This week’s blog provides a break from material that we’re covering in class. I think it is one that will provide entertaining content. Remember that it will be graded according to the 6+1 Writing Traits rubric. This does not mean that you must write more than you usually do! Rather, make the answer that you do provide as effective as possible.
Let’s pretend for a few minutes that all of us have some extra free time on our hands—time to watch a compelling movie or read an insightful book! Provide me and your classmates with a movie or book recommendation. Support your recommendation with several specific reasons. This movie or book may be a classic, a new release, or something in between. Feel free to respond to your classmates’ recommendations with affirmation or disagreement if you are familiar with the work he/she is recommending.
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My recommendation will not be a book because that would be to long to read and I don't really know how to read, neither does Chaz or Kaley. "Rudy" is a great underdog movie. It tells of the life and struggles of Rudy Rudiger and how he strives to dress on the Notre Dame football team. The movies shows conflict when Rudy's best friend dies. Rudy has saved up enough money to attend Holy Cross and earns good enough grades to be admitted into Notre Dame. Rudy makes the practice team as a walk on. Rudy is able to dress fot the last game of his career. He is put in the game for the last two plays after the crowd is chanting "RUDY, RUDY, RUDY." Rudy records a sack on the last play and his teammates carry him off the field. He was the last player to ever be carried off Notre Dame field. This movie is very inspriational and is a must see for all. Especially the ones who can't or don't read.
Though the joys of reading often overwhelm me with joy, I belive do to my illiertacy I will choose to select a movie to recommend.I understand your frustrations when most of you ask why would I watch something when I can read it. The movie I recommend is Big Daddy starring Adam Sandler. For the ladies this movie has a cute little boy named Jullian who you would love to just wrap your arms around. For the men it displays all the great qualities of being male such as; watching the big games on TV, going to bars (when your of age), adopting children, and losing a girlfriend to a seventy-six year old man because you do not have a job. Big Daddy also displays the sheer great qualties of being a stay at home dad, much like my future plans (that's right, marry for money learn to love). Stay at home dads can watch movies with their children, teach them to read, help them play the role of Ben Franklin, and clean up after their children wet the bed. Sadly Sunny played by Sandler is stripped of all this when his friends son Jullian is taken to child services. I got $ there is a ton of mistakes in this one it is so long. haha
Charles.
There is only one answer to this blog, it is... "The Dark Knight". This newly released Batman film has recieved high recomendations from many successful film critics, and is also the second highest grossing film ever.
This film, directed by Christopher Nolan, continues after Nolan's first bat-flick, "Batman Begins", with Batman teaming up with Lieutenant Jim Gordon (Gary Oldman) and newly elected District Attorney Harvey Dent (Aaron Eckhart). However,the mob hires an extra hand in hopes to bring down the caped Crusader. Enter the Joker (Heath Ledger). The film continues as the Joker stirs up trouble in Gotham and begins presenting Batman, Gordan, and Dent with a moral decision that influences their lives. One of them doesn't take this well.
The actors' performances, especially Ledger's, have been recognized by almost all critics and are being considered Oscar worthy. The films moral dilemmas bring a dark and devilish mood to the storyline, giving the film a unique prospective. Overall, the film cannot be considered just a comic book film. According to Roger Ebert, "'The Dark Knight' isn't just a comic book film, it will go down as one of America's great crime dramas."
My recommendation for a great movie would have to be "Anchorman: the Legend of Ron Burgandy." This movie is one of greatness. Will Ferrell is absolutely hilarious as a newscaster. Also, this movie contains some of the greatest quotes ever said on televsion. The following are some of my personal favorites: "No, she gets a special cologne... It's called Sex Panther by Odeon. It's illegal in nine countries... Yep, it's made with bits of real panther, so you know it's good." and "I wanna say something. I'm gonna put it out there; if you like it, you can take it, if you don't, send it right back. I want to be on you." As you can see these quotes are very humorous and these are only a few of the many great quotes that are spaced throughout the entire movie. This movie is awesome and if you haven't seen it yet, go out and rent it asap.
The best movie of all time, hands down, is "Toy Story" a family friendly action flick. A story involving much more than just toys. It shows the secret lives of our toys when we are not around.
The star studded cast includes the voices of top actors like Tom Hanks (Buzz Lightyear), Tim Allen (Woody) along with numerous other recognizable voices. The top notch animation skills of the people at Pixar are second to none. Over the years their computer generated animation has improved in quality, but the story lines lack the depth of "Toy Story."
Real life issues like favoritism come in to play when the main character Andy begins to favor his new action figure, Buzz Lightyear, over his old favorite, Woody. The conflict between these two characters further develops when Buzz and Woody get into a skirmish. Buzz falls out of a second story window and all of the other toys accuse Woody of killing their new friend. Even though Andy's family is moving the next day, Woody is faced with a tough decision. To try and save Buzz, or to live with all of the other toys not respecting him. He decides to leave the house and save Buzz. They must join forces and become allies in order to survive. They learn that friendship is key and that they can peacefully coexist. Along the way the two get left behind and endure many crazy situations sure to make anyone, young or old, laugh out loud.
Overall, "Toy Story" is not only the greatest animated film of all time, but one of the great American Classics.
"Vantage Point" is one of the most under rated movies in our society. Starring Dennis Quaid, this is a compelling movie that allows the viewer to see an assassination of the president from six different angles. Although this may sound like a very repetitive and unnecessary way to view a movie, it is actually extremely effective and entertaining. Each view point that is shown illustrates to the audience a little more that was not seen in the previous characters' perspectives. The pieces of the puzzle continue to fall together. Just when the audience thinks that they've got it all figured out, the end provides a huge twist that knocks your socks right off. This action-packed thriller is must-see for everyone.
Though a rather unpopular film, "Girl, Interrupted" portrays the life of a young, mentally disturbed girl as she faces the trials and emotional extremes of borderline personality disorder. The film is based on a true story, starring Winona Ryder as Susanna Kaysen. The film begins at Susanna's home, where her parents struggle to communicate and understand her intense mood changes and violent nature. Desperate, her parents send her to several psychologists. The psychologists fail to help the situation, and Susanna is reluctantly forced into a mental ward.
In the ward, Susanna encounters females with numerous types of mental disorders, ranging from mild to extremely severe. She primarily avoids all help, and refuses to "buddy-up" to any of the other patients. She lies to the on-grounds psychoanalyst, denies medicinal aid, and grows more and more alone in what seems an already dismal and hellish world.
As the story continues, Susanna is forced to associate with her peers. There are several significant patients that grow to be a large part of her life and recovery. In this ward, they scream, fight, hate, realize, cope, and, most importantly, learn to find and accept themselves. Susanna faces trials that most of us will never even contemplate dealing with. I believe this film is so strong, so blunt, and so real that everyone should take time to view it. It is tragic, terrifying, and incredible.
"I know what it's like to want to die. How it hurts to smile. How you try to fit in but you can't. How you hurt yourself on the outside to try to kill the thing on the inside." -Susanna, "Girl, Interrupted."
In the tradition of the classic tale of haunting, Ghost Breakers, starring Bob Hope and Paulette Goddard, is a story of murder, castles, spooks, and treasure.
Larry Lawrence, a radio host, is sought for a crime he has not committed. Therefore, he escapes in the trunk of Mary Carter who is, consequentially, headed to inherit an estate on the isle of Cuba. Mary has become the owner of the Castillo Mandito: a castle full of spooks. As always, Bob Hope supplies laugh after laugh to lighten the hearts of all audience members. After facing a zombie, ghosts, and a case of mistaken identity Hope "gets the girl" for a wonderful ending to a comical and exciting movie.
Best Quote:
Geoff Montgomery-"It's worse than horrible because a zombie has no will of his own. You see them sometimes walking around blindly with dead eyes, following orders, not knowing what they do, not caring."
Larry Lawrence (Hope)-"You mean like Democrats?"
Second Best Quote:
Larry Lawrence (Hope)- "Pardon me, am I protruding?"
While looking through my video library, I came to the conclusion to select a movie recommendation that I doubt many people my age has seen. Therefore, I would recommend the movie, "The Sting." Starring Robert Redford and Paul Newman, this is a movie movie about a small time con artist (Redford) during the Great Depression, who is skilled in the finer arts of conning, or as they say, grifting, by an old-timer and a veteran of the con game (Newman). The two team up to pull off the perfect con, and thus, the game begins.
This picture is filled with action and enticing deception, that will leave you stunned at the conclusion. As John Leavitt would say, or shout, either way, "You never saw it coming, did you?!"
When any human being thinks of a great action hero that has with stood the test of time, only one name stands alone…Indiana Jones. In this past summer, Indy returned to the big screen in the latest movie “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull”. Building up a great amount of hype from the original movies, this Indiana Jones film had to come up with new ideas to make a great film. From various shooting locations, new and old actors, and an exciting new adventure this recent Indiana Jones movie interest Indy fans and new critics.
Right from the start Steven Spielberg and George Lucas, bring us to an opening scene as Indy played by Harrison Ford is brought to Area Fifty One to find a box for an evil agent, Irina Spalko played by Cate Blanchett. From this scene and into the rest of the movie, Indy finds himself traveling through mountains, deserts, atomic bomb testing centers, university campuses, tropical forests, and down waterfalls. Throughout this action packed film, Indy travels from native location to another awe-inspiring location. These journeys would not be complete without Indy’s comrades.
With the introduction of the new villain, Irina Spalko, is a woman searching for “treasurers that would gain her world power, there were also many other great characters. Of course the movie must visit Indiana’s second job of Professor with his favorite Dean, Mr. Charles Stanforth who has made an appearance in every Jones’ movie. In the beginning of the movie, we are also introduced to a young boy named Mutt (played by Shia LeBeouf) whose mother “Mary” needs help before Dr. Harold Oxley is murdered. Indy remarks, “Sorry kid I have known a lot of Marys.” As Indy and Mutt adventure to Peru, the come to the realization that Mary is Marion (played by Karen Allen) from a previous relationship and Mutt is Indiana’s son. With mystic locations and great new and old characters from the Indy adventures, a viewer is guaranteed a great plot.
The race to find the crystal skull locates Indy and Mutt in Peru where they find it and “Ox” tells them that they must return it. After being chased down rigorous mountain terrain by people eating bugs, chased by native survivors, and falling down three waterfalls, the group follows Oxley’s lead to return the skull. When they finally arrive at the temple, strange events occur and the futures of all of the adventurers are question. The movie is filled with excellent cinematography, acting, and writing which put together a great film. Whether you are a fan or a newfound critic “Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull” is definitely a must see.
As I have seen most of the movies that our class has recommended, viewing any of these great movies will turn into an instant classic in your video library. I think our class has some of the best taste in the entire school. It should also be mentioned how much work has to be put into making a movie and how easy it is to write a book. I mean seriously, I only need another paragraph and I would have a chapter to a great novel. For these reasons and many more, the recommendation of a movie will have a greater impact on the people of the American society.
Breaking with the norm of society, as I am prone to do, I will be recommending a book rather than a movie. The book that I am recommending is actually a trilogy written by J.R.R. Tolkien. This, of course, is "The Lord Of The Rings". This classic trilogy marked a turning point in the history of literature, before this time literature was not written in such a fashion as these. These eloquently written, deliciously descriptive works of fiction started a genre. Tolkien created in his world of Middle Earth not only a captivating story, but a novel full of moral dilemmas. Every time I have read through these books I can find yet another deep meaning hidden within the pages of vivid imagery. This ahead of its time novel is truly a work of art and should be read by people of all ages.
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