Blog Portfolio
April Opatik
English 101, Sec. 23
12/13/11
Professor Schmeling
To Blog or Not to Blog
I
found that through the links that were given for finding an article and
blogging about it, I mostly picked movie articles and wrote about comparing
them to a previous movie I’ve seen. I am a ‘move-holic’ and I really enjoy
comparing and contrasting them to each other, because that’s what sets them
apart and so unique. Even though the other links brought you to articles that
weren’t really pertaining to movies, I still always found the articles that
were and then decided to blog about them. The topic I least enjoyed writing
about was, truthfully, not any of them. If I had to pick and choose a specific
one though, it would be blogging about “Flick Chicks” or “Western”. I didn’t
enjoy either topic and it really didn’t interest me about criticizing different
types of women portrayed in a chick-flick movie, because I think that’s what
makes the movie; the girl who is so insanely annoying and beautiful at the same
time. It didn’t interest me as much as blogging about movies I’ve seen and then
saying how much I liked it or didn’t. Exploring articles written on movies that
are older and then comparing them to newer films would interest me a lot more
than comparing newer films to older films. When you blog about it in that
order, it always seems to portray the same sense of emotion. The emotion
portrayed is a sense of pride for older movies because of how old and cherished
they have been for years. It’s hard to gain this old-emotion for a newer movie
after it’s been out for only three years.
Blogging about the movies Juno and On the Waterfront was probably one of my weakest blog postings
because of how ineffective it was to the reader in both a film analysis aspect
and reviewing aspect. A lot of people in my generation have never seen my
favorite actor, Marlon Brando, in action in the movie On the Waterfront, so it was hard to describe the different scenes
and the difference between film analysis and reviewing in both Juno and On the Waterfront to my readers. I think that alone, not knowing
who Marlon Brando is, or even the movie, would be a less engaging post for a
reader to read. On contrary to that, my strongest blog post was my brief
screening report on the movie Into the
Wild. Picking a specific scene in a movie that I was so familiar about was,
surprisingly, a lot of fun to write about. I was able to be descriptive, and
like interpreting a famous painting in an art museum, able to give a personal
interpretation of an important scene. Being able to express and depict the
emotions coming from a specific scene can be both entertaining for the reader
and writer. Posting my journal entries didn’t have any effect on my writing
what-so-ever. I always feel comfortable writing and I think that, if anything,
my peers will have only good criticism that I can take from and use to improve
my writings! My classmates are all very intelligent in many ways, so it also
wasn’t an issue posting my journal entries on a public forum—my blog. This was
such a fun project and I hope that it will continued to be used!
Marlon Brando, a beautiful man, was
the man who changed character portrayal in films for the
future generations to come. In 2010 I saw the 1954 movie
"On The Waterfront" in my oral interpretation class my senior year
of high school. The reason why we watched this movie was because of the
character development realistic attitudes Marlon Brando portrayed; as
it was not common acting in the 50's. There is a commmon underlining difference
between film reviewing and analysis, and that is one is for entertainment
motivation and reviewing the whole movie and the other-- anaylsis is looking at
small parts and seeing what you can depict from the scene.
Just as in the short film “Looking at Movies: Film Analysis” (https://uwsp.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=1563911&tId=9060393) it depicted a specific scene from the movie "Juno". It followed Juno going through the process of filling out an abortion form. The specific camera movements, her character gestures, and the discreet sounds of finger nails(after she just ran into her friend outside of the building stating that her baby already has fingernails and can feel). Relating this character/film analysis is just as I did with Marlon Brando in my oral interpretation class but with film reviewing.
Watching a movie can be for pure entertainment but underlining this is always a purpose for this entertainment; this explains the difference between film anaylisis and film reviewing. In film reviewing there is a realistic motivation that a film is trying to portray through each scene that it sets up for. Like the scene in "Juno" the girl Juno is coming into realization with herself that an abortion is something that she doesn't want to do. Just like in the movie "On the Waterfront" Marlon Brando had the same decision with killing a man. The development of a character is seen throughout the whole of a movie and can really be quite eye-opening. So, when you begin to watch that film for the second time you not only see more of a development but a purpose in each scene for this entertainment. Film reviewing and film anaylsis are very much a like, but the main difference is just how you watch the film and anaylsis on each scene.
Just as in the short film “Looking at Movies: Film Analysis” (https://uwsp.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=1563911&tId=9060393) it depicted a specific scene from the movie "Juno". It followed Juno going through the process of filling out an abortion form. The specific camera movements, her character gestures, and the discreet sounds of finger nails(after she just ran into her friend outside of the building stating that her baby already has fingernails and can feel). Relating this character/film analysis is just as I did with Marlon Brando in my oral interpretation class but with film reviewing.
Watching a movie can be for pure entertainment but underlining this is always a purpose for this entertainment; this explains the difference between film anaylisis and film reviewing. In film reviewing there is a realistic motivation that a film is trying to portray through each scene that it sets up for. Like the scene in "Juno" the girl Juno is coming into realization with herself that an abortion is something that she doesn't want to do. Just like in the movie "On the Waterfront" Marlon Brando had the same decision with killing a man. The development of a character is seen throughout the whole of a movie and can really be quite eye-opening. So, when you begin to watch that film for the second time you not only see more of a development but a purpose in each scene for this entertainment. Film reviewing and film anaylsis are very much a like, but the main difference is just how you watch the film and anaylsis on each scene.
Love Life and Movies,
April Opatik
Marlon Brando, a beautiful man, changed
character portrayal in films for future generations to
come. In 2010 I saw the 1954 movie On the
Waterfront in my oral interpretation class my senior year of high
school. The reason why we watched this movie was because of the real-life character development
Marlon Brando portrayed; as it was not common acting in the 50's. There is a common
underlining difference between film reviewing and analysis, and that is one is
for entertainment motivation and reviewing the whole movie, and the other analysis
is looking at small parts and seeing what you can depict from the scene.
Just as in the short film Looking at Movies: Film Analysis (https://uwsp.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=1563911&tId=9060393) it depicted a specific scene from the movie Juno. It followed the main character girl Juno, going through the process of filling out an abortion form. The specific camera movements, her character gestures, and the discreet sounds of finger nails(she just ran into her friend outside of the building stating that her baby already has fingernails and can feel). Relating this character/film analysis is just as I did with Marlon Brando in my oral interpretation class but with film reviewing.
Watching a movie can be for pure entertainment alone, but underlining this is always a purpose for this entertainment; this explains the difference between film analysis and film reviewing. In film reviewing there is a realistic motivation that a film is trying to portray through each scene that it sets up for. Like the scene in Juno the girl Juno is coming into realization with her that an abortion is something that she doesn't want to do. Just like in the movie On the Waterfront Marlon Brando had the same decision with killing a man. The development of a character is seen throughout the whole of a movie and is quite eye-opening. So, when you begin to watch that film for the second time you not only see more of a development but a purpose for each scene. Film reviewing and film analysis are very much a like, but the main difference is how you watch the film and analyze each scene.
Just as in the short film Looking at Movies: Film Analysis (https://uwsp.courses.wisconsin.edu/d2l/lms/content/viewer/main_frame.d2l?ou=1563911&tId=9060393) it depicted a specific scene from the movie Juno. It followed the main character girl Juno, going through the process of filling out an abortion form. The specific camera movements, her character gestures, and the discreet sounds of finger nails(she just ran into her friend outside of the building stating that her baby already has fingernails and can feel). Relating this character/film analysis is just as I did with Marlon Brando in my oral interpretation class but with film reviewing.
Watching a movie can be for pure entertainment alone, but underlining this is always a purpose for this entertainment; this explains the difference between film analysis and film reviewing. In film reviewing there is a realistic motivation that a film is trying to portray through each scene that it sets up for. Like the scene in Juno the girl Juno is coming into realization with her that an abortion is something that she doesn't want to do. Just like in the movie On the Waterfront Marlon Brando had the same decision with killing a man. The development of a character is seen throughout the whole of a movie and is quite eye-opening. So, when you begin to watch that film for the second time you not only see more of a development but a purpose for each scene. Film reviewing and film analysis are very much a like, but the main difference is how you watch the film and analyze each scene.
Love life and movies,
April Opatik
A quiet constant strum on the
guitar— Chris McCandless is now at the border control station at the Sea of
Cortez, December 2nd, 1990. After kayaking down a river to Mexico
and passing back through the United States, he is questioned by the border
patrol of his identification and before they come back he tramps to a nearby
train and rides back to the cities. The time for the scene is now 1 hour and 12
minutes. The city lights are highlighted against the black night sky and loud
automobile sounds are echoing throughout the scene. Chris ends up looking from
the outside on the inside of a party and sees himself in a business suit and
hair slicked back; as soon as he realizes that he is in the heart of the city
he rushes out of it. His blank face is highlighted against the black highway
with a constant motion of cars, and his eyes slowly, after being so indiscreet,
falls into a confused and irritated look. He walks away with the silhouette of
his body against red and green lights reentering with a new chapter titled
“Manhood”.
This scene is about half way into
the whole movie and really is the most significant scene for the whole movie;
after all of Chris’s adventures so far he is still irritated by the fact of
going back into a civilization where he is in a business suit and socially
drinking. Chris is probably afraid of himself becoming that man he doesn’t want
to be and so strives even more to get to his great Alaskan adventure. The
structure of this scene not only is dreary and echoing of industrial machines,
but is condensed in a way that provides both effective emotion appeal for the
viewer of the film and the character within the film. This scene alone depicts
the moral values of Chris and his motivation for wanting to get away from the
materialistic things in life and become Alexander Supertramp.
Forever in the wild,
April Opatik
Journal 4: Entering Manhood of the
Wild (Revised)
The time for the scene in the movie Into the Wild is now 1 hour and 12 minutes and there is a quiet
constant strum on the guitar— Chris McCandless is now at the border control
station at the Sea of Cortez, December 2nd, 1990. After kayaking
down a river to Mexico and passing back through the United States, he is
questioned by the border patrol of his identification and before they come back
he tramps to a nearby train and rides back to the cities. The city lights are
highlighted against the black night sky and loud automobile sounds are echoing
throughout the scene. Chris ends up looking from the outside on the inside of a
party and sees himself in a business suit and hair slicked back; as soon as he
realizes that he is in the heart of the city he rushes out of it. His blank
face is highlighted against the black highway with a constant motion of cars,
and his eyes slowly, after being so indiscreet, fall into a confused and
irritated look. He walks away with the silhouette of his body against red and
green lights reentering with a new chapter titled “Manhood”.
This scene is about half way into
the whole movie and is the most significant scene for the whole movie; after
all of Chris’s adventures so far, he is still irritated by the fact of going
back into a civilization where he is in a business suit and socially drinking.
Chris is probably afraid of himself becoming that man he doesn’t want to be and
so strives even more to get to his great Alaskan adventure. The structure of
this scene not only is dreary and echoing of industrial machines, but is
condensed in a way that provides both effective emotion appeal for the viewer
of the film and the character within the film. This scene alone depicts the
moral values of Chris and his motivation for wanting to get away from the
materialistic things in life and become Alexander Supertramp.
Forever in the wild,
April Opatik
After seeing the movie Super
8 by Steven Spielberg I couldn't help myself but to read an article on
it: It was, "‘Super 8’: Elle Fanning has the pedal down on
Hollywood career"written by Geoff
Boucher." (http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/06/07/super-8-elle-fanning-has-the-pedal-down-on-hollywood-career/)
Elle Fanning, the sister of Dakota Fanning(most famously known from the movie War of the Worlds), finally depicts herself as a future Hollywood star. In fact, all the child actors in the movie have showed great potential for future Hollywood fame. The movie is a sci-fi tale about an alien in Ohio and these kids just happen to capture all the strange events while filming a zombie home-video.
This article interviews one of the main child actors, Elle Fanning, about her time spent filming Super 8 and she really gives off a very relaxed and passionate attitude towards the experience. The best part about this film was the era that this film was based in; 1979. With responses to questions within the article, a certain question Elle was asked was she portrayed this vintage pop-culture character. Elle hopes that through her acting, which is far more serious and a better-screamer than the other sister, Dakota, she can portray a this vintage acting and makeSuper 8 a new classic movie such as E.T. or The Goonies. I know it isn't fair to compare and contrast the two sisters on their acting abilities, but personally and truthfully speaking Elle has shown more potential in acting than Dakota Fanning has.
Both blonde, blue eyed beauties have amazing talent in the acting career, but there can only be one sister that out shines the other; that is Elle Fanning.
Fanning Fan Forever,
April Opatik
Elle Fanning, the sister of Dakota Fanning(most famously known from the movie War of the Worlds), finally depicts herself as a future Hollywood star. In fact, all the child actors in the movie have showed great potential for future Hollywood fame. The movie is a sci-fi tale about an alien in Ohio and these kids just happen to capture all the strange events while filming a zombie home-video.
This article interviews one of the main child actors, Elle Fanning, about her time spent filming Super 8 and she really gives off a very relaxed and passionate attitude towards the experience. The best part about this film was the era that this film was based in; 1979. With responses to questions within the article, a certain question Elle was asked was she portrayed this vintage pop-culture character. Elle hopes that through her acting, which is far more serious and a better-screamer than the other sister, Dakota, she can portray a this vintage acting and makeSuper 8 a new classic movie such as E.T. or The Goonies. I know it isn't fair to compare and contrast the two sisters on their acting abilities, but personally and truthfully speaking Elle has shown more potential in acting than Dakota Fanning has.
Both blonde, blue eyed beauties have amazing talent in the acting career, but there can only be one sister that out shines the other; that is Elle Fanning.
Fanning Fan Forever,
April Opatik
Journal 5: I am a Fanning Fan! (Revised)
After seeing the movie Super
8 by Steven Spielberg I couldn't help myself but to read an article on
it: It was, "Super 8: Elle
Fanning has the pedal down on Hollywood career,” written by Geoff
Boucher. (http://herocomplex.latimes.com/2011/06/07/super-8-elle-fanning-has-the-pedal-down-on-hollywood-career/)
Elle Fanning, the sister of Dakota Fanning (most famously known from the movie War of the Worlds), finally depicts herself as a future Hollywood star. In fact, all of the child actors in the movie show great potential for future Hollywood fame. The movie is a sci-fi tale about an alien in Ohio and these kids just happen to capture all the strange events while filming a zombie home-video.
This article interviews one of the main child actors, Elle Fanning, about her time spent filming Super 8, and she gives off a very relaxed and passionate attitude towards the experience. The best part about this film was the era that this film was based in, which was 1979. With responses to questions within the article, a certain question Elle was asked was how she portrayed a vintage pop-culture character. Elle hopes that through her acting, which is far more serious and clearly a better-screamer than the other sister, Dakota, she can portray this vintage acting and make Super 8 a new classic movie, such as E.T. or The Goonies. I know it isn't fair to compare and contrast the two sisters on their acting abilities, but personally and truthfully speaking, Elle has shown more potential in acting than Dakota Fanning has. The movie, in my opinion, will become a classic overtime and I would highly suggest everyone to at least watch the movie once in their lifetime.
Both blonde, blue eyed beauties have amazing talent in the acting career, but there can only be one sister that out shines the other; that is Elle Fanning.
Fanning fan forever,
April Opatik
Elle Fanning, the sister of Dakota Fanning (most famously known from the movie War of the Worlds), finally depicts herself as a future Hollywood star. In fact, all of the child actors in the movie show great potential for future Hollywood fame. The movie is a sci-fi tale about an alien in Ohio and these kids just happen to capture all the strange events while filming a zombie home-video.
This article interviews one of the main child actors, Elle Fanning, about her time spent filming Super 8, and she gives off a very relaxed and passionate attitude towards the experience. The best part about this film was the era that this film was based in, which was 1979. With responses to questions within the article, a certain question Elle was asked was how she portrayed a vintage pop-culture character. Elle hopes that through her acting, which is far more serious and clearly a better-screamer than the other sister, Dakota, she can portray this vintage acting and make Super 8 a new classic movie, such as E.T. or The Goonies. I know it isn't fair to compare and contrast the two sisters on their acting abilities, but personally and truthfully speaking, Elle has shown more potential in acting than Dakota Fanning has. The movie, in my opinion, will become a classic overtime and I would highly suggest everyone to at least watch the movie once in their lifetime.
Both blonde, blue eyed beauties have amazing talent in the acting career, but there can only be one sister that out shines the other; that is Elle Fanning.
Fanning fan forever,
April Opatik
I've really enjoyed reading your posts and hope you continue to blog, April.
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