Week 14: Long Form Television

I've been told that as a kid, I was glued to TVs. I would watch shows for hours and would throw the biggest fit when I was told to stop. It usually didn't matter what I was watching I was just entranced by it.

To be honest it hasn't changed much. I adore TV shows still to this day. But like many people in this day and age its hard for me to watch as regularly as I use too. As a kid I didn't have an obligations with due dates or many other issue. It just wasn't something I had to deal with.

Because of this, I use Netflix. A lot. Its just a lot easier for me in the long run. I guess the only disappointing thing about that is that for the most part Netflix still has a very limited amount of series compared to what is out that. NCIS has been constantly rated one of the best television series on TV right now but still isn't available which is aggravating to me because I want to watch it but can't.

The great thing about Netflix is binge watching some of the series. I readily agree I would much rather watch an entire season of a show all in one go than wait for each episode to come out once a week. Its slow and I'm incredibly impatient. I suppose the only flaw there is that once you run out of episode you have to wait for the next season to come out possibly waiting another year to get on Netflix.

To help people continue watching other series Netflix is nice enough to recommend other series to keep people satisfied not to mention changing their selections on occasion. I've been recommended both Doctor Who and Star Trek several times now and haven't attempted to watch those simply because of just how many episodes there are.

Television still is something I enjoy watching when I do have the chance but I recognize that times are changing. Episodes are often released online within a few days of it showing on cable. In the case of some cartoons, hackers often leak episodes hours early. In this age, I think it would be better if the episodes were more simultaneously hared with viewers.

Week 4: Pulp Fiction

Partners in Crime by Agatha Christie
Read by Kim Newman & Sam Baldwin

Click link for recording:

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Week 8: Screenplay

Week 13: Remix: Old to New

Remix is a constant part of our culture these days, with examples like the sampling of music into rap or techno or simply rebooting a series. It’s become commonplace that for the most part we thing nothing about it.

It’s become increasing common in the movie and television industry. In the last few years we have 3 separate remixes of Sherlock Holmes; one movie franchise with two movies, one television reboot from BBC, and then another one from CBS an American studio. How is that all of these can be successful but still draw from the same inspiration. That’s just how reboots work often-twisting things to work better in a modern day setting or for a wider audience range. 

Sherlock, the BBC show is a modern adaptation with little changes to the otherwise. All of the characters have similar motives as they did in the original series puss or minus a few changes to have them be more acceptable to the audience. The most that changes about this adaptation is the melding to modern technology and this century’s society.

Elementary on the other hand takes a lot more risks with its remix of the old and melding it also with modern day society. Sherlock remains similar to his past if not just a bit more rude but John Watson is no longer a man and is not a woman named Joan. Other changes have been made in contrast to the other reboot. The setting takes place in a modern day New York City. Other changes include Mrs. Hudson no longer being this old lady but know a much young transgender woman. One of the biggest plot twists on the show involves Sherlock Holmes long time archenemy Moriarty and his love interest Irene Adler. Needless to say if it hasn’t become quite obvious, I much prefer Elementary to its British counterpart.

Their remix don’t just go the simple rout of just modernizing it they, in the great words of Miss Fizzle “Take chances, make mistakes, get messy!” And that’s the simple truth.

Week 9: The Common Themes of Directors

Wes Anderson is a man of many talents. He has been a director, producer, writer and even an actor to several films. This may not seem very impressible but considering he has done some of these together for some of his films I think that add to the level of his skill.

The 3 films I selected to watch of his were The Royal Tenenbaums, Fantastic Mr. Fox, and Moonrise Kingdom. After watching the first part of Moonrise Kingdom, I became interested enough to finish the movie on my own. Being able to watch some of his other movies seemed like a good idea.

And it really was. I had heard about the movie the Fantastic Mr. Fox but hadn't had the motivation to actually see it even after hearing it was good from several friends. It was the same for Moonrise Kingdom thou I never had the motivation to watch that one ether. The only one I hadn't heard of before was The Royal Tenenbaums but considering that came out when I was only 9 years old I feel that’s explanatory.

Having watched all of these films now it seems he really likes to focus on a slice of life feeling. He focused on dramas involve the growing up of characters as they face roadblocks in their life. He also likes having a family connection as all of the films have a close family with very little focus on people outside of this inner circle.

His use of camera angle and point of view is some of the best I’ve seen in years. One example I can give is when Mr. Fox is robing the cold storage for one of farmers and we see the entire scene from the screens of security cameras. I find these odd placements of cameras prominent in many of his movies as well as almost a side scrolling view like in video games. It’s not the normal views we get currently in the movies.

Another thing found in all of his movies is the idea that he separates each part into chapters, parts that are labeled often visually on the screen. I read somewhere it feels like very much like a novel. His movies translate very much more to a visual adaptation of an actual book then a translation of a screenplay.

Wes develops characters at his own pace giving us just enough information at the beginning to give us an idea but then slowly giving more away s the movie goes on. Hints are given on what’s going on but nothing is finally revealed until the climax. He gives each of the characters their own quarks in nature that may seem strange to us. It is perfectly natural to the world they live in for the most part but they are still strange to everyone else.

So in all, I like his movies thou nothing I would watch normally.

Week 11: "You" and Me in the Wonderful World of Gameing

You, a novel by the game designer Austin Grossman, tells the story of Russell as he gets a job at Black Arts games not only for a paycheck but also to find about the death of a friend of his. It revolves around the gaming industry as told from someone who worked on multiple games himself and knows what he's talking about unlike others who have written the same thing. 

Was he more successful than others?

I don't particularly think so. As someone who has read others exploring video games as a setting for a story, I can't say this one stands out to me particularly well. It's probably a combination of things. I didn't particularly like Russell as a character. He seems like a jerk who thought himself to be high and mighty to many of the people he meets despite the fact he grows to like them. Even then he doesn't stand out much from the standard main character just coming off as annoying.

I think the biggest problem I have with books trying to use games as a setting is that video games are a visual medium. They are shown to us not with just words but moving pictures that we can control and progress at our own pace. We control how fast we get to one point or another. We control the main character. Its all something we can watch and not read admiring the creativity of others instead of coming up with the little details from our own imaginations.

In this case, I'm not sure I'll find any story about video games very interesting when I can just go play a game myself.

There is one video game story I do admit has been very successful and I enjoyed what little I've seen and read of the series is .hack//Sign. The series has had many incarnations of manga, anime, and games. It understands the idea of being inside a game and the world outside of it from the view of players.

I think I good reason I find this series better is not only because i found the story more compelling but the fact I enjoyed having to watch something instead of reading it. I had pictures to look at in the manga, animations to watch in the anime, and I got to play the game itself. Its this that I feel makes it have a step up over other novels trying to accomplish the same thing. Even with a few visuals could have all the difference.

Week 10: Stories of Our Time

( I only realized after writing this we were not required to write an entry for this week.)

Unlike some past weeks, I think this one particularly stood out to me.

I was much to young to remember the Columbine High School massacre. I was only in the 1st grade when it happened and I don't even remember hearing about it at the time. I couldn't even tell you if there were ever any security measures taken place at my school afterwards.

What I do remember is September 11th just two and a half years later. It had only been that short amount of time and I had gone into the 4th grade. But still I can remember it quite well like I'm sure many others can as well. This is the major event of our childhood like Columbine was for many others and I'm sure what Sandy Hook is to many kids now.

These events define much of who we are today. They have affected us all in a variety of ways, some of it hitting closer to home than others.

Just like September 11th, I remember Sandy Hook as well.

These short stories show us a different perspective to events one that doesn't come from the bias of television. In Newsworld, the teens try to find out where things have gone wrong, looking to the local amusement park for answers. They don't know what they will find breaking in but at the same time all they know is the mews media and how things seem. They hope that they will gave some incite from the park's sets of other past news.

After all, history tends to repeat itself. In the past 20 years, there have been a shocking amount of shootings at schools that is several times too many. There have been too many terrors from people who hate anyone who doesn't agree with their views. Its a terrifying time we live in in some ways.