From the opening scene of “Omega Man” there are already several things that are different, right off the bat. In “I Am Legend”, Robert Neville is driving a crappy station wagon and when that one gives out, he finds a new one. Because it is Charlton Heston playing the main character, of course Hollywood has to put him in a nice new convertible! It is a little cheesy not to try to stick as close to the original story as possible but I think we would be able to handle seeing Charlton Heston in a station wagon and move on with our lives. In “I Am Legend” it was inevitable that the so-called vampires were not intelligent and could not speak. In general, all they could really do was moan, scream, and destroy things. “Omega Man” displayed the vampires closer to the known myth where they cannot be in the light and have to wear sun glasses because their eyes are all white. It is interesting though how every single vampire, which basically means the rest of the world’s population, has the same exact pair of sun glasses. In “Omega Man”, it was interesting how the vampires caught Neville and dragged him in to a sanctuary whereas in “I Am Legend” the vampires do not fear the house of worship if it was not their religion.
Although it is easy to get carried away in the differences of the two stories, there are still some striking resemblances. Each story captures the same essence of sadness there is in Neville’s life, even though he tries to stay tough and be the last survivor. Both types of vampires are still extremely violent and continue to try to get Robert Neville. The two stories also heavily emphasize Neville’s excessive drinking where it is on the borderline of concerning. In both tales, Robert is very sexually deprived and it is hard to restrain him from being calm when he sees the woman and he ends up chasing her.
As much as there are differences in the stories, there are also similarities that can just as easily be identified. Without even finishing the movie, it was clear that there was a fine line between “I Am Legend” and “Omega Man”.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
Thursday, October 1, 2009
Pan's Labyrinth Movie Review
All Hale Pan’s Labyrinth!
The mystery that lies beneath the metaphors of this film is absolutely mind boggling! The deep forests and the doors made with chalk that leads into a completely other realm: it is hard to know where to begin. Although there are a few gory scenes, the film is so good that the subtitles do not even matter!
The director’s choice of actors is so spot-on that you suddenly get caught inside the movie and forget that you are actually in a room. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) plays the innocent little girl that explores her surroundings and finds herself in danger both at home and on her adventures. Her father, Captain Vidal (Sergi López) is the protagonist and seems to hurt anybody that crosses his path. The faun (Doug Jones) is played so accurately and he gives the immediate feeling that he cannot be trusted- like the myth of all fauns.
The believability makes you wonder if there could be something like this story in the woods somewhere in the world. If someone were to ask me a question of who was the best actor, I wouldn’t be able to answer that. Each and every person who portrayed their character exactly how they should have. Not once did I wonder about their real-life persona. The director, Guillermo del Torro, deserves as many awards that is humanly possible for creating such a terrific film and putting in the time and effort to get every detail just right. If I had the opportunity, I would select “Pan’s Labyrinth” as the greatest movie all around! The movie at first was a little hard to follow, getting everything started but it was the moments where I had to stop watching it when the class was over that made me more disappointed. Never did I lose track of the premise.
When it comes to special effects, I can get quite knit-picky but overall, they were very well done. Del Torro's detail was so specific to every scene. Down to the pieces of the moss-covered trees which caught my attention even more. The colors of the film get quite dingy until the end when suddenly, the screen explodes with colors of reds, golds, and whites.
The overall lasting impression on me was certainly a good one. In the end, I remember the film as exhilarating and not as “the crappy Spanish film that I watched in my English class”. At the very end of the movie, I remember paying so much attention to the film, I snapped out of my trance and looked around the classroom, realizing that everyone else was dead quiet and in the same trance-like state as I was. In all honesty, it was not a film I was necessarily looking forward to seeing, until my after-thought made me come to a screeching halt of thinking that this may be one of my favorite movies, no matter what language it was filmed in.
Word Count: 500
The mystery that lies beneath the metaphors of this film is absolutely mind boggling! The deep forests and the doors made with chalk that leads into a completely other realm: it is hard to know where to begin. Although there are a few gory scenes, the film is so good that the subtitles do not even matter!
The director’s choice of actors is so spot-on that you suddenly get caught inside the movie and forget that you are actually in a room. Ofelia (Ivana Baquero) plays the innocent little girl that explores her surroundings and finds herself in danger both at home and on her adventures. Her father, Captain Vidal (Sergi López) is the protagonist and seems to hurt anybody that crosses his path. The faun (Doug Jones) is played so accurately and he gives the immediate feeling that he cannot be trusted- like the myth of all fauns.
The believability makes you wonder if there could be something like this story in the woods somewhere in the world. If someone were to ask me a question of who was the best actor, I wouldn’t be able to answer that. Each and every person who portrayed their character exactly how they should have. Not once did I wonder about their real-life persona. The director, Guillermo del Torro, deserves as many awards that is humanly possible for creating such a terrific film and putting in the time and effort to get every detail just right. If I had the opportunity, I would select “Pan’s Labyrinth” as the greatest movie all around! The movie at first was a little hard to follow, getting everything started but it was the moments where I had to stop watching it when the class was over that made me more disappointed. Never did I lose track of the premise.
When it comes to special effects, I can get quite knit-picky but overall, they were very well done. Del Torro's detail was so specific to every scene. Down to the pieces of the moss-covered trees which caught my attention even more. The colors of the film get quite dingy until the end when suddenly, the screen explodes with colors of reds, golds, and whites.
The overall lasting impression on me was certainly a good one. In the end, I remember the film as exhilarating and not as “the crappy Spanish film that I watched in my English class”. At the very end of the movie, I remember paying so much attention to the film, I snapped out of my trance and looked around the classroom, realizing that everyone else was dead quiet and in the same trance-like state as I was. In all honesty, it was not a film I was necessarily looking forward to seeing, until my after-thought made me come to a screeching halt of thinking that this may be one of my favorite movies, no matter what language it was filmed in.
Word Count: 500
Friday, September 11, 2009
My Top Dozen Picks
“My Top Dozen Picks”
12. Jurassic Park- Back in the day when I was probably five or six years old, I can remember being the anti-social tot when it came to people outside of my immediate family. My parents, my sister and I would go to my nana’s house down in Bourne, Massachusetts and while everyone would talk, I’d go to the back room and watch this movie every single time. The movie intrigued me with the idea of going back in time to see the dinosaurs- a mystery that has yet to be solved and also kind of freaked me out.
11. Jumanji- The plot of the story is that this game, “Jumanji” creates havoc and chaos and in order for it to be stopped, it is crucial to finish the game. Robin Williams is one of my all-time favorite actors and he portrays his character like no other. The movie is crazy with monkeys driving police cars and hurricanes and tornadoes whipping through the house. It is a great movie is you’re looking for something to grab and keep your attention.
10. Men In Black- It has been a while but “Men In Black” is in my top ten because it is about aliens. This has always made me wonder what life is in existence beyond our world and in movies like this, it is an easy way to grab my attention.
9. Bicentennial Man- Again, another “Robin Williams” movie that is once more in my top dozen picks. Bicentennial obviously means two hundred and Williams’ character plays a 200-year-old robot that wishes to be a man. Looking at the big picture, I like the movie because he is a robot, not because he is on such a quest.
8. Galaxy Quest- The alien spiel is what gets me every time. This classic Tim Allen movie is a riot and has jokes that are absolutely hysterical. When the aliens bleed blue and walk with a waddle and cannot do anything but smile, the creepy personalities fit right in with the rest of the peculiar yet hilarious movie.
7. Signs- Mel Gibson, an interesting man but ignoring his real-life persona, he is the protective father-slash-priest who learns that what is happening in his cornfields in an alien invasion! The movie can seem pretty dumb but the “horror” just adds that extra kick to keep you glued to the television… Especially when they chop the alien’s fingers off!
6. Planet of the Apes- Of course, I’m talking about the 1968 version, not the crappy 2001 version! The first time I saw this movie was in my essay writing class with Mr. Bailey! I had no idea what the movie was really about but who knew that instead of traveling to a completely different planet, they landed on the earth thousands of years later! Completely blindsided me and not to mention those apes, freaky!
5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory- From the chocolate river, the candy grass, and the cute oompa loompas, this ’71 classic is everyone’s favorite. Who doesn’t want a factory made entirely of candy and you can eat every single part of it! Heck, I still wish something like that could be come true in my dreams!
4. Harry Potter (I-VI)- Of all the six sequels that have been released, I could watch them over and over again. The old school, Hogwarts, or how they teach you how to use magic or how in each movie, they always end up with a giant and creepy animal and of course a villain to top off the masterpiece. Can I go to Hogwarts?
3. Pirates of the Caribbean (I-III)- I don’t know what it is about all three of these movies because they do sound kind of dumb but it is most likely Captain Jack Sparrow could have a lot to do with it. And then there is the whole pirate thing, huntin’ for gold in the Caribbean. What could be better?
2. Young Frankenstein- This movie is particularly in my top twelve for its parody of science fiction. The mad scientist tries to bring a giant man back to life and his trust sidekick Igore accidentally replaces his brain with “Abby Normal”, (also known as abnormal). Most of the stories listed are there because if they make me laugh, it is usually a good movie on my list.
1. The Sixth Sense- Numero uno in my top twelve countdown! With the boy who can “see dead people” and be absolutely terrified and be talking to a ghost all along, who would have thought? Every time I hear those strings play after the walking dead tiptoe by, I can still get goose bumps; like those version commercials that had the same sound, I had to mute the television when it came on! That is a number one in my book!
12. Jurassic Park- Back in the day when I was probably five or six years old, I can remember being the anti-social tot when it came to people outside of my immediate family. My parents, my sister and I would go to my nana’s house down in Bourne, Massachusetts and while everyone would talk, I’d go to the back room and watch this movie every single time. The movie intrigued me with the idea of going back in time to see the dinosaurs- a mystery that has yet to be solved and also kind of freaked me out.
11. Jumanji- The plot of the story is that this game, “Jumanji” creates havoc and chaos and in order for it to be stopped, it is crucial to finish the game. Robin Williams is one of my all-time favorite actors and he portrays his character like no other. The movie is crazy with monkeys driving police cars and hurricanes and tornadoes whipping through the house. It is a great movie is you’re looking for something to grab and keep your attention.
10. Men In Black- It has been a while but “Men In Black” is in my top ten because it is about aliens. This has always made me wonder what life is in existence beyond our world and in movies like this, it is an easy way to grab my attention.
9. Bicentennial Man- Again, another “Robin Williams” movie that is once more in my top dozen picks. Bicentennial obviously means two hundred and Williams’ character plays a 200-year-old robot that wishes to be a man. Looking at the big picture, I like the movie because he is a robot, not because he is on such a quest.
8. Galaxy Quest- The alien spiel is what gets me every time. This classic Tim Allen movie is a riot and has jokes that are absolutely hysterical. When the aliens bleed blue and walk with a waddle and cannot do anything but smile, the creepy personalities fit right in with the rest of the peculiar yet hilarious movie.
7. Signs- Mel Gibson, an interesting man but ignoring his real-life persona, he is the protective father-slash-priest who learns that what is happening in his cornfields in an alien invasion! The movie can seem pretty dumb but the “horror” just adds that extra kick to keep you glued to the television… Especially when they chop the alien’s fingers off!
6. Planet of the Apes- Of course, I’m talking about the 1968 version, not the crappy 2001 version! The first time I saw this movie was in my essay writing class with Mr. Bailey! I had no idea what the movie was really about but who knew that instead of traveling to a completely different planet, they landed on the earth thousands of years later! Completely blindsided me and not to mention those apes, freaky!
5. Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory- From the chocolate river, the candy grass, and the cute oompa loompas, this ’71 classic is everyone’s favorite. Who doesn’t want a factory made entirely of candy and you can eat every single part of it! Heck, I still wish something like that could be come true in my dreams!
4. Harry Potter (I-VI)- Of all the six sequels that have been released, I could watch them over and over again. The old school, Hogwarts, or how they teach you how to use magic or how in each movie, they always end up with a giant and creepy animal and of course a villain to top off the masterpiece. Can I go to Hogwarts?
3. Pirates of the Caribbean (I-III)- I don’t know what it is about all three of these movies because they do sound kind of dumb but it is most likely Captain Jack Sparrow could have a lot to do with it. And then there is the whole pirate thing, huntin’ for gold in the Caribbean. What could be better?
2. Young Frankenstein- This movie is particularly in my top twelve for its parody of science fiction. The mad scientist tries to bring a giant man back to life and his trust sidekick Igore accidentally replaces his brain with “Abby Normal”, (also known as abnormal). Most of the stories listed are there because if they make me laugh, it is usually a good movie on my list.
1. The Sixth Sense- Numero uno in my top twelve countdown! With the boy who can “see dead people” and be absolutely terrified and be talking to a ghost all along, who would have thought? Every time I hear those strings play after the walking dead tiptoe by, I can still get goose bumps; like those version commercials that had the same sound, I had to mute the television when it came on! That is a number one in my book!
Friday, September 4, 2009
Setting Excercise
As I walk down the dirt paths in the great fields just by the coast of Ireland, I explore my surroundings. My senses were tingling; I could see the beauty, feel the salty wind, hear the nature as it passed all around me, and smell the sweet grass of the fields. The day was just as gorgeous as I had ever seen. Walking up the hill of the beautiful earth beneath me, I raised my head to look at a magnificent castle staring back in my direction that seemed to overlook its entire country. It had been abandoned for centuries and the energy of its past was lingering within the cracks of the walls. The stone of the building had been stained from the weather and cracked from age. The vines had overgrown onto the sides of the castle and anything else that it could get a hold of. The entrance had once stood with great poise and now stands with a murky and hideous sign of caution to "go away". It was evident that the foundation had a story and has yet to be told. I continue to wonder if I should turn back but my heart says keep going!
From the top of the hill where this masterpiece stands, the ocean looked different; almost darker than usual. Around the house lay deep sinkholes from which animals now inhabited and trees that hugged around one side creating another dark feeling. I find my way back to the threshold of the castle and peer inside the dusty, old, and cracked window and explore with my eyes. It is pitch black inside and all that I can see is a regal foyer with furniture covered with sheets and the side adjacent to where I am which is covered in windows. I suddenly get the feeling that I am not alone and begin to wish that I had never came to this place.
From the top of the hill where this masterpiece stands, the ocean looked different; almost darker than usual. Around the house lay deep sinkholes from which animals now inhabited and trees that hugged around one side creating another dark feeling. I find my way back to the threshold of the castle and peer inside the dusty, old, and cracked window and explore with my eyes. It is pitch black inside and all that I can see is a regal foyer with furniture covered with sheets and the side adjacent to where I am which is covered in windows. I suddenly get the feeling that I am not alone and begin to wish that I had never came to this place.
Wednesday, September 2, 2009
Why are we so fascinated by vampires?
What an intriguing question. Recently, vampires have been the "it" fictional character since the release of the "Twilight" series. Stephenie Meyer, author of the series, created charming and stone-like characters that had a secret. Every young woman who sank there eyes in to this book immediately saw Edward Cullen as the ideal boyfriend. Now that society has its own view of what a vampire could actually be, everybody wants a bite! As for the science fiction lovers, vampires are probably what stimulates their mind the most; the immortality, the alleged "no-reflection-in-the-mirror" spiel. It turns on the lightbulbs in every one's minds and therefore is the ultimate story that no one can pass up!
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