Elysium does not go deep into the immigration reform and social status issues that are displayed front and center in the film’s trailer. It doesn’t have to. Upon viewing the film, it provides enough exposure of a message without being too in the face about it.
image by TriStar Pictures via http://www.imdb.com/
Elysium works as a sort of but not really follow up to Neill Blomkamp’s feature film directorial debut District 9 (2009). Watching the movie, one can tell that it expands upon some of District 9’s themes of segregation and reform. The movie is set in 2154 when the earth is polluted and full of waste. The city of Los Angeles, where main character Max (Matt Damon) lives, is run down and filled with garbage. Wealthy people live on a space station habitat called Elysium that orbits earth.
Ever since he was a kid Max has always wanted to go to Elysium. They have everything: plentiful food, safety, and medical healing pods that detect and cure any abnormalities in seconds. After a factory accident involving radiation poisoning leaves Max with days to live, he decides to go on a mission to Elysium. Max wants to get to one of Elysium’s medical pods so he can heal himself and continue to live.
Audiences may feel a sense of refreshment when watching the films. It is one of the few action/special effects heavy films this year that has more than just mindless fight sequences and star power to offer. The movie lets people think about a dystopian world that might actually become a reality. Blomkamp said of the theme of the film “No. No. This isn’t science fiction. This is today. This is now.”
Since the film has a few loose ends it did not tie up, it leaves much of its dystopian/sci-fi future themes to the imagination. That shouldn’t scare away viewers. The film holds well in providing a good overview of what director Blomkamp was trying to convey. Matt Damon, Jodie Foster and Sharlto Copley all give solid performances.
Obviously there have been a lot of good independent films this year. I read an article that stated 2013 was the “Year of the Indie.” It is a strong declaration to make. Several mainstream big budget films this year did not fare well (RIPD, Turbo, The Lone Ranger, Broken City, and so forth). Below is a list of the films that had a positive reaction among many and seemed good word-of-mouth talk.
Before Midnight
Richard Linklater’s third installment in the “Before” trilogy follows a married couple who are in the challenging stages of their relationship. They met each other on a train in Before Sunrise (1995), nine years later they were reunited at a bookstore in Before Sunset (2004) and now, nine years later, are married, living in Greece with twin girls.
The film never fails to capture what a real life relationship is like. The script does a fine job of displaying the different perspectives in a relationship (leads Julia Delpy and Ethan Hawke share writing credit with Linklater for the film). Like the two previous installments, the film employees the use of (extremely) long takes to make the exchanges feel authentic and natural. The beginning of the film involved a 14-minute continuous take of Delpy and Hawke’s characters exchanging conversation in a car ride.
Audiences seemed to fall in love with Linklater, Delpy and Hawke’s characters all over again. Before Midnight went on the become the highest grossing film of the “Before” trilogy, raking in over $20 million worldwide against a modest $3 million budget.
The Way Way Back
Giving off a strong 80’s vibe (the movie was originally supposed to be set in 1983) The Way Way Back is a film about a 14-year-old socially awkward boy named Duncan (Liam James) who travels along with his mom (Toni Collette) and mean stepdad (Steve Carell) to a vacation at a beach house for the summer. At the start of the summer Duncan gets a job at a water park run by a talkative and fun-loving guy named Owen (Sam Rockwell).
The solid performances by Rockwell, Carell, and James keep the movie from being passed off as just another coming-of-age film with a socially awkward lead that a hipster would love. The script lets the variety of characters in the film shine without seeming too cluttered. Everything is tied up by the film’s end. The “summer that changed everything” is officially over. Duncan has made a new friend, Owen, and has a better sense of confidence in him.
The Way Way Back received acclaim from critics and went on to make $23 million from a production budget of just $5 million.
The Spectacular Now
It’s very hard to make a film chronicling the coming-of-age process for teenagers without having it suck. So many films have done. So many films have done it badly. The Spectacular Now is not one of those films. The Spectacular Now follows Sutter (Miles Teller) and Aimee (Shailene Woodley), two high school seniors trying to figure out their lives. Aimee has hers figured out and Sutter does not.
What makes the film great is it’s realistic and simplistic nature. The characters are played by actors that actually look like teenagers. There is no iPhone toting, excessive texting, or glamourized things going on. It is just Sutter and Aimee, navigating life, trying to figure out where to go.
Sutter and Aimee aren’t perfect. They make mistakes. They cuss. They were regular clothes. The viewer feels connected with them. Teller and Woodley’s performances let the viewer feel like they know them. At the film’s end, one could feel good with the film. The film depicts the age of 18, becoming an adult, effectively. Coming of age is no easy process.
The Spectacular Now received widespread acclaim. Teller and Woodley received the Special Jury Award for Acting at the Sundance Film Festival. Woodley has received an Independent Spirit Award nomination for Best Female Lead. The film grossed around 6.8 million from a 2.5 million budget.
A warm and feel-good movie is what most people want when they hit the movie theater on Christmas day. That is what they will get. Ben Stiller’s The Secret Life of Walter Mitty lets the viewer relish in daydreams and sees how a man changes because of them. The film is a loose take on the 1939 short story of the same name by James Thurber.
Photo via imdb.com
Stiller, along with directing the movie, takes on the main role of Walter Mitty. Walter is a quiet and closed-off person working at Life magazine as a Negative Asset Manager. His life is pretty bland. He is an expert at balancing his checkbook but cannot muster up the courage to “wink” his crush and fellow co-worker Cheryl (Kristen Wiig) on eHarmony. He has a bad habit of zoning out at times. He drifts off into vivid daydreams filled with things he wish he could say and places he wish he could visit. His daydream self has a strong confidence that his real-life bland office worker self does not.
There is a disruption in Walter’s life. Life magazine is scheduling its last print edition and going to online. Walter is tasked with the important role of providing the negative #25 photo by famed photographer Sean O’Connell, to be used as the cover for the final print issue. The negative #25 cannot be found however. It seems to be lost. Walter does not have it in his hands.
Teetering on the edge of getting laid off, Walter travels to Greenland and Iceland to track down Sean O’Connell. He needs the photo. The expedition yields more than just work duties. Walter is diving into the unknown. He is being adventurous for the first time in his life. The empty travel journal that his father gave to him before passing away when Walter was 17 is finally getting used.
The film wavers a bit with its daydream to reality sequences. Many critics have pointed out to the fact that the film loses steam. It’s pointed out that logic and imagination is not properly balanced. This is a good observation but slightly missing the point. Stiller does make a distinction between reality and fantasy. He does weird things (like throwing away the Sean O’Connell gifted wallet) because he is functioning on auto mode. His life is just going with the flow and not really observing what exactly is going on in front of him.
Although The Secret Life of Walter Mitty has been getting mixed reviews it is a solid film to see. There is no other movie that will give you a warm mushy feeling inside than this (maybe Christian Bale’s comb over in American Hustle will hold you over). The film provides great visuals and a predictable but good ending.
One thing stuck in my head after viewing the film: You cannot decide what to do with your life by sitting and thinking hard, it happens through taking action. This is exactly what Walter Mitty does in the film. B-
This semester I spent blogging has been an overall positive experience. I was able to learn about different ways, both with different methods and media platforms, to tell a story. One of the major things I am proud of is that for the most part I was able to upkeep with one post a week. I made sure all of the posts had a good visual aid and a link to an article for further reading.
The thing that stuck with me the most during this blogging assignment was during Mass Communication Week at Texas State. The main speaker to start off the week was Evan Smith, CEO of the Texas Tribune. He said something that really stuck with me. He mentioned during his speaking event that despite common perceptions, now was actually the best time to go into journalism. New innovations are being done to effectively tell a story. His words hold true to what this fundamentals of online media class is all about: figuring out ways to effectively tell a story thorough the use of digital and online platforms.
If you happened to read my about.me page (it’s a widget on the sidebar of this blog) you would read that I like to study the idiosyncrasies of things, the deep down meetings. So in order to fully realize how I have benefited from this blog, I would take down short notes and tidbits in class whenever my professor mentioned something important. Below is a list of the things I have learned in this digital media class from the notes I gathered and from this blogging assignment.
Visuals are important in a blog. Photos that could tell a story if they stood alone.
Blogging is a lot more enriching if you are 100% part of the process. Learn to code.
Don’t just put your own thoughts in a post, email people, get quotes.
Coding and graphic design are just as important as writing and communication skills. LEARN TO CODE.
Be genuine and leave comments on other blogs to get traffic to yours
All in all, my blogging experience has been positive. I learned a lot about building a solid base of content. I know in the near future (January 2014) I will set up an entertainment blog (Movies, TV, Analyzing) to help become the career that I want which is to work at Entertainment Weekly magazine. Look out for me when I come to mass communication week 2015 as a speaker. Save the date! October 19, 2015.
[Update: 1/9/14: Found this cool article on The Daily Muse on how to upkeep and write good content for a blog]
The Internship came out back in June while I was working two summer internships. The movie is about two guys who lose their sales jobs mid-career and decide to take an internship at the well-known company Google. The movie has been getting a lot of praise from real-life fellow interns. As a former intern at Hays County Food Bank the movie was surprisingly accurate about the world of interning.
Courtesy of Hays County Food Bank
Vince Vaughn and Owen Wilson, the lead characters of the movie, come to the internship with no up to date job skills. Looking back at their years as salesman they think they will excel at the internship. When they arrive at the Google Headquarters and see the other interns, they realize something. They have no technology experience or updated technical job skills.
Being an intern without much real world work experience, I could understand the characters feelings of being lost in a competitive work world. I am four weeks into my internship here at the food bank and it has been great. I have done everything from helping hand out food at public distributions to dressing up as a carrot and floating the river to promote National Fresh Fruits and Vegetables month.
The theme throughout the movie The Internship is that personality and perseverance go a long way in one’s career. What the two lead characters lack in job skills, they make up with determination.
The diverse characters throughout the movie mirror the diverse group of people I meet every day through the food bank. Everyone here at the food bank has been friendly and helpful along the way of my internship. I look forward to the many duties I take on as an intern at Hays County Food Bank. This summer at the food bank is going to be great.
To learn more about the Hays County Food Bank, what the food bank does, and so forth, please visit their website.
I have a different take on Silver Linings Playbook. I want to talk about the lessons one can take from the movie. Lessons people can take along in their post-graduation job hunts and embracing themselves in the work world.
Helpful Support is all around
Throughout the movie the main character Pat (Bradley Cooper) receives support from all over. His family is helping him get on his feet again. Pat’s friend Danny, from the mental hospital, gives him advice. Pat even learns a few things from the other co-lead in the movie: recovering sex addict Tiffany Maxwell (played by Jennifer Lawrence).
The thing to notice is that encouraging resources are all around a person. Talk to your family or a professor about what you want to do for your career. Talk about how you want to make yourself better. Internship supervisors, college career service centers, and working professionals are willing to help you, you just have to ask. Take charge of the beneficial resources surrounding you.
Look for Silver Linings
Silver Lining- A sign of hope in an unfortunate or gloomy situation (Dictionary.com definition)
Throughout your job search you are going to face lots of rejections, no replies and disappointment, but you should continue to look for a silver lining.
Pat at the beginning of the movie, despite having lost his wife and being released from a mental hospital, still believes in silver linings. Pat searches out for them and never gives up.
“You have to do everything you can. You have to work your hardest, and if you do, if you stay positive, you have a shot at a silver lining.” –Pat Salatono Silver Linings Playbook
So push aside the anxiety and nervousness of career searching and remember to always try to find a silver lining.
Embrace You
Tiffany Maxwell is the tough skinned woman Pat comes into contact with in the movie. Being a recovering sex addict, there are dark things about her past. Her sister tries to be the “better” one of the two by showing off her materialistic items in her house. Tiffany embraces the dark past that many look down upon her for.
“There will always be a part of me that is dirty and sloppy. But I like that. Just like all the other parts of myself.” –Tiffany Maxwell Silver Linings Playbook
The point is to embrace who you are in your job search. Showcase your strengths; show what you can offer to the employer. Know who you are and what is unique about you.
Photo Courtesy of imdb.comWith the Netflix site up and a pile of not-so-healthy food in hand, I started to watch Glory Daze. The interesting thing to notice about the film is that it was released at a time when most of the main cast was not all that famous. Glory Daze stars Ben Affleck, Sam Rockwell, Matt Damon, Matthew McConaughey, Leah Remini, and Brendan Fraser all before they hit big.
When most see Glory Daze they see it as just another low-budget indie film without much to offer. That could be the case, but for most (yes, even people outside the 18-34 demographic) will be able to see something more from the movie.
The movie follow five friends who live in a house they call “El Rancho.” They are all going to college at University of California-Santa Cruz. Jack (Ben Affleck) deals with is commanding parents. Dennis (French Stewart) contemplates going to graduate school or not. Rob (Sam Rockwell) wonders if he should move to Los Angeles with his girlfriend or not.
After finishing the movie it really struck a chord with me. A lot of the issues dealt with in the movie are ones college students deal with all the time. Here are the four things I noticed that were addressed in Glory Daze:
Not being sure what you want to do in life
Jack (Ben Affleck) struggles with this throughout the entire movie. He is nearing his college graduation and he is not sure of what to do. In fact he has no idea what to do. Like many college students in real life, his parents start pressuring him. “You need to get a job Jack.” “You graduated, what are your plans now?” Jack doesn’t know how to answer these questions. He tries to dodge his parent’s persistence. He does not want to work at some corporate 9 to 5 job. He does not like doing mindless work for someone else’s dream. He wants to follow his dream. He is an artist. He is not sure of how to reach his dream.
Graduate School?
Dennis (French Stewart) deals with the decision of going to graduate school or working as an assistant at the university. Many graduating college seniors contemplate this. Should I go to graduate school or not? Not sure of if they will get a job after graduation, many students apply for graduate school. They believe that extra degree will make them “more competitive” in the workforce. Being more close to the plot of the movie, some students know they want to go to graduate school but are not sure if they should postpone it or not. Should they work for a few years after graduation or go straight to graduate school? Dennis faces this proposition in the movie when one of his professors ask him to stay on as his assistant.
Relocating
Moving to a new city is a tricky proposition. College students think about the prospect of a new city as they get closer to graduation. Rob (Sam Rockwell) faces this when his question when his longtime girlfriend asks him to move to Los Angeles with her. Graduating college students often wonder if moving to a new city will help them out in life. Does the new city have good job opportunities? Do I need to move there for my career? Should I move even though I have a lump of student loans on me? Questions and anxiety swirl through students minds when they wonder what they should do. The same questions and anxiety happen to Dennis in the movie.
Wondering how all these topics are answered? Go grab some popcorn and maybe a few friends and watch Glory Daze. It is currently on Netflix Instant.
Parks and Recreation: Thursdays on NBC Photo Courtesy of buzzsugar.com
Workplace comedies are pretty big right now. People love seeing a (mostly) real look into the lives of people that do typical common jobs. NBC’s Parks and Recreation is a workplace comedy dealing with the daily tasks and adventures of a group of people who work in a small town parks and recreation department.
Watching Parks and Recreation does not stop at just giving audiences a laugh, however. It provides some lessons that job seekers and people focused on advancing their career can notice. Here are some of the lessons learned from Parks and Recreation:
Being an Intern has its perks
The idea of interns just doing busy work and taking coffee orders is a blown away with the character of April Ludgate. At the beginning of the show April starts out as an intern for the Parks and Recreation Department. Her tasks are anything but little: assisting with campaigns, generating support for a park project, and speaking at public forums. April is constantly able to network with top city officials throughout the show.
Be Yourself
April Ludgate, the intern, does not try to be someone she is not. She maintains her sarcastic deadpan personality. In a weird way this actually gets her noticed. City officials, residents of Pawnee, and her co-workers are all curious about her.
Several career sites and counseling offices tell you what to do and not to do in an interview. They say the behavior a person needs to have while on the job. They mention what to wear on the job or to an interview. With all these voices, it can be easy for a person to lose themselves. Do not let that happen. Do not lose your personality and distinction during an interview/ at a job. Still have professional etiquette of course! Just do not forget to show your personality to an employer. After all, this is what makes you unique.
Take Charge. Don’t be afraid to speak new ideas
Main character Leslie Knope is deeply committed to making her hometown of Pawnee the best that it can be. She is not afraid to let some of her weird and off the wall traits show. She constantly talks about all the ideas she has to make Pawnee a great town. She wants to build a park, increase literacy, promote healthy choices, and help small businesses. Leslie has planned out steps to make all of her ideas a reality.
College students can particularly learn something important from the Leslie Knope character: she doesn’t wait to be told, she just does. Leslie is not stuck in the cycle of having someone tell her what task to do. She takes on workloads of her own. She creates things without being asked.
Go to Entertainment Weekly’s website so you can vote Parks and Recreation for an EWwy Award (the punctuation is correct)
![GloryDaze[1]](http://colinashby.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/05/glorydaze1.jpg)
