Tuesday, February 20, 2007

Vanessa Redgrave


An English Actress who won an academy award and was a social activist for human rights. In her early film career she appeared in films such as Morgan: A Suitable Case for Treatment, Blowup, Isadora. Her more recent films include The Bostonians, Howards End, Mission Impossible, Mrs. Dalloway, and Girl, Interupted. In her activism she helped the causes which follow: Opposition to the Vietnam War, Anti-Stalinist Workers Union, and the Peace and Progress Party.

Michael Chekov


Chekhov was a actor, director, author, and developer of acting techniques. He started his own company after the revolution in Russia where he dis agreed with Stanislavski's pratice of filming. He was embraced with his new way of viewing and producing films. He created the standard for the Russian Filming industry in which he started out with pro russia films. This gave him the boost he needed to start his career on his own.

Carl Jung


A Swiss psychiatrist, Carl Jung was the founder of analytical psychology. He was the first to identify the Hero Archetype that can be identified in most myths and legands of all cultures. He relates it to a young males rite of passage, of overcoming an overwhelming obstacle to win the prize. He puts this in puschological terms of overcoming certain complexes to move on in life.
Jung was critized as a Nazi sympathizer during WWII. He endorsed by Hitler himself in Mien Kampf. He said he did this to preserve the practice of pyschology during the war.

Cole Porter


An established American composer and songwriter, Cole Porter's works comprise of such as Kiss me, Kate, The Taming of the Shrew, Fifty Million french Men, and Ive Got You Under my Skin. He ended up at Yale University, and then to Harvard Law School. He was struggling in his studies in Law and was coxed into Arts and Sciences. There he exceeded in songwriting.

Cocoon


A 1885 science fiction film directed by Ron Howard from Happy Day. It starts in and elderly home that is visited by peaceful aliens who use the home's pool as rejuvenating station. The elderly people end up in the pool. It results in the entire home using the pool leaving none of the power left for the aliens. The alien race revolves around the legand of Atlantis and its sinking. In the Film Ron Howards entire family appears. the movie won two academy awards for Best supporting actor and for visual affects.

Gilda


Gilda is a 1946 black and white film. It was directed by Charles Vidor. Movie circles around the mysterys of 3 characters pasts, Johnny Farrell, Ballin Mundson, and Gilda. It takes place in an illegal casino in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Each character has a secret that keeps on getting more and more revealled throughout the movie with alot of twists and turns. The movie was the first to establish the Femme Fatale character that has been used in countless others.

Sir Thomas Moore


Sir Thomas Moore was a famous singer, songwriter, poet of Irish descent. He went to college at Trinity College, and studied law at Middle Temple in London. There he gained much renown and prestige. He travelled to Canada and the USA. When he returned he published his book, Epistles, Odes, and Other Poems. Also on his return he married the actress, Elizabeth "Bessy" Dyke. He was a man who became saterated in debt. He owed large sums of money to many people and was exiled from Britain to live in Paris for 3 years until he was able to payback all the money

Sunny von Bulow


Sunny von Bulow was the name of a famous woman who survived brutal brain damage in 1981. The cause of the brain damage is still to this day unknown, but many speculate that the cause was an attempt on her by her husband. This led to a murder trial where her husband, Claus von Bulow, was convicted, but was later appealled. This widely known incident was made into a movie known as Reversal of Fortune.

Tuesday, February 6, 2007

Pretty in Pink


Pretty in Pink

A teenage love film in 1986. Popular for its time, delt with the clash of the different types of classes during the 80's. Molly Ringwald is a poor city girl who has a crush on the school rich boy. The friends of these two each take turns in bashing the other. In the end the two main characters, Andie and Blane overcome the social faux pas and get together for the high school senior prom. This outcome is procured when Andie creates her own pink prom dress. The original story has Andie ending up with her long time friend Duckie, but due to the idea to sell the movie, the ending was change to the Cinderella style setting that is meant to inspire teenagers of that time. The movie was shot at the same high that Grease(1977) was shot at, which was also mentioned throughout chapter 9.

The Sound of Music


The Sound of Music

This 1965 musical starred Julie Andrews as the main character. The songs included are from the musical duo Rodgers and Hammerstein (previously mentioned). The story is based on a nun who is sent to nanny a group of uncontrollable children who have no intention of respecting and obeying her. That is until she introduces them to the joyess activity of singing. This movie was a hit in its 1965 debut. It also housed a rare appearance by Marni Nixon who is known for dubbing singing voices, most famously Audrey Hepburn in My Fair Lady(also previously mentioned). In December 1965 it became the highest grossing movie of all time when it surpassed one million dollars, beating Gone with the Wind.

The Lost Weekend

Lost Weekend

Lost Weekend is a 1945 motion picture directed by Billy Wilder. Based on the novel by Charles R. Jackson about a man who is troubled by accusations that travel back to his college days. These accusations deal with the issue of homosexual, which was removed from the film. He then trys to drink his frustrations away and seek companionship through the bartender. This only worsens his life with commiting crimes. The most famous aspect of the movie was creating the image of a character walking towards the camera and having neon signs pass by. This was the first camera affect of its time that has been reused countless times.

They Shoot Horses, Don't They?


They Shoot Horses, Don't They?

Is a movie based on the novel written by Horace McCoy in 1935. This dark movie, accurately dipicts the era of the Great Depression and the 1930's as a whole. The movie centers around a dance marathon where the grand prize promises money. The participants have a hard time keeping their lives in order during these hard times, and struggle to continue to partake in the contest. The movie was one of the first that openly discussed assisted suicide, at the time very taboo. The movie was nominated for many awards only winning an Academy Award for Best Supporting Actor (Gig Young). The big actor in the movie was Jane Fonda, who got much acclaim for her acting. The name has sparked a number of spoofs and spinoffs, some of which include, Happy Days, Sex and the City, and Gilmore Girls. A band from Vancouver has even based their name of the movie.