Frozen ground

Frozen ground is a creepy movie based on the true story of the Alaskan serial killer Robert Hansen. One of the main characters of this film is Vanessa Hudgens, who plays the role of a prostitute named Cindy. Cindy claims  that Hansen kidnapped and raped her, and had kept her chained by the neck to a pole in his house. She had escaped when he had taken her outside. When the police confront Hansen, he has a good alibi and witness. Multiple bodies of young women are found in the area, and the investigation grows. Nicholas cage plays the role of the main police detective involved in the case. What I liked about his character is that he never doubted Cindy, and always had her back. The creepiest part about this movie is the fact that it's true and that Robert Hansen is such a well respected member of the community. He also is a husband and a father of two. This goes to show you can never judge a book by its cover and social standing. If you are into suspenseful murder movies I would highly recommend this movie.

No country for old men

Just recently I watched no country for old men for the first time. It was an unbelievable story that kept me hanging the entire time. The movie begins with a man, Llewelyn moss, coming across a scene in the desert that is full of dead bodies, drugs, and a load of cash. He takes the cash and runs, and eventually is identified by the owners of the money when they find his abandoned truck and trace his identify. The movie basically shows moss moving from place to place, hotel to hotel, trying to escape these men.  I won't give details or the ending away. However, there is much more to this story than violence and money. It is a coming of age story, based on change, and a persons ability to find their place in the world. There is a reason for why it is called "no country for old men", but in order to figure that out, you have to watch this movie and dig for a deeper meaning.

Erin brockovich

I was very happy to see some familiar and awesome movies on the screening list last week. One of these movies, Erin brockovich was a movie I'll never forget. In this film,  the very talented julia Roberts plays the role of a single mother who is unemployed. Desperate for a job and money, she asks her lawyer to help her find a job. She lands the position of a file clerk in his office, and eventually falls upon some information of an underground case against a gas and electric company which has been threatening the health of the community. This leads to one of the biggest lawsuits in America against a multi-billion dollar corporation. It's a true story and I would recommend it to anyone.

Mad Max is a 1979 film starring Mel Gibson.  He plays the role of max, a policeman who is tired of seeing murder and rapes. He only wants to retire and spend quality time with his family that he's been missing out on. However, his family is murdered by a gang as revenge for the murder of one of their own. Max's world is shattered, and he decides to get revenge of his own. Mad Max is thrilling and exciting, and is thought to have some of the craziest road stunts on film.

Ashes and Diamonds is a Polish film that was directed by Andrzej Wajda and produced in 1958. It is based on the chaos at the end of World War II. The movie takes place in a small polish city within the course of a day, which is the day that the German's surrender, the first day of peace. On this day a young man is ordered to assassinate a new commissioner, but he is led to a beautiful woman who makes him reconsider. The fate of the nation is held in this one man's hands. The film is full of beautiful,striking, and vivid imagery, and is still considered one of the greatest polish films to this day.

It's a wonderful life

A movie that I would like to talk about has been one of my favorites since I was a little. It's a Wonderful Life is an ageless movie directed by frank Capra in 1946. The movie is based on a man named George Bailey, who resides in Bedford Falls, where he has lived since he was a little boy.  George marries his high school sweetheart and raises a family.

When things go extremely wrong at the bank George works at, he contemplates suicide. Standing on the edge of a bridge, George is met by an angel named Clarence who shows him what life would have been like without him, and it's a nightmare. Through these visions, George realizes how much his life did indeed matter, and how much his actions throughout his life affected and saved others. George pleads with Clarence to end the awful visions and to go back to the life he had lived.

After begging for his life, George's wish is granted and he is able to return home where he is greeted with love from his family and almost everyone in the town who has been positively affected by his life. George is awakened and feels like a new man who has been given a second chance at life, a life that he will never take for granted again.

Favorites

Some of my favorites off the top of my head

 
 

Fairy tales

It's been quite a while since I posted on this. I just finished watching a couple of clips from the 1938 version of Snow White, which got me thinking about fairy tales, and why they are so important.

Fairy tales are ancient stories that have been passed down throughout generations. They are myths in which magical things happen, and where magnificent creatures exist. Everything and anything can happen in a fairy tale, and that is okay, because it occurs in a special dreamland where anything is possible. However, many can relate to real life situations, but these situations are shown through a magical scenario, which engages children in the story and makes it easier for them to comprehend. This is a safe way to teach children about the difference between good and evil, which are always completely separated and obvious in the story. This also enables a child to identify with with the good character, and imagine being in his or her shoes.

Fairy tales are the first way to help children to learn how to cope with life, and deal with situations that come their way. It teaches them right and wrong, and about the difficulties of growing up. The best part is that they always have a happy ending, which gives a child hope and belief in their own personal happy ending. I believe that fairy tales are one of the most important part of childhood, and I hope they will always continue to be passed down to future generations.

"If you want your children to be intelligent, read them fairy tales. If you want them to be more intelligent, read them more fairy tales.”- Albert Einstein 

Robin Williams

Over the past month, I have sporadically been thinking about the death of the amazing and devastatingly talented Robin Williams. What a tragedy. The saddest part about it was that it was suicide. I don't think anyone saw that coming. I sure as hell didn't. It just proves that you can have all the fame and fortune in the world, but at the end of the day none of that matters. It blew my mind that a man who seemed so genuinely happy on the outside was falling apart inside. Sometimes the people with the biggest smiles are the ones who are dealing with the worst kind of pain.

Robin Williams had one of the most amazing gifts in the world, and that was the ability to make people laugh. His movies were loved by so many, maybe because he was so alive and real in them. He had the ability to make the viewer forget that they were watching a movie, drawing them into his own personal world and emotions. Whether he was showing his goofy or sensitive side, his talent always awed me.

My favorite movie of all time is Good Will Hunting starring Robin Williams and Matt Damon, who are both phenomenal actors, especially in this movie. Although Robin Williams was well known as a comedic actor, this film shows his more serious and sensitive side, which I absolutely loved. The movie is about a genius young man (Matt Damon) from South Boston, who works as a janitor and has always lived a rough life. He can solve any mathematical problem thrown at him, but he can't solve the problems that are within him, or figure out his direction in life. He then meets a therapist named Sean (Robin Williams) who will change his life forever. There is much more to it than that, but you would have to see it for yourself. If you haven't seen this movie i highly suggest that you do. It gets me every time, and Robin Williams's role and acting is simply amazing.

If I had the chance to say something to Robin Williams I would thank him for the smiles, laughter, and tears that he has brought to the world. He was an outstanding actor with a huge heart, and his talent will always be missed and deeply appreciated.

Welcome!

Welcome to my Bridgewater State Film History blog!

I am probably the latest addition to the class but I am psyched to be here. I am in my last semester as a COMD major and this class is not required for me, but it seemed like it would be really fun and interesting. I love watching movies and I am excited to increase my knowledge about more historical films.

I will not have the book until tomorrow so I do not have a whole lot to say yet. However, I found the short youtube clips very interesting. Especially the one that presented the parents feeding the baby. Although there were no words and it only lasted about 30 seconds, it was very meaningful. This quick clip portrayed the couple's love for their baby and how much they adore their child. As Cara stated in her blog, it reminded me of old home videos that my parents would take of my brothers and I. Sometimes the littlest and simplest moments are the ones that mean the most.

Thanks for reading!