I liked this movie. It wasn't my favorite, but I enjoyed it. I wouldn't go see it in theaters again (well... I can't think of any movie I'd go see in theaters again. I'm a patient gal, and movie tickets are hella expensive.) I wouldn't buy it but I think I might watch it again, if other people really wanted to. And it was the only choice.
It was funny at times, which I appreciated very much. The main character had enough complexity for me to care about his well-being. The plot was decent. However, I found asking questions such as, "How do those innocent, nameless characters deserve to have their car wrecked in a high-speed chase?", and then realized that I don't actually like action movies very much. That adds a lot of bias.
Funny how that worked out.
With that said, if you like action movies, you should like this one. I felt that towards the end, they tried a little too hard, plot-wise, and I think I would've ended the movie differently. But that's probably because of my opinions on the world, and action movies.
No, really, it was a good movie.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Tuesday, July 1, 2008
Monday, March 10, 2008
No Exit Scene by Scene
The entire play is one scene, so I divided it into French scenes.
1. In the first scene, Garcin enters and is told that he is in hell; the Valet that he entered with exits, and soon Garcin finds himself alone. He examines his surroundings, and tries to figure out what to do with himself.
2. Inez is brought into the room by the Valet. When Garcin finally notices her, they strike up a conversation; initially, Inez thinks Garcin is her torturer. She, too, tries to figure out what to do with herself.
3. Estelle is the last person to be brought into the room by the Valet. She is very afraid of Garcin and Inez at first. Then everyone is introduced, and the Valet leaves.
4. The three people left in the room discuss how long they've been dead, and where they're from, and whether they could've known each other during their lives. Eventually, they talk about why each of them is in hell (Estelle, at least, briefly) and start to argue. Garcin decides that everyone should be silent.
5. Inez breaks the silence by singing, and Estelle asks Garcin for a mirror (he doesn't reply.) Inez hits on Estelle. Garcin speaks again after Inez begins speaking directly to him, and then launches into a speech about who's looking at who and what they all want. Garcin moves to touch Estelle, and she recoils. Garcin tells them why he is in hell (for running away and being a revolutionary.) Then Inez makes her confession (she killed three people.) Inez and Garcin question Estelle and find out that she killed her baby.
6. Inez sees what's happening in her part of the word, and they talk about how she is a terrible person, but try to help her. Then, Estelle has the same sort of vision, but hers is much longer, and she talks to Peter and the girl with him, Olga.
7. After she can't see the scene anymore, Estelle asks Garcin to comfort her; he won't. Inez offers to, but Estelle doesn't want Inez. Garcin decides to kiss Estelle, even though Inez is in the room, but he stops.
8. Garcin sees a scene from his world; it's where his office was. Inez, Estelle, and Garcin discuss Garcin's last few major actions on earth. Garcin starts to cry.
9. Garcin tells Inez and Estelle that they can all love each other, but the girls thing otherwise. The three of them cannot agree on anything.
10. Garcin tries to escape hell, but he can't. He keeps bringing up issues of life and danger and bravery and wickedness. Garcin tries to strangle Inez because she is telling him that he's a coward.
11. Estelle picks up a knife and stabs Inez, but Inez doesn't care because she is already dead. The three characters realize that they're stuck with themselves in hell, and there's nothing at all to be done.
1. In the first scene, Garcin enters and is told that he is in hell; the Valet that he entered with exits, and soon Garcin finds himself alone. He examines his surroundings, and tries to figure out what to do with himself.
2. Inez is brought into the room by the Valet. When Garcin finally notices her, they strike up a conversation; initially, Inez thinks Garcin is her torturer. She, too, tries to figure out what to do with herself.
3. Estelle is the last person to be brought into the room by the Valet. She is very afraid of Garcin and Inez at first. Then everyone is introduced, and the Valet leaves.
4. The three people left in the room discuss how long they've been dead, and where they're from, and whether they could've known each other during their lives. Eventually, they talk about why each of them is in hell (Estelle, at least, briefly) and start to argue. Garcin decides that everyone should be silent.
5. Inez breaks the silence by singing, and Estelle asks Garcin for a mirror (he doesn't reply.) Inez hits on Estelle. Garcin speaks again after Inez begins speaking directly to him, and then launches into a speech about who's looking at who and what they all want. Garcin moves to touch Estelle, and she recoils. Garcin tells them why he is in hell (for running away and being a revolutionary.) Then Inez makes her confession (she killed three people.) Inez and Garcin question Estelle and find out that she killed her baby.
6. Inez sees what's happening in her part of the word, and they talk about how she is a terrible person, but try to help her. Then, Estelle has the same sort of vision, but hers is much longer, and she talks to Peter and the girl with him, Olga.
7. After she can't see the scene anymore, Estelle asks Garcin to comfort her; he won't. Inez offers to, but Estelle doesn't want Inez. Garcin decides to kiss Estelle, even though Inez is in the room, but he stops.
8. Garcin sees a scene from his world; it's where his office was. Inez, Estelle, and Garcin discuss Garcin's last few major actions on earth. Garcin starts to cry.
9. Garcin tells Inez and Estelle that they can all love each other, but the girls thing otherwise. The three of them cannot agree on anything.
10. Garcin tries to escape hell, but he can't. He keeps bringing up issues of life and danger and bravery and wickedness. Garcin tries to strangle Inez because she is telling him that he's a coward.
11. Estelle picks up a knife and stabs Inez, but Inez doesn't care because she is already dead. The three characters realize that they're stuck with themselves in hell, and there's nothing at all to be done.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
Blood Knot Scene by Scene
1. Zach comes home from work; Morris prepares his water. Morris brings up the idea of moving up and out, and Zach says that he just wants a woman. They decide that Zach should have a pen pal.
2. Zach brings home a newspaper, and Morris helps him pick Ethel to write to. They write her a letter, asking for a picture.
3. Ethel writes back to Zach, and Morris reads the letter; he realizes that Ethel is a white woman. But Zach likes her picture, and wants to keep writing to her. They write a letter telling Ethel that they have a nice car (they are now pretending to be white.) Then they talk and reminisce about their mother, and the games they used to play.
4. In Ethel's next letter, it says she's coming to town and would like to meet Zach. Morris panics; Zach decides that he wants to meet her, anyway. Morris explains how white people date and that this simply can't happen, and then Zach notices that Morris's skin is a lot lighter than his is; he kind-of convinces Morris to go on a date with Ethel for him.
5. Zach comes home with the proper clothes and shoes and everything that Morris will need to dress like a white man. Morris doesn't like this idea at first, but he gets into the part, and they play around with it; Morris practices being white.
6. Zach wakes up alone and expresses his concerns about Morris's whiteness and mysterious return to his mother, who can't hear him.
7. Zach gets home from work and his footbath isn't ready. The room is a mess; Morris is upset. Zach has a letter from Ethel, though, and it says she's engaged; their problems are solved. Ethel's police brother won't come after them, now. Zach has Morris put the suit on and play white again. They get carried away, but Morris says that it'll be alright, because they're brothers.
2. Zach brings home a newspaper, and Morris helps him pick Ethel to write to. They write her a letter, asking for a picture.
3. Ethel writes back to Zach, and Morris reads the letter; he realizes that Ethel is a white woman. But Zach likes her picture, and wants to keep writing to her. They write a letter telling Ethel that they have a nice car (they are now pretending to be white.) Then they talk and reminisce about their mother, and the games they used to play.
4. In Ethel's next letter, it says she's coming to town and would like to meet Zach. Morris panics; Zach decides that he wants to meet her, anyway. Morris explains how white people date and that this simply can't happen, and then Zach notices that Morris's skin is a lot lighter than his is; he kind-of convinces Morris to go on a date with Ethel for him.
5. Zach comes home with the proper clothes and shoes and everything that Morris will need to dress like a white man. Morris doesn't like this idea at first, but he gets into the part, and they play around with it; Morris practices being white.
6. Zach wakes up alone and expresses his concerns about Morris's whiteness and mysterious return to his mother, who can't hear him.
7. Zach gets home from work and his footbath isn't ready. The room is a mess; Morris is upset. Zach has a letter from Ethel, though, and it says she's engaged; their problems are solved. Ethel's police brother won't come after them, now. Zach has Morris put the suit on and play white again. They get carried away, but Morris says that it'll be alright, because they're brothers.
Concepts
A few weeks ago, I was brushing my teeth (and very, very tired) when my hallmate asked me if there would be sleep in heaven. This concept struck me as something I might like to write about; it's a great question. There's so much that can be done with it. Is there sleep in heaven? Maybe. I don't have character ideas yet, but I really like the basic concept.
Another idea that came to me was that perhaps a really, really crappy day could make for an interesting play. Recently I've had to deal with a lot of sickness and the death of someone somewhat close to me, in addition to everything else. Yesterday really, really sucked. And maybe I could turn it into something positive if I decided to write about it, in that I could then give it a resolution.
Another idea that came to me was that perhaps a really, really crappy day could make for an interesting play. Recently I've had to deal with a lot of sickness and the death of someone somewhat close to me, in addition to everything else. Yesterday really, really sucked. And maybe I could turn it into something positive if I decided to write about it, in that I could then give it a resolution.
No Exit
1. Garcin, Inez, and Estelle enter hell one by one. They are all confused at first as to where the torture devices are; then they realize that being alone with the other two will be torture. They learn that Inez killed three people, that Estelle killed her baby and caused a suicide, and that Garcin was a deserter and caused his wife's death. They try to figure out what to do with themselves; Estelle wants Garcin, Inez wants Estelle, and Garcin just wants to be away from the both of them. At the end, they just accept their fate; they're stuck in that little room together forever.
2. Satre achieves his intentions by use of the text and stage directions. What the characters have to say is very important; their dialog together, and the monologues when they see things that the other don't see, are important for character development. I think the intention was an existentialist sort of meaning; they're all stuck in hell together forever, and there's nothing that they can do about it, and it sucks.
3. Garcin's objective is to get out. Estelle's objective is to have Garcin and be rid of Inez. Inez's objective is to have Estelle.
4. The obstacles are the other characters, and the characters' own personal battles (their reasons for being in hell.)
5. Conflict is an integral aspect of the play; it's all the play is about. They can't really escape it. It can't be resolved, except in the fact that the characters have now realized their plight.
6. It's very interesting that the play takes place in only one room; I like that. I think it really, really adds to the intensity and focus. The text and character interaction seem to be the most important aspect of the play, so those are what require attention.
7. All of the characters speak in a language appropriate to the time (even though the original, I believe, wasn't written in English at all.) Granted, their societal roles and their choice of words do not exactly match up all the time. But it's easy to notice that Inez uses coarser language than the other two, and that Estelle is a very "proper" lady.
8. It's inspiring. I'm not sure that I would want to write a play like No Exit, but it's shown me that there's a lot of power in simplicity, as long as it has a strong message. And the message can be "this sucks," or "look what kind of hell we have to deal with for an eternity."
2. Satre achieves his intentions by use of the text and stage directions. What the characters have to say is very important; their dialog together, and the monologues when they see things that the other don't see, are important for character development. I think the intention was an existentialist sort of meaning; they're all stuck in hell together forever, and there's nothing that they can do about it, and it sucks.
3. Garcin's objective is to get out. Estelle's objective is to have Garcin and be rid of Inez. Inez's objective is to have Estelle.
4. The obstacles are the other characters, and the characters' own personal battles (their reasons for being in hell.)
5. Conflict is an integral aspect of the play; it's all the play is about. They can't really escape it. It can't be resolved, except in the fact that the characters have now realized their plight.
6. It's very interesting that the play takes place in only one room; I like that. I think it really, really adds to the intensity and focus. The text and character interaction seem to be the most important aspect of the play, so those are what require attention.
7. All of the characters speak in a language appropriate to the time (even though the original, I believe, wasn't written in English at all.) Granted, their societal roles and their choice of words do not exactly match up all the time. But it's easy to notice that Inez uses coarser language than the other two, and that Estelle is a very "proper" lady.
8. It's inspiring. I'm not sure that I would want to write a play like No Exit, but it's shown me that there's a lot of power in simplicity, as long as it has a strong message. And the message can be "this sucks," or "look what kind of hell we have to deal with for an eternity."
Tuesday, January 29, 2008
Shakespearian Booty Call
George Bush: [chewing on the end of his pencil, sitting at his desk.]
Britney Spears: [enters]
George: The conflict in this office grows... [looks up]
Brit: Perchance I could assuage it?
George: Nay, gentle maid. The trouble lies within my breast and within the Middle Eastern lands...
Brit: I knowst not of the Middle Eastern lands, but I could ease the pain within your breast. I see necessity in possessing your adoration, for you are so poisonous...
George: Wherefore art thou speaking in strange tongues?
Brit: [sits on his desk] Pardon me! I have done it again. I had a game with your heart...
George: What is the meaning of this?! Be gone, foul wench!
Brit: But they said I was one of great luck, a star...
George: You are nought but a common harlot! Be gone, again!
Brit: All men in the land would like a piece of me!
George: I bite my thumb at thee!
Brit: Do you bite your thumb at me, sir? Give me more, then! Give me, give me more!
George: What ails you, brazen one? Be gone, for the final time! [picks up the phone and calls security]
Brit: You push me to madness, your grace... [is dragged from the room]
George: Again, the guard has saved me and the fine people of God's good nation from a fate worse than nucular tourism.
Britney Spears: [enters]
George: The conflict in this office grows... [looks up]
Brit: Perchance I could assuage it?
George: Nay, gentle maid. The trouble lies within my breast and within the Middle Eastern lands...
Brit: I knowst not of the Middle Eastern lands, but I could ease the pain within your breast. I see necessity in possessing your adoration, for you are so poisonous...
George: Wherefore art thou speaking in strange tongues?
Brit: [sits on his desk] Pardon me! I have done it again. I had a game with your heart...
George: What is the meaning of this?! Be gone, foul wench!
Brit: But they said I was one of great luck, a star...
George: You are nought but a common harlot! Be gone, again!
Brit: All men in the land would like a piece of me!
George: I bite my thumb at thee!
Brit: Do you bite your thumb at me, sir? Give me more, then! Give me, give me more!
George: What ails you, brazen one? Be gone, for the final time! [picks up the phone and calls security]
Brit: You push me to madness, your grace... [is dragged from the room]
George: Again, the guard has saved me and the fine people of God's good nation from a fate worse than nucular tourism.
Thursday, January 24, 2008
Blood Knot
1. Over the course of the play, Zach and Morris get a feel for their relationship as brothers. The entire play takes place in their shack; every day, Zach comes home and the two of them talk. When Zach mentions wanting a woman, Morris suggests that Zach get a pen pal, and Morris will write the letters for him, because Zach can't write. When Zach's pen pal sends a picture with her return letter, they realize that she's white, and that opens the door for a lot of trouble. Morris is light-skinned, so when Ethel (the pen pal) wants to meet Zach, they decided to put Morris in a suit. Fortunately, Ethel gets engaged and can't continue the correspondence anymore. Then the men continue to play roles to parse out their societal roles.
2. Fugard achieves his intentions (illustrating a view of the way people deal with race and racial issues in a twentieth-century South Africa, where apartheid is the rule) by providing an example with Zach and Morrie. They're brothers, but only half; Morris is light-skinned enough to appear white. Because of their skin color, then men are expected to behave, be treated, and act very differently in the community. The example is provided in the text and in the action, through the interactions of the brothers when they talk and have "playtime."
3. Zach's objective is to live a comfortable, decent life; for him, part of that means having a woman occasionally. Morris's objective is to make a better life for him and Zach, and that means buying their own farm.
4. There are many obstacles to both objectives; for Zach, being black and illiterate are two major obstacles, and they encompass many more. They are mostly physical things. Morris's obstacles are more psychological; behavior that he doesn't understand, and his fears. In addition, the brothers are each others' obstacles.
5. Conflict is an integral part of the play. It's all about conflict, really; there's so much tension. The mini-conflict created by Ethel's request is resolved by her engagement, but the bigger conflict, the apartheid conflict, is not solved; it does not need to be resolved for the play to be understood, but it needs to be resolved... which is what the play is saying.
6. The "world of the play" is interesting in that it's our world, in the sixties. That's how it was. Racial conflict was very different than it was in the U.S., because apartheid and segregation aren't synonymous. It was not a good time to be in South Africa; the world of the play is one of terrible injustice.
7. Being South African gave Fugard quite a bit of insight when he wrote this play (and by that, I mean, it was much easier for him to write in that style than it would be for me to do so.) The play reads easily, and I think the language was appropriate; I really liked that about it.
8. The play helped me because I can look at it and pick out why I think it's good, and what bits of that will help me. There's a lot of strength in the play, but the plot itself is simple, and it takes place on one set. I think those are pretty powerful things (and useful, too!)
2. Fugard achieves his intentions (illustrating a view of the way people deal with race and racial issues in a twentieth-century South Africa, where apartheid is the rule) by providing an example with Zach and Morrie. They're brothers, but only half; Morris is light-skinned enough to appear white. Because of their skin color, then men are expected to behave, be treated, and act very differently in the community. The example is provided in the text and in the action, through the interactions of the brothers when they talk and have "playtime."
3. Zach's objective is to live a comfortable, decent life; for him, part of that means having a woman occasionally. Morris's objective is to make a better life for him and Zach, and that means buying their own farm.
4. There are many obstacles to both objectives; for Zach, being black and illiterate are two major obstacles, and they encompass many more. They are mostly physical things. Morris's obstacles are more psychological; behavior that he doesn't understand, and his fears. In addition, the brothers are each others' obstacles.
5. Conflict is an integral part of the play. It's all about conflict, really; there's so much tension. The mini-conflict created by Ethel's request is resolved by her engagement, but the bigger conflict, the apartheid conflict, is not solved; it does not need to be resolved for the play to be understood, but it needs to be resolved... which is what the play is saying.
6. The "world of the play" is interesting in that it's our world, in the sixties. That's how it was. Racial conflict was very different than it was in the U.S., because apartheid and segregation aren't synonymous. It was not a good time to be in South Africa; the world of the play is one of terrible injustice.
7. Being South African gave Fugard quite a bit of insight when he wrote this play (and by that, I mean, it was much easier for him to write in that style than it would be for me to do so.) The play reads easily, and I think the language was appropriate; I really liked that about it.
8. The play helped me because I can look at it and pick out why I think it's good, and what bits of that will help me. There's a lot of strength in the play, but the plot itself is simple, and it takes place on one set. I think those are pretty powerful things (and useful, too!)
Wednesday, January 23, 2008
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