Film/Text/Culture Autoblog -Summer 07

We have discussed how most of the time people say: “I liked the movie but the book was better.” We also need to look at films and recognize that there are many beautiful films that could never be written as a book, or not succesfully. Errol Morris’ Gates of Heaven is one example of the power of film, and he captures the essence of how a film can tell a different story than a novel. There are so many subtle meanings that can be drawn from both the characters, how he juxtaposes them, and their settings, that even though they can be described in a book it would be hard for them to have the same weight that they have in the film. A book could describe the manner in which neutered was said but the finality of the edit changes the viewers response completely. […]

Original post by onda

I found the footage of Werner Herzog eating his shoe in the spirit of keeping his bet with Morris, but while he isn’t choking down the leather, he has some very interesting things to say about television and the quest to provide adequate images for our culture.  Morris has most definitely found images of humanity in Gates of Heaven.  I’ll post this for everyone to see while I try to come up with something of weight to say about the film — I’m still sorting things out…as it is quite a different take on human relationships.

Original post by cdame2of

Here’s a present for anyone who’s looking for some action tonight.  Check out the condensed movie Love Story along with the smooth-groovin’ sex jam (and theme song) as performed by Andy Williams.  Be safe, meaning stay away from sharp things.  This movie is clinically despressing.  You’ll bawl (or ball, however you wish to see it).

Original post by cdame2of

With our closing up of Little Women and its three film adaptations, I was trying to figure out which actress best portrayed the beloved firecracker.  Definitely not 1949’s June Allyson.  She’s chatty, annoying, and her cheesy smile hurts me.  In my opinion Winona Ryder is a better contender, though she seems fragile and nervous for the most part.  She can definitely carry the role of the tortured artist, and she conveys Jo’s fitfulness for change and growth.  Katharine Hepburn would have to be the winner though.  Physically she is more like Alcott’s Jo March, and she carries the headstrong spirit better than Ryder.  My only complaint is that Hepburn’s “Christopher Columbus!” is really exaggerated and made me wince after the 5th time I heard it.  But it’s forgivable since she best represented the Jo that readers know and love.
While I was thinking about the character of Jo March, something hit […]

Original post by cdame2of

This movie was… interesting. A documentary about pet burial? Or is it? I definitely didn’t pick up on some of the themes until we talked about them in class, and then it all became clear. I find it interesting that people were so concerned with their pets, when some humans are abandoned like trash (the old woman talking about her son.)
This class is really helping pick up on stuff going on in each shot. I noticed the low angle used to show the one investor and it definitely gives off a certain vibe about him. I also noticed the scales behind Floyd, as a representation of him trying to do justice for people’s pets. I’m sure as I watch more movies I will become more aware of these types of things, which definitely add to the experience of seeing a movie that […]

Original post by khusband

Curious about what the Harberts family is up to now, I did some searching around the web. The best source I could find was this article about Bubbling Well. Here are some tidbits I found interesting.
-Cal Harberts passed away five years ago. (No word on whether he was buried in a giant, Styrofoam carry-out box.) Dan Harberts, the youngest son, is now the owner and president of the company. He lives with his wife in a house on cemetery grounds. His mom is still alive and devious.
-Only 1 percent of Bubbling Well’s business is private burial. The rest is cremation services.
-Since it was established in 1971, Bubbling Well has cared for the final oversight of almost 11,000 pets
-Having a pet interred there isn’t cheap. On average it costs $570 to bury a small pet there, with a $50 yearly fee to keep it from being exhumed and cremated. According […]

Original post by crain2mn

This is pretty much a sad excuse for a post, but I just really didn’t have that many deep thoughts on yesterday’s Little Women. I liked it well enough, and I think it had many facets of emotional nuance that were missing from the earlier versions. Possibly this was due to the change in acting style since the earlier part of the century, from a more over-emotional theatrical style to the more prevalent Method acting; possibly it was also due in part to the technological sophistication developed since then (better camera work, definitely better color development, location work, etc.) Anyway, the entire thing was more subtle and emotional. I would probably call it closer to a melodrama than I would the 1933 version. In fact, I think the melodrama itself has developed in sophistication and might post more on that idea in the future. Anyway, I do fall into the […]

Original post by anniek