Best Christmas Movie Ever

A few days ago, my floor was incredibly lucky to catch one of, if not the best Christmas movie of all time on tv. Of course I am talking about Grandma Got Run Over by a Reindeer. The movie is based on a song by the same name, but it has become something much more than that. It has become a classic in its own right. It is the leading exemplar of Christmas programming and even of all moviemaking in general. Truly a masterpiece.

The character development in the movie was superb, only made greater by the phenomenal voice acting and animation. Cousin Mel is the perfect villain, driven by greed and willing to deceive the elderly to get her fortune by selling the grandmother’s general store. She is the perfect contrast to the boy, Jake Spankenheimer, who selflessly sacrifices his time to search for his grandmother so that he can stop his cousin and save Christmas for the whole town. I think this can easily be seen as a direct allegory with Christ’s battle over Satan.

So the bottom line is, you should see this movie, and if you do, invite me because I could watch it maybe a hundred more times and not be done with it. What other movie has poisoned fruit cake, drunk grandmothers, and emailing Santa Claus? Also, do you ever wish that Christmas had a Spanish themed song besides Feliz Navidad? You’re in luck because this movie gave us the best Christmas song of all time:     

Humble Bundle

If any of you have not heard about the humble bundle, you have been missing out. The humble bundle is a weekly sale of games made by generally independent developers, but the catch is that you can pay whatever you want. You could pay just one dollar and get 4 awesome games that would usually be 20 dollars each. There are incentives for paying extra though, like if you pay more than the average of what people pay you may receive more games. Also, you can choose which percentage of your money goes to the developer of the game and which percentage goes to charity.

This is one of the most awesome things about the gaming community which humble bundle shows so well. Gamers are not always selfish, but a lot of gamers actually care about the creators of the games and want to see them succeed, especially with independent developers. This is why games are one of the most funded items on kickstarter. The amount of support for other’s dreams in making games that the gaming community can give is, well, humbling. Also, the community comes together to give to charity through this program, as well as with other charities like Child’s Play, which gives games to children in hospitals. It just goes to show how any time people come together under common interests they can impact the world.   

Fawlty Towers

Over Thanksgiving break I was introduced to a show called Fawlty Towers. I’m surprised now that I had never heard of it until then, as it has been named the best British television program of all time, which makes sense, as I can tell you the show is brilliant and hilarious, and it is a shame it only had 2 seasons of 6 episodes each.

Fawlty Towers is from the 1970s and stars John Cleese from Monty Python’s Flying Circus as a hotel manager. Every episode is basically a standalone one act play. I know most shows back then could be described this way, but with Fawlty Towers the writing is almost comparable to Shakespeare’s comedies. The episodes are driven by constant misunderstandings and miscommunications. Just as a character leaves to tell another something, he’ll come walking through the door behind him. The dialogue is quick and clever, with as much as possible crammed into just a half an hour. I was especially impressed by the clever miscommunications with the Spanish waiter Manuel. For example, John Cleese’s character might tell Manuel that there is “too much butter on. those. trays.”

“Que?”

“On those trays”

“No sir, not ‘on, those, trays.’ It’s uno, dos, tres.”

It’s this kind of wordplay which makes Fawlty Towers a classic.

Axe Cop

So I know that blogs are being posted like every 10 seconds today, so no one will probably see this. It’s a darn shame because I really want you guys to check out Axe Cop. Now an amazing tv series on Fox, Axe Cop was originally a webcomic drawn by a 29 year old but written by his 5 year old little brother. As you can imagine the stories are nonsensical, and the randomness in the show is only something a child could come up with.

Offerman's Axe Cop

What makes this show most hilarious is the voice acting, with Nick Offerman, who plays Ron Swanson on Parks and Recreation, as Axe Cop. The most hilarious part of the original comic was the irony of the high quality, serious artstyle mixed with the immature stories. The art in the show does not exactly have the same serious graphic novel feel, but Offerman’s serious voice acting makes up for it. I laughed so hard when Offerman explained with all gravity in his voice the only way out of the leader of all bad guy’s stomach (just guess). Anyway, this series has no redeemable value in it at all. The animation is alright, but otherwise it is just a good time.

Saving Face

Just like Alex right underneath me, I was shocked by the documentary today. I wasn’t shocked because I didn’t already know how morally low humans could get, but learning about specific situations like these from personal perspectives always surprises me. The filmmakers of this documentary in particular did a great job in making me emotionally invested in these women’s lives. It was painfully easy to see the struggle these women go through with their abusive husbands, who seem to have grown up in a society where their wife is their property. I shared the feelings of the doctor, who admits that he just doesn’t understand why the acid attacks keep happening. The most surprising thing to me was the frequency of acid attacks in particular, as I haven’t heard of it at all in the US, and I can’t believe that husbands even consider completely destroying their wives’ faces and lives a justifiable method of revenge or punishment.

But I am glad that the justice system seemed to be moving in the right direction near the end of the film. At first I was worried because of the proposals of giving the husbands a dose of their own medicine and publicly throwing acid on them. I think this would have only caused more fear and chaos. The imprisonment is a smart choice as it seems as though the husbands did not even consider throwing acid to be a crime, and if at all, a minor one. The life and double life imprisonment charges for this crime give it the gravity it deserves.

also I teared up at the end and I am not ashamed

The Other Side (well, mine)

So I was going to do a comment on Taylor's post, but once I hit the 200 word mark I figured I'd do this. Anyway here are my thoughts on the Hobbit.

Azog

I did not mind the cgi in the Hobbit at all, and I don't think it took away from the film. The cgi allowed the movie to have no restrictions, like in the amount of creatures on screen at once, in their movement, and in their body structures (the goblin king). I didn't mind the look of the goblins, but I think Azog probably should have been in traditional makeup because of his close-up screen time. Also, there probably were a few unnecessary cgi shots that could have been easily live action.

So I do agree with Taylor in that it didn't look as good as it could have, but it was definitely meant to be a different film than the Lord of the Rings. The Hobbit's cgi allowed for ridiculous, over the top, and even cartoony battles, which I enjoyed a lot, compared to the realism of the Lord of the Rings. I know Taylor definitely has the more popular opinion here, but I enjoyed the lighter tone and over the top imagination of the Hobbit more than the grittiness of the Lord of the Rings. Also, for me, cgi can realize the amazing things I imagine in my head and what I want to see in a movie better than live action can. Overall I think the Hobbit was a beautiful, thrilling, and hilarious adventure, and it is one of my favorite films.

Broken Age

Did anyone play those old point-and-click adventure games like King’s Quest, The Secret of Monkey Island, or even something like Putt Putt or Pajama Sam? Well they were my favorite games growing up, and they still are today. Anyway, not too long ago a project popped up on kickstarter from the game studio Double Fine, which is run by Tim Schafer, the mind behind Psychonauts, Brutal Legend, as well as a lot of the old LucasArts adventure games. I backed it, because the company promised to bring back the adventure game genre with a brand new game. The project received over 3 million dollars when it only asked for 3 hundred thousand. Later the game was given the name Broken Age and had this awesome teaser trailer, which shows off its unique art style:

Besides the fact that I’m really excited for this game, and you should be too, backing the game gave me access to a behind the scenes documentary. Watching it it feels just like shadowing the game studio and makes me even more excited to work in the field of animation. In the newest update, they added the final voice acting, meaning that animators could start lip synching and do final character animations. Animation for character dialogue has to be one of the areas I’m most interested in and definitely was one of the most fun things to do in one of my own projects. In the documentary I can see the attention to detail these animators spend to match the character’s movements to the inflection, emotion, and meaning of his words. If you want to see these videos, you can still support the project online at the doublefine website.  

Frozen

I am very surprised that I’m the first to write about this, especially since many animators here I’ve talked to have listed their inspiration as “Tangled,” but I saw Frozen the other day. I thought it was a solid film. I know some people might complain about the somewhat scattered plot structure, or the lack of villain for a lot of the movie, but I loved it. The plot made sense to me, and I enjoyed the ways in which it differed from a stereotypical Disney movie. Also, I know that children are going to love this movie because my 5 year old little sister’s least favorite part of any movie is the scary villain. This movie avoided that and replaced it with more comedy and heartwarming relationships.

Sven and Olaf

The comedy is what I liked most about the movie, which was carried by Olaf the snowman and Christof and his reindeer Sven. From the trailers I thought I would get annoyed by Olaf, but he never stopped being hilarious and adorable. His solo “In Summer” was definitely a highlight for me. I especially liked the comedic music in the movie, but all the songs were solid. There was the occasionally corny lyric, but the melodies and vocals were fantastic all around.

Oh and the animation was really good too. The character animation was great as expected, but the snow simulation blew my mind. Anyway I highly recommend this movie!     

Wrong Mans

I saw this Hulu-exclusive show the other day that I really enjoyed called “The Wrong Mans.” Granted, I only saw the first episode, but it definitely showed promise. The show is about two British average-joes that get swept up into a kidnapping. The show is a cool mix of comedy and thriller, which strangely had me laughing while simultaneously on the edge of my seat. While not all of the jokes are dark, they would always somewhat feel as if they were because an intense situation is introduced at the very beginning. Anything that gets in the way of the characters solving that problem brings tense conflict, even if it is just an ironic conversation.

Part of the comedy has to do with the dynamic between the two characters, as one of them is awkward, grounded, and reluctant, while the other is outgoing, obliviously idealistic, and adventure-seeking. Their differences and interactions create many humorous situations and push the story along. I thought both performances were excellent, especially because the characters had to switch between comedy, drama, and moments with a combination of the two.

I really appreciate that Hulu is promoting these original series. Without having to deal with a big corporate network, I get the feeling that these online shows can be a little more experimental. Besides the unique tone of the show, there were a variety of cool camera angles and interesting music choices. I look forward to following more of this show in the future, and I’ll definitely check out some of Hulu’s other exclusives.

Sam Jones, my gosh what a man

I liked this scene a lot it was really comfortable

So I had the privilege of watching Seven Brides for Seven Brothers on Thursday, and Friday, and Saturday Saturday Wednesday Thursday Friday Saturday Saturday. I gotta say, Sam Jones did a fantastic job. I was constantly impressed by his singing, dancing, and just spot-on line deliveries. There’s a line where Sam says something and I tell him to shut up, but I really didn't want him to. I could listen to that voice all day. Remember when he said the word “hotcakes?” I swooned. Last Friday night, I even screwed up my ax jump because I was distracted thinking about just how I lucky I was to be sharing the stage with Sam.

But seriously, I am very thankful for the whole cast and crew of this musical and all of the hard work everyone put into it. We did have our share of struggles with the insane dance numbers and the huge movable set, but I think we pulled it all together in the end. A huge thank you to everyone who came out to see it and to everyone who has told me that you enjoyed it. You guys make it all worth it. Also thank you for not laughing too hard at my half naked body.  

Music Videos

We watched some awesome music videos in class this week. I really liked most of them, so it’s hard to rank my top three. Here goes nothing-

1. Mona- “Lean into the Fall”

This was my favorite music video because it had a great story. The story was powerful, emotionally charged, and most importantly, not hard to follow. I find it hard for me to enjoy music videos when it isn't clear what is going on. I get distracted by all of my questions and then get disappointed when they aren't answered. I really music videos that set out to tell a story, with the climax matching the climax of the song. Besides that, I enjoyed the art style and found it strangely appropriate for handling the themes in the video.

2. Manchester Orchestra- “Simple Math”

While a little more cryptic than “Lean into the Fall,” I could still follow this music video’s story. What really carried this music video for me though was its cinematic quality. The intense cinematic moments were perfectly timed to the music, and it was surreal to have the present car accident keep mixing with the past and to have time keep jumping around, just as someone’s mind would in that situation.

3. Diane Birch- “Valentino”

I was very impressed by the creativity of this music video. I was just amazed by the technical aspects of the video, how they fooled by brain with the quick-changing, appearing objects, and it all being one take. The song itself was also very fun, and the performers seemed like they were enjoying it too.

Ryan

“Ryan” was a very powerful and emotionally charged film. At the beginning I was unsure if I could appreciate the abstract style of animation, but then I started to realize how much the style added to the film. The style made the inner thoughts and feelings of the characters grotesquely clear, as the character’s views of themselves affected their appearances. The more broken they felt inside, the more broken and disjointed the modeling was. It effectively conveyed how helpless Ryan felt in missing the glory days and doubting his own abilities as an artist. The fear of failure was also represented well by the suffocating bands of color with how they would come from within and then take over completely. What was especially powerful is the documentary style within the style. The real life conversations would be dramatic enough in live action, but it makes it much more personal to be able to literally see inside the characters’ heads to know exactly what they feel. I really liked how it the film ended, with the pan out to reveal the reflection of Ryan in the window, bringing the idea of how artists see themselves versus how they actually are full circle.

I also have a brother named Ryan isn't that cool

Quiz 2 Blog

I thought I would write about Yuri Norstein’s film, “Tale of Tales.” First off, I should say that I did not completely understand the film, but as Leeper said, I did not need to in order to appreciate it. In fact, when I searched for specific meanings in the work, I got less out of it than when I just watched it just to experience it. The art and music are beautifully done, but I think one of the strongest points to this film was the fact that it was just a series of images. And even though this might not have been a children’s film, it relates to the readings on children’s media as its purpose isn't to spread a message as much as it is to just share different perspectives and powerful images and short stories. That being said, some of the pieces of “Tale of Tales” clicked with me, the most obvious one being the men leaving their women to go to war, but I also enjoyed the series of clips of the lone wolf and how eventually he found someone to care for besides himself. So I did find some truths and value in the film, even though all of it did not come together for me. Some of the clips are still confusing to me, but as I re watch it starts to make more and more sense.

The Stain and Mixed Media

I think that “The Stain’s” use of different types of animation worked out very well. It was very interesting that the filmmakers chose to switch to entirely different mediums periodically throughout the work instead of blending them together as we’ve been talking about with other films like “Paperman.” The first time I saw the animation style switch from 2d to clay mation was very jarring, which I think was the desired effect. The mixed media in the film gave me a sense of uneasiness, and the more it switched, the more suspense there was. The switching added to the build up of intensity, aided by the music and the fact that the audience already knows how the story ends. 

This was where I had an issue with the changes in the medium though. For the most part it was disorienting and confusing, but it was still possible to tell what was going on. However, while I was anticipating the ending of the twins shooting themselves, they had a 2d animated sequence where it looked like they already did, only to have them actually do it a bit later. This ruined the suspense for me and made me more confused than I wanted to be. For the rest of the film though, the mixed media format added to the experience. Here's another film where this works well:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C_HReR_McQ

Brooklyn 99

I watch a lot of tv, and my favorite time of year is the fall when I can judge all the new tv comedy pilots. Out of this year’s batch of awful, mediocre, and just ok new show, there were only a couple that stood out. One of these standouts was Brooklyn 99. This Andy Samberg-spearheaded show seems very promising, and I really hope it sticks around. It’s written by some of the same writers of Parks and Recreation, one of the greatest comedies on right now, and the show definitely has a Parks and Rec feel. This is especially promising as Parks and Recreation didn't have the best of first seasons, so Brooklyn 99’s strong start means it is already on the the right track, with the writers drawing from their experience with this type of show. There is already great character development in the show, which a lot of the other pilots this season struggled with (I’m looking at you Dads). The characters are all different and so are their relationships to the other characters, and the show has done a great job introducing their quirks while keeping them all likable. From the first few episodes I can tell that while these characters can sometimes have ridiculous qualities, they are also surprisingly complex and real. I’m looking forward to learning more about these cops and watching more of their crazy antics on Brooklyn 99!        

Father and Daughter

Very few films can actually make me feel real emotion. There have been some cases, like Pursuit of Happyness, Toy Story 3, and Horton Hears a Who, but the list is short. I was not even affected by any of the Gospel is Tragedy films we saw in class. That’s what makes Father and Daughter so special. I wasn't balling my eyes out, but I did feel the same emotional weight as if I was going through a sad experience myself.

The crazy thing about Father and Daughter too is that while most emotional films get their power from a gradual buildup of circumstances and from the viewer’s slowly formed personal connection to the characters, Father and Daughter had its power at the very beginning. I can tell you the exact moment too: it was that second hug. When the father went back to the daughter to hug her a second time, I immediately felt sadness, and I didn't want the father to leave. It felt real to me. If he didn't hug her a second time, I probably wouldn't have cared about the daughter at all, but the power of that first scene stuck with me through the whole film. Father and Daughter could do this because it was relatable immediately. We've all had a father and we've all had to say goodbye to someone we care about.

 

Bill Viola

We looked at some of Bill Viola’s work today, like the one with the slow motion video of a man jumping into the water. I don’t think that I understood the spiritual or emotional meaning I was supposed to. By the end of the sequence, instead of reflecting on the work or thinking about the truths it brings up as I do with other pieces, I was just annoyed. This is because for the entire video, I was just trying to figure out what was going on, and when the ending happened, I felt like a moron. I was even more annoyed at the video for giving me so much time but not giving me any clues. It was so slow, giving me time to look at everything closely, but I wasn’t rewarded for my effort. The whole video felt like it was pulling at me as I waited for the next bit to get into frame or for the person to move just a little bit more. I felt the same way during his other works too, like the Quintet of the Astonished. I didn’t feel their emotion because I was just annoyed waiting for them to hurry up.

This is probably my fault. Maybe it’s impatience. Maybe it’s just me not being able to appreciate art for art’s sake. Maybe I’m too concerned with story where it might not belong.

The Bunny and the Moth

Even though I didn’t know it was a female bunny, I still got some things out of the short film we saw in class.

One interesting thing I saw in the film was the reversal of what I consider cute and ugly. At the beginning of the film, I really did not like the moth because I thought it was ugly. I wanted the bunny to get it out of its house immediately or even swat it and kill it. Moths are just hairy, gross butterflies. On the other side I think bunnies are adorable. The furry paws grabbing the kitchen supplies at the beginning was the definition of cute.

But as the film went on, these sides reversed, as I started rooting for the innocent moth. And while the bunny definitely didn't become ugly, its irrationally strong anger towards the moth did. The cuteness of the rabbit was replaced by bitterness. This did make me pity the rabbit though, and I was glad when it could become as beautiful as the moth at the end. While the furry rabbit struggled with a walker in its old age, the ugly moth still had the beautiful traits of flight, movement, and freedom.

Pots

So I guess I’ll be the one to kick off the blogging about the faculty art show.

First of all I thought everything was really great, and I was encouraged that these talented people are the ones teaching us.

The things that interested me most though were the 3d pieces, as seeing them was a unique experience that could only be done at an art show like this. It was really cool to be able to circle around the objects and look at them close up, seeing all the little details the creators put into them, such as the texture on St. Thomas’ clothes.

Another cool thing about the 3d pieces was the variety. Whenever I thought about ceramics I would only think of boring clay pots. The shapes would vary a little, but the main thing would be the different paint jobs. I had no idea that how you put a piece in a kiln would change how it looked. Furniss’ ancient-looking pots were unique and so much different than Coffman’s work, who also surprised me with some not-pot-like pieces like the Cheshire Cat.

But that’s what was the coolest thing about this art show. I saw how every faculty artist is talented, but none in the same way, and I’m so glad that we have all these different approaches to art to learn from.  

The Flying Man

Recently I found this short film called “The Flying Man.” It’s a well done film all the way through, but the most interesting thing for me was the beginning. The mystery of it was very unsettling and every new detail made me a little more frightened. The filmmaker did a really good job showing how the public would react to something like this and the hopelessness against such an enemy.

Then it’s revealed that the flying man could actually be a good, as he only targets criminals. This put me off at first, as I loved the idea of a powerful, mysterious villain. Then I realized how interesting it was to have such a complex character, where the main character we follow after the beginning is a criminal, and yet I root for him and not the “superhero.” Although the vigilante’s intentions may be good, he abuses his power in a way that enforces his own sense of cruel justice. I thought it was really interesting how the flying man is causing panic and worry while seeming to try to create safety. The suspenseful perspective of the civilian and of the common criminal is one we don’t often get to see in superhero movies.    

Also if anyone understands the ending let me know because I don’t