Box Office Smash 10

The arts are a part of the entertainment industry, which means that the arts are not just a freedom of expression, but also a business. This means that the film industry is run by corporations owned by business executives who provide a product for consumers. Because of this, the first and foremost concern for distributors is making money. The film industry makes billions of dollars every year. A large percentage of this comes from only a handful of movies released each year which are gangbusters. Movies that do this well commercially need to have a reason for their success, which is studied by both investors and enthusiasts.

Which are the highest grossing films, or films which made the most money? BoxOfficeMojo tracks movies with theatrical releases as far back as a hundred years. There is a list for the highest grossing films on both a domestic and global scale, but only global numbers will be talked about today.

The number one ranking movie in terms of commercial gross is the 2009 movie, Avatar with a 2.7 billion dollar box office. Following Avatar in respective order are:

• Titanic at 2.1 billion dollars
• The Avengers at 1.5 million dollars
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 at 1.3 billion dollars
• Frozen at 1.2 billion dollars
• Iron Man 3 at 1.2 billion dollars
• Transformers: Dark of the Moon at 1.1 billion dollars
• Lord of the Rings: Return of the King at 1.1 billion dollars
• Skyfall at 1.1 billion dollars
• Transformers: Age of Extinction at 1 billion dollars

The Internet Movie Database has information about a movie’s production, including how much a movie cost to make. The list starts with the record holder for the highest grossing film of all time:

• Avatar cost $237,000,000
• Titanic cost $200,000,000
• The Avengers cost $220,000,000
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 cost $125,000,000
• Frozen cost $150,000,000
• Iron Man 3 cost $200,000,000
• Transformers: Age of Extinction cost $195,000,000
• Lord of the Rings: Return of the King cost $94,000,000
• Skyfall cost $200,000,000
• Transformers: Age of Extinction cost $210,000,000

With the exception of Lord of the Rings: Return of the King falling $6 million short of a $100,000,000 budget, every movie in the top ten biggest grosser list has a 9-digit production cost. In comparison, one of the most well-known movies, The Godfather, has a $6,000,000 budget.

With these high budgets, one might think that the overall profit made from subtracting the cost of the production from the box office gross would be low, but the opposite is true.

Avatar, the number one spot holder, has an overall 2.4 billion dollar profit. Following in second place:

• Titanic, has an overall 1.9 billion dollar profit. 
• The Avengers has a 1.2 billion dollar profit. 
• Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows Part 2 has a 1.1 billion dollar profit. 
• Frozen has a 1.05 billion dollar profit. 
• Iron Man 3 has a 1 billion dollar profit. 
• Transformers: Age of Extinction has a 905 million dollar profit. 
• Lord of the Rings: Return of the King has a 1.006 billion dollar profit. 
• Skyfall has a 900 million dollar profit. 
• Transformers: Age of Extinction 790 million dollar profit. 

The Godfather, once again, in comparison made a 239 million dollar profit, which is about one-third of what the tenth place movie, Transformers: Age of Extinction made. The Godfather is in the 443rd place in terms of box office success for clarity’s sake.

Looking in 2014, just as before, Box Office Mojo has tracked all the movies and IMBD has stated production information about each title released for the year. Looking at the top ten of the highest grossing films of the year 2014 gives a good insight to the continuing trend.

The top ten films include:

• Transformers: Age of Extinction in first place at 1 billion dollars
• Guardians of the Galaxy at 771 million dollars
• Maleficent at 757 million dollars
• X-Men: Days of Future Past at 746 million dollars
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier at 714 million dollars
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 at 708 million dollars
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes at 708 million dollars
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 with 565 million dollars
• Godzilla (2014) at 524 million dollars
• The LEGO Movie at 468 million dollars

Taking a look at what has been established, we can compare what factor continued to work for these newer releases. In fact, the #1 movie of the year, Transformers: Age of Extinction, is also 10th place for highest grossing movie of all time.

 
Excluding Transformers: Age of Extinction, the budgets for these movies, in order from the highest grossing to least, was:

• Guardians of the Galaxy at 170 million dollars
• Maleficent at 180 million dollars
• X-Men: Days of Future Past at 200 million dollars
• Captain America: The Winter Soldier at 170 million dollars
• The Amazing Spider-Man 2 at 200 million dollars
• Dawn of the Planet of the Apes at 170 million dollars
• The Hunger Games: Mockingjay - Part 1 at 125 million dollars
• Godzilla (2014) at 160 million dollars
• The LEGO Movie at 60 million dollars.

All but The LEGO Movie have a 9-digit production budget just like the top 10 highest grossing of all time.

This is an interesting relationship. It brings up the question as to whether an expensive movie is more appealing for movie goers. In my interpretation, I believe much of the money goes to marketing those movies. This spreads awareness which in turn draws a bigger audience to buy a ticket. I also believe the top 10 highest grossers are made to be able to appeal to any side of the spectrum. The movies are simple and easily understood so a large audience can enjoy them without needing to struggle to understand what is going on. That is also the reason why they have worldwide appeal since movies dealing with politics or social issues of America would not interest a person living in Hong Kong. Instead the writing features a good guy against a bad guy with as many explosions money can buy.

This was just something I noticed, and I cannot claim to be an expert. But the relationship is there, just not factually proven. Maybe someday there will be a scientific study done, I'd be interested in it. Until then every movie maker crosses their fingers to deliver a box-office hit.

Review: Hachi: A Dog's Tale

Hachi: A Dog's Tale is a Western remake of a Japanese film based on a true story that occurred in Shibuya, Japan.

This movie is difficult to describe without giving away major plot details that are best experienced through watching the movie if you are not already familiar with the story. The basic setup is that a man finds a puppy who has lost his way and decides to take him in.

The two of them bond and a deep friendship is born. The movie is emotional and heartwarming, and towards the end it becomes heavy. People who have a dog may be able to relate to what is happening a bit more than non-dog owners. Despite that, it can still leave an impact on any viewer.

It makes good use of music and uses a dog's view of the world which helps better demonstrate what Hachi the dog is feeling. It feels very humane with its lack of CGI or other obtrusive special effects. This movie uses very little in order to tell a whole lot.

Final Verdict: Red light, sit down to watch this and prepared to release your emotions.

Review: Boyz in the Hood

Life is depicted differently depending on the circumstances surrounding a person. For the hundreds of suburban so called everyman we see in movies, there's comes one that is not so lucky. Boyz in the Hood is about the life of a Southern California urban youth and his friends living the hard knock life.

This movie is a drama. Unlike many movies like this which uses humor with dramatic moments, the entire story has a serious tone. The story begins with the characters as boys. We are shown the unpleasant lives they must endure with things like dead bodies hanging around that no one bothers to report or clean up. The movie then flash forwards to the characters as adults. Life is still tough with like night time shootings and drug addicts harassing them.

The movie makes a point about how people who live in their situation are normally ignored or hoped to be rid of. They are trapped in a situation that seems impossible to escape, while the rest of the country turns their back on them. Without any help, very few are lucky enough to find a way out, and most end up like how many of the characters ended up in this movie.

This movie was fascinating and also made me think about how lucky I actually am, and how as a country we should show our gratefulness by pushing for trying to help those are are not so lucky. This is a fantastic movie, and a definite must watch.

Final Verdict: Red light. Stop, watch, and reflect on this great piece.

Real Life Experience

I was in a mechanic shop sitting in the waiting lounge. The head mechanic was at the front desk writing something. Through the wall I heard the sounds of metal clanking and power tools buzzing. Suddenly, a man bursts through the front door with blood streaming down his face. He starts yelling to call for help. About four seconds later two men come chasing after him. They try to corner the bleeding man against the wall. One of them grabs a hammer off the display and the other a shovel. They lean in close. Suddenly the head mechanic tells them both to get on the floor as he is pointing a handgun to the two attackers. I step out and call the police. The police arrive fifteen later. Someone could have been killed fifteen times over, that response time was unacceptable. The police asked some questions and made some arrests. After everything was over I payed what I owed, and left.

These types of real life experiences are what influences writers to branch out an entire storyline. Never take odd moments in life for granted.

Interview with a Local Director

Making movies is a team process, and the leader of the team is often attributed to the director. I managed to find a local director to ask him a few questions. Below is a short interview between the two of us which may offer insight to aspiring film students.

Q: Speak a little about yourself.
 A: My name is Nick Taylor, I'm a director who grew up in New Jersey.

Q: How long have you been doing this?
A: Nearly 20 years.

Q: Do you enjoy what you do?
A: I love it, absolutely.

Q: Who are some of your inspirations?
A:  Everyone has something to contribute.

Q: Favorite movies?
A: Mostly 70s works, I find they had a real-world charm.

Q: What are the most important elements for a story?
A: Characters.

Q: Anything you wish you could change in today's standards?
A: Less CGI.

Q: Is this line of work hard?
A: The hardest part is always getting started.

 Q: What advice would you give to newcomers?
A: Work on anything. Get experience and meet people.

Q: Anything else you would like to say?
A: Never give up, and keep trying.

Interesting things from someone in the industry. I would like to personally thank Mr. Nick Taylor for taking time to answer some questions. I agree, never give up. We all have aspirations, let's continue to work toward them.

Review: Crash

In 2001, a terrorist attack caused America to go into hysteria about the issue of who is a true American. The heated issue caused a rise in racism leading to different treatment certain people were getting and giving. This occurred for a few years until people decided we needed to unite once more and stop the hate. A by-product of these events was a movie which was meant to deal with and demonstrate "modern" America, Crash.

The movie has different races of people including White, Black, Asian, Hispanic, and Middle-Eastern all trying to make it in life being both surrounded by each other and hating each other. All the characters are nothing more than racist, that is the extent of any given dialogue they have. They cannot go a second sentence without blowing their top and going off on a racist rant, or hurting someone either physically or psychologically.

This movie beats you over the head with this message. It is so blatant, it feels like propaganda rather than a regular movie. There is no subtly like any good movie with a message should have. If the in your face message isn't enough, the overall tone and emotion in the movie is too over dramatic and Sandra Bullock's performance is the most ham filled of all. If you like people being held in each other's arms and crying, you're in luck as, this movie dedicates 10% of the total runtime to it.

Despite this movie's R-rating, at times it feels like a video shown to grade school students about the importance of accepting others. A movie considered good for its time, it is outdated unless you still feel post 9/11 sentiments. If you want a movie with a very similar theme but done better, watch Spike Lee's Do the Right Thing.

Final Verdict: Green light, speed away from this tripe.

Review: Network

Network is a movie about a newscaster who decides he has had enough with how terrible the world has gotten and uses his position to proclaim to the people watching him how bad things really are. He ends up being seen as a type of messiah and voice of the people. His popularity skyrockets and the TV station moves him from the news anchor position to have his own TV show where he can rant to the people's delight.

This movie is a comedy, first and foremost. However, the comedy is done in a way that it is incredibly subtle and is brilliant for doing so. There are no gags, pauses for laughter, or situational jokes. The comedy comes from the absurdity of real life which is being satirized throughout the movie. Much of what is happening really does mirror how real life works even if we have missed just how ridiculous it all is and this movie points it out.

The movie is a commentary on society, media, social construct, mob mentality, leadership, and position of power. It was made during a time America was transitioning from the so called perfect utopia in paintings to the more realistic setting we think of it today, filled with poverty, uncertainty, disloyalty to the government. America is going through another transition, as it is losing its status as the world power to one that might fall under foreign rule. this makes Network definitely relatable to current events.

Final Verdict: Red light, make sure to stop and see Network.

How-To Write a Script

Writing in script format is as easy as any other format. Following the steps below will create a proper way of telling a story for screen and can be as easily learned as writing a book report.

Scene Heading
Start by stating where the story takes place.

First whether it takes place inside or outside - Location - Time

Sample:

Ext. - School - Morning

Action

Not necessarily who's firing guns while driving 200 miles per hour, but what is taking place. Remember to be literal. A good trick is to imagine you are describing what you see on screen to a blind person.

Sample:

Students are all walking into their classrooms, talking in the hallway, and at their lockers. A young woman who is about 17 years old is reading a book while leaning against a wall. She has blonde hair in pigtails and an eyepatch over her right eye. Her right leg is a wooden peg and her right arm is a mechanical gold robot arm. She shuts her book as her phone rings and she answers.

Dialouge

 Now state what is being said. Remember too much dialogue is detrimental. Only have a character speak when they need to interact with someone.

Sample:

Rihanna

Hello, this is secret agent R speaking.

Mom, I told you never to call me at 

school.

That's it.
Script format really is that easy. Yes, there are some more ways to format certain aspects depending on what your doing, including things such as a voice-over, but this is the basic format. Go ahead and write up a scene to try it out.
 

Nightcrawler Thought

Nightcrawler is a new movie currently out in theaters. While the initial trailer did not inherently interest me, there seems to have been a buzz built up from the critic screenings. It seems reviews are incredibly favorable, and the movie has piqued my curiosity.

Reading the review by Matt Zoller Seitz from rogerebert.com,  I find the comparisons to other movies like Taxi Driver or Network help illustrate the overall tone and content of the movie. Reading the review, Nightcrawler comes off as a sort of dark comedy.

While I have not yet seen the movie, my own interpretation based on the review makes it seem as if it is a Coen Brothers type of movie. This comes from the mix of having a quirky and unstable minded character being surrounded by serious life and death events. I'm surprised the reviewer did not make this connection, though actually watching the movie might change my interpretation.

Wikipedia Contribution Seemingly Accepted

Previously, I made a post regarding a Wikipedia edit that I made. Nice to find one month later it is still up. (Follow the link above to read what the Wikipedia entry was, and the changes that were made!)

Review: The Evil Dead 2

In a previous post, found here, I spoke about 10 sequels better than the original. One of those listed was The Evil Dead 2. In the spirit of the October theme, I will now give it a full review.

It starts with a reenactment of the first movie, then continues right to the point where it ended to begin this sequel. A big difference in this movie is the main character actually is aware of what is happening this time and tries to combat it immediately. With some very wonderful camerawork and angles used, a unique flair unseen in other horror movies is presented to the audience.

 
The lore regarding the Book of the Dead from the first movie is expanded upon when our hero meets up with the daughter of the researcher mentioned in the first movie. This world building helps make the plot feel like it has more depth than a typical scary movie. As per the first film, many bizarre and bloody things happen to the characters once again. The effects in the movie are greatly improved this time around, with stop motion animation and animatronics galore. The movie ends on an absurd yet curious note which I won't give away.

One thing I liked which may turn off some viewers would have to be the tone of the movie. Unlike most conventional horror flicks, this one has a strong presence of both action and comedy.  Even with the regular horror elements of paranormal activity and murder happening, the comedy and action are there throughout which may annoy a viewer. However, it manages to blend it perfectly and not have the moods conflict but rather compliment each other. There's no way to explain it, but to experience it.

Final Verdict:  Yellow Light, if you are open to experimental things, try out The Evil Dead 2.

Cinemassacre's Monster Madness

People can be especially big fans of certain genres of movies. Some love romance, others comedy, and many love action flicks. One person I am familiar with is an extreme fan of the horror genre. Every year during the month of October he makes one video every day talking about a different movie counting down to Halloween. The movies span a hundred years, and he likes to give the countdown a different theme every year. The videos are informative and interesting even if you are not the biggest horror fan. Once you begin watching, you'll become a fan and tune in every year. Be sure to check out: Cinemassacre's Monster Madness.

Good Example of Tension

One thing that makes a good horror movie is when what is happening on the screen is uncertain, or rather looks hopeless. When things are too close and a hair is the difference between life and death, it makes an audience pulled into what is happening. Makes them interested to see what happens and if the person will make it. Take for example, The Texas Chainsaw Massacre. If you haven't seen this movie yet, I'd suggest you watch it first before playing the video.

The young woman is injured and can barely walk, but still has to run away in a place where it appears there is no one around to hear you scream. She is being chased by two attackers, and one easily catches her. Its not a matter of getting away, she is practically already caught and he is just toying with her until the man with a lethal weapon that she cannot defend against catches up and kills her.

All these factors which a person does not stop to think about are subconsciously absorbed and processed through a person's brain, and make for an intense scene. Good intense scenes like this are the best for any movie, not just horror. Even as she climbs into the truck, you still think she might not make it, and feel a sense of relief when she does make it to safety.

Makeup Progression

There was an explosion of horror movies in the 70s and 80s. In the past they were a niche genre, but during that time they defined a generation and helped horror break into mainstream appeal which carries on today. People can theorize why this is, but my belief is the advances in special effects, especially the make-up department.

Take for example the 1958 move The Fly and its 1986 remake. In the original, the man who is transformed into a fly wears a mask. That is it. The mask is boring and looks like it could be fashioned on the head like a Halloween costume.

1958

On the other hand, the remake went farther than slipping on a mask. Layers upon layers of makeup were applied to the actor, Jeff Goldbloom. Things protrude and he no longer has a human face shape. It is a full transformation that looks like an actual monster.

1986

Visuals are an integral part of film. Special effects, when done correctly, greatly influence and help propel a work to another level. Special effects are especially important in most horror movies, sometimes making or breaking them.

Review: Poltergiest

Many times when watching movies we have a sense that it is mocking our intelligence. We often wonder why characters make certain decisions when it is clearly a dumb one. Other times we scoff at set ups made for a cheap way to have the story move. These two are especially true for the horror genre. If a house is haunted, one character will go alone to the axe collection room for a smoke. Or while trying to run away from something, a character is guaranteed to trip and scramble around. Moments like these make a movie predictable and usually bugs the audience too much to enjoy what is happening. The only way this could be worse would be if these nuisances occurred before the horrific part even starts, which brings me to Poltergeist (1982).

The movie starts out with a simple setup, a family moves into a a haunted house. Then things slowly start happening which catches their attention. Unlike most movies where things start happening which appear to be a coincidence or could be just a figment of the character's imagination, this movies has the characters fully acknowledge the house is haunted almost right away. This happens when the youngest child is being dragged around the kitchen by an unseen force and everyone thinks its hilarious. Instead of being afraid they stay in the house and the ghosts start trying to kill them. And yet they still stay in the house another night even after they managed to escape death a few times. After more short intense scenes, a medium comes and spends the next thirty minutes pouring out exposition. At this point the movie is ending, and they escape the clutches of evil.

Several flaws of the movie simply come from how things are executed. This wins the award for dumbest characters in a horror movie. It is too much to bear and leaves a bad taste which remains throughout. The words "Why don't you leave the house" will ring enough times in your head to give you a headache.

Final Verdict: Green light. Pass on this movie and watch something else.

October Theme

Today marks October 1st. As the air cools it feels like the perfect atmosphere to be very afraid. Every day leads to the final day in October, H͕͈̥̫͠á̫͇̮̭͍ͅl͔͍̮̱͖ͅl̼͎̩̙o͚͙̭͓̥w̟̯̘͠ẹ͕̣̤e̴͙̣̻ͅn̙̬̫. Things get colder and more spooky counting up to that day as people hang up their skeletons, place their j͈̩ͅa̤͝c̶̞͈̠k̨̞-̰̮̦̣̲o̙-͏̤̫̥l͙͙̦̦̲a͇̤̜̺̬͕n̼̜t̢̘̟̺e͜r̪̩͚n͡s̻̩̬̕ on their porch, and start getting ready to dress up. O̞͓̺̱n̥̻̹e҉̱̦ ̭͇͎͔t̻́h̖͉ͅi̺̺͍n̹̗̙g̪͚̜ to really set the mood is of course, watching ṣ̪̜c͏a̢̘r̯͓̝͓̬͠y̫͙͝ ͍̝̺͠m͢o̠̖̟̞͙v͇̭̼̗i̸̘͕̬̗̥͖ͅe͉̞̫͘s̴.͟ ̷̫To mark the occasion, I will have this month's entries all relate to anything ̣͖̼̙̪h̷̥̺̥͍o̫͉̳̗̻̮r͓̣̼͇̘ṟ̤͍̫͜o̧̻͎͉̙̙̟r͡ ͇̝̹o͏̮̤̩̻r̛͈̮̻͇ͅ ̱͍s̗͍͙ṵͅp͕͕̫̖͕̹͚͟e̡͕̥͕̝̦r̙͈̠̣̺͘ņ͚̟̯a͜tú̘̞̜r͝a̳͍̱̱l̦̯̠̦. The good and the bad, you'll find out great things to check out and poor things to avoid. This blog is set to get haunted for your ̭̪͇̗͞r̩͓̹̖̖͞e̮̳̩a̷̞di̬̖͎͇̥͞n̪̝͓͍͕̘g̬̳ ͎p͖͉l̮̹͘e̫̮͚͍̥̠͢ͅa̟͓̰͢s̘̦̫͉͎̤͜u̫̠̻͉̺̺͈r̸̺̙e̲̜.̶͔̯̜̹̫͚ ̸̯͇̗I̗̫̠̯̫̱͖ ͉͙̩̲wi͞ll̰̹̳̺̙͚̪ t̵̲̠̠y͓̬͉͕̳̻̫͢p̜̺̝ḛ̱̭ ̶̥̜̮ͅo̹̹ṷ̘̰̭̭̣t̝͝ ̼̩̰̹̻̳e̡̬̹͈͔v҉̝͕̥̮̜̺e͉̖͔̝̮ͅŗ̳̰̰̹̙̫̟ỵ̳ entry from my great grandfather's abandoned estate which was built on an ancient Indian burial ground, the site of witch burnings, satanic rituals, and five John Denver Christmas specials. B͓͇e͖͉̗̟ ̬̙̼͇̭͇̖w͕̫̮͙̯̘͡a͓͎̺̟r̪͚͍̭̰͔̫n̯̩e̻̝̬̠͈d̙̹͕̰̳ͅ ̰t̘͈͚̰̺̯͍h͚͈̦̤o͈̙u͟g̴̻͎̠ḩ,̸̫̯̱̖ ̬͞t͔͓̫h̖͈̺̫ͅe̲͇̺̘͡ ҉c҉͕̗͙u̙̫r͉̥̝̮s̞̹̙͡ę ͔͉̩̦͉m̧̫a͏͚͎̜̘y͖͘ ̳̲͓̰s̞͎̞͎͉p̴̟̣r̹͜e̢a̖͡d̳̯͎̫͡ ͏͍̹̝͕o͙͍̳̭n͔̩t̤̳̖̱͉̭͉o̤ ̝y̼̣͉̥͍ͅò̮̙͉͎̬̳̟ù̫̩͕̣̳̦.͏̘̼

What Every Sequel Should Have

In my last post, I spoke about 10 sequels which were better than the original movie. The movies on the list vary in genres, and what made them better all depended on each movie, such as Mad Max 2: Road Warrior having more action, or The Evil Dead 2 mixing comedy into the horror elements. Despite that, there are things all the films I listed had in common on a substantial level, and what would make sense for a sequel to have in order to be considered a worthy part of a series of films. While reading the list, think about how each of them applied to the listed 10 movies, and can apply to others as well. The list includes:

• expand on what the previous entry established
• not ruin anything the previous movie was praised for
• fix any criticisms the previous movie received
• assume the viewer has seen the previous entry and have the pace match that
• make the plot something fresh and not recycle the previous story
• make sure it can stand on its own merits
• include anything that the creators wanted to put in the first but couldn't should be implemented

While movies don't work on a formulaic level, these tips are ones that were apparent in the previous top 10, and should be applied on any sequel. If not, there is a better chance the movie will be a bust. And no one wants that.

10 Sequels Better than the Original

Sequels are often seen to be cash grabs or uninspired for having to rely on an established film. Many movies which have sequels sometimes have the audience simply ignore the fact that the sequels even exist. Everyone has heard the phrase "only the first one was good". Today I am listing 10 movies which I believe to not only hold up to their predecessor(s), but surpass them to be the best in the series. These sequels are so good that even if you did not like the original you should give the sequel a chance. These films are so good, even if you never watched the original, you should just so you can watch the sequel.

1. Mad Max 2: The Road Warrior
2. Aliens
3. Terminator 2: Judgement Day
4. Silence of the Lambs (Most people aren't aware that this is a sequel to Manhunter!)
5. Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back
6. The Rescuers Down Under
7. The Bourne Ultimatum
8.  The Good, the Bad, and the Ugly
9. The Evil Dead 2
10. Spiderman 2

Funny thing about this list is that two directors had their work show up more than once,  James Cameron and Sam Raimi. Perhaps they have a knack for working with follow ups?

Review: Sunset Boulevard

Sunset Boulevard is the story that many people in Hollywood live. It is about a woman named Norma Desmond who was adored by the masses until her age caught up with her. She faded into obscurity to live a life in which her only enjoyment is reminiscence of her younger days. She meets a struggling script writer and she shows him her own story she has written in which she will star in and re-launch her career. She asks him to touch it up since he has more experience, and the two of them partner up.

What follows is an amazing character driven story that is both engaging and emotional. As things unfold, we sympathize with what Norma has gone through, and how warped her mind has become. It makes us think about the people who have tasted glory only to be thrown to the floor, and how much it means to them that they regain that glory as if it has become their identity.

If I was to give one flaw about the movie, it would be that the ending is revealed at the beginning. It sets the tone and gives the audience an idea of what kind of events will unfold, though its a shame it couldn't have gone about this in another way to leave the end to be a grand reveal. Despite this flaw, the story is still gripping.

I consider this to be one of my favorite films, and instantly comes into my mind when I think about what a well written story should be like.

Final Verdict: Red. Make a stop on Sunset Boulevard.

Credit Where Credit is Due

I was reading up an article on Wikipedia for certain info on my next movie to be reviewed, Sunset Boulevard. Reading through, there was one section where it discussed influences this film had on the world. I noticed a show that I particularly liked which had one episode pay direct tribute to the film's opening was excluded, so I just went ahead and added it.

Before:

Television

• The film inspired a 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone titled "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine".^[48]
• The season five premiere of Columbo, titled "Forgotten Lady", also drew heavily from Sunset Boulevard.^{[citation needed]}

After:

Television

• The film inspired a 1959 episode of The Twilight Zone titled "The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine".^[48]
• The season five premiere of Columbo, titled "Forgotten Lady", also drew heavily from Sunset Boulevard.^{[citation needed]}
• In the episode of American Dad, entitled "Star Trek", the plot revolves around the downfall of stardom and pays homage by replicating the opening scene of the movie.

Gotta love that internet.

Review: Rashomon

Many people have watched a television show in which something unknown happens and each character involved is questioned with each giving a different story usually to comedic effect. Rashomon (1950) is the film which pioneered this story telling device, though done instead to tell the tale of a serious crime from four different points of view.

The story takes place in a court. Four testimonies are to be heard from four members of the party involved. This includes the bandit who is on trial, a samurai, his wife, and a passerby woodcutter. Each story is contradictory to the others. As each person speaks, the viewer tries to find similarities between the stories to try and uncover the truth, similarly playing part of the court.

To compliment the interesting story, there is a great use of lighting and camera work to keep the visuals interesting as each person's version of the story is told. Audiences watching can wonder what parts, if any, of the stories are true. The motivation and reasoning behind why the stories being told are so different has the viewer question and maybe even sympathize with how or why the truth seems less appealing at times.

This is a fantastic movie that can be enjoyed by any adult. The plot is interesting and the ambiguity keeps a viewer invested for a very believable story.

Final Verdict: Red Light. Take time to stop and watch Rashomon sometime.

Batman vs. Batman

In 1989, Batman was released to great reception, with a followup of numerous sequels. In 2005, a reboot film franchise was green-lighted to total three films known as "The Dark Knight Trilogy". These sets of movies have been compared and many ask which are the better Batman films? Today I will do my own comparisons and give my own opinion as to which of the two films which started each line of movies is better, Batman (1989) and Batman Begins (2005).

Both films touch upon the origins of Batman, though Batman Begins goes much more in depth. The first thing to notice is the different atmosphere of the two movies. Batman has a much more unique take on the film. It is a blend of both an action movie with underlying dark comedy. While a person may not necessarily laugh, it is a much more easy going film despite intense scenes with people doing flips, kicks, and shooting bullets. Batman Begins takes a much more realistic and gritty interpretation. The characters are very serious throughout the film and at times feels more like a crime drama or mystery. The action scenes are more choreographed to show a life and death fight rather than a brawl.

Keeping this in mind, the atmosphere described affects the other aspects of the film. Take for example how Gotham City is depicted.

Batman (1989) Gotham City

Batman Begins (2005) Gotham City

Looking at these images, Batman is an imagination fueled city, with architecture that does not exist in our reality but instead puts the viewer into its own reality. Batman Begins looks like an actual location on the other hand giving a sense of realism. The story in Batman is much more eccentric and Saturday morning cartoony, while Batman Begins touches on realistic themes and ideas such as drug trafficking and organized crime. By this point it becomes obvious what type of movies these are and what audiences they touch. Words that describe Batman show how the film is a good representation of what a plot about a man in a costume fighting crime would be expected. On the other hand, Batman Begins was described numerous times as more realistic to represent how if Batman really did exist as non-fiction that this would be how events would play out. Both of these movies are very different, and which one would be better is mostly dependent on a person's taste entirely since they are both not just good Batman stories, but just good movies.

To choose one, I would pick Batman. It is one of the movies that is better as an adult despite being assessable to younger audiences. It doesn't take itself too seriously, but still can keep a viewer from finding it too campy. Like the original James Bond flicks, a movie like this is very rare to to be able to separate itself from the many other movies that are both imaginative and realistic and create a harmony between the two. If you haven't already, be sure to check out both movies sometime to see these points on screen.

Information

I've often recommended movies to people, and often those recommendations were appreciated. I have seen numerous movies from the silent era to the present blockbusters. I have a wide variety of favorites and know a lot about each movie's individual history and facts. Being in university, and currently working towards a Communication Degree, I hope to become a filmmaker myself. Due to this, I try and watch as many things as possible to find individual flaws and strengths of everything I watch. Following this blog you'll find new things to watch which have become timeless treasures, or learn to avoid something that was a product of its time and is no longer worth the view. Find out about hidden gems and classics all on this blog.

Introduction

There are many rating systems people use to review things. A percentage from 1% to 100%, 4 or 5 stars, X/10, or even letter grades. However most people can judge things with a simple "good" or "bad". I find this to be a better system due to the fact that the other systems usually are unreliable since most would not be able to discern the value difference in most cases. Who can really explain how one movie is an 84% and another is an 85% for example? What accounts for that 1% difference? What aspect did that extra 1% come from?

On this blog, movies will be judged based off a traffic light's 3 colors. A Red Light means you should stop and watch the movie, for it is highly recommended. A Green Light means you should keep moving, do not watch the movie. A Yellow Light is a cautionary recommendation, normally recommended under the circumstances of a person's personal likes or dislikes, and therefore whether you stop and watch or continue past it is up to you.