Tuesday, February 24

BLOG ASSIGMENT:
Office Space: Unless you're one of these snooty, uptight, yuppy types, you cannot deny that director Mike Judge’s “Office Space” has had an indelible effect on modern culture.

It’s called RELATIONAL HUMOR - people can relate to the sh*t that Peter Gibbons goes through in his everyday existence - the same sh*t that we all have to deal with in our everyday lives….bosses, insane co-workers, managerial nonsense, technical glitches, impertinent computers and procedural headaches. Peter's had it up to here with the multiple managers, baffling computer errors and nonsensical documentation requirements of his employer, the fictional company of Initech.

You don't have to be a corporate drone to enjoy Judge's satire, it’s a catharsis of sorts for us all. Identify a bitter truth found beneath the hilarious situations in this film. Keep your responses unique and support them with examples from the film. Minimum 150 words.

DUE: Thursday, 2/26

The movie The Blues Brothers, which cost around $30 million to make, was released in 1980 and while initially it didn't do well at the Box Office, it has developed a world-wide cult following and is still regularly screened in cinemas around the world. It has developed into a cult classic, so popular that an official tribute show has toured and The Blues Brothers performed the half time entertainment for the 1997 Superbowl. Various other tribute shows are performing around the world.......

Some random facts:
- Continuation error when they go over the draw-bridge. The bridge is almost completely upright just before Elwood drives over it, but it is much lower when they actually become airborne.

- They used five or six Pinto's for the Nazi car that flew off the bridge. There was a lot of trouble getting a permit to do this; they had to prove that they could accurately predict where the car was going to land. They dropped one as test run (it landed in a cornfield). They sawed two in half, to get the camera inside them. They used one for the low-drop (into ditch in the road), and two for the high-drop (off the bridge).

- Elwood never takes off his sunglasses, and Jake never takes off his hat.

- Every time we see the window in Elwood's apartment a train goes past.

YOUR ASSIGNMENT: Why do you think The Blues Brothers became such a success years after it was released? Is it the music? The all-star cast? Choose a part of the film that substantiates your point.

DUE: WEDNESDAY, 2/11

The Princess Bride

The Princess Bride is a love story and one of the greatest paradies of all time. Post a unique and favorite quote from this film and explain why it is signifigant to the story.

DUE: Friday, 2/6

BARAKA (Ron Fricke) is a work of art which rates amongst the greatest achievements in the field. Baraka is an ancient Sufi word, which can be translated as "a blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds." For many people Baraka is the definitive film in this style. As with any masterwork, it is something one will have to pursue. For those that seek it out at the proper time, 'Baraka' can act as a milestone of revelation. What the viewer takes from this film will solely be determined by the life experience they bring to it. 'Baraka' is unique in that it actually requires a commitment of time and concentration. This is a film that communicates its message without utilizing standard film language. Those that try to make the images conform to the conventional notions of Hollywood story telling are likely to give up in frustration. For a film with no plot,characters or dialog, it communicates an astonishing number of profound themes. Those who are familiar with National Geographic or the works of David Attenbourough will have little trouble in identifying the fascinating locals and tribes, but be forewarned: there are reasons that there are no subtitles or text on screen. Personal discovery is at the heart of the filmmaker's intentions. The ambient soundtrack by Michael Sterns weaves the images together on a separate plain, producing a hypnotic pathway for the images to flow. Once you allow yourself to be pulled along by this current of sound the images will link themselves together and the true revelations hidden within 'Baraka' will make themselves apparent. You may find as I did that your subconscious will be at work on 'Baraka' for many weeks after the experience, unlocking doors to a greater understanding.

Journal Assignment:
BARAKA (Ron Fricke) is a work of art which rates amongst the greatest achievements in the field. Baraka is an ancient Sufi word, which can be translated as "a blessing, or as the breath, or essence of life from which the evolutionary process unfolds." Being a film with no plot, characters or dialog, it communicates an astonishing number of profound themes. It takes us around the world in the hope of revealing certain truths about our past and present and gives us a vision for the future.

Explore two or three themes that you have identified and explain them using specific detail from the film. After watching the film, what images stick in your mind? What meaning can you create from the film based on the association of these images? What does the film teach us about the fate of humanity?