'Movies Recently Watched' Ratings System

          So I just added something new to my blog.  On the right hand side, there is a "Movies Recently Watched" list.  I don't write a review for every movie I watch.  Sometimes I just don't have time to do so.  Or, with some movies, I don't really have anything to say other than "It was good" or "I didn't like it".  So why bother with a post?  So I'm going to just keep track of the 5 most recent, link them to their IMDB page and give them a rating.  I rate my movies from a scale of 1 to 5.  I find keeping the numbers lower is easier on my brain.  And to keep things kind of consistent, I've borrowed my mode of rating from Netflix.

     1 out of 5:  "Hated It" - If I watch a movie that I absolutely hate, I'll give it 1 star.  Though, that has yet to happen.

     2 out of 5:  "Didn't Like It" - This happens more often.  Sometimes the movie is just bad or not my cup of tea.

     3 out of 5:  "Liked It" - A lot these movies are good and have potential, but fail in at least some aspect.  An example would be The Time Traveler's Wife.  I liked the idea and story, but I didn't connect emotionally with the characters.

     4 out of 5:  "Really Liked It" - These are movies that are a lot of fun or connect with me on some other level.  These are movies that I could watch again relatively soon.

     5 out of 5:  "Loved It" - This rating is also rare.  I generally reserve these for my favorite movies (ie RoboCop, Pan's Labyrinth, etc).  So this rating is generally exclusive.  Though, I may try to broaden it a little.

          But this is just a general breakdown.  I don't like all 4/5 movies the same.  I really liked The Island of Lost Souls.  And I really liked The Raid: Redemption.  But I like them for totally different reasons.  And some movies may be bad movies, but are really entertaining, such as Mega Shark vs. Giant Octopus, so they will get the same rating as good movies that don't quite connect.

          So, I guess you could look forward to that.  Or not; that's cool too.

     But that's just my opinion...

Trailer Experiment

          So, I've been meaning to write this for a couple of months (before The Avengers came out) but I've been too lazy.  But, now that The Dark Knight Rises opens this weekend, I've finally forced myself to do this.

          A while ago, there was a question on Facebook asking which summer movie I was the most excited for.  And I answered The Dark Knight Rises.  But, after I answered that, I realized that I wasn't the most excited for TDKR, but rather The Avengers.  I answered TDKR because I was expecting it to be the better movie.  But, I was more excited to see The Avengers.  After a few moments of thinking, I realized why I was more excited to see The Avengers than TDKR.  It was because I hadn't seen any trailers for it.  But I had seen several trailers for The Avengers, making it look epic.

          Let me back up and explain why I hadn't seen any trailers for TDKR.  About a year ago, I read an ARTICLE complaining how trailers give too much away in the trailers.  The movie that was used as an example was Battle: Los Angeles.  There were a couple parts during the movie where something that would have normally been unexpected or startling wasn't because it was shown in the trailer.

          So, I decided to do a little experiment.  I was going to pick a movie and not watch any trailers for it and see if it changes my experience.  And this was when the hype for TDKR was beginning to start.  So, I decided to avoid all trailers and any other news concerning the movie.

          However, that proved harder than I anticipated.  I love movies and spend a good deal of my time learning about them.  Most of the videos I watch on YouTube are movie news.  So, it was a little hard to keep up on all the other movies while not learning too much about TDKR, though, whenever one of the videos started talking about it, I always hit the mute button.  So, as of right now, I know this much about TDKR:

• Tom Hardy and Anne Hathaway are playing Bane and Catwoman
• I have seen pics of their costumes
• I've heard that Bane's voice is incomprehensible (though I have not yet heard it)
• Joseph Gordon-Levitt is also in it (but I don't know who)
• I have seen this poster

• It will be Nolan's last one (and the rumors are Batman will die)
• I've seen the clip where the football field collapses
• And I saw my first TRAILER during The Avengers (though I closed my eyes and tried to cover my ears but it was too loud so I gave in)

          Now that I have listed all that I know, I don't think there is too much else I could know, unless there are other trailers that give more of the plot away.  It seems that my little experiment hasn't worked out as much as I had hoped.

          I'm not sure why I'm writing all of this.  I guess it just seemed like an interesting thing to try.  For me, trailers are the number one factor that decides whether I watch a movie or not.  So, seeing a movie sans trailer was a novel idea.  (Though I know a lot of people see movies without seeing a trailer).  I guess I'll have to try again, but this time with a movie that doesn't have as much hype as TDKR.  Maybe the Robocop remake?

     *author's edit (22 July 2012)

          So, I saw TDKR yesterday and it was awesome.  And today I decided to watch some of the other trailers to see what I had missed.  And I am really glad that I decided to do this little experiment.  Because there was a lot of plot left for me to discover.  I was lucky enough that the one trailer I did see gave little of the movie away.  So, when I went in to see it, I had no idea as to what to expect.  Everything was a surprise.  *Spoilers*  I had no idea that Bane takes over the city or that he hijacks that plane, etc etc.  *End*  It was really cool going into a huge movie like this with no expectations other than awesome.  This might become a new way of watching movies.

     But that's just my opinion...

10 Most Significant List

          Ok, so the past couple of days I've been talking to my fellow film students about their applications.  I told them how my first application was horrible so I had to apply a second time.  Part of the application was to make a top 10 significant list.  And they couldn't believe what I put on my list the first time.  So, mainly for their enjoyment, I'm posting that part of my application below.

1st application (Fall 2010)

Indy Mogul:  This website has everything a movie lover can ask for.  It has shows that teach how to make props and do special effects.  There are also shows the showcase the works of other amateur filmmakers.  And alongside these are shows that keep up on the latest news coming out of Hollywood.  It is a goldmine in my personal opinion.

IMDB:  As much as I love watching and making movies, I love learning about them.  I like reading other people’s opinions, posting my own, and discussing multiple meanings for different scenes in the message boards.  I also love reading the trivia section to learn more about the “behind the scenes” of any recently watched movie.

Pan’s Labyrinth:  My favorite thing about this movie was the ending. I usually like movies where the lead character dies because I feel it adds more to the character, making them almost a martyr in many instances.  So I was real nervous when the movie reached the climax, not knowing in which direction it was going to go.  I was so relieved and happy when they combined both: the martyrdom and the typical “happy” ending.

Youtube:  This is a great way to see the work of other people.  There are quite a few you-tubers that have very entertaining channels.  I also can upload my own videos and share those with others.  I also like the DIY videos and have made my own snorri-cam from one.

Six String Samurai:  I love the originality of this movie.  Who would have thought that Buddy Holly was deadly with a sword?  I also love how they used Slash from Guns’n’Roses to portray Death—such a fitting look!  It is just great how they combined so many different elements together in such a unique way.

Godzilla series:  This is my one guilty pleasure ever since I was little.  The horrible dubbing, crazy music, incoherent plot lines makes these movies so bad they are good.  And who can’t love two guys in rubber suits wresting each other?

Robocop:  This has been my favorite movie as long as I can remember, having seen it once on TV as a kid.  Besides having a lot of funny dialogue (not sure whether it is intentional or not), it has a great story of human development.  In the beginning, Robocop does not remember who he was, but as the film progresses he learns his identity:  Murphy.

Orphan:  This is one of the few horror movies that actually scared me.  But, unlike most horror films, this one had a lot of touching moments, in particular between the mom and her deaf daughter.  The first time I watched it, I was terrified, but as I watched it again, I was angry with the antagonist for her actions and truly felt sympathetic for the family.  No other movie has evoked two totally different emotions upon subsequent viewings.

Billy Madison:  This is my favorite Adam Sandler movie.  A lot of the dialogue is just ridiculous.  My friends and I were inspired to make a similar movie, but instead of seeing a penguin, the main character saw Rosie O’Donnell.

Animorphs series:  These books truly fired up my imagination as a child.  These books had vicious aliens, shape-shifting teenagers, violent battles; what else could a kid ask for in a book?  In addition to all of that, one of the characters changed into an animal right in the corner of the pages!

2nd application (Winter 2011)

(book)  Let the Right One In by John Ajvide Lindqvist
I found this to be a gripping, refreshing, realistic take on the vampire lore and it raises some interesting questions about the nature of relationships.  Is love really blind?  Will Oscar continue to love Eli even after knowing the truth?  Does she really love him, or is she using him?  It also inspired a beautifully filmed and scored movie.

(movie)  Leon: the Professional
I like how Leon grows as a character.  In the beginning he is tempted just to kill her, but in the end he sacrifices his life to protect her.  It’s moving to see his transition from cold, heartless cleaner to a protective, father figure.  And the song by Sting used at the end of amazing!

(website)  Netflix
While I enjoy the experience of going to a video rental store and spending 2 hours to pick out a movie, I like this website because it offers me a huge selection of diverse films.  I am now free to expose myself to many different films about a gamut of topics created by people with a wide range of backgrounds. I am no longer bound to the limited supply at Hollywood Video.

(movie)  Waste Land

This movie reminded me of the hymn “Because I have Been Given Much”.  This is a goal I now have: to be in a position where I can help others by using my talents.  By serving my mission in Mexico, I saw a lot of people living in humble conditions and I could really relate with Vik and his quest to help.  I feel that doing something similar would be a great experience for me and for those I collaborate with.

(poem)  And One Other Thing by A. Wilber Stevens

This poem captures the essence of my major fear.  My worst fear is,as the lights of life grow dim, to look back and have regrets, knowing that I didn’t fulfill my potential.  I fear looking back over a life of mediocre and not one lived fully.

(movie)  The Man Who Laughs

This reminds me of the story of Beauty and the Beast.  A beautiful blind, young lady falls in love with a man who has a creepily disfigured face.  What I liked the most was the development in the the title character and the ending.  In this film, the “Beast” isn’t transformed into a handsome prince at the end.  But rather, he accepts himself for who he is and lives a happy life with his love.

(movie)  Al Otro Lado
I found this movie intriguing because of whose point of view it portrays.  Normally, when immigration is discussed, we only focus on the immigrant.  But, this told the same story through the eyes of the children left behind.  I realized that I had taken my parents for granted and how lucky I had been in having them home my whole life.

(poem)  Some Keep the Sabbath Going to Church by Emily Dickinson
This poem reminded me of my favorite Sunday activity:  hiking.  When church is over, and weather permitting, I love to be out in the mountains feasting on the beauty of God’s creations.  Sometimes I go alone with just my thoughts and the hush of the forests.  Or I go with some friends for safety purposes.

(movie)  Johnny Got His Gun
I loved how the memories were blended seamlessly with the imagination.  Not only did I see what he was going through, I felt it.  His delusions seemed real.  As I watched this, I felt a small connection with him and almost understood what he was going through.

(essay)  On Art, Morals, and Morality by Orson Scott Card
I felt this was relevant to me because I watch a lot of movies and am constantly scanning content summaries to see if there is anything objectionable.  I liked his definition of moral art:  not art that lacks the bad and only shows the good, but art that portrays bad honestly.  Sometimes it is necessary to see something 'ugly' in order to learn and grow.  There must be opposition in all things.

But that's just my opinion...

Russian Souvenir

          So, this last year, I spent about 4 months in Russia teaching English.  It was a lot of fun and I got to see a lot of cool things.  However, this is not a travel blog, it's a movie blog.  So none of that stuff even matters.  What does matter is a souvenir that I bought.  Of everything I brought home with me, this is probably my favorite (and by far the cheapest).  It cost me 5 роблес, which is about  15 cents.  Here it is:

          It's a Rambo pin!  It says "Слай" which is Russian for "Sly" which is short for "Sylvester", as in "Sylvester Stallone", the actor who played Rambo in 4 different movies.  Yea, I thought it was pretty sweet and about had a heart attack when I saw it.  That is all.

     But that's just my opinion...

Bryan Lefler (dir. of Unicorn City)

In our Media Arts program, we regularly have forums. In these forums, we talk about things happening in the school or we have professionals come and talk with us. Today's forum, Bryan Lefler was invited to come and talk about us about his experience making Unicorn City. And in one of my classes, we have to write a one page paper about the forum. So, down below is the paper I wrote. It's an academic paper so the tone is different than normal.

Bryan Lefler, director of Unicorn City, told about his experience getting this movie made.  I found it really interesting to see the kind of problems and obstacles he had to overcome.  Sometimes we romanticize the industry, thinking about being rich and famous or whatever.  But, listening to him helped me to remember life’s not all peaches and cream.  It takes a lot of hard work, persistence and can be detrimental to your personal and family life.

There were a few things that he said that stood out to me.  He pointed out the importance of learning on somebody else’s dollar.  This I have heard before.  However, I never had considered editing to fall under this category.  While editing somebody else’s footage, you notice shots they miss or whatever.  This can help you improve your own projects you shoot.  He also talked about  the advantages of being script supervisor.  Be being script supervisor, you are right there next to the director, seeing what he does and hearing what he says.  It sounded like a great way to be next to and learn from the director.

Bryan also talked about dreams.  Nobody cares about this (except for your parents) unless you are an investment.  If you want to get your dream made, you have to show that you will be an investment.  Also, making a movie doesn’t mean anything unless people know about it.  He was asked if he had any roads paved for him now.  He answered “no” because nobody knows about his movie.  He said that he’s in our very position right now.  And he’s not going to go anywhere until more people know about his movie.

He was also asked concerning his audience.  He is a “Mormon Filmmaker” and was asked why he didn’t have any references to Mormon culture.  He answered:  “Why on earth would you market to just LDS?  It makes no fiscal sense to do it.  I want the Baptists’ money.  I want the Catholics’ money.”  He made a very good point.  By making a movie aimed to a Mormon audience, you dramatically reduce its reach to a very small group.  By just making a family friendly movie, without any LDS references, you have a movie with a lot wider audience.  Mormons will see it regardless.  And others won’t be turned off by the subject.  So, by not excluding various groups, more people will see your movie which results in more money being made.

In regards to the audience, he talked about the importance of knowing who you’re aiming towards.  He wanted a PG rated, family film.  That way it will reach a broader audience.  However, he had a few problems with some of the actors and producers.  They wanted to add some vulgarity to it, so it would sound more “natural”, and make it PG-13.  But, Bryan knew who he wanted his audience to be and kept the dialogue clean.

Normally I’m not a fan of stories like these.  I’ve had too many experiences where people tell their success story and that’s it.  But Bryan talked about his predicaments and explained how to avoid or overcome them.  It was a very informative and helpful forum.

If you want to watch the official trailer, click HERE.

But that's just my opinion...

(Well, not really. It's more like Bryan's as interpreted by me)

LDS Film Festival

          Ok, so at the beginning of the semester, one of my teachers gave us a list of movie recommendations.  On this list was one called Unicorn City.  The reason for the recommendation:  he worked on it (though I can't remember how exactly).  So, I made a mental note to look for it whenever it got released.  Then, earlier this week, one of my friends invited me to go to the LDS Film Fest in Orem.  There's a LDS Film Festival?!?  Thats sweet.  I was like "I'm free Friday.  What's playing?".  So he read off the movies and Unicorn City was one of them.  Unicorn City?  Nice, I remembered that looking funny.  So I said 'Let's do this!'  (I didn't actually say that.  I just had him buy me a ticket.)

          So earlier today (well, technically yesterday, but who really cares?)  some friends and I headed over to the SCERA Theater to watch U.C.  When I got there I saw a sign that said "Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed poster signing."  They made a second Saints and Soldiers?  Nice.  And that's a sweet poster.  I want one.  I looked at my watch; movie starts in 10 minutes.  Look at the line; there's no way I'm going to make it through this line before the movie starts.  So it came down crucial decision:  watch the movie from the very beginning and not miss a thing -or- get a poster signed by the cast and crew and miss the first 20 minutes of U.C.?  I opted for the latter and ended up with these:

                  
    

          and this:

     
          Yea, that's David Nibley and Corbin Allred, two popular Mormon actors.  Needless to say I was pretty stoked.  As giddy as a school girl as some would say.  I did not even know this was going to be happening.  I wish I would have brought my own camera.  So after waiting in line for 20 minutes, I finally got my poster and into the theater to watch Unicorn City.  (More on that later.)  Afterwards, there was a short Q&A with the filmmakers, followed by a poster signing.  I got a poster signed by everyone and pics signed by Jaclyn Hales (who played Marsha) and Clint Vanderlinden (who was Rhubarb.)  I also got a signed poster for The Last Eagle Scout, even though I knew nothing about it.  Then I went home.  It was a blast.

     Watch these:


     Unicorn City trailer
     Saints and Soldiers: Airborne Creed trailer
     The Last Eagle Scout trailer




     But that's just my opinion...