Saturday, December 13, 2014

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.

Monday, November 24, 2014

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.



Monday, November 3, 2014

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.

Sunday, October 12, 2014

Thursday, October 9, 2014

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