Grave of the Fireflies is based off of Japanese history. This film is a 1988 Japanese animated drama film. It is based on parts of the 1967 short story, Grave of the Fireflies. Set the city of Kobe, Japan, the film tells the story of two siblings and their desperate struggle to survive the final months of WWII. The film is commonly described as an anti-war film, but this translation has been…
It was the night of Christmas Eve, the man was making a sculpture of ice. While making the sculpture a woman appeared dancing in the ice shavings falling from the sky. The woman held her hand out appreciating his work and him. He then climbs off of the ladder to see his work but when he accepted how well it was, he accidentally cut Kim. Edward now feeling bad tries to see if Kim is ok but Kim’s ex-boyfriend Jim intervenes telling Edward to leave because he’s a freak and that he was not welcomed. The director Tim Burton then shows Edward from Edward scissorhands cutting his clothes with his hands made of scissors to show a transition in the character to show that he has finally accepted that he will never be normal and that he will never be…
The movie, American Sniper, has definitely been one of the most anticipated and controversial films of 2014. The movie is directed by Clint Eastwood, and stars Bradley Cooper. This movie tells the unique and complicated story of former navy seal, Chris Kyle. Chris Kyle is mostly known as the most lethal sniper in U.S military history. Chris had 160 confirmed kills in total of all of his tours of duty. Unfortunately, Chris Kyle was killed at a gun range by a former marine who had a history of mental illness. Chris Kyle released a book called “American Sniper,” which later developed into a film. The movie was made in memory of him and to tell his story. This movie is a very touching war film. The care and passion that was put into this movie is clearly shown through the acting, cinematography, realistic war scenes, and dedication from the actors. This movie not only speaks to those who loved Chris Kyle, but also to those who have family members serving or have served in the U.S. Military. Clint Eastwood makes sure that those who served are properly respected and honored for their service. This is why the movie is a great film…
Clint Eastwood’s critical, box office and Academy Awards juggernaut tells the tale of Chris Kyle (Bradley Cooper), a prolific, er, American sniper, and his endeavours on and off the battlefield during the Iraq war. It’s a heavily lethargic adaptation of a heavily controversial book about a heavily divisive ‘American Hero’. Not to say that the flick itself is wildly patriotic – though the ending tries its best to disprove that – but nor is it an anti-war film, as director Eastwood haplessly attempts to argue. Which is where American Sniper’s greatest fault, among many faults, lies; it’s a film that is too afraid to carry any political heft, any commentary that would make the viewing experience worthwhile. As a result, the whole point of the film is rendered null.…
Charlie in the Chocolate Factory, Big Fish, Edward Scissorhands. All famous movies directed by Tim Burton, a dark and mysterious director. Burton has an odd sense of style, which is used to captivate characters emotions and sense suspicions. Burton is a talented director and takes many things into consideration before directing a film. In many films directed by Burton, he uses shots and framing, non-diegetic sound, and camera angles to create mood.…
The 1987 classic is set in a futuristic, crime-ridden Detroit. The film centres on a Detroit police officer, Alex Murphy, who is transformed into a crime-fighting cyborg known as RoboCop. RoboCop is a creation of the Omni Consumer Product (OCP), the corporation who has OCP wishes to create a utopian “Delta City”, a shining beacon of consumerism they hope to erect from the crime-ridden ruins of Detroit. Officer Alex Murphy, who has been recently relocated to Detroit’s most dangerous area, is brutally killed by drug kingpin Clarence Boddicker and the rest of his gang. Once Murphy is transformed into a cyborg he begins to arrest criminals much faster much to the delight of OCP. However, as the film progresses Murphy becomes increasingly haunted by the memories of his past. In an effort to regain his humanity, he begins hunting down the members of the gang who killed him. In this quest, Murphy observes a rapid decline in the accountability of corporations, the value of human life and the role of the state.…
The movie Donnie Darko by Richard Kelly shows how existential life really is. Donnie Darko was a young boy who was living in a tangent universe. He was reliving his life over and over again until he finally dies the way that was predetermined for him. Frank the rabbit was sent to make sure that he chose the right decision instead of having to repeat in a whole other universe. Donnie experienced the tragedy that happened because he chose not to follow the pre decided path. In the end he made the right choice in order to save the lives of everyone around him. Donnie Darko is an existential movie because it addresses the idea of a tangent universe and how life is predetermined.…
The theme of deeply ingrained values is also present in A Nightmare on Elm Street…
Donnie Darko has always been one of my favorite films, and its sheer originality has inspired many of my own screenplays. It is considered a cult classic and has been the subject of critical acclaim, as well as being widely renowned as an incredible piece of intellectual and thoughtful work. The film’s unique use of form affects and alters its content greatly, and it’s a big part of why the movie is so fantastic.…
How about we begin by addressing the elephant in the room: Ridley Scott has been in a slump for the past decade or more. In 1979 he redefined the space film with Alien, in 1982 he crafted his gritty science fiction masterwork Blade Runner, and in 2000 he won the Academy Award for Best Picture with Gladiator. Obviously, a stunning repertoire, but what has he directed since then? Mediocre film after mediocre film. Whether it be Kingdom of Heaven, Robin Hood, Prometheus, or The Counselor, Scott has been far from par for as long as I can remember. And Hollywood being a "what have you done for me lately" type of town, you can understand the misgivings I had when I bought my ticket to see his latest effort. Much to my extremely pleasant surprise, The Martian is Ridley's return…
This day and age people look at media differently, civilians give media producers and directors the right to generalize the population into categories. Not only do filmmakers and directors stereotype races by modifying their existence but also think it is perfectly acceptable. Why is it tolerable for people of different races to be looked down upon because of the ways media portrays them? Every movie makes its way to the top by some how standing out amongst the rest. The 1995 comedy and romance, Clueless by Amy Heckerling, clearly portrayed the White Americans as wealthy superficial and entitled.…
Zombieland was written in a way where as we move along in the movie, new information is revealed to the audience. The main protagonist of the story was also the narrator who was introduced at the beginning. He starts of telling us what had happened to everyone that lived in the United states. In the diagesis of the movie the entire country has been affected by a virus that turns into humans into zombies and there's no known cure for it. The narrator teaches the audience several ways to survive the zombie attack. He uses this same tactics as he tries to find a safe place.…
District 9 (Peter Jackson, 2009), a science fiction film produced by Peter Jackson, is a rare gem unlike the many sci-fi movies which have been released in our time. The story is established via a mix of standard third person camera and documentary footage and takes place in the present - a twist from your regular science fiction film which normally takes place in the future. The film, about a colony of alien refugees forced by humans to live in a South African slum, is an example of social satire by presenting a critique of the injustice with which we treat those who are different from us. The metaphors of science fiction are being used to portray the nature of racism; with the way that racist ideology and discourse deals with those different from us whom we fear or despise.…
The new "Ghostbusters" movie was released on the 15th of July and along with the movie's release came the release of the soundtrack. On the soundtrack is the song Girls Talk Boys by 5 Seconds of Summer. If you are not a fan of the band, I recommend that you still listen to the song. It is very different than their typical sound and the song has a funky, retro kind of vibe to it. Even the vocals are not of the typical pop rock style. There is more of a groove to the entire song that I would actually compare to DNCE. If you are into the band, you will appreciate and his ever-present bass guitar. The bass and electric in this song give it a sound unlike what is prominent in today's music and I think this song is such a bop. Give it a listen and…
The Graduate is a comedy-drama based in the 1960’s, which follows the story of a struggling college graduate who is seduced by an older woman and ends up falling in love with her daughter. Directed by Mike Nichols, The Graduate ‘captured the spirit of the times’. The 1960’s marked a change in film scoring, instead of the well-established orchestral ‘Hollywood sound’ the industry demanded a more modern approach thus marked integration of popular music. Nichols approached Simon and Garfunkel a raising folk-rock duo to contribute to the composition of the score. Simon was hesitant at first been quite underwhelmed by the book, ‘I didn't like anything about the film at first…. I was only impressed with Mike Nichols who asked us to do it’. Convinced…