The End of Poverty? (Documentary)

This documentary goes into the depths of poverty, the struggle of people in poverty, and how it started a long time ago. I think the interviews in the Documentary are the most interesting thing in it because they give you a better idea of how it is rather than someone just listing off facts and statistics. I think the set up of the information displayed in the Documentary is in a good order also and keeps your interest.

SOMETHING WICKED THIS WAY COMES by Ray Bradbury (my halfway point review)

    I think this film is very interesting, it tells the story of an evil circus visiting a small town taking the lives of the towns people and turning them back into the younger version of themselves. The two boys Jim and Will are the only people that have seen the circus leader do the evil things on the towns people and well, they know far too much now and the circus leader is hunting the boys town. The film is full of suspense. The only thing that isn't as up to par as I would like it to be is the special effects; They're a bit corny but I believe that's because it's an older movie.

- Grace <3 

Ray Bradbury 

  (August 22, 1920 – June 5, 2012)

 He was a very well known and respected American author of Horror, fantasy, science fiction, and mystery fiction. Most known for his science fiction and horror stories gathered together as The Martian Chronicles. Most of Ray's pieces have been transformed into comics, films, and even television shows. In 1936, at a secondhand bookstore in Hollywood, Ray Bradbury discovered a handbill promoting meetings of the Los Angeles Science Fiction Society. Thrilled to find there were others with his interests, at the age of sixteen Bradbury joined a weekly Thursday-night conclave.

List of novels:

• (1950) The Martian Chronicles 
• (1953) Fahrenheit 451
• (1957) Dandelion Wine
• (1962) Something Wicked This Way Comes
• (1972) The Halloween Tree
• (1985) Death Is a Lonely Business
• (1990) A Graveyard for Lunatics
• (1992) Green Shadows, White W
• (2002) Let's All Kill Constance
• (2006) Farewell Summer

He also has a ton of plays, collections, short stories, screenplays, ect. 

                            

 Facts about the author:  

• The Bradbury family moved to Los Angele's, California in 1934.

• Bradbury had just graduated from high school when he met Robert Heinlein, then 31 years old. Bradbury recalled, "He was well known, and he wrote humanistic science fiction, which influenced me to dare to be human instead of mechanical."
• Ray Bradbury was married to Marguerite McClure (January 16, 1922 – November 24, 2003) from 1947 until her death; they had four daughters
•  Bradbury died in Los Angeles, California, on June 5, 2012, at the age of 91, after a lengthy illness.

I got my information from
www.wikipedia.com

- Grace <3

Memorable films

Horror


The Shining directed by Stanly Kubrick was the first " scary movie" I ever watched, I remember the scene where Johnny the father ( Jack Nicholas) tries to break into the room with an axe and yells the coined phrase " HERE'S JOHNNY". The entire movie is a bit of a blur because its been so long since I've seen it but I remember that scene in particular the most. The camera was at eye-level and medium shots.

The movie Dead Silence directed by James Wan is the scariest movie I have ever watched. It's about a woman named Marry Shaw who cuts out peoples tongues and basically steals your soul and puts it inside a doll. There's a poem that goes a long with the movie is this "Beware the stare of Mary Shaw. She had no children, only dolls. And if you see her in your dreams, be sure you never, ever scream." The night after watching that movie i couldn't fall asleep and I kept saying the poem over and over again in my head.

Comedy

One of my favorite comedy movies is Hot Tub Time Machine directed by Steve Pink. Its about a group of friends who have been so wrapped up in their own lives that their not making enough time for each other so they go on a ski trip to the place where they always used to go. One night they all are in the hot tub and accidentally spill an energy in the electrical circuit and it turns into a time machine and takes them back to the 80's, it's kind of inappropriate but its just so funny. Most of the movie is shot at an eye-level shot however there are some birds-eye views.

Another really funny movie is twenty-one Jump Street directed by Chris Miller, staring the lovely Channing Tatum and Jonah Hill. The two boys are secret police officers and are sent to a high school on a mission to uncover the new drug that's being passed around. The boys are enrolled in the school and start to really act like they're in high school. This movie is extremely action packed and is shot from many, many angles, including eye-level, medium shot, and  extreme-long shot.


- Grace <3

 

Kathy Baker (Joyce in Edward Scissorhands) 

 

  Kathy Baker played the part of a promiscuous cougar in the film Edward Scissorhands. When her and the neighborhood women see Pegs new visitor (Edward) they all call each other and gossip about who they think it is, after they get off the phone they all run into the street and meet up with each other to march over to Pegs house. Joyce is in the front of the group and rings Peg’s doorbell. Peg answers and all the women start babbling on about the visitor and how it’s rude to not introduce him, then Joyce invites herself and all the girls over for a picnic. At the picnic Joyce and the ladies gather around Edward and spoon-feed him the food they made. Joyce in particular is all over Edward because she’s desperate. Later into the film when Edward is thinking about opening up a salon, she takes him to a shop that’s for sale and shows him around. They check out the back room and Joyce tells Edward to sit down and then asks him if he’d like for her to try on some “ smocks” and basically gives him a strip tease. She then gets on top of him and tries to make out with him; he was extremely uncomfortable and walked out fast. This is shot at a full-front position frame, this indicates intimacy. As I watched the film I noticed that the camera would stop at long shots, eye-level shots, which are the normal standard angle of shooting, and medium shots to show off her crazy outfits.

Personally, I think that she could have portrayed the character a little bit better in certain parts. In the film she was suppose to come off lusty and desperate but at times it was just awkward. Over all I think she did well and truly got in to the role. Her costumes and make-up was on point.

- Grace <3

DISCUSSION ANSWERS ON EDWARD SCISSORHANDS

1. Bright colors, tacky accessories  and heavily patterned furniture and clothing were used in the film to sufficiently show the contrast between Edward and the towns people. 

2. The desired effect of music in the background of movies and films are to make the viewer aware of whats going on and to give the moment emotion. A specific time intense music is played in Edward Scissorhands is when a boy named Jim goes to Edwards house to try to kill him. 

3. Edwards costume and makeup is creepy, its all black with metal accents while the towns people are covered in neon and busy prints.This costume was probably helpful for Johnny Depp to feel in character because it already sets him apart from the rest of the cast. 

4. Tim Burton is showing that the nature of conformity is changing yourself to fit in. Peg immediately tried to cover up his scars and dress him so that people wouldn't judge him.

5.Yes, in one way or another Edward is a tragic character, because he ended up still being secluded from the  rest of the town in the end. 

6. A highlight of the story was when Ed started to make friends with people and was well- liked. A twist was when the Joyce tried to Sadducee Edward and I'd say a turn in the story was when everything went down-hill after the robbery.

7. Tim Burton often uses the same actors in his films because he's familiar with their style of acting and knows their range. A few actors that appear multiple times in Burton films are Helena Boonhom- Carter, Johnny Depp, and Christopher Lee. 

OPINIONS

I thought the film was really good and had a positive message. What I liked the most was the costuming, it was interesting and very well thought out. I also found the set designing was great. 

The incident that stuck out the most to me and made me feel strongly was when Jim set Edward up and Edward didn't tell on them, he took the blame and when Edward had trouble getting food into his mouth at dinner on the first night. 

Acceptance was the issue the film raised for me and made me wonder if I would be accepting of Edward. 

My favorite character is Edward because hes so innocent and kind. 

- Grace <3

RESEARCH ASSIGNMENT

We recognize six major social institutions that have been evident in some way in every civilization in history: government, religion, education, economics, family, and the Art.

I chose to research the Government, seeing as though I don't know much about it. That later sparked my interest to look up Government secrets, on a list of conspiracy's Area 51 stood out to me the most. I've heard about it before but I was dying to research more about it because I find that kind of thing interesting. I learned that it's a military base in thee south side of  Nevada, USA and that there supposedly is a lot of alien activity and an alien landing actually. Many people think that if nothing strange happened there then why won't they let people go inside of it and why would it be lined with guards with loaded machine guns. But what I found the most interesting was that almost ever website linked to my search had crazy ads that popped up everywhere, they were colorful with different pictures. I asked a girl next to me what she thought of it and we discussed that it could potentially be something the government hacked on to the site to distract the readers from learning more about Area 51. 


Sources:
www.wisegeeks.com
www.Wikipedia.com
- Grace <3


  

CHEW ON THIS- By: Eric Schlosser & Charles Wilson (my review)



-Investigative journalism

As I read through the book I was sincerely horrified at the things Fast food chains feed the public, the slaughter houses where animals are literally being unnecessarily tortured, and the numbers and statistics of weight gain and people who eat fast food everyday. I found this book to be an eye- opener and I truly can't bring myself to eat fast food anymore, I don't eat it that often but even still I can't imagine knowing the foul things I'm putting in my body and enjoy it. The treatment of the animals disturbed me and infuriated me immensely. 


I strongly recommend this book, its educational and everyone should be aware!



- Grace<3

EDWARD SCISSORHANDS- My review

DIRECTOR: Tim Burton
- Other movies he directed: Alice In Wonderland (2010 film), Batman, Batman Returns, Beetle Juice, Charlie And The Chocalate Factory (film), Corpse Bride, Planet of the apes (2001 film)

WHAT DOES A DIRECTOR DO?  A film's director is involved in every basic stage of its production. Being a director requires the ability to visualize how a script will be acted out, and the perseverance to see a long-term project through to the end. Generally speaking

MAIN CHARACTER : Edward, played by Johnny Depp

THEME: Romantic Fantasy

SETTING:  Suburbia







Sources used to find my information:
 www.curiosity.discovery.com
www.Wikipedia.com
www.google.com/images





-Grace <3

OUR HOUSE

I live in the same place I came home from the hospital to on a sweet August morning, the solid mint green house next to the rustic garage that enclosed our bikes and rakes and lawn mowers. The paint on the garage was old and grey, chipped and pealing back but the rapid growth of the vines that I could never remember the name of, hid the dirt stains. The window of it on the left side has a hole in it from a game of catch played years ago and is too sentimental to be repaired. This house wasn’t as much of a house as it is a legacy, passed down on my paternal side, the stomping grounds of my dad and uncles and aunt and the stomping grounds of his dad and siblings. This house is a picture book of memories, with every scrape of a knee on the pavement on the patio in the back yard, every creaky swing on the old swing set that made you feel five hundred pounds when you went on it because of the sound it made, and every warm dish set down on the dining room table with steam and love rising up evaporating into the outdated drop ceiling you knew it wasn’t the first time it had happened! The hot summers night “porch parties” with citronella candles and luminous fireflies made for a night of fun. All of the fluctuations in air pressure travel outward with sister fights, yelling about barrowed clothes and people hogging the bathroom still rest in the air molecules of my up bringing. My home, my childhood, my livelihood, 

This piece was written as an assignment for one of my Creative Writing classes. We read a book of vignettes by Sandra Cisneros called The House on Mango Street. We were later asked to imitate one of her vignettes but with our own twist. I hope you like it!

- Grace <3 

SALUTATIONS!
 I am a fourteen year old girl who has a strong passion and appreciation for literature. I've always taken a strong interest in poetry, memoirs, and factual investigative journalism. Aside from writing I enjoy photography and fashion. I spend most of my time with friends and family. I attend School of The Arts as a Creative Writing major in hopes to prefect my skill.

- Grace <3