Wednesday, March 25, 2015

Dazed and Confused



1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.
In class this week, we viewed the film Dazed and Confused. A coming of age film that follows the last day of school of groups of teenagers in 1976 Texas. The film stars, at the time a cast of unknown actors like Ben Affleck, Jason London, Parker Posey, and Matthew McConaughey. Most of the cast are now Hollywood icons since the films release and 2 Oscars winners from Ben Affleck and Matthew McConaughey. The film had a 6.9 million dollar budget and grossed 8 million dollars overall. The film was written and directed by Richard Linklater, who went on to make Oscar contender for this year, Boyhood. 







2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.  
The article I found was given to us in class and is entitled, Moment to Moment... Why Richard Linklater makes movies. It followers Linklater on set on his film Boyhood and his early years and discussed the started of the process of making Dazed and Confused and his tragic personal life that didn't stop him from film making and his final filming moments of boyhood in Austin, Texas. We also get a very personal interview with Ethan Hawke who is a actor that normally works with Linklater for most projects. He said " most directors I have worked with, hide behind the monitor and say things like change the light, the frames wrong. Not Linklater, he would spit if you would say that. He would answer, we are human begins here." Linklater had a unique touch on his films because it was about the characters, real characters, not actors. "You are real people with hopes and dreams, not a ad" said Hawke. On the making of Dazed and Confused, the inspiration came when one night, in high school him and his friends when one night, driving around looking for something to do. "After a couple a races, a couple of almost fights, a couple of flirtations, a alot of beer consumed, a couple of joints" Linklater recalls. "Driving around, 138 miles later we still have not left the area just sitting their driving and listening to ZZ Tops. He felt a framework within the night and wrote it down. We also want in it set in the 70's because he enjoyed the personal historical present. He wanted to make a " a pretty anti-nostalgic piece" he says. He also respected the street actors so that is why most of the actors in the film were unknown. The first day of rehearsal he told the actors to have fun because if their followed the screenplay word by word, their were fucked. He also discussed the fire that destroyed his home on Labor Day 2011 and how he made out with insurance claim. Overall the article really gave us a insight on pre pre pre pre production of Dazed and Confused and how just one night gave us one remarkable film. 




3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.  
I really enjoyed reading this article. Most of the time, when I do this part of the blog I go with doing unneeded fun facts about the film which this article did have but it also had very personal looks into both of Linklater feature hit films. You can tell that Linklater's personal touch was in the film because of how real the characters felt on the scene. You can tell that each character had a story, a problem and solution. He didn't care for the shots or the frames, he cared for story which Dazed and Confused was all about. The story of the present teenager coming to terms with growing up and what paths he or she must choose that will effect the rest of their lives. Its real, its now. We can now all related with what goes in the movie because growing up is one thing many people never want to face. 





4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.
This might have to be my favorite I have watched in both Film 1 and Film 2. I'm not just saying that because my favorite actress of all time Parker Posey is in this film but because of how the film had my attention during the viewing and even after. This film had a real touch to it that made me feel for the story and the characters. I enjoyed that the film was shot over a day long. It kept you in time with story and the characters. It also cool to see actors like Ben Affleck in a role like this because you are normally seeing him in roles of the hero or the star and here, he was just a ass that got what was coming to him. Plus Matthew McConaughey being treated like a loser because he never "left" high school. I think its get acting to be able to change the mind of people that know you as a character and begin able to show something else. I guess their are great at their craft. While doing my research for this viewing report, I learned that Linklater will be making a film named, That's What I'm Talking About which take place in the 1980's and and followers the story of a college freshman baseball players. I'm excited because reports claim that its inspired by his work Dazed and Confused. Ill be the first waiting for my ticket on opening day! 



 CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) (x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
2) (x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
 3) (x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.
4) (x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
 5) (x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) (x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) (x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.
 8) (x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.
 Name: _Antonio Amorim______ Date: ________3/25/2015 _________

Wednesday, March 4, 2015

Unforgiven




1) Relate what was discussed in class or the text to the screening.
In class this week we discussed the film Unforgiven. Unforgiven is a 1992 American Western film produced and directed and starred in by Clint Eastwood and its screenplay by David Webb Peoples. The film went on to win four Oscars, for Best Picture, Best Editing, Best Director, and Best Supporting Actor and was nominated for 5 others. The budget for the film was $14 million and the gross was $160 million. Clint Eastwood had the rights for the film years before per production started because he want to look older in the starring role. The film was also the 3rd Western film to win Best Picture. We also learn about the term Spaghetti Western. Its a term that came up in the mid 1960's when most western films were begin made by Italians. Most films were even shot in other countries like Italy, Spain , and Germany. Clint Eastwood used this term through the process of making of Unforgiven.






2) Find a related article (on the film, director, studio, actor/actress, artistic content, etc.) and summarize the content.   
The article I found on Unforgiven was one on the director Clint Eastwood. It gives you a short plot of the film. The film begins at twilight and ends at twilight. Eastwood's rain drenched, widescreen image are deeply elegiac and also full of life. The writer also gave life to many characters through the film. Unforgiven bagged four Oscars against expectations, a substantial box-office success - proof, along with Dances with Wolves and Brokeback Mountain, that there's still thrilling life in the modern western. Eastwood with his record as a filmmaker has earned his right be taken seriously and now at 76, he now stands as a one of the greatest Hollywood director to ever grace a film screen

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/3664447/Must-have-movies-Unforgiven-1992.html













3) Apply the article to the film screened in class.  
I can fully understand the article from beginning to end. Clint Eastwood really took this film and made it in to a Western that people would like to remember. He took your old genre film and made you care for the characters in the piece. One thing the many article I found talk about was the use of the women in Unforgiven. In most Westerns, women are not given limelight in the film but in Unforgiven, the women are the secret stars of the movie. As one article wrote, it said the epic of revenge of the whores. This film you saw women fight back and fight against the men. This would have never happen in other Western, but Clint Eastwoods went over the line and really made you follow the film because you were rooting for the women inside of the Western. 






4) Write a critical analysis of the film, including your personal opinion, formed as a result of the screening, class discussions, text material and the article.
Overall the film was probably one of the only Western that I would watch again. As I have made aware before, I HATE WESTERNS! Movies like Stagecoach really made rethink film class because I could never get into the whole genre. After viewing Unforgiven you can see the real creative mind behind the director Clint Eastwood. The film really gave a positive look in the culture of the late 1800's. It was so much more then guns and women. It was about heart and friends and family as well. Like his relationship with Logan and the kid. Even through he could of gone home and be with his kids, he went to give his friend the proper send off and killing the main villain little bill just for the satisfaction. That is what a true blood friend does. I enjoyed the movie and would recommend many to watch it if you dislike Western so then you don't have to sit through Stagecoach. 





http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/filmreviews/3664447/Must-have-movies-Unforgiven-1992.html

 CHECKLIST FOR PLAGIARISM

1) (x ) I have not handed in this assignment for any other class.
2) (x ) If I reused any information from other papers I have written for other classes, I clearly explain that in the paper.
 3) (x ) If I used any passages word for word, I put quotations around those words, or used indentation and citation within the text.
4) (x ) I have not padded the bibliography. I have used all sources cited in the bibliography in the text of the paper.
 5) (x ) I have cited in the bibliography only the pages I personally read.
6) (x ) I have used direct quotations only in cases where it could not be stated in another way. I cited the source within the paper and in the bibliography.
7) (x ) I did not so over-use direct quotations that the paper lacks interpretation or originality.
 8) (x ) I checked yes on steps 1-7 and therefore have been fully transparent about the research and ideas used in my paper.
 Name: _Antonio Amorim______ Date: ________3/04/2015 _________