Capture of Culture- The Greatest Movie Ever Sold

I live to learn and documentaries teach.



The entire premise of this film is to film Morgan Spurlock collecting the companies that actually fund this film. Each shot is dedicated to learning how to appropriately brand a film. Companies like JetBlue, POM Wonderful, Mane and Tail, and Mini Cooper take part in the funding and production of this film.

Morgan Spurlock is a documentary maker born and raised in West Virginia. After graduating from NYU, Spurlock started his mission to expose modern day controversies to the public. His social experiment Supersize Me helped Spurlock get onto the radar in the major film markets. He also directed and produced the TV show 30 Days and recently had a hand in the new One Direction documentary.

The Greatest Movie Ever Sold explores both sides of the ads in television and in movies. Morgan Spurlock interviews both ad firms and lawyers who support the ideas of selling out each shot and advocates of untainted free expression. This leaves the door wide open for viewer to make his/her own decision about advertising. You can choose to let it consume you. You can say that it is a breach of your personal space and that it dictates you thoughts, or you could choose to ignore it. After all it's the customer that makes the final call on what to purchase. This movie leaves you informed on how it all works.

The most interesting thing for me to observe, besides the fact that a local town legend in gas stations made it into this film and our town changed it's name for this film (no lie), is the humor that Morgan Spurlock brings to this film. You become informed, but you actually enjoy the way which it is presented to you in. You learn just what can be done when a contract is entered for advertising and you also learn what the process is for gaining that kind of financial backing. This film is well edited, with cute little commercials breaking up the sections of this film. Spurlock also interviewed some very high profile people in the industry of making money off of advertising like Donald Trump and directors like Quentin Tarantino. It's great to see how advertising directly affects these kinds of people.

Be mindful, the plot is literally just getting this movie made. The story is making this film. It is basically the behind the scenes turned into a feature film, but I think that this style totally works for this documentary. You never know when this kind of information will be useful to know, so you might as well learn it all.

Stream of the Week- Struck by Lightning

Sometimes a sarcastic cynical sense of humor can be refreshing. It's even better if that humor is relatable.

Struck by Lightning is the story of Carson Phillips, a high school senior struck by lightning in the school parking lot. All Carson ever wanted to do was get out of Clover and move to his dream school and become a "real" journalist. His goals and ambitions had propelled him through his entire life, but made him an outcast among his peers. He was determined to antagonize them as much as possible and this made him "snarky" and socially unaccepted.Carson needs to do something that can standout on his application for his dream school, so it is decided that he should form a literary magazine. Unfortunately, you need other writers to form a literary magazine and Carson had chased off all other people who could write by being so cynical to them all and acting better than them. This leads Carson to blackmailing his fellow students into writing for his magazine. Meanwhile, Carson's dad is getting remarried while his mom sits on the couch acting depressed about him leaving her and treating Carson the exact way he treats everyone else. There is so much more that Carson needs to learn about the people of Clover before he can truly know them.


This movie is actually written by Chris Colfer. Yes, happy singing and dancing gleeful Chris Colfer. Colfer also plays the witty Carson Phillips which makes a lot of sense. Writers get told to write what they know all the time, so why shouldn't actors try acting like who they are every once in a while. The rest of the cast is a collaboration of semi-recognizable actors from various teeny-bopper films like Rebel Wilson from Pitch Perfect and Sarah Hyland from Geek Charming. The characters may be models of clichés and the story may feel a bit underdeveloped, but there is an important lesson to be learned from this story that is rather summed up by a short discussion between Carson and Malerie towards the end of the film about good memories and bad ones. Living life moment to moment because trying to hide from the bad things in your life or living in the past glories of said life can be too much for anyone person to handle.

Capture of Culture- Life After Pi

Documentaries have the ability to take the collected voices of thousands and create a streamlined message to present to the public.


Life After Pi is a youtube based documentary that explores the flaws of the VFX business model used in Hollywood by showing the demise of world renowned VFX company Rhythm & Hues. Founded in 1987, Rhythm & Hues has developed thousands of scenes for top grossing films like Night in the Museum and all the Chronicles of Narnia films. In 2013, Rhythm and Hues won an Oscar for their work on the much praised Life of Pi. At the time of this great victory, Rhythm & Hues was filing bankruptcy. In his acceptance speech Bill Westonhofr attempted to speak up for Rhythm & Hues by explaining their situation to the public. He was "Jawsed" off stage by the Oscars and his words went unheard. Meanwhile roughly 500 VFX supporters marched outside the location of the Oscars in hopes of drawing some limelight on to Rhythm & Hues. Pi was later awarded two more Oscars relating to cinematography and directing. Neither of the men awarded thanked the team at Rhythm & Hues in their speeches. The VFX  community saw this behavior as a huge slap in the face and responded with their "Movies don't exist without VFX" campaign.

The problem with the model, as explained by former Rhythm & Hues employees, is that regular lot workers are paid by the hour. Their director remains close to set in order to make sure that his/her vision is achieved without having to redo scenes over and over again and costing more money for overtime. VFX companies, however, work on a fixed bid system. They put in a fee that they would require to do the job and the directors and film companies pick them. No matter what scenes are added or altered the VFX companies have only that predetermined amount of money to make the film. If they have to add months on to the production time in order to completed extra scenes they have to pay for it themselves. Directors don't often stick around in the VFX department because there is no hourly wage to worry about. They have a fixed rate and therefore are capable of doing the job over and over again in order to get the vision achieved without charging more for their services. Another issue for the industry is that other countries, such as Canada, give money back to studios for moving their business to their country. A Hollywood studio will take their business to a company in Vancouver because they get money back. In order to stay competitive, some companies are forced to bid much lower in the US or move their business completely in order to be chosen for a job by one of the top 6 production companies.

VFX are an important part of the film industry. It's almost impossible to find a newly developed film that doesn't require visual effects to help tell the story and create characters. Films are not just actors or directors or lighting experts or even audiences. Films are a collection of thousands of people all working for a common goal. No one who works on a film should be passed over because it is finically simpler to forget them.


View the Doc here- http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9lcB9u-9mVE

Stream of the Week- Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl

There is nothing wrong with curling up with a classic Disney film on a Friday night. Therefore, I have decided to watch Pirates of the Caribbean for the 17 billionth time.


Jack Sparrow is a pirate captain who has lost his ship due to a mutinous crew. His search for his ship, "The Black Pearl", has led him to a British settlement called Port Royal. While he is attempting to commandeer a boat at the docks, Elizabeth Swan faints and falls into the water forcing Jack to jump in and save her. Once she is rescued, he is arrested for piracy and sentenced to prison and the hangman's noose. It is that night that The Black Pearl comes to visit Port Royal in search of a missing, cursed medallion. It was sent by a crewman to his son who was moving to Port Royal. Elizabeth Swan found this medallion around Will Turner's neck when he was recused from a shipwreck and she had kept it in her room ever since. The gold calls the crew ashore and Elizabeth is taken aboard with the medallion in tow. She claims her name is Elizabeth Turner in hopes that the name will allow her to be spared rather than be kidnapped because she is the governor's daughter. What she doesn't know, however, is that every piece stolen by the crew must be returned and blood be paid by each to lift the curse. Turner's father is the last crewman and it is his blood that is needed. By taking Will's name, she has become exactly what the crew needs to lift their curse. Now that she has been taken from Port Royal, Will Turner, who happens to be very much in love with her, takes it upon himself to rescue her. He springs Captain Jack from jail in hopes that he can lead him to the Pearl where Elizabeth is in danger. The only way to get to the Pearl is to steal a ship, gather a crew, and go after it. This leads the dynamic duo to a crew of miscreants and a stolen British navy ship. The Pearl is located in a secret location which "only those who know where it is can find it." Will and Jack row a little boat inside in attempts to save Elizabeth. Will succeeds in doing so, but Jack finds himself faced with an unhappy mutinous crew of undead pirates who would prefer not to have him around. He is arrested by them promptly. The rest of Jack's new crew are soon captured by the Pearl's handlers and set in prison as Elizabeth and Jack are left on an abandoned island with nothing but a one shot pistol. Elizabeth is saved by the commodore which has proposed to her and then suggests that they go to the pirates to save Will from death. The commodore takes his crew, only at Elizabeth's request, to the secret cove in hopes of impressing her by beating off undead pirates and saving her little blacksmithing friend.


Most people, I would venture to say, have seen or heard of this film which makes it an easy recommendation. The acting is believeable, and Captain Jack, played by Johnny Depp, is phenomenal. It's an easy watch, with a good plot line, acceptable comedy, and really amazing music. Adventure and romance are intermingled throughout the film and make it a movie that all kinds can watch.

Fun Stuff-
When talking to the two boat guards, Captain Jack says "and then they made me their chief." This happens in the second film with the natives of the island which Jack stumbles upon. These natives are known as the "Pelegostos."

When he cuts off Elizabeth's corset to help her breath, Captain Jack says "clearly you've never been to Singapore." Singapore is a location in the third installment of the series where the maps to "World's End" are found.

Page to Screen- The Perks of Being a Wallflower

There is something to be said about a novel which can create such a real environment out of such an unreachable and taboo topic. There is a lot to be said really. That is  why The Perks of Being a Wallflower, both in film and literature, shall be remembered in all it's glory.

Charlie is a high school freshman whose best friend committed suicide the year before causing Charlie to be an outsider in his first year of High School. On top of that, Charlie has several other problems that set him apart from his peers in school. Charlie is all alone until he finds himself in the middle of a group of misfit High School seniors who also have social problems that make them outcasts in their little town. Charlie first meets Patrick in a shop class. Patrick is a flamboyant, hysterical, friendly character who takes Charlie under his wing immediately. Charlie then meets Patrick's step-sister Sam with whom Charlie falls head over heels for in an adorable puppy love kind of way. Together the three of them lead their group of friends through their tough year. Sam and Patrick introduce Charlie to all the things he would have missed out on if he had remained alone all year like parties, girls, and even some drugs. Charlie becomes one of them until he attracts the eye of Mary Elizabeth, another member of their little cult. She is loud and opinionated, but Charlie is too nice to tell her he doesn't like her. He makes a huge mistake involving Sam and Mary Elizabeth and quickly finds himself on the outside of the group all alone again. It isn't until he becomes the only one to be there for Patrick that he is accepted again and the emotions return to a normal, acceptable level. His time on the outside, however, coupled with his over-sensitivity to his emotions lead him into a deep regression that takes over the last few weeks of school and almost all of summer before he can overcome himself and participate in real life again.


Charlie is a tough character to relate to and understand. He has so many internal struggles that we have to assume the nature of because he never openly discusses them with us, but Logan Lerman is incredible at making Charlie someone who we can invest in without knowing the whole story. He plays Charlie as sweet and innocent with a sense of humor that makes him a bit awkward. He says things that don't even register to him as abnormal as if he was reading them from a manual on how to build something from his woodshop class. When in the kitchen at Bob's party, Charlie tells Sam about his best friend killing himself. The delivery of the line is so easy, like it doesn't have any affect on him at all, but then Sam just stares at him with this confused and amazed expression like she is expecting him to tell her it's a joke. He isn't. He's just like that.


Sam, on the other hand, is this "bad girl" but now self-reformed kind of character who is almost over her recovery to normal as Charlie is just about to enter his. Emma Watson is the beautiful and inspiring Sam. She is the perfect person to play this role because she has to act like she has this older sense of wisdom that she can use to help Charlie. She used to be an injured soul, but she's not anymore and that is why she can have this fun sense of life while still being aware of what's right and wrong. She knows that she has boundaries, unlike her step-brother Patrick, and she doesn't try to go over them.


Patrick, though, is my absolute most favorite character in this entire film/book combo. He is crazy, yet approachable. He doesn't let himself be the victim, and he doesn't let what others say about him get under his skin. Ezra Miller is fantastic! (See Stream of the Week- Beware the Gonzo to see more Ezra) Every word or line that he says is like an entire story in itself. His overdramatic sense of humor and life make him both the comedic relief and the sense of realism in Charlie's life.

 

The most interesting aspect of this story, to me at least, is that the author of the novel wrote the screenplay and then proceeded to be the director of the film. I believe it gives him a different insight to the characters and their trials. If there are scenes cut or added to the film it doesn't make it feel like a deviation from the book, but rather an alternate form to the original that could have been written in the first time. This film was kind of like his second chance to tell the story in another way. Either way, the story is told in a genuine way. There is a lot to learn from this film. I suggest you absorb as much as you can, and then go out into the world and participate.

Stream of the Week- The Battle of Shaker Heights

Sometimes it's really great to pick a film and have absolutely no expectations just so you can be pleasantly surprised when the film turns out to be entertaining. The Battle of Shaker Heights is a fun, teenage, comedic film that is easy to watch and enjoy. Shia LaBeouf brings his cute, young boy charm to this film making his character relatable.


Kelly is a young man who loves war reenactments and has trouble fitting in, like any other protagonist from this genre. He meets a rich kid named Bart at one of his reenactments and quickly forms a friendship that helps him get over his angst. At school, Kelly is known for getting into all kinds of trouble for being smarter than his teachers and telling them all about it. A kid of his one teacher takes it upon himself to defend his dad against Kelly and proceeds to beat him up over Kelly's comments. This leads Kelly to plan an all out retaliation using his war planning skills with Bart to get back at the bully. Meanwhile, Kelly is quickly finding himself enamored with Bart's older, engaged sister. Kelly is unrealistic in his hopes for the two of them, but nevertheless pursues her interests. This makes his probably one and only possible girlfriend worth friend, Sarah, move away from him in hopes of not getting hurt (good for her). Kelly makes a royal mess out of the entire situation, but finds that really growing up is going to take some work.


Shia is great in this film. He brings his cute, "Even Stevens"/ "Holes" kind of character to this film and plays and endearing Kelly. The other cast is good, but not really that standoutish in their performances. Maybe it's not a deep, change your mind about the world kind of film, but The Battle of Shaker Heights is a good film for a sit down when you need something to watch.

Capture of Culture- Exit Through The Gift Shop

Documentaries show pieces of life that you wouldn't normally get to see living life out there in the world. That's probably why I love them so much.


This is hands down my favorite documentary. Exit Through The Gift Shop is the well received documentary presented by street artist Banksy that examines the evolution of a man named Thierry who became Mr. Brainwash through the encouragement of the street art community. Thierry was obsessed with filming everything in his life. He taped all aspects of life and soon found something for him to focus his lens on. Thierry was related to infamous artist Space Invader and began his street art stalking by following Space Invader around the streets of London. From Space Invader, Thierry met artists like Shepard Fairey, who is the artist behind Obama's popular red, white, and blue image and the "OBEY" Andre the Giant images. Without meaning to, Thierry had become the go-to-guy for out of town artists in LA. By claiming that he was making a documentary, Thierry was able to go on hundreds of trips with popular underground artists.


There was one artist the Thierry couldn't seem to get, but wanted desperately. Enter Banksy.  While visiting LA Banksy met up with Thierry to get the best walls in the city. An unlikely friendship was formed between the two and Thierry was soon one of Banksy's most useful team members. Thierry would wait around after art pieces had been installed and film reactions, giving the Banksy crew the kind of encouragement they needed to feel validated in their work. Once Banksy's show in the states was completed and things began to slow down for the crew, it was suggested that Thierry take the time to finish his film. Thierry, however, never really had any interest in making a movie, but he attempted it anyway. With the film being a not up to the standards of Banksy, Thierry was encouraged to try making art himself and leave the tapes with Banksy. What happened next was the phenomenon known as Mr. Brainwash.


The remainder of the film is dedicated to showing the making of Mr. Brainwash's show in LA. As you watch, it's almost impossible to imagine Thierry as a sane human being. That's probably why I find this film so interesting. Not only do you get a sneak peek at the underground community of street art, but you also get to observe the kind of person that Mr. Brainwash has become.


This film is a triumph and completely worth the attention it has received. I wholeheartedly suggest it to every human being on planet earth. If that's not praise, I don't know what is.

Stream of the Week- Teaching Mrs. Tingle

I come from a family of teachers. And I for one have never met a teacher as bad as the stereotype for the awful, uncaring, wants you to fail teacher. Of course that doesn't stop Mrs. Tingle from fitting it perfectly.


Leigh Ann is so close to being valedictorian that she only needs one more good grade in history to put her at the top. Her project is obviously the best, but her teacher hates her. Mrs. Tingle seems to have it out for all those who don't want to kiss up to her. Luke, a friend of Leigh Ann's and her best friend Jo Lynn's crush, steals the final exam and gives it to Leigh Ann to impress her. Of course it has the opposite effect, but she still gets caught with it by Mrs. Tingle. Leigh Ann tries to explain her situation to Mrs. Tingle, but she will hear nothing of it. This prompts Leigh Ann, Luke and Jo Lynn to go to Mrs. Tingle's house and try to explain that Leigh Ann would never cheat on anything. While there, Luke threatens Mrs. Tingle with a cross bow that was one of the history projects turned in by another student. The bow goes off disorienting Tingle giving the kids enough time to tie her down and start hatching a plan to get Tingle to fix the grades and keep her from calling the cops. Tingle uses her manipulative ways to get inside all of their heads making them think they are useless, or weak, or the second banana. But the three of them have to stick together if they plan to get out of this alive.


I have always been a fan of the high school genre films, but I really enjoy this one because it is suspenseful and a little more dark (almost like the 80s film Heathers). Dame Helen Mirren plays a great bad guy and really sets the tone for the rest of the actors in the film. Another great actress in this film is Marisa Coughlan who plays Jo Lynn. She has a great scene where she reenacts a portion of the exorcist that is absolutely hilarious.


Another interesting thing about this film is the music. If you listen you can here themes from other films that match up with scenes. When we first meet Mrs. Tingle, there is a bit of the theme for the wicked witch from The Wizard of Oz and several notable uses of the Psycho theme are also referenced throughout the film.


I really enjoyed this film for its use of suspense and its twist on the average high school film. I hope you will enjoy it as well. Watch Learn and Love.

Page to Screen- Warm Bodies

Sometimes films that are based on novels take a life of their own and do not match up the storyline of the beloved best seller. That does not always mean they aren't great. Just look at this film-


R is a zombie, who unlike his fellow flesh eating friends, is slowly coming back to life after meeting Julie, a living, breathing, non-cannibalistic human being. During a raid, Julie and her boyfriend Perry were attacked by zombies. R ended up attacking Perry and eating his brain therefore inheriting all his thoughts. Perry's love towards Julie was compelling enough for R not to eat Julie so in order to keep her "safe", he takes her to his home in the local airport. Julie teaches R many things about life, while R continues to get flashes of Perry's old life through the indigestion of his brain. R beings to "exhume" himself and become human again. Unfortunately, love between a zombie and a human is kind of hard to keep when the human's dad is the leader of a force which is trying to systematically destroy all the zombies they find. Julie and R can only hope that their feelings are enough to show the humans that zombies can be healed.

All the characters from the novel are expertly played out in the 2013 production of Warm Bodies. R, in the novel is, or rather was, some sort of business professional because his clothes are composed of a suit and tie. His life in the airport is rather boring; he rides the escalator everyday, when the power is working, and never really takes part too much in the "zombie" way of life. Early on in the novel, R is married off to another zombie in the airport by the "boneys", zombies that have deteriorated down to their skeletons. They are quickly handed young zombie children to raise. The movie, however, portrays R a little differently. R, played by Nicholas Hoult, is a young man most likely in his 20s. He doesn't get married or handed any kids to raise, though there is a reference to his children while he is riding the people mover in the airport in the beginning. Perhaps from a director's standpoint it would be harder for audiences to fall in love with a zombie who falls in love with a human if they knew that he would be cheating on his zombie wife with said human, but either way the narrative of the character remains the same. The next important character that is introduced in the book is M. The novel paints M as a raunchy, "wife beater" wearing kind of guy, but as the story progresses he is more and more likable, which is why Rob Corddry is great as M. It has to be very difficult to play a convincing and loveable character when you can speak no more than 4 syllables at a time, but his presence was great.

Julie is spot on, word for word right out of the book onto the screen. He blonde, spunky attitude is 100% from the novel. When she is first introduced, Teresa Palmer as Julie pulls off the "bad ass" and quirky personality which is Julie. Other notable characters include Nora, who is by far my favorite in the film and Julie's father. Nora is pretty much the same as her character in the novel, but Julie's father is a little off. In the book, Julie's dad is extremely possessive over Julie and continues to hold a grip over her by comparing her to her "crazy dead mom". Even in the end he is unaccepting of the fact that Julie and R could change the world. The movie, however, makes this character more of a footnote to the story, and in the totally different ending, more accepting of Julie's choices.


As far as the story goes, it remains similar, but not word for word with the novel by Isaac Marion. The ending is really where the film strays from the original content. The novel plunges into a metaphorical and introspective tone towards the end. It almost asks readers to examine their own world to see that perhaps the "zombification" is not a disease, but rather a consequence of the actions of modern society. The movie does a similar thing in the first scene by showing the representation of the world before the spread of disease as full of distractions like cell phones, ipods, and personal devices and makes those who remember the world as such regret their decisions not to take part fully in life without said distractions. The ending in the movie though is much happier and not nearly as deep, which, depending on your personal taste, can be a bit more refreshing. Personally, I like to judge the book and the movie as separate entities. In my mind they aren't close enough to be the same story and therefore neither is better than the other. I love both for different reasons, and perhaps that is what book adaptations are about- Not giving you the story word for word, but giving you one way to interpret it.