Pulp Fiction-Laura Wentworth

We live in an age where watching a movie is such a normal, commonplace activity that we rarely stop to judge what truly makes this experience worthwhile. However, once in a while a movie comes along that is so mesmerizing, so original that we have to recognize that it is truly a great movie. Pulp Fiction is one of those movies.

Pulp Fiction is a 1994 movie directed by Quentin Tarantino. It has a complex plot, revolving around three subplots. Each subplot involves the same main characters, but different characters are of different import in each subplot. It was nominated for seven Academy Awards and won the Palme D’Or at the Cannes film festival, among other honors.

While the amount of accolades this film has received indicates that it is a movie of some merit, you must delve deeper in order to figure out exactly why it is a good film. This starts with examining the entertainment value. The main purpose of a movie is to entertain its audience; therefore in order to be good it is important for a movie to stay interesting. With its fast-paced plot and action-packed scenes, Pulp Fiction certainly fit this criterion.

A good movie must also have a good script. In order to be good, a script must create characters and situations that feel real, no matter how absurd a situation they are in. The screenwriters, through dialogue, must be able to draw the audience into the world they create. Quentin Tarantino and Roger Avary do an amazing job with this. Even though this movie does not follow chronological order, it does not get confusing. Each individual line has some sort of an effect on the audience. There are not a lot, if any, “filler lines” that don’t have an overall purpose.

In addition, a quality movie requires good actors. There is a saying “good actors can’t make a bad movie good, but bad actors can turn a good movie bad”. A movie can have an extremely fascinating plot and a brilliantly written script, but if the audience cannot connect to the actors delivering the lines, then the film cannot be good. Quentin Tarantino did an amazing job casting Pulp Fiction. Samuel L Jackson, in particular, stood out. His character in Pulp Fiction is Jules Winnfield, a hitman who finds God. While this premise seems unbelievable, the strength of Jackson’s performance made the transformation seem realistic. He creates a complex and believable character that truly contributes to Pulp Fiction as a whole.

Edit: Here are my sources

Pulp Fiction, Imdb http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0110912/ 12 February 2012

AFI's 100 years 100 movies, American Film Institute, http://www.afi.com/100years/movies10.aspx 12 February 2012

Tori VonKaenel - Extra Credit Romeo & Juliet Review

Many schools attempt Shakespearean plays, but this past weekend, South Windsor High School’s production of Romeo and Juliet could be considered one of the best high school productions.  A good play would include key scenes that may often be left out in movies or popular productions, and emotional actors.

 It was very important to the SWHS production included lines of many servants not only to give more students an oppourtunity to participate, but to fully understand the meaning of the play.  The actor’s needed emotions to bring the show to life and connect with the audience where they may not have understood the traditional, poetic speech alone.

This production included small scenes like the musicians discussion with Peter after Juliet’s death, which may seem unimportant at a glance, but add to the development of small, but important characters to the overall plot.  As for actors, they hit the emotions right on the head, although it did occasionally cause them to break traditional delivery of iambic pantameter.  Scenes such as Act V, Scene III filled the audience with emotion at the loss of likeable characters and realistic reaction of the other characters. 

It is understood that the actors were not perfect, and occasionally dropped lines, ot they may not have fit 10 syllables to a t like they should have.  However, this was very impressive for a cast of young students, most of who began with little to no Shakespearean experience.  Of all high school productions, this could clearly be considered on of the best.

Sarah Himmelstein- Mr. Holland's Opus Review

Sarah Himmelstein

Lodge

APLAC

12 February 2012

Mr. Holland’s Opus-Movie Review

Pursuing individual dreams is a common desire. It is also common to feel unsatisfied if these dreams are not accomplished. Mr. Holland’s Opus is a film which explores this ordinary theme in humanity; yet its plot, character development, message, and other features work concurrently to create an outstanding American drama, arguably the most inspirational of our time.

An inspirational film is one which stimulates the audience emotionally through realistic circumstances and relatable and unique characters. In Mr. Holland’s Opus, Glenn Holland (Richard Dreyfuss) takes a job as a music teacher to pay rent while his spare time is spent attempting to achieve his true goal of becoming a composer and leaving his mark on the world through music. Mr. Holland comes to realize that teaching is not a job that offers much spare time and like many adults, he becomes conflicted while trying to balance his time between his wife and son, his job, as well as his own pursuits. When Holland learns that their son, Cole, is deaf, he is devastated that he cannot share his love of music with his own child. He begins to choose teaching music to his students over trying to connect with his son. Through three decades as a teacher, Holland becomes closer to his students than to his own son. Holland tries to deal with his struggles to what he thinks is the best of his ability, but he is not void of emotion. His pain is manifested through losing his temper. He becomes angry with his students while trying to reach them and help them succeed and with his son due to their dysfunctional communication. Glenn Holland’s realistic display of emotions compels the audience to sympathize and empathize with him and his struggles.

Mr. Holland is also a unique character who intrigues the audience with his unorthodox teaching methods. He uses rock- and- roll music to capture the students’ interests and have them understand why certain music is appealing. He also uses visualization to help his student, Gertrude, rediscover her love of playing the clarinet and become a more skilled musician. Additionally, in attempt to motivate his students to appreciate music, he tells them, “Playing music is supposed to be fun. It's about heart, it's about feelings, moving people, and something beautiful, it's not about notes on a page. I can teach you notes on a page, I can't teach you that other stuff” (IMDb). These insightful views and teaching techniques make Mr. Holland a memorable character to the audience.

An inspirational film also leaves the audience contemplating poignant messages even after it is over. Mr. Holland’s Opus goes even further to incorporate these messages skillfully and subtly. “Life is what happens to you while you’re busy making other plans,” Glenn Holland comes to realize. He sings this line in John Lennon’s “Beautiful Boy” at the end of the film to his son. This is a depiction of growth in Mr. Holland’s character because he now understands that striving to be a composer was causing him to miss out on being a part his family and community. This quotation could surely be striking to the audience or simply emphasize an important awareness about living for and appreciating the moment. Furthermore, the film offers the idea that achieving a goal requires hard work and possibly unusual efforts. This message can be taken from Mr. Holland’s lecture to his students about Ludwig Van Beethoven composing music despite his hearing impairment. Holland says, “There is a story, that in order to write his music, Beethoven literally sawed the legs off of his piano, so that the body would lay flat on the floor. And he would lie down next the piano with his ear pressed to the floor, and he would hit the keys with his fingers in order to hear his music through the vibrations of the floor” (IMDb Memorable Quotes). This allusion to Beethoven draws a parallel to Mr. Holland’s struggle to connect with his deaf son. In order for him to find some common ground and have a healthy relationship with Cole, he may have to take an unconventional approach. He gradually began to do just this. One last message that the film offers is about defining success. Through Glenn Holland’s struggle to feel successful without having published his famous symphony, he realizes that he is actually very successful because of the observable impact he has had the people around him. This film reaches the audience on a personal level and asks them to consider how they measure or should measure their own success.

Due to its inspirational nature, Mr. Holland’s Opus is a film for everyone. Teachers and parents will be especially moved by its sentiments. In order for a film to be inspirational, it must present relatable and unique characters. Because of Richard Dreyfuss’s ability to create this model, it is no wonder this tile role received him an Academy Award nomination for Best Actor in 1995 (Wikipedia-Mr. Holland’s Opus). Inspirational films must also incorporate memorable lessons. While critics may argue that the messages about success and achieving goals in Mr. Holland’s Opus are cliché (Polenz), the means through which they are presented are surely original. If you are “soul searching “or looking for inspiration, this emotionally inducing yet feel-good movie will undeniably grant you satisfaction.

Works Cited

"Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) - Memorable Quotes." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

"Mr. Holland's Opus." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

Polenz, Chad. "Review for Mr. Holland's Opus (1995)." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

"Mr. Holland's Opus (1995) - Memorable Quotes." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

The English Patient-Movie Review

The Second World War has been the inspiration for many movies, but only a few can be considered extraordinary. An extraordinary movie is a movie that has wonderful character development, and an original and captivating plot. The main reason why many movies of this genre are not extraordinary is that though many have interesting characters and plots but they lack complexity in both. Produced in 1996, The English Patient has the most intriguing protagonist of them all. Shrouded in mystery, Count Almasey’s story is the movie itself, taking the audience between two times, each scene beautifully depicted, making the audience blindly follow the progression of the movie, hoping that all will end well. In this way, both of the conditions of an extraordinary movie are met, showing that The English Patient is a remarkable masterpiece.

Count Almasey seems to have no recollection of his past after his plane is shot down by Germans. The audience is then introduced to the unique progression of the story, a back and forth between the past and present of Count Almasey. When Carvaggio asks if Count Almasey knows of the name “Moose”, the audience is brought to a flashback where Caravaggio’s real character is introduced, as a British spy with the codename “Moose”. This kind of development in this movie is so unique that it stands above the rest in originality, as far as the plots go. In fact, the plot also has another feature that allows it to completely encompass all the criteria of having a plot. Instead of being linear, as many movies are, this movie was circular; it began in the desert, with one scene, and ended with the same one. The meaning, however, was completely different- the intimacy between the audience and Almasey had grown, and a new understanding of the situation provided a whole new scenario.

But originality is not the only advantage this developmental pattern has. By only giving small portions of his memory to the audience at a time, the viewers are left on edge, always wondering what will happen next. The climax scene is probably the best example of this. When Carvaggio accuses Almasey for being a spy in the present, the audience is left to wonder whether or not he was a spy, until they see the flashback of how desperate Almasey was to save Katherine which proves otherwise. This plot twist also introduces to us a unique type of character development, not found in many movies in its genre, or time; the antihero. Characters are often called antiheros when they are seen as the protagonist, but then are introduced to a major flaw in their “perfect” nature. This kind of fallibility makes the character more human, easier to sympathize with, and easier to understand. By doing so, the story is not something that seems like fiction, rather, it can be seen as a melancholy story from which the audience can choose what to take.

Though some might say that the movie is overly complex, and it is only an overplayed romance, these qualities are what actually make the movie great. The combination of many genres- romance, war, and mystery- all combined into one plot make for a complex plot that is easy enough to follow, but complicated enough to provide the audience with mysteries. The situation may be called unrealistic by some, but the character’s flaws are so real that the actions that followed seem to flow with human nature. It is obvious with these two things superbly executed, The English Patient is very deserving of the 9 awards it has received.

-Ashwin Nagaraj

Tim Savidge - Rocky

Tim Savidge

Review of Rocky

The “American Dream” has, since the beginning of the 20^th century, emboldened so many people of all backgrounds to strive for success in the “land of opportunity.” American is the only place where people can feed off of opportunity freely and prove all of the naysayers wrong. There is perhaps nothing more inspiring than the achievement of a dream once thought to be impossible, and this feeling is brought to life in the film Rocky. Sylvester Stallone portrays Rocky Balboa as a dedicated, persevering, well-mannered man who proves to the world that the there is no such thing as impossible. The inspiration and emotions and stirred up by Rocky, as well as having a cast of characters that anyone can relate to, make it a must-see classic for people of all ages.

The inspiration generated by the plot of Rocky makes it a unique film that embodies the American Dream. Throughout the movie, the plot develops into a rags-to-riches story that reaches out to all audiences, showing them that anything is possible. Sylvester Stallone introduced Apollo Creed (played by Carl Weathers) into the movie jst when Rocky was at his lowest as a poster boy of the American Dream. Creed’s hope that he will be giving the “opportunity of a lifetime” to Rocky gives any viewers the same hope, as well as the hope that they two will be given the same opportunity. The scene of Rocky running the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art while “Gonna Fly Now” plays in the background gives anyone the feeling that nothing is impossible. Yet this scene contradicts itself, because it is impossible not to feel the waves of motivation and inspiration that it creates. The chants of “Rocky! Rocky!” as he fights Apollo Creed continue to resound in any watcher’s ears as they are inspired by Rocky’s persistence. Rocky, the Italian Stallion, who refers to himself as a “nobody,” who works as a debt collector, who was told by his father that he better learn to use his body because he doesn’t have much brains, becomes the perfect character to demonstrate that there is always hope of achieving the American Dream. The entire film is focused around the premise that anyone can make their dreams a reality, a premise that qualifies this movie as a must-see classic.

Yet there is more behind the story of Rocky than the idea that anything is possible. Stallone plays a character that teaches everyone to never give up. When introduced to the idea of fighting Apollo Creed, Rocky realizes what he would be up against and declines. But then, as he is explained to that this would be the opportunity of a lifetime, Rocky conjures all of his thoughts about what matters to him, and decides that he has no reason to give up. He accepts the challenge, and moves on to prove himself. Inspired by his Adrian (Talia Shire) his own story, and the frustration of Mickey (Burgess Meredith), his trainer, Rocky goes on to train like he never has before. On his first attempt, he fails to climb the steps of the Art Museum, but with persistence and hard work, he finally makes it to the top towards the end of his training. This “never give up” mentality makes the plot much more realistic and delivers the same sensation to the audience. But perhaps there is no better example of this then during Rocky’s fight with Apollo. After being taunted and beat up, stays strong. With every hit he takes, Rocky demonstrates both his physical and mental strength and determination. And in the end, he reaches his goal of “going the distance,” surviving 15 rounds against the world champion. No other film delivers this same feeling of inspiration to the audience, making Rocky a unique classic that should be watched by everyone.

While the emotions that Rocky provoke make it a film like none other, the characters make it so realistic and encouraging. The movie focuses on every characters rather than the boxing itself. In a review by James Berardinelli, it is noted that “What makes Rocky special is that it concentrates on characters, not sports.” Berardinelli goes on to discuss that the film is so classic because of the strong relationships between the audience and the characters. Rocky does not have the qualities of the typical national hero, but he defies odds in a way that anyone else can: with hard work. He isn’t very bright, is a little self-centered, and doesn’t have the dream to become something more. But as the movie progresses, he falls in love with Adrian, and develops motivation from the idea that he is being given a huge opportunity. Many viewers may easily see themselves as the hero that Rocky was, making this film a classic. Moreover, the audience can develop a love/hate relationship with Apollo Creed that they may often have with other people in power or aristocracy. While he may begin as the good guy, giving a poor Philadelphia boy the chance to win the heavyweight boxing crown, he soon develops into an arrogant champion only looking to have fun. Portraying himself as both George Washington and Uncle Sam, he connects to the millions that are going to watch the match through patriotism. Any American watching the film can also relate to this feeling, while anyone else can understand the idea of the American Dream through this scene. Creed goes on to taunt Rocky, but Rocky is not fazed. At this point, all viewers want to see is Rocky defeating the conceited Creed, and this attachment to Rocky makes the movie much more memorable. The attachment to the main character, as well as the relationships viewers feel with the others help to define Rocky as a classic.

No other film creates the same level of inspiration that Rocky does. Through a story like none before, it demonstrates that it is important to never give up, that everything is possible, and the idea that some things are more important than winning. Several scenes are perfect representations of these ideas, while the characters make it realistic and loveable. Focusing on the performances by the actors as well as the emotions created by the characters, rottentomatoes.com gives it a 91% on the tomato meter, which is no surprise. The film was welcomed by critics, and went on to win “Best Film” at the Academy Awards. Rocky is without a doubt a heart-warming, dramatic classic that will inspire anyone. It is a constant reminder that our Apollo Creed, our American Dream, is somewhere waiting for us; that no matter what happens, there is always an Adrian there for us; and that even when we can’t even get our gloves up to protect our faces, we have to keep striving on.

Works Cited:

Berardinelli, James. “Rocky: A Film Review.” http://www.reelviews.net/movies/r/rocky.html

Rotten Tomatoes. “Rocky (1976).” http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/1017776-rocky/

Tori VonKaenel

Tori VonKaenel

Mrs. Lodge

Period 5 Language and Composition

12 February 2012

Movies come out every day.  Good and bad, funny, boring, heartbreaking, romantic, lame, whatever they maybe, just signs of the times.  Movies that tomorrow we’ll cease to undertand how they once mesmerized us. Few and far between are the stories we can hold onto and pass on to our children.  So what is it that makes these “timeless tales” we hold so dear? To be considered classic, a movie must withstand the test of time.  To pass the ultimate asessment, it absolutely needs a plot intriguing to all generations, noteable actors playing charismatic, relateable characters, and a familiar, attractive setting. 

In 1961 arose the influential comedy, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, exploring the life of young New Yorker, Holly Golightly and her relationship with her new neighbor Paul Varjak.  Breakfast at Tiffany’s should be recognized as a classic film by all generations.  The romantic plotline never loses touch with its everchanging audience, consistently intrigued by love.  Holly and Paul embody the youthful American spirit, however materialistic, and relate to their audience as both who they want to be and who they are.  New York City of the 1960’s serves as the perfect backdrop for such a tale of love, the center of all commerce and excitement in the US yesterday, today, and most likely tomorrow.

Tomorrow’s generation is just as sure to be intrigued by the mystery of love.  Over the years movies followed the same formula with these recurring themes and current landscapes.  Everyone can relate to the uncertainties and insecurities of lovely Miss Holly, too noncommital to even name her cat.  Audrey Hepburn’s classic beauty yet childlike innocent persona appeals to all, even half a century later.  The hustle and bustle of the cityscape is still relatable filled with familiar buildings, memorable faces and style that will never go out of fashion.  Even if someday it is out of fashion, it is feasible to think that our era will have left a noteable mark on the future, and that our way of life wil still hold some interest.

So many would call the film and unrealistic rendition of the times, with a silly, idealistic plot, stacked with beautiful faces.  But it gives such a thrill to see our favorite faces fall in love and meet up with a good old fashioned happily ever after. 

Breaking Dawn Part 1 Review (Period 2)

Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1 was one of the worst movies in recent memory. This movie is based off of the best-selling novel Breaking Dawn by Stephenie Meyer. It stars Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, and Taylor Lautner, and was directed by Bill Condon. Some of the characteristics of bad movies are: they are dragged out, disturbingly gross, and do not cater to the intended audience. Unfortunately for anyone who chooses to watch this film, it contains all of those elements.

The entire first half of the film (the entirety of the film is 1 hour and 57 minutes) consists of Edward (Robert Pattinson) and Bella’s (Kristen Stewart) wedding and their honeymoon that ensues immediately afterward. This portion of the film is very dragged out in that no character development occurs, no twists to the plot are introduced, and no new fresh conflict is introduced. In other words, half of the approximately 2 hour film is nothing more than Edward and Bella getting married and then making love in a very sadistic fashion during their honeymoon.

The whole concept of a human having sex with a vampire is incredibly gross. Then, on top of that Bella somehow gets pregnant even though vampires aren’t supposed to be able to reproduce. This is the main conflict of the movie because the fetus is not compatible with her body and is expected to kill her, but Bella refuses to abort the child. Nobody even knows what Bella is pregnant with because the situation is such an oddity. This adds to the element of grossness in the film because some unknown creature is growing inside of the main character and she still wants to keep it. Not only is this gross and strange for older people to watch, but it’s even worse considering that much of the intended audience is girls who are in their early teens and younger.

Even worse, the movie continues to get grosser from there. At one point, while Bella is suffering from the pregnancy, Edward thinks it would be a good idea for Bella, a human, to drink human blood to see if that would satisfy the fetus. Bella not only agrees to drink it, which she does with a straw, but also says how tasty it was. This scene was so putrid that my 18 year-old cousin, who was a huge Twilight Saga fan, actually fainted upon watching it.

[***this paragraph may contain spoilers***] Another disturbing aspect of the film is Jacob’s (Taylor Lautner) reaction when he first sees the child of Edward and Bella after it’s born; he imprinted on her. According to the third book of the Twilight series, Eclipse, imprinting is the werewolf equivalent of soul mates (Meyer 123). There is a word for this, it’s called pedophilia. Adult men having infatuations with infants is creepy, enough said. As it turns out, Jacob imprinting on the baby saves her from his wolf-pack because they cannot kill anyone that is imprinted from a member of the wolf-pack. The fact that the plot revolves around adult men falling for infants to solve a conflict is just disturbing.

Unfortunately for female members of Team Jacob, who are at least half of the intended audience, there is not a whole lot of sexy from Taylor Lautner. With the exception of 10 seconds from the opening scene, there are no scenes with a shirtless Jacob. Instead, the viewers get to gaze at pasty, scrawny Edward in a few beach scenes.

I don’t simply dislike this movie just because it can be trendy to dislike the Twilight Saga. To be honest, I enjoyed the first three films but felt that this one took a turn towards weird and disturbing, and took longer to get intense than the previous installments. However, I don’t think I’m the only one with a negative opinion about this movie considering its rating on its IMDb page was a 4.7 out of 10 from almost 60,000 users. I didn’t read any critic reviews, but the average critic score on that same site was about a 4.5 out of 10.

Works Cited

Meyer, Stephenie. Eclipse. Boston: Little Brown and Company, 2007. Print.

"The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn - Part 1 (2011)." The Internet Movie Database (IMDb). Web. 12 Feb. 2012. .

The Twilight Saga: Breaking Dawn Part 1. Dir. Bill Condon. Perf. Kristen Stewart, Robert Pattinson, Taylor Lautner. Summit Entertainmnet, 2012. DVD.