Class Review

Cinema studies has made me much more diverse in the films I have seen. Without this class I wouldn't have seen half of the movies that I have now. I would never have taken the time to watch any really old movies or black and white films so this class forced me to learn more about them which is good. I believe that this class was very helpful and I learned so much about the film industry and how movies are made and shot. My favorite unit was the Documentary unit because it contained some of the best films of the year such as Koyaanisqatsi and Hoop Dreams, which were some of my favorites and very intriguing and kept my attention. My least favorite movie unit was probably horror because none of the films actually scared me which is what I feel like they are supposed to do. If I could change anything about the cinema studies class in general it would be to take more notes about the directors and learn more about the directors and film producers and maybe test on them. Another idea could be to learn about specific actors and watch multiple films with the same actor to learn more about their acting styles. Overall this was a very informative class and I would love to take it again next year (sadly there is no Cinema Studies ||). I had fun experiencing all of the different aspects of film and a little taste of every movie genre.

Why it is important to preserve films

Film preservation is a very important thing for our generations of people to do in order to not let the films get destroyed in any way. Films are important to keep un damaged because of their educational value and letting people experience different parts of life through a screen that they otherwise would never experience. Certain films are important to preserve because of their amazing shots and stories that they tell. People choose films that they feel like everyone who lives after them needs to experience them. The chance for people to vote on movies that they think should go in the registry gives people an opportunity to voice their cinematic opinions and make a difference. What movie do you think should go in the national film registry?

What makes a movie become the "Best Picture?" (oscars)

Every year, the Oscars nominate and choose a film to receive an award for Best Picture. But, are they being unfair with the movies they give the title Best Picture to? I believe that they are. It is incredibly strange to me that even though movies other than serious dramas are very good and can be considered the best, they are rarely chosen. Hoop Dreams could have easily been a Best Picture even though it is a documentary. It should have been chosen for its unique style and insight into the life of a high school student, and it also was filmed very well. The Lion King could have been chosen for Best Picture because of its beautiful animations and for just overall being a great film that many people seem to enjoy. Umbrellas of Cherbourg had unique qualities like singing every line and making it beautiful and worthy of the award. Serious dramas are probably liked by a lot of people, but so are other genres and this needs to be recognized by the Oscars. What movie that we have seen do you think could have been chosen as Best Picture?

The Innocents theories

        The Innocents is a movie that can be interpreted in many different ways depending on the person watching it. The characters also show emotions that can be depicted in multiple ways. The viewer has the opportunity to choose which path of the story they want to believe in. There are really two main ways that you can think about this movie's plot, although there may be others. The first way to think about this is that the governess is crazy or thinking crazy things that aren't actually happening. This can be backed up with the evidence that she is the only one throughout the movie that really truly admits to seeing the dead ghost man. The others, especially miles in the last scene, always act like she is crazy and they cannot see the ghost for themselves which proves that she is out of her mind. The second way you can think about this film is that the children are possessed by people that died before. This is backed up by Miles and the governess basically making out which is not something a 10 year old would do so that hints that Miles is taken over by a grown man. This would also mean that the children were lying when they said they couldn't see the ghost which would support that they are haunted and need to act like nothing's wrong. Which theory of this film do you support?

How movie genres change over time

     

       All movies have a genre wether it is horror, romance, comedy, adventure or others. Movies being in a certain genre mean that they have common themes and elements with one another. These elements can change over time based on what audiences in different time periods want to see. I wanted to write about this topic because of a film we watched in class and the new horror unit we have moved onto. We watched Nosferatu in class which is one of the very first horror movies made. I feel like this movie was based around something scary, but there wasn't as much suspense and fright associated with it as more modern horror films have. I feel like this has to do with the fact that it was one of the first horror films and people didn't have much experience with making movies that scare the audience. It was more of a movie explaining something scary than showing something scary. This was probably more liked by audiences back then. If you compare Nosferatu to a more modern film such as Paranormal Activity, you will see that movies now are much more frightening and suspenseful and have more gore and action. What is a film you have seen that is different from another film of the same genre?

Is Netflix destroying movie theaters?

                              Will Netflix and other movie streaming websites be the end of going to the movie theaters? I think that this could go either way, really. There are some people who have gotten addicted to watching movies from the comfort of their own home which can become a habit. There are also people who don't really like Netflix or movie streaming websites or don't use them, but who still like to watch movies so they still go to the theatre. There are also people like myself who do both and enjoy both equally. There are perks to either side. If you stay home and watch a movie on your computer or TV, you don't have to be in public or worry about other people being around you and you can just relax. Going to see a movie in theaters is different because it can be more exciting and more fun if you enjoy being out of the house. Movie streaming websites don't usually release brand new movies either, so if you want the latest and greatest movies you have to go see them in theaters instead of at home. I do think that more people nowadays prefer to stay home and watch Netflix, which could possibly be leaving a dent in movie theaters wallets. I do not think however that Netflix will end the movie theaters for good. What do you think?

Does Citizen Kane deserve #1?

                            I don't believe that Citizen Kane deserves the title that it received for so many years. I do think that a lot of people enjoyed the movie, but I was not one of them. I found it to be very boring and it did not contain a lot of action which I usually enjoy. There was a very low suspense level throughout the film. I also felt as though there was really no climx besides at the end when we learn what rosebud means and what it says about his childhood. The storyline was also a little confusing for me to understand. This movie was probably only rated number one because of the camera angles and filming used in it. It contains a diverse range of filming techniques that are unusual, and because of this it probably could have deserved its title one time, but definitely not as many times as it did. It received a title of #1film in the world, and I feel like there would have been much better films for them to choose which they didn't. Comment a scene from Citizen Kane that made you feel that it deserved its great recognition.