For a Good Time

My Ideal vacation would most defiantly be going to New York City. It may seem slightly strange since I’m going to college in Brooklyn next fall anyways, but NYC is just the perfect fit for me. The loud streets filled with the hustle and bustle of people everywhere makes me feel very comfortable and at home. I especially love the nightlife. Clubs, theaters, and various other activities can be found open at all hours of the night. Since I have a hard time sleeping almost every night, nightlife is something I love more than I could say.

Something else I enjoy about the city is that there is always noise.  Personally, hate complete silence and would much rather settle down to the sounds of car horns and people rushing about than the sound of crickets or frogs.

The sights in NYC are amazing. The Statue of Liberty, The Brooklyn Bridge, Broadway, Central Park, Rockefeller Center, and so many more. In NYC there is never a moment when you are bored. There is always something to do and somewhere to be. Billions of options for food are available. There are hotels galore. The people there are some of the most unique and some of the strangest.

Everything about NYC is outstanding. My dream vacation would be to be there. Even when I live in the city, I have a feeling that for a vacation I won’t need to venture much farther than the nearest spa in NYC.

http://www.nyc.com/

Guitar Hero

As of late I have found myself playing an excessive amount of guitar hero. The weird thing is, I already have played every song, unlocked every item, and have beaten every difficulty. For some reason, my interest has just spiked in this game once again. It started because I love the song “Sympathy for the Devil,” by the Rolling Stones, and had a craving to play it on guitar hero 5. After that, I just got re hooked into the game.

You do not need to be good at the guitar to play this game. It is a game of rhythm. It all depends on your coordination. When I first played the game, I couldn’t even beat a song on the easiest difficulty. However, after a lot of practice, I was able to move onto the expert difficulty. There are a lot of guitar hero games out there, with plenty of songs to play, but my favorite game by far would have to be the 3^rd one. It is the classic rock version, and the first one I was able to win completely. I also own the 5^th and the Van Halen versions of the game.

Rockband is a similar game that I also own, but the guitar hero games are far superior in my opinion. Since the first day that I played it, Guitar Hero moved its way up to one of my favorite games of all time. Jamming out to good music while testing your skills are always fun and also let me be competitive, which I love.

http://hub.guitarhero.com/

Findings

While doing research and studying how culture shows itself in film, I learned a lot of interesting things. When I first started out looking at my topic, I didn’t know very much about how big of an influence film was. Film gives us so much information and entertainment that affects us in ways that we don’t always realize. Every inch of culture is shown in film in one aspect or another. There are different types of films that show different parts of our culture.

 Before this research project I didn’t notice that there was so much culture in movies that’s goal is to entertain. I thought that there films were just for laughs and nothing else. When you watch them, however, there is a lot of culture shown in it. It is socking the difference in comedy around the world. Some countries or regions could think that one thing was completely hysterical while another doesn’t understand the humor in anyway. It is a very interesting thing that based off where you live, there is such a big impact on how you think, thus changing the way that comedy is portrayed.

My research also helped me see that very important people use film to help them make a difference in their culture and show people what others  traditions and religious aspects are important to them.  This project showed me a lot of information and facts that without delving into this project I would have never learned.  It also helped me see a side of the profession I’m going into that I have never seen before.

AL Gores used this film to influnce our culture

Harry Potter!!!

So tomorrow night is the opening night for Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Pt. 1. Guess who is going to the midnight opening? Yes, I am!! Harry Potter books were the books that I grew up on. I am not ashamed to say that I am a little more than a fan. When the seventh book came out, I went to a huge release party with about 3,000 people at one of the largest borders book stores. It was in Salt Lake City, Utah. Not only did I participate in all the games and events, I also won the costume contest with over 400 people competing against each other. I won the first copy of the seventh and last book for free. It was amazing. Now, as the finale of the films comes out, I can not help but be pretty hyper and excited for this film. The crowd at midnight premiers is a lot different to the crowds you normally see at the movies. These people are hard core fans who shouldn’t be messed with. When the sixth movie came out, I met so many other fans. One guy even had the dark mark, or Lord Voldemorts sign, tattooed on his arm. For Christmas, on my hip, I am getting the Deathly Hallows triangle tattooed on my hip and the Hogwarts Crest tattooed on my shoulder. I am one of the biggest Potter fans out there, and I most defiantly am not ashamed of it.

Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Trailer- Watch Here

To Start It Off

The topic that I have chosen for my research paper is how society and culture is affected and brought to life in film. I think this topic will be very interesting since I am going into filmmaking and the point of making a film is to explore the way that an idea is brought to life in a movie or television show. Cultural things are normally a big part in bringing those ideas to life. For example, in America, nudity and sexual relations are look at as worse than violence. However, if you took a trip to the UK, they would be shocked at some of the violent programs that we allow our citizens to watch. Visa versa, Americans would most likely believe that the amount of skin showed in the programs aired in the UK was very excessive and should be looked down upon.
There are a lot of people who think that film doesn’t affect the way that we think about life, but in reality in affects our society. Each culture is portrayed in certain ways, and the way that we see them in film usually hits upon certain stereotypes. In America, there are a lot of films that play heavily on stereotypes to help their plots and character developments. These are not always correct, but the movie goers seem to embrace these typical thoughts and they become almost accepted in the everyday society.
People also use movies for a way to gain information about things that they don’t normally know about. Like Al Gore’s documentary about global warming had a great impact on the American people by giving them the information that they didn’t know about global warming and possible steps in the prevention of it. Without this documentary, our society may not have had as great of an interest on going green.
Film changes the way that many people look at things and it also gives insight on the minds of the people by the way that it is shown in film. In my paper I intend to explore these things and delve further into how film makers make decisions and how those decisions on what goes in their productions affects the way that the people who watch it think.

To Find More About Al Gore's Fight On Global Warming Click Here

Ello Gov!

   One thing that I have noticed is that the hottest men in Europe, well actually in the world, are British men. Some people may disagree and say that they have bad teeth or are slightly dorky, but I happen to disagree greatly. The reason for this is not because of their looks exactly, but because of their accents. If a man has a British accent they are automatically attractive.

   Some of the most attractive actors in the world are British. My favorite being, Alan Rickman. He may not be the stud that you look at and think, “Wow, that man has got some looks!” When he talks, however, his voice melts your soul. Alan Rickman has one of the most unique voices I have ever heard, and it is greatly complemented by his seductive British accent.

   Another very attractive man who may not be as attractive without his accent is Gossip Girl actor, Ed Westwick. For the longest time I had no idea that Ed was British. I loved his character on the show, and thought he was good looking, but when I heard him in his native tongue, my attitude towards him quickly changed from thinking he was okay to being completely at awe of how awesome he was.

   Even the most unattractive men from England have that beautiful accent going for them, thus making them so much hotter than any other man of equal looks. Something about those lovely accents makes even the most dull voice automatically attractive. They are also soothing in some weird way. I would much rather fall asleep listening to a book on tape narrated by a British man than someone with another type of accent.

   Although some accents like Australian and Italian are also very beautiful, I do not believe that any can compare to the accents of those men from England. No matter how small of a country, they will always have a huge appeal to be because of the way they talk. Plain and simple, their voices bring more for them than any other trait that they exhibit.




Alan Rickman     Ed Westwick

Armageddon!

   If you want to see a film that not only keeps you on your toes, but also gives your heart strings a much needed plucking, you would enjoy the film Armageddon, directed by Michael Bay. It deals with the realistic possibility of the world ending because a meteor hits it. But the film doesn’t just show the movie goers how the meteor will be destroyed, but also brings the audience into the lives of the people that will be doing the job, and their families. The end of the world isn’t something that is meant to inspire, but in this film, the message of hope is brought across so much that no matter how sad the film is, hope is spread throughout the audience.
   With an all star cast of actors including Bruce Willis, Liv Tyler, Ben Affleck, Billy Bob Thorton, Bill Paxton, Steve Buscemi, Owen Wilson, and more, the film is nothing more than an artistic piece of genius. The relationships in the film are developed so perfectly that each one is able to tap into the audiences emotions and bring out the desired feeling. The father/daughter relationship between Willis and Tyler’s characters is the most heartfelt in my opinion. They show a bond that is strong, but stubborn. Much like my fathers and mine. The characters are easy to connect with and very interesting and unique.
   Another thing that was done well in this film was the special effects. Although this movie is from the late 90’s, it still has effects that look very well done and realistic. Even when they are in space trying to land on a meteor, it is hard to find fault in the effects. Everything looks very professional. That helps keep the audience engrossed in the film instead of wondering about the little details like how fake effects look. Besides acting, action films need good effects to be successful, so the fact that Armageddon accomplishes this does a lot to improve the films quality.
   One thing that I very much took out of this film was that the people who saved the world were not specially trained astronauts but normal every day people that were put into the situation where they had to do what was put on them to save humanity. They overcame outstanding odds and extreme situations to accomplish what they were set out to do. Everyday people became fantastic heroes to not only the great country of the USA, but to the world. The message that the average Joe can do something incredible was one great thing that stood out in this film like a sunflower in a bouquet of roses.
   Normally when I watch a movie, the film makes an impression on my mind the first time, then I forget about it. But every time I watch Armageddon I always feel the same emotions and bring out a strong message of inspiration. It holds true to the action genre with twists and turns that keep the audience on the edge while also holding onto the romantic feelings of the film. It is very challenging for a film to hold true to both genres and still successfully accomplish both. This film greatly over does its expectations. It may just look like a film that should be watched if you want a lot of blowing up and people dying, which is included in the film, but the film brings more than that. I would recommend that everyone see this movie at least once, if not more, in their lives. Everyone from the age of 7 to the age of 107 could enjoy the messages and action in this film.

Blood!

Today I decided to give blood at my high school blood drive. I gave blood once before, and I ended up almost fainting and I threw up… a lot. It was lovely. But, nevertheless, it gets me out of class. Oh, and there is the small fact that one bag of your blood can save up to three people. In giving up my precious blood that keeps me alive, I am able to accomplish my good deed for the day! Yeah me! So I get there in the morning and wait for my turn to go give away my blood. There are not that many people in line, which I find strange because there are normally a lot of people giving blood. I try and pull out my donor card, but its stuck in my wallet and it takes me a good five minutes to pull it out. Already a good start to my day. Then, I sit down. My friend who was supposed to give with me didn’t come to school today because her mom was having a baby boy. So I was all alone in the room for a good twenty minuets. Finally some people I knew showed up, however. Not to long after that, it was my turn to give, so I go up to the questioning booth. The part that I hate the most is when they prick your finger to check if your iron in your blood is at a good enough level to donate. Mine was fine, like always. I finished all the questions and was on my way. But when I lay down on the table, my iPod dies. I just can not catch a break. So the lady preps me to give blood, but she can’t find my vain. It takes her a good ten minuets to find it. Finally, I start giving. The actual donation part was not to bad, but afterwards I felt very nauseous. They had me lay on the bed for about an hour. It was kind of nice because they brought me sprite and sugary treats. I could do without the feeling that I was going to puke all over the floor though. By the time I was done donating, It was time for me to go to lunch! Yes! More food! And then I only had one more class for the rest of the day. The experience of giving blood can be a hassle, but in the end its worth it to help out your fellow man.