Elise Adcock
Final Exam Blog
6/12/15
In society today, media and Hollywood make a huge impact on us mentally and emotionally. We learn what we "think" is true from what we see in movies, TV shows, online, etc. What we hear effects our thoughts and possibly changes our mind about topics we used to see in a different light or maybe even change our complete thought. When we watch a movie and the words, "Based on a True Story," pop up along the screen, our minds change. We believe everything in the movie mainly because it's BASED off of a true story. What we don't know is the changes made, or how different the two stories could actually be. Hollywood makes movies to entertain, and are not always accurate.
For example, in the movie, "Glory," we are introduced to a lot of truth, but also a lot of exaggeration and false statements. In this particular movie, Red Coats or the British army are shown attacking a normal, civilian home and shooting at a white family and killing a young boy. In those times, something like would have never happened. Because of this movie, people who are not informed of the actual truths of the Revolutionary War would believe the harshness and cruelty of the Red Coats from this movie. They were bad people, but the way they were portrayed in this movie was exaggerated and not believable.
On the other hand, "Zero Dark Thirty," was a more realistic movie. It was based off of the facts about the capture and killing of Osama Bin Laden over a 11-year span. Some of the acting was not as dramatic as it was in real life I'm sure, but overall they portrayed the actions leading up to the capture as they are known in history. I would watch this movie if I had no intelligence on the topic of Osama Bin Laden. This movie doesn't cover all the details and such, but it covers good amount of common sense of Al Qaeda.
In modern day, a lot of movies over exaggerate the emotions or cruelty in movies to intrigue the audience. Hollywood has to take on a hard task of taking a story or history and turning it into an award-winning, big-time movie. It's not an easy task and it does confuse with audience if they are not aware of the correct facts of the particular time period or war, etc. Media, technology, TV shows, they all impact the way our minds interpret certain actions. In conclusion, there is a strict line between history and Hollywood, and we need to become more aware of that line so we don't trick ourselves into believing everything that happens in the movies.
Friday, June 12, 2015
Thursday, June 11, 2015
The Help
"The Help"
Director: Tate Taylor
Reviewer: Elise Adcock
"The Help," is a movie about an aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's. She decides to write about something no one has before; the side of the help. Skeeter, played by Emma Stone, writes about how life as a house maid from their perspective. How they felt raising white babies who weren't their own. How life was working for certain people, including Skeeter's old friends. She writes about the everyday hardships these maids are forced to go through to make barely a dollar a day.
Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer. When she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families, Aibileen , Skeeter's best friend's housekeeper, is the first to open up. Although Skeeter's life-long friendships were hanging by a thread, she and Aibileen continue sharing their stories and soon more of the maids come forward to tell their stories. Her story is published and is one of the biggest milestones in history. Skeeter has everyone is reading it.
I wouldn't say there is one role in the movie that I found unnecessary or under-played. The role of Skeeter was one of my favorite. Emma Stone, who plays Skeeter. was my favorite role in the movie. She is one of my favorite actresses and she really pulled off the role to the best of her abilities. Aibileen, played by Viola Davis, was also a portrayed in such a convincing way. She had me in tears at some points as her stories were told. Davis was a very heartwarming character and had huge impact on me.
Hilly Holbrook, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, was a very nasty, awful character. She was such an awful character that I started to hate her. When I realized I hated her, I noticed how great of an actress she was. I wouldn't hate her if she didn't convince me that she was actually that disgusting and racist of a person. If I saw her on the street, I wouldn't think twice about spitting on her. She did a very good job of portraying the racism and cruelty forced onto the colored people during the 1960's. I felt the pains of maids because I was becoming offended by her harsh and rude remarks. She was a very convincing role and gave me a lot of perspective on how life really was in these times.
I've always loved this movie since the first time I watched it. "The Help," is such a worth while movie, and the time-consumption is worth it once the movie is over. I always found a reason to watch the 2 and 1/2 hour movie over and over again. If I could recommend this to anyone, I would to everyone!
Rate: 9.8/10
Director: Tate Taylor
Reviewer: Elise Adcock
"The Help," is a movie about an aspiring author during the civil rights movement of the 1960's. She decides to write about something no one has before; the side of the help. Skeeter, played by Emma Stone, writes about how life as a house maid from their perspective. How they felt raising white babies who weren't their own. How life was working for certain people, including Skeeter's old friends. She writes about the everyday hardships these maids are forced to go through to make barely a dollar a day.
Set in Mississippi during the 1960s, Skeeter is a southern society girl who returns from college determined to become a writer. When she decides to interview the black women who have spent their lives taking care of prominent southern families, Aibileen , Skeeter's best friend's housekeeper, is the first to open up. Although Skeeter's life-long friendships were hanging by a thread, she and Aibileen continue sharing their stories and soon more of the maids come forward to tell their stories. Her story is published and is one of the biggest milestones in history. Skeeter has everyone is reading it.
I wouldn't say there is one role in the movie that I found unnecessary or under-played. The role of Skeeter was one of my favorite. Emma Stone, who plays Skeeter. was my favorite role in the movie. She is one of my favorite actresses and she really pulled off the role to the best of her abilities. Aibileen, played by Viola Davis, was also a portrayed in such a convincing way. She had me in tears at some points as her stories were told. Davis was a very heartwarming character and had huge impact on me.
Hilly Holbrook, played by Bryce Dallas Howard, was a very nasty, awful character. She was such an awful character that I started to hate her. When I realized I hated her, I noticed how great of an actress she was. I wouldn't hate her if she didn't convince me that she was actually that disgusting and racist of a person. If I saw her on the street, I wouldn't think twice about spitting on her. She did a very good job of portraying the racism and cruelty forced onto the colored people during the 1960's. I felt the pains of maids because I was becoming offended by her harsh and rude remarks. She was a very convincing role and gave me a lot of perspective on how life really was in these times.
I've always loved this movie since the first time I watched it. "The Help," is such a worth while movie, and the time-consumption is worth it once the movie is over. I always found a reason to watch the 2 and 1/2 hour movie over and over again. If I could recommend this to anyone, I would to everyone!
Rate: 9.8/10
Forrest Gump Movie Review
Forrest Gump
By: Elise Adcock
5/29/15
In "Forrest Gump," the audience was introduced to huge movements in the 1960's including the hippie culture. Jenny finds herself joining the hippie culture and protesting in Anti-Vietnam War riots and rallies. The hippie culture began to run through the younger ages of people during the 60's and those people had no problem expressing their feelings towards the war. As a hippie in these times, they experimented with marijuana, LSD, shrooms, and they embraced sexual revolution. The hippie movement is still going on in America today, but does not have as big of an impact on society now as it did in the past.
It has been said and to this day it will be argued at Elvis Presley is still one of the most famous musicians of all time. In the movie, Elvis comes to stay at the Boarding home that the Gump's run. Because of Forrest's leg braces, he had trouble dancing to the guitar that Elvis would play for him. He ended up being able to move his legs just enough to show Elvis a few new dance moves to perform at his concerts. Obviously, this is not how Presley learned his intricate dance moves in real life, but it gave a good connection between the movie and the reality of the time period.
Tom Hanks, who plays Forrest Gump in the movie, had one of the best roles in the movie. I've seen plenty of Tom Hanks movies and this is by far my favorite by him. He was so convincing in his role that I felt as if he was talking right to me. In the scenes of battle in Vietnam, he never left anyone behind. It showed the slow side of him because he ran back into battle, but it showed his courage and love for Bubba that he went back to save him. Also, he is dedicated to his word by taking over Bubba's shrimp business he was going to have when he went home. Hanks, overall, had his best work in this movie in my opinion.
"Forrest Gump," was a long movie, but I never got bored. It kept my attention and I was interested in it the entire time. In the scene when Forrest decided to buy his shrimp boat in honor of Bubba, his spirit and full-heartedness kept my attention. His actions and his courage are the things that made me want to continue watching the movie.
Rate: 9/10
By: Elise Adcock
5/29/15
In "Forrest Gump," the audience was introduced to huge movements in the 1960's including the hippie culture. Jenny finds herself joining the hippie culture and protesting in Anti-Vietnam War riots and rallies. The hippie culture began to run through the younger ages of people during the 60's and those people had no problem expressing their feelings towards the war. As a hippie in these times, they experimented with marijuana, LSD, shrooms, and they embraced sexual revolution. The hippie movement is still going on in America today, but does not have as big of an impact on society now as it did in the past.
It has been said and to this day it will be argued at Elvis Presley is still one of the most famous musicians of all time. In the movie, Elvis comes to stay at the Boarding home that the Gump's run. Because of Forrest's leg braces, he had trouble dancing to the guitar that Elvis would play for him. He ended up being able to move his legs just enough to show Elvis a few new dance moves to perform at his concerts. Obviously, this is not how Presley learned his intricate dance moves in real life, but it gave a good connection between the movie and the reality of the time period.
Tom Hanks, who plays Forrest Gump in the movie, had one of the best roles in the movie. I've seen plenty of Tom Hanks movies and this is by far my favorite by him. He was so convincing in his role that I felt as if he was talking right to me. In the scenes of battle in Vietnam, he never left anyone behind. It showed the slow side of him because he ran back into battle, but it showed his courage and love for Bubba that he went back to save him. Also, he is dedicated to his word by taking over Bubba's shrimp business he was going to have when he went home. Hanks, overall, had his best work in this movie in my opinion.
"Forrest Gump," was a long movie, but I never got bored. It kept my attention and I was interested in it the entire time. In the scene when Forrest decided to buy his shrimp boat in honor of Bubba, his spirit and full-heartedness kept my attention. His actions and his courage are the things that made me want to continue watching the movie.
Rate: 9/10
Top Gun
Title- Top Gun
By: Elise Adcock
"Top Gun," stars Tom Cruise as Maverick in a movie about a group of pilots sent to Top Gun Academy to become the Top Gun. Goose and Maverick enter the academy with high hopes of becoming the Top Gun, but one final ride together changes everything. Maverick loses his best friend Goose, in an unfortunate plane accident. He struggles to find his way back to becoming a pilot again, but a woman he finds along the way talks him into trying again and not giving up on what he loves. Maverick is sent to the navy and fights along side of Iceman and completely his goal of being an army fighter jet pilot.
I enjoyed watching this movie. All the characters: Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, and Kelly McGillis all did a good job with their roles. The role of Goose was one of my favorite roles throughout the movie. He was a very loyal companion to Maverick through all the bad decisions or risky ones he made. They had been best friends for as long as they could remember and Goose was the only family Maverick had left after his father disappeared in a plane that went MIA. He was a fun, adventurous guy and it was a sad moment in the movie to see him go.
As far as the plotline goes, I found myself lost as to what the movies moral or theme was going to end up being. It seems for a moment that the plot revolves around Maverick and Goose wanting to become the Top Gun, but once Goose passes away and Maverick wants to quit flying, I didn't know where the story was going to go. Maverick's "illegal" love interest, luckily, talks him back into following his dreams and finding a reason to go back and continue his pilot journey. To me, it seemed that the moral was to follow your dreams and always find a reason to continue. Never give up. Maverick used Goose as his reason to continue, and being a pilot was his way of honoring his lost friend
Rate: 8.3/10
By: Elise Adcock
"Top Gun," stars Tom Cruise as Maverick in a movie about a group of pilots sent to Top Gun Academy to become the Top Gun. Goose and Maverick enter the academy with high hopes of becoming the Top Gun, but one final ride together changes everything. Maverick loses his best friend Goose, in an unfortunate plane accident. He struggles to find his way back to becoming a pilot again, but a woman he finds along the way talks him into trying again and not giving up on what he loves. Maverick is sent to the navy and fights along side of Iceman and completely his goal of being an army fighter jet pilot.
I enjoyed watching this movie. All the characters: Tom Cruise, Anthony Edwards, and Kelly McGillis all did a good job with their roles. The role of Goose was one of my favorite roles throughout the movie. He was a very loyal companion to Maverick through all the bad decisions or risky ones he made. They had been best friends for as long as they could remember and Goose was the only family Maverick had left after his father disappeared in a plane that went MIA. He was a fun, adventurous guy and it was a sad moment in the movie to see him go.
As far as the plotline goes, I found myself lost as to what the movies moral or theme was going to end up being. It seems for a moment that the plot revolves around Maverick and Goose wanting to become the Top Gun, but once Goose passes away and Maverick wants to quit flying, I didn't know where the story was going to go. Maverick's "illegal" love interest, luckily, talks him back into following his dreams and finding a reason to go back and continue his pilot journey. To me, it seemed that the moral was to follow your dreams and always find a reason to continue. Never give up. Maverick used Goose as his reason to continue, and being a pilot was his way of honoring his lost friend
Rate: 8.3/10
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)