Emotions and Analysis of Film and Cinema

One of the last great films I have seen is “Any Given Sunday” directed by Oliver Stone and starring Al Pacino, Denis Quaid, and Jammie Fox. “Any Given Sunday” is a feature film I viewed on television at home and thoroughly enjoyed. Throughout the movie I was really pulled in and captivated by the film. Football appeals to me as a sports fan and Stone does an exemplary job of showing the nature of the sport in all aspects. The tension between the actors in certain parts of the film is mind gripping and the plot thickens as the film progresses. The film brings out the best of emotions in the viewers as shock, joy, and sadness are all conveyed. Almost every scene I was on the edge of my seat in suspense wondering what would happen next. The movie leaves a lasting vivid image in the viewer’s mind and is a great cinematic production. 

Stone’s film focuses on the reality and drama of a football team and its players. The aspects of greed, glory, fame, and a love of the game of football are shown throughout the film in one of Stone’s best films ever. The football team called the “Sharks” experience the drama of loosing their starting quarterback and an “old school” coach if you will, dealing with a new brash and arrogant quarterback taking over his team to make the playoffs. Stone uses classic Hollywood style to tell his story and show his film to the viewer. 

The film uses very little special effects since Oliver Stone wanted to create real images of the football players and real hits and tackles during the game. By shooting real images of football, the game and the action all come to life. However, Stone makes great use of shot duration, camera movement, montage, and sound. Shot duration is one of the biggest effects that Stone emphasis in his film. He creates long takes by showing the film to the viewer in slow motion at certain points and rapidly speeds up the action at other times to give a dramatic affect and to alert his audience that a pivotal point in the film is about to occur. 

Any Given Sunday” not only should be considered a great film but a memorable one as well. Unlike other memorable films that trace back to a character’s past history or important past events, this film should be considered “memorable” for the lasting images it instills on the viewer’s mind. One of the last scenes of the film depicts the quarterback running towards the goal line with the hopes and dreams of his team’s playoff chances riding on his back. As the quarterback, played by Jamie Foxx approaches the goal line to win the game, two huge tacklers stand in his way and seem determined to stop him. The film then uses an extreme close-up to depict the quarterback’s face, zooming in particularly on his eyes and the thoughts going through his mind. Then a flashback shot of the crowd and fans in the seats from the past is shown in a black and white faded image in the shot transition. As the shot returns to an extreme close-up of the quarterback, the image of him slowly dissolves into the background as it moves to one side of the screen while the image of the football coach appears side by side with the other image. Then the picture of the coach completely dissolves as the scene moves back to an extreme close-up of Jamie Foxx in the background with an image of a football player from years past diving and outstretched toward the goal line. As the scene progresses, a shot of lightning is used as a wipe to replace the image of the quarterback fading in the background. The crack and appearance of lightning fills the screen for a blink of the eye as the image of Jamie Foxx reappears, the screen once again going to a blur. Finally, the screen becomes clearer and focuses its full attention on the quarterback. The shot duration slows drastically for dramatic effect and seems to freeze in time. The quarterback slowly dives headfirst into the end-zone as the two defenders go airborne to stop him and collide head on with the quarterback. The film shows a replay of the action and zooms in as the camera angle is position low to the ground. As the sound effect of the collision is heard, background music is played in a high pitched melody. Meanwhile, the camera does a one hundred-eighty degree turn towards the coach and fans, in suspense waiting for the referee’s signal to see if it was the game winning score. After a brief moment the camera returns to the sight of the action where the crowd lets out a triumphant roar as the referee signals that the team has in fact scored to win the game. 

The film “Any Given Sunday” is truly a masterpiece and work of art. The director Oliver Stone does an outstanding job in his cinematography throughout the movie. He carefully planned all details of the film including the multitude of camera angles and shots during the film to make the action come alive. Stone’s film is truly a great and memorable cinematic production that leaves the viewer wrapped up in the movie

2006 Comcast Outdoor Film Festival!

Yay!  The Comcast Outdoor Film Festival, North Bethesda, MD is such an awesome annual event.  Not only do viewers get to enjoy 10 days in a row of great movies for adults and children alike but it's free!  That's right!  You get to sit outside under the warm night sky and watch a great movie with hundreds of your closest friends!  Let me explain a bit more of how the film festival program works.

The grounds are open to the public but nothing is available to eat or drink until 6:30.  Local restaurants and patrons provide all kinds of goodies from hot dogs, pizzas, cotton candy and ice cream!  And the local restaurants include names like Baja Fresh and Hard Times Cafe!  How awesome is that?  Great movies and quality food!  I know what you're thinking - but it's supposed to be free!  Well, you'll be happy to know that part of the proceeds are going towards a great cause.  Comcast has teamed up with a number of different charities and are donating a portion of the proceeds to the NIH Children's Charities - Children's Inn, Camp Fantastic/Special Love, and Friends of the Clinical Center.  If that won't make you buy more popcorn, I don't know what will.  

The movie itself starts at 8:30 and that time stays the same for each day the film festival is showing a movie.  There are a few things to keep in mind when planning on coming to a showing.  Try to be there early!  I would suggest being there within an hour but no later than a half hour before the movie.  Parking has become a bit of a problem.  The past few years the public was allowed to park at the metro right next to Strathmore Hall (the location of the film festival) and is right off of Rockville Pike.  However, last year, the only way you could park in there was to buy a metro pass.  Although that is an option, it might be better to park on the side street of the neighborhood within walking distance of the metro.  This way, you won't have to pay a dime and will get five extra minutes of exercise walking to the field where the movie will be shown.

Also, because the Comcast Film Festival, North Bethesda, MD is held on a grassy field, make sure to bring a blanket or better yet, a low slung chair to watch the movie in.  Make sure to get something portable so you won't feel the pains of lugging a huge chair back and forth from your car to the field.  Also, a comfortable blanket and chair would be key since you will more than likely be watching a movie that's two hours long or more.  

Anothoer note - I didn't notice a huge mosquito of fly problem but I would still suggest wearing an insect repellent just to be on the safe side.  Because of all the food and drinks available, there may be a chance of getting bit and no one wants that!

Other than that, this film festival is great because it's free and they show great movies!  Another plus is that they do show kids movies so it's great to take your whole family!  The movies usually range from kids animation to classics to movies that are a bit more on the adult side.  Make sure to check out the listing of what they are showing so you know when to take your kids before exposing them to a movie that may be a bit too adult for their taste.  This year, there are a number of great films I'm sure you'd be excited to see, such as, Maltese Falcon, Madagascar, King Kong, Walk the Line and my ultimate favorite, Batman Begins.  I can't wait to watch The Dark Knight on the big screen once again!

The complete 10-day movie listing can be found on the following website: www.filmfestnih.org.  Included on this site is a phone number if you have any further questions, however, the website should be able to answer any questions that you may have.

Make sure to take advantage of this film festival as it's only over the course of 10 days and it's only one time a year!  Don't miss it!  See you out there!

Brindisi Students Art and Music Festival

here

It’s a sunny afternoon in early May, and while students in other high schools throughout Italy are immersed in reading, writing and a host of other studies, over one thousand students from the Adriatic port city of Brindisi and surrounding area are gathered together to put on a show unlike anything that has been seen in recent times.

The event is called BAMS - “Brindisi, Arte, Musica and Spettacolo” and showcases the talents and creativity of students attending the Brindisi Liceo Artistico (Academy of Arts) and other upper-level institutions of higher learning in and around the city.

But far from just being a day spent in the sun showcasing arts and crafts, and listening to high school bands, vocalists and dancers - the theme of the BAMS festival touched a nerve in every student involved: “Better Art Than the Mafia”.

The Mafia - unfortunately - is alive and well in Italy and perhaps thrives strongest in the South. Students with no future to speak of will always be a reliable resource for underworld activities. The BAMS festival sought to demonstrate that there ARE students who care and who want something more out of life.

Guglielmo Carrozzo , President of the Puglia Board of Education, thinks a festival of this kind demonstrates solidarity among students. Remarked Carrozzo, “…The BAMS festival wasn’t just held in Brindisi, but in areas all over the Puglia Region. The student unions suggested it and I thought it was a good idea, but the kids had to put in the effort to coordinate the event in order for it to come together...”

Coordinating this festival was no easy task. Two student-representatives from each school in the region were responsible creating a work force that would garner participation, get the necessary permits, and assist in setting up the stages in addition to a dozen other jobs necessary for getting this event off the ground.

Adds one student, “...the city is showing its support by allowing this festival to happen, but it’s just the first step. The only way to get rid of the Mafia influence by demonstrating that the city is proactive in it’s obligation to young adults…”

Amid the blaring sounds of electric guitar and hip-hop dance demonstrations, the student union set up a kiosk to collect signatures to present to city hall along with a letter of intent to the Mayor.

Adds Caroozzo, “…one of the aims here was to get the support of local businesses to agree to try and underwrite a meeting place for the students. Not just a place where they can hang out, but a youth center of sorts where the students can come and feel free to be creative and in general have a sense of purpose. Hopefully, the Commune (city hall) will take a look at this and realize that it serves a deeper purpose than just spending a day out of school...”

In an area spread out in a piazza above and on a portion of port of Brindisi, two stages, 20 bands, dozens of artists, dancers and singers converged for a day that passed all to quickly.

Added physical education teacher Giulia Lezzi, “…The students wanted this and they deserve all the credit for pulling it off. It came together pretty good and the students behaved themselves which is important…”

Only time will tell whether this festival has any lasting impact, but at least for now, area students in Brindisi can enjoy knowing that voices were heard and that their hard work coordinating this festival was worht it.

Baby Name Books: Are They Worth the Buy?

boston celtics baby clothes

There are some parents who know what they will name their child before it is even conceived, but others have a more difficult time. It is not uncommon for some parents to take a few days to name their child after it has already been born. There are a number of ways that parents go about trying to select a baby name for their child. One of those ways is to purchase a baby name book.

Baby name books have been sold all around the world for a long time and many parents use them when trying to select a name. There is a wide selection of baby name books available for purchase from a number of different locations. Baby name books can be purchased from book stores, media stores, baby stores, traditional department stores, and online.

Since there are a large number of baby name books available for purchase it is likely that the books are different. There are some baby name books where the most popular names for the year are listed for both boys and girls. Other books may just list random baby names. It is also possible to purchase a baby name book that lists religious baby names or baby names from another country. More elaborate baby name books tend to provide readers with the meanings of particular names.

The advantages of purchasing a baby name book is that there are an unlimited number of books to choose from. Another advantage is that it allows parents to select a name for their child that they may not have thought about on their own. While there are a number of advantages to purchasing a baby name book there are disadvantages as well.

A parent could pay anywhere from five dollars all the way up to thirty dollars for a book. The price will all depend on how new the book is, whether it is hardcover or paperback, and what type of baby name book it is. Five to thirty dollars is not a large investment, but many parents will only use the baby name book once or twice. What many new parents fail to realize is that the same information can be found online for free.

There are a large number of baby name websites online. These websites can often be found by performing a standard internet search. By performing a standard internet search parents can be provided with multiple baby name websites that offer quality and popular baby names. There are even websites that display the meaning of a babies name or websites that provide religious or unique baby names.

As a parent you have the choice to purchase a baby name book or not. The decision is all yours; however, all parents should be aware that the baby names and information provided in these books can also be obtained online and mostly for free.