Juice is a classical urban movie that everyone has enjoyed. Director Ernest Dickerson did another magnificent job on this 1992 film. He clearly showed the life in Harlem, New York in the 90's and the center of life of music and poverty.
The lighting showed the hardship and the life of poverty in New York. It showed how in one minute you're in this dark place and the next minute you try to be bright but your light gets dim trying to hide your emotions to the world. One example is when Raheem ( Khalil Kain) died and Q(Omar Epps) and Steel( Jermaine Hopkins) was at Raheem house pretending that they was okay but really was dis drought.
The sounds was as hard and truthful as can be. The music told the feeling of the atmosphere and of each scene. The dialog between the characters was frank and straight forward . Most of all truthful.
The costume designs was great. The New York style in the 90's was hip and hoppy. You can see the conversion between the late 80's to modern days. Clothes not too baggy but not fitted either. Salvation Army for some reason was calling out real loud.
Monday, February 26, 2007
Thursday, February 15, 2007
Never Die Alone
Never Die Alone is a film about a hard-boiled, stylish kingpin drug dealer, called King David played by rapper DMX, who returns to his hometown seeking redemption. King David's final moments were spent with Paul( David Arquette). Paul was an aspiring journalist who knew King David just for a couple of minutes. Funny thing is that King David left a big impact on Paul's life. King David, half preacher, half Satan, and typically street smart recorded the story of his life on an audiotape.
Never Die Alone is a good film depending on what side your looking at it. On an urban view you'll see it as a new light in a new direction. But to the “real world” its just plain stupidity. One quoted “its trashy, pretentious look at life”.
The direction of the film was to teach about crime in “the streets” and the consequences. Director Ernest R. Dickerson took the direction from Spike Lee's films She's Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing which he did cinematography for.
There was a dark shadow throughout the whole film. Which is a key element to the film because it symbolizes the dark side of the urban world.
Throughout the film you can tell that Dickerson took the advantage of small cameras, because when you're watching the film you feel what the characters feel, you touch what the characters touch. Its like you're in the middle of what's going on.
Besides the enormous amount of profanity in the film, sounding was good. The language use in the urban world is vague, frank, and down right dirty, which was showed very well.
Costumes wasn't what I had expected to be because throughout the film actor DMX who played King David was in a suit coat, white shirt and jeans or was just plain naked.
Never Die Alone is a good film depending on what side your looking at it. On an urban view you'll see it as a new light in a new direction. But to the “real world” its just plain stupidity. One quoted “its trashy, pretentious look at life”.
The direction of the film was to teach about crime in “the streets” and the consequences. Director Ernest R. Dickerson took the direction from Spike Lee's films She's Gotta Have It and Do the Right Thing which he did cinematography for.
There was a dark shadow throughout the whole film. Which is a key element to the film because it symbolizes the dark side of the urban world.
Throughout the film you can tell that Dickerson took the advantage of small cameras, because when you're watching the film you feel what the characters feel, you touch what the characters touch. Its like you're in the middle of what's going on.
Besides the enormous amount of profanity in the film, sounding was good. The language use in the urban world is vague, frank, and down right dirty, which was showed very well.
Costumes wasn't what I had expected to be because throughout the film actor DMX who played King David was in a suit coat, white shirt and jeans or was just plain naked.
Wednesday, February 7, 2007
Feb. 2, 2007 (Jounarl)
Vertigo
(Critique)
Another magnificent job by Alfred Hitchcock on the 1958 film Vertigo. A San Francisco detective suffering from vertigo investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
The scenery of the film was dark just like Rear Window where all you see is the light from where the camera is shining on. A couple of the scenes looked fake, as if it were paste. Maybe, because of the age of the film but a lot of the camera shots looked blur, it was hard to make things out. But then again the blurriness showed a peaceful state in the characters.
The costumes was like Scarface, it fit the time period of the mid to late 50s.
The music/ sound effects was well put together. Hitchcock is well known for his thriller and mystery films and thats what this film consist of. The suspense in the music went well. Sometimes it made it seems more dramatic then it really was but it did keep the movie going and had everybody interested throughout the film.
(News Article)
Syriana is an exciting thriller that's all the more suspenseful because it entrench in real- world issues. Director Stephen Gaghan explores the subject of America's dependence on foreign oil through a complicated jump from the Persian Gulf to Washington to Europe while establishing connection between corporations, governments and terrorists.
(Personal Entry)
Cinematography is not my cup of tea. At first I was confused(still am) in this class but with the help of my classmates I manage to get through some of my assignments. So thank you.
(Critique)
Another magnificent job by Alfred Hitchcock on the 1958 film Vertigo. A San Francisco detective suffering from vertigo investigates the strange activities of an old friend's wife, all the while becoming dangerously obsessed with her.
The scenery of the film was dark just like Rear Window where all you see is the light from where the camera is shining on. A couple of the scenes looked fake, as if it were paste. Maybe, because of the age of the film but a lot of the camera shots looked blur, it was hard to make things out. But then again the blurriness showed a peaceful state in the characters.
The costumes was like Scarface, it fit the time period of the mid to late 50s.
The music/ sound effects was well put together. Hitchcock is well known for his thriller and mystery films and thats what this film consist of. The suspense in the music went well. Sometimes it made it seems more dramatic then it really was but it did keep the movie going and had everybody interested throughout the film.
(News Article)
Syriana is an exciting thriller that's all the more suspenseful because it entrench in real- world issues. Director Stephen Gaghan explores the subject of America's dependence on foreign oil through a complicated jump from the Persian Gulf to Washington to Europe while establishing connection between corporations, governments and terrorists.
(Personal Entry)
Cinematography is not my cup of tea. At first I was confused(still am) in this class but with the help of my classmates I manage to get through some of my assignments. So thank you.
Tuesday, February 6, 2007
Hotel Rwanda
Directed by Terry George, Hotel Rwanda is educational and inspiring. The film was gruesomely nasty and disgusting but well choreographed. One of the scenes was when Paul went to get some food for the hotel company and on his way back to the hotel he went by the river road and passed a road of dead bodies.
In some scenes the camera view was a little bad. You couldn't see the expression of the characters. Also the pacing of some scenes was terrible, you can actually tell the difference of the green screen and what was real.
At first I didn't get the concept of the movie because they kept talking about Hutu and the Tutsi and about how evil both of them are. But the sequence and order shows what was actually going on.
Sounding and the language was okay but I think this film would have worked better in French/Rwandan instead of English/Rwandan. That way you can feel by the sounds of their pain and/or anger. Just as in Pan's Labyrinth which was in Spanish or even Passion of the Christ in Hebrew.
The lighting from the film was great. Costumes was not bad because they still dressed in their African clothing and dressed in modern clothes. It showed the coming of Africa.
In some scenes the camera view was a little bad. You couldn't see the expression of the characters. Also the pacing of some scenes was terrible, you can actually tell the difference of the green screen and what was real.
At first I didn't get the concept of the movie because they kept talking about Hutu and the Tutsi and about how evil both of them are. But the sequence and order shows what was actually going on.
Sounding and the language was okay but I think this film would have worked better in French/Rwandan instead of English/Rwandan. That way you can feel by the sounds of their pain and/or anger. Just as in Pan's Labyrinth which was in Spanish or even Passion of the Christ in Hebrew.
The lighting from the film was great. Costumes was not bad because they still dressed in their African clothing and dressed in modern clothes. It showed the coming of Africa.
Rear Window
Rear Window gets two hand claps. Director Alfred Hitchcock, and cinematographer Robert Burks did a magnificent job. Based on Cornell Woolrich's short story "It Had to Be Murder" (1942), the thriller and mystery of the film had everybody excited and and wanting more especially in its final twenty minutes.
A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. The tenants of the other apartments offer an observant comment of marriage and a complete survey of male/female relationships (all the way from honeymooners to a murderous spouse), as Stewart(Jeff) watches through his 'rear window'.
The camera work was intersecting because throughout the whole film it was in two shooting spots. The apartment room where Stewart(Jeff) lived in and when Stewart(Jeff) fell out the window. The film was basically going from one room window into another apartment window from Stewart's(Jeff) apartment window.
Costumes was alright, it did show the time period perfectly of late 40's to early 50's. The only bad part was when the two ladies Grace Kelly (Lisa Fremont) and Thelma Ritter (Stella Dick Simmons) went into Raymond Burr (Lars Thorwald) apartment and was dress in dresses. Obviously they wasn't dresses in appropriate attire for the sneak around. They were dressed in bright colors at that. They could have least worn black.
The lighting of the film was not bad. Its just that at night the lighting stayed the same Dark so it was hard to make out the faces and expression of the characters. One scene was when Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter went to go dig out the dead body. You couldn't see the expression on there faces very clearly. Most of the lighting was close up, so you can really see face expressions only from Stewart's apartment.
A wheelchair bound photographer spies on his neighbors from his apartment window and becomes convinced one of them has committed murder. The tenants of the other apartments offer an observant comment of marriage and a complete survey of male/female relationships (all the way from honeymooners to a murderous spouse), as Stewart(Jeff) watches through his 'rear window'.
The camera work was intersecting because throughout the whole film it was in two shooting spots. The apartment room where Stewart(Jeff) lived in and when Stewart(Jeff) fell out the window. The film was basically going from one room window into another apartment window from Stewart's(Jeff) apartment window.
Costumes was alright, it did show the time period perfectly of late 40's to early 50's. The only bad part was when the two ladies Grace Kelly (Lisa Fremont) and Thelma Ritter (Stella Dick Simmons) went into Raymond Burr (Lars Thorwald) apartment and was dress in dresses. Obviously they wasn't dresses in appropriate attire for the sneak around. They were dressed in bright colors at that. They could have least worn black.
The lighting of the film was not bad. Its just that at night the lighting stayed the same Dark so it was hard to make out the faces and expression of the characters. One scene was when Grace Kelly and Thelma Ritter went to go dig out the dead body. You couldn't see the expression on there faces very clearly. Most of the lighting was close up, so you can really see face expressions only from Stewart's apartment.
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