Fast Five

I have always been in love with the Fast and Furious movies, they obviously involve fast cars, explosions, running from the cops, shootouts, and always gorgeous women. I chose Fast Five for this discussion because it is the first time Dwayne Johnson is featured in this series and he later appears in the 6^th and 7^th which has yet to come out. The Fast and Furious movies started back in 2001 and this summer Furious Seven will be released. Since 2001, Paul Walker and Vin Diesel have stared in these movies and only recently have they added another main character played by Dwayne Johnson, also know as “The Rock”.

Before jumping into the fifth movie right off the bat, I will give you a background of the Fast and Furious movies. Paul Walker plays an undercover cop sent to destroy the underground street racing scene in Las Angeles, California. Vin Diesel plays one of the main street racers in town. The two team up and move on from street racing into bigger jobs. These bigger jobs involve working for the F.B.I. to take down a major drug lord south of the border. The team gets the job done but Pauls’ character faces an internal struggle. To either turn in his best friend (Vin Diesel) to the F.B.I., or to help him escape. They decide to escape and move down to Rio, Brazil. This is where my favorite character comes in. In the movie Fast Five, Dwayne Johnson plays a F.B.I. agent in charge of a special task force that is responsible for bringing in Paul and Vins’ crew. During the movie Paul Walker and Vin Diesel form together a crew that plan to rob the biggest vault in Rio that just happens to be under a police station. Dwayne Johnson’s character figures out there plan but is too late to stop them. The crews’ final job was successful and they were able to split the millions of dollars amongst themselves and live free in non-extradition countries…. for a while. I will not give away the plot for the 6th movie, but remember there is a 7th movie coming out soon!

I believe all three of these actors are personality actors. These are tough guys in real life (or so they seem) and they play tough guys in their movies. Movie after movie they play similar roles, it is often hard to remember their characters names and we usually refer to their character as their actual names.

Take Paul Walker for instance, every movie he plays in he usually portrays an undercover cop that’s not afraid to get his hands dirty to do what he views as the right thing like in Fast and Furious and Brick Mansions

.(Viner, 2014).

Vin Diesel is often portrayed as a tough guy who can kick some ass and get a job done. One of his first roles was in Saving Private Ryan where he was an Army Ranger. He is also known for the movie XXX where he was a fsecret agent who was reserved for the particularly dangerous missions, and now Fast and Furious movies. He is a tough guy who leads by example and is often on the wrong side of the law.

(Harding, 2014)

And last but not least, Dwayne Johnson. He was first known for his professional wrestling career which launched his acting career. He is often times a warrior like in The Scorpion King and Hercules, or a soldier/ F.B.I. Special Agent like in G.I. Joe and the Fast and Furious movies. Dwayne Johnson really knows how to kick some ass and take names.

(Dwayne Johnson, 2015).

References:

Viner, B. (2014, May 2). Paul Walker makes an engaging and credible hero in one of his last films Brick Mansions. Daily Mail. Retrieved from http://www.dailymail.co.uk/tvshowbiz/reviews/article-2618133/Brick-Mansions-review-Paul-Walker-makes-engaging-credible-hero-one-films.html

Harding, S.(2014, March 12). Fast and Furious 7. Latin Post. Retrieved from http://www.latinpost.com/articles/8793/20140312/fast-furious-7-cast-release-date-plot-news-paul-walker.htm

Dwayne Johnson [Photograph]. (n.d.). Retrieved March 5, 2015, from: http://fancyfembot.com/2013-sci-fi-manfest-belated/fast-furious-rock-dwayne-johnson-gun/

Sounds of Saving Private Ryan

Saving Private Ryan

1998

Director: Steven Spielberg

Writer: Robert Rodat

Stars: Tom Hanks, Matt Damon, Tom Sizemore, Vid Diesel

Story line: Opening with the Allied invasion of Normandy on 6 June 1944, members of the 2nd Ranger Battalion under Cpt. Miller fight ashore to secure a beachhead. Amidst the fighting, two brothers are killed in action. Earlier in New Guinea, a third brother is KIA. Their mother, Mrs. Ryan, is to receive all three of the grave telegrams on the same day. The United States Army Chief of Staff, George C. Marshall, is given an opportunity to alleviate some of her grief when he learns of a fourth brother, Private James Ryan, and decides to send out 8 men (Cpt. Miller and select members from 2nd Rangers) to find him and bring him back home to his mother… Written by J.Zelman (2015)

There are 3 basic sounds in every film, dialogue, sound effects, and music. In the movie, Saving Private Ryan, there are no exceptions. This movie falls under the “War” genre so of course it will be filled with epic sound effects, such as gun fire, explosions, air planes, and even tanks. Throughout the movie there is dialogue amongst the team during downtime and when giving orders under enemy fire. Also something that I think really brings every movie together is music. These three elements of sound truly make a movie complete.

In the scene I have chosen there is only diegetic sounds, meaning the only sounds the viewer can hear are the sounds that are going on within the “movie world”, or only what the characters in the movie can hear.  You can hear the sound of the boat’s engine as the team makes their way to the beach. You can hear the splashing of the waves against the side of the boat, and as they get closer to the beach you can also hear bullets whizzing past and making impact into the water. Then the dialog starts, the boat driver warns the team “30 seconds”. Capt. Miller gives his men instructions. Once the boat reaches shore you can hear the sound of the door unlatching and the cranks unwinding. The door slams open onto the sand. You then hear whizzing of the bullets hitting flesh and helmets. The absent sound of the gun firing gives you a taste of what it’s like being on the receiving end of gun fire. Without the diegetic sounds of the gun fire or other sound effects, I think the viewer would be very confused when the soldiers storm the beach and they start dropping like flies. The sound effects add to the movie and truly give the viewer a sense of what it’s like to be in combat.

Throughout the movie there are only two examples of non-diegetic sounds, one being narration when there is a voice reading the letters to Mrs. Ryan notifying her of her three sons unfortunate deaths, and the other is mood music. Often times you will hear music immediately after the climax of a particular event or when there is a transition in the story taking you from one place and time to a new place and time. The music soundtrack that is featured in this movie really brings this together. The music is iconic of American military with sounds of a snare drum and bugles followed by upbeat prideful or slower mournful orchestra music. I feel the music gives the movie some added art and beauty. This is a very realistic bloody, gory movie, without the music it would be just that, bloody and gory.

References:

IMDb. (2015). Saving Private Ryan. Retrieved from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0120815/

Saving Private Ryan. (2011, October 27). See you on the beach [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lCEFOx5Hc2Y

Batman the Dark Knight

 

• Identify the type of lighting used in the film (traditional three-point, high-key, or low-key) and assess the impact of the lighting used to establish the theme.

The type or style of lighting used in this movie varies from scene to scene. Batman and Bruce Wayne may be the same person; however they are not one in the same. Scenes that feature Batman provide a very low-key lighting style, usually they take place at night and you can only depict a shadowy silhouette. While scenes that feature Bruce Wayne are often during the day time and provide the three-point technique while trying to maintain the natural look of a cloudy, dreary day in Gotham City.

• What are the benefits of the style of lighting used?

For the most part Batman operates at night, so naturally there is going to be a low-key lighting style. Batman remains in the shadows to keep his identity a secret. This lighting technique also adds thrill and suspense to every scene and adds to the appropriate title “The Dark Knight”. During the day when he is Bruce Wayne there is still a darker trait to the movie. I believe the lighting technique to be a dim three-point.

• How did this technique contribute to the theme?

The overall darker theme to this movie adds to Batman’s dark side as a vigilante, operating outside of the law, to fight in the shadows, and protect his city. It also suggests that Gotham as a city mourns while there is an omniscient evil villain wreaking havoc day and night.

• How was the lighting technique suited to the genre of the film?

The Batman movies are truly unique, just as Batman is a unique superhero. For the most part superhero movies use a high-key lighting technique because superheroes fight for good. That goes back to the forces of good and evil, light and dark. Batman is different however, he uses the darkness to his advantage to fight evil.

• Compare how the scene would play if different choices had been made.

If there would have been high-key lighting in any Batman movie I believe it would detract from the character of Batman. If he would be fighting crime under the bright light of the midday sun I think he would get shot within minutes. Batman cannot fly or teleport or stop bullets with his chest. He needs the darkness to conceal his movements and to make his famous escapes. Batman needs the darkness like Gotham needs a hero.

To further my point here is a picture from the Batman TV show that aired in 1966. The lighting makes Batman and his sidekick stick out like a soar thumb.

The lighting technique here in the movie from 2008 makes Batman look like he could easily slip away and this particular scene is in the daylight. Which Batman do you prefer?

Top Gun

Title: Top Gun

Writer: Jim Cash

Director: Tony Scott

Actors: Tom Cruise, Kelly McGillis, Val Kilmer

Story: Top Gun is a 1986 film about a young Navy fighter pilot named Maverick. He encounters a pair of Russian fighter planes in the middle of the Indian Ocean. After successfully scaring off the enemy aircraft he is selected to attend the Top Gun Naval Flying School where he competes to be the top pilot in the class while making some enemies with his fellow classmates he seems to have gotten close to an attractive flight instructor.

Plot: Maverick is introduced in the film as the number two pilot on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise with his navigator Goose. The two take off for a routine training mission with the number one pilot Cougar. While in the air they encounter two Russian fighter jets in friendly air space at the height of the cold war. Maverick successfully scares off the two enemy fighter jets with low fuel levels. As Maverick heads back toward the Enterprise he notices his wingman Cougar is shaken up from the close encounter with the Russians. Maverick directs his wingman back to the Enterprise without incident.

Back on the aircraft carrier USS Enterprise, the number one pilot Cougar turns in his wings and resigns as a fighter pilot. The commander of the Enterprise reluctantly sends Maverick and Goose to the elite Top Gun Naval Flying School now that they are the top team on the Enterprise.

Once Maverick and Goose arrive at Top Gun School Maverick meets an attractive young woman who goes by the name of Charlie at a local bar. The next day at class the Maverick realizes Charlie is a civilian instructor for Top Gun. Maverick tries to impress her throughout the entire movie but she wants to stay away from him. Finally she gives in and sees him again. The two are forced to keep their relationship a secret due to her position in the Top Gun School.

While Maverick and Goose are attending Top Gun School they compete against nine other teams for the top spot in the course. Iceman, a smooth level headed, and well skilled pilot currently is the class favorite for number one. There is a constant battle between Maverick and Iceman that usually ends in friendly competition. Toward the end of the class Maverick and Goose’s plane have an engine malfunction that stalls out the aircraft resulting in an emergency ejection of the. Maverick successfully lands in the open water but Goose is not as fortunate. Goose hit his head on the window and dies from the impact. This sets Maverick on a downward spiral for the remainder of the course.

Upon the day of graduation the instructor is informed of a real world emergency of heavily armed Russian MiG fighter jets making their way to the American West Coast. The four best pilots in the Top Gun School are selected to respond with force. The Russians outnumbered the American Top Gun pilots but the “dog fight” resulted in a victory for the Americans. Maverick and his class rival Iceman prove to be a great team and they used their newly acquired skills to defend their nation.

Chronology: This story was told in chronological order. I’m glad the story was told in chronological order because it illustrates Mavericks progression as a fighter pilot and his maturity to work with his teammates.

Resources: (1986) Top Gun Official Movie Trailer. [Video file]. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qAfbp3YX9F0

Simpson, D. (Producer), Scott, T. (Director). (1986). Top Gun.[Motion Picture]. United States

Introduction to first class

Hello everyone,

My name is Timothy Owen Davidson, I usually go by Owen. I have spent 5.5 years in the United States Air Force and I am working on my CCAF in Criminal Justice. I have only a few classes to finish before I graduate and I am excited to start my very first online class and my first class with Ashford University. I have a wife and two kids. I have found it hard to find the time for school until now and I am trying to finish 6 classes before I separate from the Air Force at the end of August.

Like many of you the last movie I saw was “American Sniper”. This is a movie that I think has represented a generation of war fighters in Iraq and Afghanistan, it tells a story that depicts what many have gone through while deployed and what life is like when they return home. Not everyone has seen extensive combat like what is depicted in the movie but I feel like the movie has given a voice to the thousands of brave men and women who have served our great nation.

I am excited about this class because I love to watch movies and I hope I can learn to appreciate everything that goes into a movie.  I look forward to completing this class and being that much closer to reaching my degree

Owen

My First Post

I have never had an interest in blogging until today. Today is my first day of school with Ashford University and I will be using this blog to have discussions on class material. I hope I have a successful experience and I hope this blog will help me accomplish my goals of graduating from college.

Hello world!

This is your very first post. Click the Edit link to modify or delete it, or start a new post. If you like, use this post to tell readers why you started this blog and what you plan to do with it.

Happy blogging!