and how different cultures value spirituality. People cannot force religion on others because it is only up to the person to decide in their own heart what religion if any, they want to believe. That is what makes religion so special and something worth fighting for.
Clip number two was a series of images in the film Northfork. The first image was that of a church. This church was very interesting because the back of church was not there. It was open and you could see the mountains in the background and the cattle that roamed the fields. Seeing this gave the church a much added appeal. It made the church feel as if it was touched by God itself and that God was forever present while people were around. I had never seen a church portrayed as this and it was an interesting perspective.
The second image in Northfork showed to us as a class was a crossroads. This was a crossroads on the road. I saw this and immediately thought of Cast Away, the movie starring Tom Hanks. There was a part in Cast Away where the main character, Tom Hanks, comes to a crossroads and has no idea where to go. In Northfork the characters all go one direction. I saw this as knowing where and why we choose to go places and as long as you do not hesitate, your life will stay on track.
The third image in the film Northfork was a layering effect of a boy running and buffalo running. I do not know what to think of when I saw this clip. They were moving in opposite directions and the buffalo were shown in slow motion. I cannot grasp what was trying to be said in this clip and it was hard to understand. It could have meant nothing and it was just an effect, but who knows, anyone can interpret this however they feel.
The last clip shown in Northfork was the transporting of a casket. The movie took place in 1955, and the town of Northfork was being moved so that a man-made lake could be formed. This of course meant that the dead had to be moved and the character James Woods had to move is wife, who had passed away. The dead should be left alone, most would argue and this what most argued in the film including Woods son. Woods character felt that it just had to be done and he did it. The clip is moving because he was moving his wife and he eventually moved her to a very nice spot looking over a mountain valley. The clip showed sign of nature the human spirit and the human life cycle.
The third clip were clips from the movie Paris, Texas. There were two clips shown from this film both of a man named Travis walking. The first clip is Travis walking in the desert with a gallon of water. Travis is following phone lines where they seemed to fade off into the distance. The journey seems it could last forever and there is no end, the phone lines giving that illusion. Travis is stopped by his brother Walt and taken home. The desert had symbols of death and symbols of life and hope. A vulture followed Travis in the desert and the mountain range gave the slip a sense of nature and spiritualness. Life was represented by Travis and the will power he had to finish the walk. Walt, Travis's brother, represented logic and human worry because it made no sense to keep walking like that and he saved Travis.
The Second clip in Paris, Texas was again about walking. Travis again begins to walk and now he is walking the streets of L.A., where he now lives with his brother Walt. The walk has the same meaning just the surroundings make it a tad more interesting. Travis begins walking at night and into the morning. He seems to have no destination, and he seems to be thinking about a lot of things. As he walks he comes up on a bridge where a man is yelling in the middle. Travis stops to at first say something but realizes to just walk around him. The man yelling was an obstacle for Travis, just as Walt was in the desert. Travis did not let the man stop him and instead found an alternating route. As Travis walked around him he gave the man a pat on the back, almost saying you do not need to yell, everything will be ok. Travis seemed to have a clear mind and he seemed to know what he wanted in his journey.
The forth film that clips were shown from was Pink Floyd’s The Wall. This movie was very weird and I have to say I've heard stories of bad trips watching this movie and the clips seemed to be the reason why bad trips seemed to happen. The movie in general was creepy and strange. The first clip shown was the clip with the song Another Brink in the Wall playing in the background. It showed kids walking in straight lines in to a meat grinder and kids revolting against society. It seemed to be symbolism for fighting the system and for believing in one self and doing what it is you want to do. The movie progressed and another clip was shown of a wall being made of material objects. The objects ranged from computers to cars and cloths and it was forming a wall that surrounded today’s youth. The clip served as another form of symbolism for material things influencing the youth and creating monsters. The clip was full of colors and morphing. The morphing was trippy and creepy because it almost always resulted in a violent form.
The fifth and final movie shown was Cabeza De Vaca. This movie out of all of the move clips seemed to have more of a spiritual aspect. The man in the movie was a Spanish missionary and he was trying to pass Christianity to the natives in Florida. The natives instead captured the man and he was captive for many years. In captivity the Spanish man seemed to take a lot of abuse and he tried to escape in one of the clips. The native witch doctor performed a ritual involving a lizard tied to a rope. The ritual was performed as the Spanish man was running. The lizard ran in circles and so did the Spanish man until the Spanish man fell right next to the place the witch doctor was performing the ritual. This whole sequence was amazing to watch and examine because he seemed almost effortless for the witch doctor and extremely strenuous for the Spanish man. It was in this clip that the Spanish man felt he was not going to ever escape and he tries to hold on to his humanity. This scene was moving because he is yelling into the sky describing what it is that makes him human. It is not until he copes with where he is and he embraces the culture when the tribe lets him free. The clip serves as an understanding of different cultures and how different cultures value spirituality. People cannot force religion on others because it is only up to the person to decide in their own heart what religion if any, they want to believe. That is what makes religion so special and something worth fighting for.
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Brynne Valla--Student Choice #1
I watched the film "The Fighter" this weekend because of all the rave-reviews it got at the Oscar's. It did not disappoint me. The film is based off a true story about a family in Lowell, Massachusetts, involved with boxing. The youngest son, Micky, is attempting to become a professional boxer. He studies under the knowledge of his crack-addicted brother, Dicky. Micky's mother and step-father manage his fights but to no avail. He continually loses fight after fight and grows increasingly dissatisfied with his life.
After his brother goes to jail, Micky's girlfriend encourages him to find a new trainer and management team. He does so, and begins winning his matches. His confidence and happiness grow immensely, despite the rift it has caused within his family. In one critical fight for a chance at the title, Micky gets pummeled. He had gone into the match with a plan, but it wasn't working. He remembered advice his brother gave him from within jail and used it against his opponent. The advice proved to be sound, and Micky won the match.
The thing I found most poignant about this moment was that Micky's brother, the guy who was always late to practice because he was getting high and who was so selfish, became Micky's savior. Dicky saved Micky not only from physical defeat from the other fighter, but also allowed him to maintain his dream at pursuing a title. Even from behind the prison's bars, Dicky was able to save his older brother. For me, this made up for all his previous failures and all the times his heart was not dedicated to training his little brother.
This film is a remarkable one, not only because it is based off a true story, but also because it gives the viewer hope. Micky's career finally gained speed and he was happy. Additionally, the rift between the family lessened after he won that fight. It is amazing that the crackhead brother, the least dependable person in the whole movie,is what saved Micky from defeat in every sense of the word. In this way, I see Dicky as a weird sort of Christ-like character. Although he hadn't lived a blameless life before he redeemed himself and his brother, he was the only one who could bring healing to a hurting person.
After his brother goes to jail, Micky's girlfriend encourages him to find a new trainer and management team. He does so, and begins winning his matches. His confidence and happiness grow immensely, despite the rift it has caused within his family. In one critical fight for a chance at the title, Micky gets pummeled. He had gone into the match with a plan, but it wasn't working. He remembered advice his brother gave him from within jail and used it against his opponent. The advice proved to be sound, and Micky won the match.
The thing I found most poignant about this moment was that Micky's brother, the guy who was always late to practice because he was getting high and who was so selfish, became Micky's savior. Dicky saved Micky not only from physical defeat from the other fighter, but also allowed him to maintain his dream at pursuing a title. Even from behind the prison's bars, Dicky was able to save his older brother. For me, this made up for all his previous failures and all the times his heart was not dedicated to training his little brother.
This film is a remarkable one, not only because it is based off a true story, but also because it gives the viewer hope. Micky's career finally gained speed and he was happy. Additionally, the rift between the family lessened after he won that fight. It is amazing that the crackhead brother, the least dependable person in the whole movie,is what saved Micky from defeat in every sense of the word. In this way, I see Dicky as a weird sort of Christ-like character. Although he hadn't lived a blameless life before he redeemed himself and his brother, he was the only one who could bring healing to a hurting person.
Brynne Valla--Films from Class #3
What struck me most in our discussion of "Northfork" is our preconceived ideas of angels. In the film, Irwin envisions angels as he would like to think of them--one is modeled after a flower, the other tea cups, etc. The childlike innocence and fantasticalness of these angels is revealed in how he perceives angels. At first, I found it hard to believe that angels were being presented in such an odd way. Normally I think of them as sort of ghost-like, perhaps with wings, or perhaps just ordinary looking humans in disguise. I definitely did not envision them as Irwin did--with fake hands, eccentric personalities or wearing wigs. The main point of this idea is that perhaps the filmmakers are making a statement that angels are beyond our comprehension and unknowable. They can be whatever you need them to be, depending on your situation. However, until you encounter one for yourself, there is no definitive way to describe an angel.
Additionally, the visual narrative compensates for the lack of actual narrative going on for me. At times, I found the story to be a little dull, and I was often frustrated with the men evacuating the town. They seemed to be evacuating the townspeople for primarily selfish reasons--to gain land--instead of actually looking out for their well-being. However, the images that we discussed, such as the coffin on the cars, the giant ark that the townsman built and the unearthed graves, helped drive the narrative along. The images alone revealed the story--people were leaving their homes and being forced to take things that are supposed to find eternal rest. The images conveyed a sense of immediacy and lack of permanence. So, even though the movie was lacking in dialogue or an intriguing plot-line, the visual images made up for it.
Additionally, the visual narrative compensates for the lack of actual narrative going on for me. At times, I found the story to be a little dull, and I was often frustrated with the men evacuating the town. They seemed to be evacuating the townspeople for primarily selfish reasons--to gain land--instead of actually looking out for their well-being. However, the images that we discussed, such as the coffin on the cars, the giant ark that the townsman built and the unearthed graves, helped drive the narrative along. The images alone revealed the story--people were leaving their homes and being forced to take things that are supposed to find eternal rest. The images conveyed a sense of immediacy and lack of permanence. So, even though the movie was lacking in dialogue or an intriguing plot-line, the visual images made up for it.
Brynne Valla--Films from Class #2
The first clip we watched works as Midrash in that it teaches us the first commandment: thou shall not have any gods before me. In this clip, the father reveals that he has more faith in what the computer tells him than God. Though his sister and child seem to take greater leaps of faith in God, he relies on his computer for all the answers. Everything is a calculation and he believes it to be infallible. The most tragic part of this clip is when the father realizes his faith in his computer killed his son. Had the father not put more faith in technology than in God, perhaps his son would still be alive. This clip demonstrates the importance of trusting in God rather than in our own logic. The ending can only be tragic when we forgo the first commandment.
In the second clip, we see the commandment: thou shall not kill. A bit of tension exists within this command, however. For instance, we humans are told not to murder. But is capital punishment considered murder or justice? This seems to be the main point of this clip. It questions whether killing someone who has murdered another human being is justified or if it is yet another violation of the commandment that prohibits killing. In the end, it seems as though the killing is unjust. The lawyer cannot find peace with his client’s death, though he seems to acknowledge his client was wrong to commit the crime against the cab driver. This clip seems to suggest that capital punishment is a perpetuation of breaking the commandment not to kill one another.
These films took simple commandments from a religious book and created films that we could relate to or identify with. By creating believable or relatable situations, the films were able to convey some sense of feeling or meaning. In the second clip especially, I could relate to both the lawyer (because I believe capital punishment is wrong) and the cab driver’s family (because his life should not have been taken). Furthermore, I think that this film does bridge the flux of the moment to eternity. The commandments were given to Moses thousands of years ago. The fact that the filmmaker can present situations from today’s modern world and apply them to the old commands represents that ability.
In the second clip, we see the commandment: thou shall not kill. A bit of tension exists within this command, however. For instance, we humans are told not to murder. But is capital punishment considered murder or justice? This seems to be the main point of this clip. It questions whether killing someone who has murdered another human being is justified or if it is yet another violation of the commandment that prohibits killing. In the end, it seems as though the killing is unjust. The lawyer cannot find peace with his client’s death, though he seems to acknowledge his client was wrong to commit the crime against the cab driver. This clip seems to suggest that capital punishment is a perpetuation of breaking the commandment not to kill one another.
These films took simple commandments from a religious book and created films that we could relate to or identify with. By creating believable or relatable situations, the films were able to convey some sense of feeling or meaning. In the second clip especially, I could relate to both the lawyer (because I believe capital punishment is wrong) and the cab driver’s family (because his life should not have been taken). Furthermore, I think that this film does bridge the flux of the moment to eternity. The commandments were given to Moses thousands of years ago. The fact that the filmmaker can present situations from today’s modern world and apply them to the old commands represents that ability.
Sarah Clementson- Northfork -Post # 3
The concept of angels is something that I have never taken the time to try and pin down. In the Bible, Jacob wrestled with God through an angel. Also, angels are shown throughout scripture specifically in coming to Joseph in a dream and the angel, Gabriel, brought news to Mary that she was going to carry God’s Son. In these situations specific humans had contact with angels. As I sit and think about that, I wonder if other people had been around, would Mary have been the only one to see the angel or would all of the people be able to see Gabriel. This matters because in the film Northfork there are about three different plot lines going on in a town named Northfork. The town is being evacuated due to a dam being built and the town is going to be covered with water. One of the plotlines is based on Irwin. Irwin is a very sick orphan boy being taken care of by a priest. Irwin is in and out of consciousness throughout the movie, and the most action takes place in his dreams, focused on his interactions with four very odd angels. The angels are all lacking something, vision, hands, etc and are taken from Irwin’s imagination concocted from the items located on the side table adjacent to his bed. Although I am not sure that I have ever believed angels only have wings and have to be all in white and majestic, the way they are portrayed in the Bible is as tall and beautiful beings. In Northfork, the angels were almost human in their depiction because they had limitations and flaws instead of being ethereal. I doubted as to whether they were real because I thought they were just a part of Irwin’s sick dreams. Yet, when a boy and his father come to get the house where the angels reside, the father sees the angels and the snow but the son does not.
In this situation, I am beginning to see that wisdom or experience in the difficulties of life open people’s eyes to new perspectives. The dad, along with Irwin, have seen and almost tasted death first-hand. They are able to have a different perspective on life in contrast with the son who is so upset about scratch on his Ford and does not even think about the eternal. The visibility of these four eccentric angels, Happy, Cod, Cup of Tea, and Flower are uncertain of many things, learning and yet supposedly God-inspired. I do not understand if the father had lingered at the house if the angels would have behaved in the same manner. If so, would the angels only be a figment of each individual’s imagination if they can fathom something eternal past the here and now? Irwin was sick and created the angels in his imagination, and yet the father saw them too. I do not understand how any of that is possible, except that there must be an alteration in thinking, perception and understanding of the meaning of life when forced to deal with the realities of death.
In this situation, I am beginning to see that wisdom or experience in the difficulties of life open people’s eyes to new perspectives. The dad, along with Irwin, have seen and almost tasted death first-hand. They are able to have a different perspective on life in contrast with the son who is so upset about scratch on his Ford and does not even think about the eternal. The visibility of these four eccentric angels, Happy, Cod, Cup of Tea, and Flower are uncertain of many things, learning and yet supposedly God-inspired. I do not understand if the father had lingered at the house if the angels would have behaved in the same manner. If so, would the angels only be a figment of each individual’s imagination if they can fathom something eternal past the here and now? Irwin was sick and created the angels in his imagination, and yet the father saw them too. I do not understand how any of that is possible, except that there must be an alteration in thinking, perception and understanding of the meaning of life when forced to deal with the realities of death.
Friday, March 25, 2011
Sean Meslar- Northfork
I'll start by saying that I'm a sucker for anything that uses puns, and this movie was chock full of them. I was however, equally frustrated by the depiction of angels as I was in Wings of Desire. Why is it that humans are so fascinated by the nature of angels? While I don't believe in angels personally, what I do know about them would lead me to believe that we know nothing about them, and depicting them in films would seem pointless. While some films also try to depict God, this is typically a less serious endeavor and usually use a comedic caricature of God or a comedically unexpected depiction, rather than trying to speak to the true nature of God. The role of angels in the film was not altogether clear, despite the obvious importance they hold given the reference to angels in the story of the town's foundation as well as the angels of the young boy's imagination. While the imaginary angels serve to advance the sub-plot of the sick boy, it seems to me that there are no angels to save Northfork. Innocent people are being driven from their homes or left behind to drown, where are the benevolent spirits that used to roam the pastures of Northfork like cattle? I don't have an opinion as to whether this is an incidental absence of angels or whether they are intentionally kept from the primary story so as to demonstrate that people are really on their own. While perhaps not the most fascinating story in terms of plot, the film was visually and conceptually engaging.
Thursday, March 24, 2011
Louisa Andrusko Blog #8 3-24-11: Outside Reading "The Great Gatsby"
One of my favorite books of all time, The Great Gatsby, is enriched with religious symbolism and themes. The green light at the beginning of the film is both mysterious as well as intriguing. Like religion, the green light can either represent the great unknown or the hope for a great future. Gatsby’s obsession with this light, or question, controls his actions for the rest of the book. It is this journey that Gatsby embarks on that can be compared to many people’s search for truth; the basis of all religions. This concept is further apparent when Daisy, Gatsby’s love interest, is compared to the Holy Grail. Another religious symbol is the eyes of Dr. T. J. Eckleburg. He is compared to God, a superior force watching over the people below. The power Nick assigns Eckleburg is apparent through the constant references to his over-looking gazes and consequently judgements. Eckleburg as some sort of a judge is symbolic of the judgment day all people will face one day. Materialism as a form of corruption is another driving force of the book. Because people have become so materialistic and intent on obtaining the most wealth, they have strayed from their path to God. Materialism as a deterrent from God has not received much time in our class, yet the search for answers definitely has. Shown in The Seventh Seal, many people set out on journeys to obtain concrete answers or the truth. While Gatsby’s journey differs from Block’s, both of them are driven by a desire to know and understand something beyond their comprehension.
Louisa Andrusko: Blog #7 3/24/11: Northfork
Northfork was a very beautiful and philosophical movie. Themes of death, religion, and transcendence continually appeared in the film, making even the most simple scene burst with symbolism. The relationship between nature and religion was at the core of this film, leading audiences to see nature as a sacred place. This intermingling of the profane and sacred played out in the film, especially through the cinematography. The film techniques used in this film not only captured the awe and wonderment of nature, but also the mysteriousness of it. By using wide shots of mountains, streams, and land, the audience is able to see how spectacular nature is, especially in comparison to the mundane. Nature seemed to collide with death in the film, especially when the coffins were removed from the ground. The townspeople and evacuation team are forced to confront the idea of death constantly throughout the film, causing many of them to revert back to their faith. The ark and references to the flood in the Bible demonstrates the tendency people have to seek out God when they’re afraid. The older man who feels he sinned against his wife begs God and his wife for forgiveness before taking her coffin away. The scene in which the coffin is tied on top of the car was extremely symbolic as it represented the transition from the mundane (the car) to the sacred (the mountains or heaven). Further, the possibility of death looms over those who decide to stay as well as the little sick boy. Interestingly enough, both the boy and stubborn townspeople do not fear death; they almost feel immune to it. The connection the townspeople feel with their land grants them the courage to stay, while the boy’s belief that he is an angel frees him from the burden of such a devastating disease. All in all I was very impressed with the cinematography of the film. Its ability to capture the greatness of nature allowed audiences to see the relationship between nature and religion.
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Louisa Andrusko: Blog #6 3/22/10: Outside Reading: Intercultural film and religion
For decades, filmmakers have continually tried to capture the profoundness and complexity of religion on film. The elusive nature of religion has continually been shown on screen in effort to visually depict something so wonderful and fantastic. In Daniel Leab’s Film and Religion, he explores Hollywood’s fascination with religion in film and has some very interesting conclusions. According to Leab, religious films are successful because of people’s desire to believe in something. Attending a religious film allows people to feel connected to some sort of higher power. Incidentally, because America is predominantly Christian, Eastern religious movies have not prospered as well as their Christian counterparts. Leab’s argument that people watch movies because they want to believe was very interesting to me. I had never thought of that. Seeking out films do fulfill this desire seems almost impossible. Not only is it very difficult to represent religion in film, understanding the magnitude of religion in a film seems almost overwhelming for any audience. Another question this article raises is which nationality can produce the most spiritual film? As we saw in Wings of Desire and City of Angels, the poetic feel was much more present in the former German film. On the other hand, was the mysterious feel of the German feel more spiritual to us American studies because of its unknown element? Would it be the same for German students when watching American films? The intercultural interactions that occur virtually when watching foreign films definitely helped the spiritual factor.
Leab, D. J. (2002). Introduction: Film and religion. Film History, 14(2), 119. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Leab, D. J. (2002). Introduction: Film and religion. Film History, 14(2), 119. Retrieved from EBSCOhost.
Deanna Yurovich Blog #12 - Outside Reading - Wisdom's Blossoms
Wisdom’s Blossoms is a book that contains different stories about the saints of India. This book is assigned for the class Religions of the East and it actually has some very interesting stories to tell that gives a great outlook on life.
Chapter 7 is called “Two Cloths.” This story is about a woman named Lalleshwari who did not want to identify herself with an outer garment; she would walk around the town naked because she was in essence with the spirit. This caused her mother-in-law to hate her and accuse her of being an adulteress and her husband believed his mother and through his wife out. She would take a lot of ridicule and one day dirt was thrown at her and a merchant took pity on her and brought her in his store and asked why she does not wear anything and why she would take that abuse. She asked to bother two cloths of the same weight. She placed one on her left shoulder and one on her right. She told the merchant every time she received praise she would put a knot in the right one and every time she was scorned she would place a knot in the left one. When she returned later in the day the one on the left was full of knots and the other had very few. She asked him to bring her a scale and when they weighed both cloths they were still the same weight and equal to each other. This was her way of saying that no matter how much praise or blame she received she knew who she was and was still the same person.
This is a very interesting story because everyday we are all confronted with praise and blame and we are the one that decides how it affects us. I am sure we are affected by these comments more than the woman in the story was, but that is our choice. Once we become comfortable with whom we are then we can let comments roll off our back like the woman does. Inevitably we are who we are and we only have one life to live. Be happy with it.
Chapter 7 is called “Two Cloths.” This story is about a woman named Lalleshwari who did not want to identify herself with an outer garment; she would walk around the town naked because she was in essence with the spirit. This caused her mother-in-law to hate her and accuse her of being an adulteress and her husband believed his mother and through his wife out. She would take a lot of ridicule and one day dirt was thrown at her and a merchant took pity on her and brought her in his store and asked why she does not wear anything and why she would take that abuse. She asked to bother two cloths of the same weight. She placed one on her left shoulder and one on her right. She told the merchant every time she received praise she would put a knot in the right one and every time she was scorned she would place a knot in the left one. When she returned later in the day the one on the left was full of knots and the other had very few. She asked him to bring her a scale and when they weighed both cloths they were still the same weight and equal to each other. This was her way of saying that no matter how much praise or blame she received she knew who she was and was still the same person.
This is a very interesting story because everyday we are all confronted with praise and blame and we are the one that decides how it affects us. I am sure we are affected by these comments more than the woman in the story was, but that is our choice. Once we become comfortable with whom we are then we can let comments roll off our back like the woman does. Inevitably we are who we are and we only have one life to live. Be happy with it.
Deanna Yurovich - Blog #11 - Outside Reading - Wisdom's Blossoms
Wisdom’s Blossoms is a book that contains different stories about the saints of India. This book is assigned for the class Religions of the East and it actually has some very interesting stories to tell that gives a great outlook on life. I will do my last three outside reading blogs with stories from this book.
Chapter 7 is called “The Man Who Spat on a Saint.” This story is about a man named Eknath who is hated by many in the town and they want to put him to shame, so Ram Pandit tells everyone if they want to see Eknath unmasked to go to the bathing ghat the next morning. Once Eknath got out of the bathing area Ram Pandit spat in his face and all Eknath did was return to the water. Ram Pandit did this 99 times and each time Eknath just returned to the water. On the 100th time, Ram Pandit’s throat closed and he could not breath. This is when he realized the Eknath was truly a saint and asked for forgiveness. Eknath simply said that he had nothing to forgive him for. Ram Pandit had given Eknath the opportunity to cleanse his own sins by taking 100 dips in the holy Chandrabhaga River.
This is such a good story because it makes people realize that just because something bad happened to them does not mean something good can come out of it. It all depends on how you see it. Eknath did not get annoyed each time he got spat on or yell at Ram Pandit. He saw this as an opportunity to do something greater than that. Next time something bad happens to you, think of what good can come out of it in the end.
Chapter 7 is called “The Man Who Spat on a Saint.” This story is about a man named Eknath who is hated by many in the town and they want to put him to shame, so Ram Pandit tells everyone if they want to see Eknath unmasked to go to the bathing ghat the next morning. Once Eknath got out of the bathing area Ram Pandit spat in his face and all Eknath did was return to the water. Ram Pandit did this 99 times and each time Eknath just returned to the water. On the 100th time, Ram Pandit’s throat closed and he could not breath. This is when he realized the Eknath was truly a saint and asked for forgiveness. Eknath simply said that he had nothing to forgive him for. Ram Pandit had given Eknath the opportunity to cleanse his own sins by taking 100 dips in the holy Chandrabhaga River.
This is such a good story because it makes people realize that just because something bad happened to them does not mean something good can come out of it. It all depends on how you see it. Eknath did not get annoyed each time he got spat on or yell at Ram Pandit. He saw this as an opportunity to do something greater than that. Next time something bad happens to you, think of what good can come out of it in the end.
Deanna Yurovich - Blog #10 - In Class - Northfork
The movie Northfork has many different aspects to it. It consists of three stories in one. The overall story is what is happening in the town Northfork. The area is being made into a lake and everyone is being evacuated out. Another story within that are about two members of the evacuation team who are father and son and the third story is about a young boy whose parents have left him with the priest due to his sickness and he is left dying while the priest takes care of him. I will focus on what is going on within the last two stories and how they are portrayed in the film.
The father and son evacuation team has some very interesting moments. They have to evacuate 65 people to be able to receive lake front property any less than 65 they receive nothing. When they return with only 64 the father says there was one more house they needed to look at. This house is where the angels that the little boy is conversing with stay at and I will get into that a little later, but when they get there both make the comment that the house smells like death. While there are no dead bodies in the house, it is possible that it smells like death because they are near the angels which are close to death. While looking for people to evacuate the men go upstairs. They realize that the upstairs is split in half, but another thing is that there is snow in the middle of the house but only the father can see this snow. Winter can be seen as the death of many things and snow is part of winter. The snow creates a curtain of life and death which is something these two are familiar with since they had to bury their mother/wife. Another moment between these two is when we realize that the mother is buried where the lake will be. The father has a spiritual moment in an outhouse saying that he is coming to get her. The moment makes it look like he is in a confessional confessing his sin of neglecting his wife. From there he goes to dig her up and places her on part of his lakefront property before leaving the town himself.
The story with the little boy is very interesting. The boy is left in the care of the priest after being abandoned by a couple. The boy wants to be adopted and tells the father to let a perspective family know that he is an angel. All the while this is going on he is dying and we see him in a between state of life and death. He follows a thing into the house that is holding the angels and tells them that he is the unknown angel. When the angels realize it is him, they take him with them at the end. While these angels are based off of items on the boy’s nightstand they are not a figment of his imagination because when the father jumps through the snow to the other side of the house he sees the four angels as well and is spooked enough to leave quickly. The other thing that is interesting is that the thing that the little boy follows to the house is a creature made from the priest’s cane. The priest’s main goal was to find the boy a family and in a way that is done when he finds the angels due to the creature.
Those are some of the interesting parts in my opinion of the movie Northfork.
The father and son evacuation team has some very interesting moments. They have to evacuate 65 people to be able to receive lake front property any less than 65 they receive nothing. When they return with only 64 the father says there was one more house they needed to look at. This house is where the angels that the little boy is conversing with stay at and I will get into that a little later, but when they get there both make the comment that the house smells like death. While there are no dead bodies in the house, it is possible that it smells like death because they are near the angels which are close to death. While looking for people to evacuate the men go upstairs. They realize that the upstairs is split in half, but another thing is that there is snow in the middle of the house but only the father can see this snow. Winter can be seen as the death of many things and snow is part of winter. The snow creates a curtain of life and death which is something these two are familiar with since they had to bury their mother/wife. Another moment between these two is when we realize that the mother is buried where the lake will be. The father has a spiritual moment in an outhouse saying that he is coming to get her. The moment makes it look like he is in a confessional confessing his sin of neglecting his wife. From there he goes to dig her up and places her on part of his lakefront property before leaving the town himself.
The story with the little boy is very interesting. The boy is left in the care of the priest after being abandoned by a couple. The boy wants to be adopted and tells the father to let a perspective family know that he is an angel. All the while this is going on he is dying and we see him in a between state of life and death. He follows a thing into the house that is holding the angels and tells them that he is the unknown angel. When the angels realize it is him, they take him with them at the end. While these angels are based off of items on the boy’s nightstand they are not a figment of his imagination because when the father jumps through the snow to the other side of the house he sees the four angels as well and is spooked enough to leave quickly. The other thing that is interesting is that the thing that the little boy follows to the house is a creature made from the priest’s cane. The priest’s main goal was to find the boy a family and in a way that is done when he finds the angels due to the creature.
Those are some of the interesting parts in my opinion of the movie Northfork.
Monday, March 21, 2011
Deanna Yurovich - Blog #9 - Personal - Glee "Grilled Cheesus" Episode
In the recent month, a friend of mine and myself have watched Glee from the very beginning to the recent episodes. In the second season there is an episode called "Grilled Cheesus" this episode shows Fin making a grilled cheese sandwich that has an impression like Jesus' face and he begins to pray to it. Also, Kurt's father has a heart attack which causes almost all members except for Kurt to turn to God in their own way.
I find it very interesting how this episode was portrayed. There was no definite "right" religion and it was actually never stated what religion three of the main girls belonged to. The only religions the audience knows is that two members are Jewish. The glee club is given the assignment to sing a spiritual song (not a religious, but spiritual song) which is stopped by the administration due to the rules of being in a public school.
This episode kinda reminded me how we are not exactly looking at specific religions in class, but more looking at the spiritual nature of the movies. This popular show reminded people that there has to be something you believe in and ended with the song "One of Us" by Joan Osbourne which states "What if God was one of us?" reminding us that there is something bigger than us out there.
I find it very interesting how this episode was portrayed. There was no definite "right" religion and it was actually never stated what religion three of the main girls belonged to. The only religions the audience knows is that two members are Jewish. The glee club is given the assignment to sing a spiritual song (not a religious, but spiritual song) which is stopped by the administration due to the rules of being in a public school.
This episode kinda reminded me how we are not exactly looking at specific religions in class, but more looking at the spiritual nature of the movies. This popular show reminded people that there has to be something you believe in and ended with the song "One of Us" by Joan Osbourne which states "What if God was one of us?" reminding us that there is something bigger than us out there.
Wednesday, March 16, 2011
Deanna Yurovich - Blog #8 - Personal - Reel Bad Arabs
Yesterday I attended the CAB and LPE event on the maker of the documentary Reel Bad Arabs. Reel Bad Arabs, which was originally a book by Dr. Jack Shaheen, discusses how Arabs are portrayed in films, most of those films being pre 9/11. I decided to do this as a blog post because we look at how religion is portrayed in films and the different type of film work that is done in some movies and I found what Dr. Shaheen said to be interesting.
Dr. Shaheen studies the different stereotypical images of groups. AS stated in the introduction to his documentary, we as a society used to have a stigma against African Americans and Hispanics which has since gone away and he believes someday so will the stigma against Arabs.
What I found especially interesting is how Arabs are actually shown in films. If you were to think of an Arab, what would you picture? Someone dressed in a head dress and a piece of material that wraps about him along with facial hair and a dark complexion? Now picture an American. Not as easy is it? Because we know there are so many different type of people in America. How would you feel if people outside of the USA pictured all Americans as the Unabomber? I believe many Americans would be shocked if that’s how we were portrayed in every film. Another thing he said was how the Arab is dehumanized in films so it makes it easier for audiences to dislike him or her. He or she is not pictured with a family; they are a sole person reeking havoc on the American protagonist.
Dr. Shaheen’s research is very interesting and hopefully some day the stereotype of Arabs will go away and we can all be portrayed as the protagonist and antagonist in films rather than pin pointing one culture or race.
If you are interested in watching the documentary, here is a link that should take you to Google video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-223210418534585840#=
Dr. Shaheen studies the different stereotypical images of groups. AS stated in the introduction to his documentary, we as a society used to have a stigma against African Americans and Hispanics which has since gone away and he believes someday so will the stigma against Arabs.
What I found especially interesting is how Arabs are actually shown in films. If you were to think of an Arab, what would you picture? Someone dressed in a head dress and a piece of material that wraps about him along with facial hair and a dark complexion? Now picture an American. Not as easy is it? Because we know there are so many different type of people in America. How would you feel if people outside of the USA pictured all Americans as the Unabomber? I believe many Americans would be shocked if that’s how we were portrayed in every film. Another thing he said was how the Arab is dehumanized in films so it makes it easier for audiences to dislike him or her. He or she is not pictured with a family; they are a sole person reeking havoc on the American protagonist.
Dr. Shaheen’s research is very interesting and hopefully some day the stereotype of Arabs will go away and we can all be portrayed as the protagonist and antagonist in films rather than pin pointing one culture or race.
If you are interested in watching the documentary, here is a link that should take you to Google video:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-223210418534585840#=
Wednesday, March 9, 2011
Deanna Yurovich - Blog #7 - Personal - The Adjustment Bureau
Over Spring Break I saw the new Matt Damon movie “The Adjustment Bureau.” It is not his best work, but honestly not bad. In writing this I will try not to give anything away, but it is an interesting movie to look at with the decisions that we as humans have and the free will that we have.
If you are unfamiliar with the movie, it is a story about how this bureau adjusts people’s lives so that they can get certain things done. The simplest thing like spilling coffee at a certain time can delay someone’s day just enough for them to get what they need to get done. They all have books that shows the path that one should be taking and shows when they diverge from the path.
Matt Damon’s character, David Norris, meets a girl who he was only supposed to meet once, but falls in love. From then on he is trying to be with her, but forces beyond his control are not letting him. Again, I do not want to give anything away, but it goes back to humans not realizing their own freedom. He thought he had this freedom and now has to fight this bureau for what he wants in his own life.
Again, it was not Matt Damon’s best work but not a bad movie to see!
If you are unfamiliar with the movie, it is a story about how this bureau adjusts people’s lives so that they can get certain things done. The simplest thing like spilling coffee at a certain time can delay someone’s day just enough for them to get what they need to get done. They all have books that shows the path that one should be taking and shows when they diverge from the path.
Matt Damon’s character, David Norris, meets a girl who he was only supposed to meet once, but falls in love. From then on he is trying to be with her, but forces beyond his control are not letting him. Again, I do not want to give anything away, but it goes back to humans not realizing their own freedom. He thought he had this freedom and now has to fight this bureau for what he wants in his own life.
Again, it was not Matt Damon’s best work but not a bad movie to see!
Deanna Yurovich - Blog #6 Outside Reading - Ash Wednesday
Today is Ash Wednesday, the beginning of Lent for many. While on the Internet, I found this article posted by Catholic Online about Lent beginning and what this means for Catholics. It is an interesting read. Lent comes from the word lengthening and it is not a coincidence that its falls around the time when we get out of the long winter days into the beautiful spring days. The Church states that a question that is often asked of them, even by other Christians, is who needs to the Lenten practices. The Church’s response? We do.
In reading this article, I am somewhat reminded of Kierkegaard’s existentialism in that we all have decisions in our life and it is our freedom that we make those decisions. "In man, true freedom is an "outstanding manifestation of the divine image" (CCC #212) The article states this quote about man’s freedom. They also go on to talk about the choices we make in life, whether they be right or wrong.
These forty days of Lent provide a time for Christians to reflect on the choices they have made and what they will change about themselves. Many people for Lent give things up, like cookies or soda. I went to Catholic School my whole life until Christopher Newport University. When I was in middle school the priest would come once a week to talk to the class. When it was Lent I remember him saying that it is not what you give up, it is what you give. He told us that we should try and better ourselves during the next forty days. In a way, have a more “grown-up” outlook on Lent and see it more as a time to give back rather than give up. Something to think about.
Lent Begins: Ash Wednesday,Turn Away from Sin and Be Faithful to the Gospel
http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/story.php?id=40613
In reading this article, I am somewhat reminded of Kierkegaard’s existentialism in that we all have decisions in our life and it is our freedom that we make those decisions. "In man, true freedom is an "outstanding manifestation of the divine image" (CCC #212) The article states this quote about man’s freedom. They also go on to talk about the choices we make in life, whether they be right or wrong.
These forty days of Lent provide a time for Christians to reflect on the choices they have made and what they will change about themselves. Many people for Lent give things up, like cookies or soda. I went to Catholic School my whole life until Christopher Newport University. When I was in middle school the priest would come once a week to talk to the class. When it was Lent I remember him saying that it is not what you give up, it is what you give. He told us that we should try and better ourselves during the next forty days. In a way, have a more “grown-up” outlook on Lent and see it more as a time to give back rather than give up. Something to think about.
Lent Begins: Ash Wednesday,Turn Away from Sin and Be Faithful to the Gospel
http://www.catholic.org/clife/lent/story.php?id=40613
Sunday, March 6, 2011
Megan Wood Blog #5 (personal)
It's official.... Senior-itis has SET IN.
It's disease that takes over college seniors every year, and I swore I wouldn't contract it, but... I did.
Senioritis is defined as "a decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their school careers." Some obvious symptoms are procrastination, lethargy, and a unfortunate, unrelenting aversion to schoolwork.
This semester I am taking one course for my major (the capstone), two courses for my minor (one of them a capstone), one class to finish a grad requirement, and an independent study research course. All five of these are writing intensive. Of the three symptoms I have mentioned, I regrettably suffer from each. I have yet to miss an assignment that would be detrimental to my grade, but I lack the sense of urgency that I used to have.
It doesn't help that my immediate future, while not set in stone, is pretty much figured out. I feel the desire to coast through the next few months to graduation, where I can then go start my life in grad school. Having been accepted to a number of schools (ESPECIALLY those that offered me tuition and a stipend) only makes this feeling worse.
If anyone has any solution to this loss of motivation so I can get myself back on track and stop stressing about what has been left undone til the last minute every week, let me know!
It's disease that takes over college seniors every year, and I swore I wouldn't contract it, but... I did.
Senioritis is defined as "a decreased motivation toward studies displayed by students who are nearing the end of their school careers." Some obvious symptoms are procrastination, lethargy, and a unfortunate, unrelenting aversion to schoolwork.
This semester I am taking one course for my major (the capstone), two courses for my minor (one of them a capstone), one class to finish a grad requirement, and an independent study research course. All five of these are writing intensive. Of the three symptoms I have mentioned, I regrettably suffer from each. I have yet to miss an assignment that would be detrimental to my grade, but I lack the sense of urgency that I used to have.
It doesn't help that my immediate future, while not set in stone, is pretty much figured out. I feel the desire to coast through the next few months to graduation, where I can then go start my life in grad school. Having been accepted to a number of schools (ESPECIALLY those that offered me tuition and a stipend) only makes this feeling worse.
If anyone has any solution to this loss of motivation so I can get myself back on track and stop stressing about what has been left undone til the last minute every week, let me know!
Thursday, March 3, 2011
Sean Meslar Post 4 Outside Readings
The last in my series of posts focusing on Platonic dialogues will focus on the Apology. Unlike most of the dialogues, the Apology does not have a central question or issue, it is merely an attempt to convey the events leading up to Socrates's conviction. Socrates is tried with two charges, corrupting the youth and impiety. In almost comedic fashion, Socrates employs his classic reductio ad absurdum argument structure to show that the charges against him are spiteful and short-sighted. Nevertheless, Socrates, by nature of his overbearing arrogance, convinces the Athenian jury to sentence him to death. Among the leading contributing factors to his execution is Socrates's lengthy attempt to demonstrate that he is the wisest of all men because he "knows that he knows nothing." In an attempt to find someone in possession of true knowledge, Socrates essentially sealed his fate by heckling every social class of Athens to the point of righteous annoyance; a fate hinted at in an earlier chronological dialogue, the Meno, when one of his three future accusers warns that his constant bothering of people may get him in trouble. Upon his sentencing, Socrates warns that Athens has dealt itself a far greater punishment than it has to Socrates, because his role as intellectual gadfly spurs the citizenry to greater heights. The ridiculous manner in which Socrates responds to this literally life and death matter (a description can't really do the dialogue full justice; it's a must read) leave the reader to wonder whether Socrates wanted to die. We see later in the Crito that Socrates refuses to escape his punishment and imprisonment despite a relative assurance of his safety. The conviction with which Socrates held to his beliefs, even in the face of death, is something I think everyone could stand to learn from, even if we do so in a slightly less self-destructive manner.
Wednesday, March 2, 2011
Sean Meslar Post 3 Outside Readings
The Theaetetus is the first of Plato's great dialogues concerning the nature of knowledge. In traditional Socratic fashion, this dialogue focuses on refuting opposing definitions rather than proposing an answer of its own. In the dialogue, Socrates interacts with a promising young student after whom the dialogue is named. The dialogue is, in my opinion, one of the greatest works in all of western literature both because of the brilliant dialectic as well as the masterfully created theme of Socrates as intellectual midwife. The first account of knowledge is traditionally associated with Protagoras "Man is the measure of all things" etc. or as Theaetetus puts it "knowledge is perception." Upon Socrates lengthy and multi-faceted rejection of this claim, Theaetetus undergoes the first steps of philosophical labor, intellectual pain from exposure to the new ideas. Next, Socrates summarizes the ideas the two have agreed upon to this point and refers to this summary as the "orphan of Protagoras" in continuity with the theme of childbirth. Socrates does his best to properly raise the orphan and attempts a defense of the originally rejected doctrine. Finally, Socrates gives a description of the mind "as you may suppose a man to have caught wild birds--doves or any other birds--and to be keeping them in an aviary which he has constructed at home;" in an attempt to explain mistakes in considering the Socratic principle of recollection, which claims that all knowledge is known before life and is merely remembered rather than learned. Mistakes in this knowledge stem from grabbing at a bird (idea) and reaching something, but not knowing that the knowledge acquired is inappropriate to the situation. Ultimately, Socrates rejects this definition as well as too vague and goes off to attempt to defend himself from charges of impiety and corrupting the youth, rather ironically considering the nature of his present discussion with the young Theaetetus.
Tuesday, March 1, 2011
Sean Meslar Post 2 Outside Readings
Continuing in the vein of confusing and obscure Platonic dialogues, I also read the Sophist. The dialogue is an attempt to define what a Sophist is and what, if anything, he knows. This is the most interesting Platonic dialogue I have read in that it goes against what we traditionally deem Platonic thought as derived from the late to middle works like the Republic and the Phaedo. Here we see a criticism of the traditional concept of knowledge as defined through an experience of the forms. The dialogue also holds an interesting parallel to two earlier platonic dialogues, the Parmenides and the Theaetetus, one the subject of a previous entry and the other the subject of a future entry. The use of Theaetetus as a primary character in the Sophist indicates that the focus will be similar in focus to the dialogue of the same name whereas the Parmenides seems to be the driving force behind the self-criticism presented in Sophist.
While the content of the essay can be at times frustratingly deliberate in its advancement, I think the dialogue is noteworthy in that it shows a willingness of one of the great minds of all time to address the criticisms of his views and make revisions. Such a willingness is rare, though not totally absent, Wittgenstein comes to mind as another philosopher who criticized his own works. More than anyone else, it should be the intellectual responsibility of those endowed with great genius to avoid complacency and always be their own harshest critics as it is only in this way that great achievements can be reached.
While the content of the essay can be at times frustratingly deliberate in its advancement, I think the dialogue is noteworthy in that it shows a willingness of one of the great minds of all time to address the criticisms of his views and make revisions. Such a willingness is rare, though not totally absent, Wittgenstein comes to mind as another philosopher who criticized his own works. More than anyone else, it should be the intellectual responsibility of those endowed with great genius to avoid complacency and always be their own harshest critics as it is only in this way that great achievements can be reached.
Sean Meslar Post 1 Outside Readings
I recently attempted to read Plato's Parmenides and it made me realize a few things. First and foremost, anyone who thinks that Plato is an easy writer to read has clearly not read the Parmenides, second, Aristotle and his concept of lpgic came too late for Plato. The opening line in a large section commits a fallacy of exclusion:
"Parmenides proceeded: If one is, he said, the one cannot be many?
Impossible. Then the one cannot have parts, and cannot be a whole? Why not? Because every part is part of a whole; is it not? Yes. And what is a whole? would not that of which no part is wanting be a whole? Certainly. Then, in either case, the one would be made up of parts; both as being a whole, and also as having parts?"
Not every part is a whole, necessary and sufficient relationships tell us that a part's existence could be contingent on its being inside of but not self-containing a whole. The majority of the dialogue proceeds in this manner; using a plethora of logical fallacies to disprove everything regarding conventional beliefs about existence.
"Parmenides proceeded: If one is, he said, the one cannot be many?
Impossible. Then the one cannot have parts, and cannot be a whole? Why not? Because every part is part of a whole; is it not? Yes. And what is a whole? would not that of which no part is wanting be a whole? Certainly. Then, in either case, the one would be made up of parts; both as being a whole, and also as having parts?"
Not every part is a whole, necessary and sufficient relationships tell us that a part's existence could be contingent on its being inside of but not self-containing a whole. The majority of the dialogue proceeds in this manner; using a plethora of logical fallacies to disprove everything regarding conventional beliefs about existence.
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