My favorite part about blogging has got to be the short updates. I feel like I can write about anything. While I can cover anything within my beat on the longer posts, I feel like the shorter updates allow me to cover more interesting shorter pieces. For example the update last week about Shia LeBeouf would not have been substantial enough to earn an entire story, however, it is relevant enough to be a quick update.
I find it difficult to find people to quote for this beat. I don't want to just use quotes from people who have just come out of the theatre for each update, but they're the most accessible sources for my beat.
I feel like I'm really learning a lot about how to run a blog properly. I'm excited to give it a try on my own once this class is over. I think the experience I'm gaining from these weekly blog posts is really beneficial.
I think blogging is a great way to connect with people and share news about specific subjects. Often time newspapers or websites will cover a great variety of things, but blogs tend to have a more narrow focus. I think that allows them to connect better with people who frequent the blog.
When I started the class I wish I had known how much in depth research goes into keeping up with a beat. While I enjoy keeping up with the film industry I would have preferred to do a different beat like music, had I known how much time went into each post.
Thursday, June 2, 2016
Wonderland or Wonderless?
This past weekend marked the release of Tim Burton's sequel Alice Through the Looking Glass.
In Alice Through the Looking Glass our heroine returns to Wonderland for another adventure, this time to save her friend the Mad Hatter. While this film offers a new look at Wonderland's characters and their backgrounds, which was not present in the previous film, some argue it loses a lot of its 'muchness'.
Film critic Andrew Lapin even goes so far as to say, "We're not in Wonderland anymore, if indeed we ever were. Most likely, we'd already left it far behind with the 2010 Tim Burton reshuffling of Alice in Wonderland".
Many critics would agree that this film left much to be desired not only with the plot, but with the visuals as well. The original Alice in Wonderland introduced Alice to the public as a little girl in a world filled with so much wonder it allowed audiences in 1951 to escape reality for 75 minutes. The 2010 reboot offered these same wonders to a new generation with vibrant backgrounds and computer graphics which brought the characters of Wonderland back to life for 109 fantastical minutes.
Movie goer Hameeda Osman from Denver expressed a slightly different take on the movie saying it, "revealed more of who the Mad Hatter was, not just a happy go lucky weirdo, but someone who has felt pain. In, my limited knowledge this film was definitely darker than the previous one. All in all though, The Looking Glass is a memorable film with a typical happy ending".
I would have to say I agree with Hameeda's take more than the film critics'. While this sequel to Alice in Wonderland failed to reach the same level of spectacular and wondrous overall, it more than made up for it in other areas. The audience becomes acquainted with each of the major characters (the Mad Hatter, the White Queen, the Red Queen, and the March Hare) in ways that were left unexplored in the previous movie. In addition, Tim Burton does an excellent job of tying in various backstories while still making each of the characters a dynamic part of the progressing storyline.
At the end of the day this film is very well done Disney film, while it may not show it the box office, this is a sequel worth seeing.
Thursday, May 26, 2016
Blogging Overview
Writing this blog has been a fun experience so far. I love to share things with people on the internet and I enjoy designing the page. Also, it teaches me a lot about the subject as I research the most recent events to blog about. I appreciate that this class gives me guidance on how to run a blog, so that my first blogging experience isn't completely wild.
I plan on starting another blog for music this time because the alternative rock scene fascinates me. I like going to movies but I'm not as passionate about them as I thought I was, so I would pick a different beat for my next blog. What I find the most challenging about blogging is staying consistent about posting and constantly reading to stay up to date on the beat.
I like that this class forces me to stay consistent in my posts, however, it's difficult to reach the required word count sometimes. Sometimes I think I could sum up the updates on my beat in less than 500 words, or that another story needs to be more than 250 words.
I plan on starting another blog for music this time because the alternative rock scene fascinates me. I like going to movies but I'm not as passionate about them as I thought I was, so I would pick a different beat for my next blog. What I find the most challenging about blogging is staying consistent about posting and constantly reading to stay up to date on the beat.
I like that this class forces me to stay consistent in my posts, however, it's difficult to reach the required word count sometimes. Sometimes I think I could sum up the updates on my beat in less than 500 words, or that another story needs to be more than 250 words.
Shia La(Film)Beouf
Recently, performing artist and director Shia La Beouf has left the internet guessing with his latest performance piece.
Starting May 9th he began to tweet a series of coordinates; each set of coordinates pinpointed a different location in Colorado. Hundreds of thousands of followers were left with no explanation for the coordinates as the tweets continued. Recently sources like NME and USA Today picked up the story and began to hunt for an explanation to the actor's enigmatic behavior.
Which presents us with a couple theories on the meaning behind the cryptic tweet. One theory is that he's pushing fans to explore by tweeting coordinates which are all part of an elaborate treasure hunt. However, when fans went to the locations there was nothing to be found. The next theory was that he was trying to spell something. When all the coordinate locations titles were put together it spelled TAKEMEANYWH as of May 20th. Which is the name of the latest film by his collaborator Nastja Rönkkö.
By May 26th it was revealed to us that Shia LaBeouf, along with collaborators Nastja Rönkkö and Luke Turner, would be tweeting coordinates of their journey. On this journey he will be traveling from Boulder, Colorado around America receiving rides from whichever fan reaches the coordinates first. From there the fans will be allowed to take the three of them wherever they choose.
This journey will be captured as part of a documentary which will be presented at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.
Starting May 9th he began to tweet a series of coordinates; each set of coordinates pinpointed a different location in Colorado. Hundreds of thousands of followers were left with no explanation for the coordinates as the tweets continued. Recently sources like NME and USA Today picked up the story and began to hunt for an explanation to the actor's enigmatic behavior.
Which presents us with a couple theories on the meaning behind the cryptic tweet. One theory is that he's pushing fans to explore by tweeting coordinates which are all part of an elaborate treasure hunt. However, when fans went to the locations there was nothing to be found. The next theory was that he was trying to spell something. When all the coordinate locations titles were put together it spelled TAKEMEANYWH as of May 20th. Which is the name of the latest film by his collaborator Nastja Rönkkö.
By May 26th it was revealed to us that Shia LaBeouf, along with collaborators Nastja Rönkkö and Luke Turner, would be tweeting coordinates of their journey. On this journey he will be traveling from Boulder, Colorado around America receiving rides from whichever fan reaches the coordinates first. From there the fans will be allowed to take the three of them wherever they choose.
This journey will be captured as part of a documentary which will be presented at the Boulder Museum of Contemporary Art.
Neighbors 2: Reviews Falling
Last Friday marked the release of the Neighbors sequel Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising. The sequel brings back a number of celebrities from the first film like Zach Efron and Seth Rogen. Sorority Rising also adds a couple new celebrities to the cast like Selena Gomez and Chloë Grace Moretz.
The original film was about two new parents who move into the suburbs and the subsequent prank war which occurs when a fraternity, Omega Psi Beta, moves in next door.
While I would love to say this was a highly anticipated sequel which will surely be one of the latest blockbusters, the film community would disagree. Film critics at The Guardian were not impressed with Rogen's sequel.
"That’s got potential, but a sustained script is what he needs. It’s not forthcoming here", says Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.
The plot fell sort of expectations by using what critics see as the same storyline as the original with frat boys exchanged for a sorority.
Fans of the first movie, however, walked away with a different opinion. I spoke with people as they left the theatre to get their opinions.
"It was actually better than the first one, this one was hilarious", said Mary Harris from Centennial Colorado.
The lack of plot variation from the original movie was over shadowed by fresh jokes and new faces for many of the fans of Sorority Rising, allowing them to enjoy the film more than the its predecessor.
Despite the mixed reviews, most agreed that Neighbors 2 had a feminist message that was not present in the previous film. However, the were further disputes over the quality of that message and whether it may have been more harmful than progressive. Vulture magazine mentions how the women in the film are used as "signposts for the audience (or our male characters) to 'learn something' from". As a result, the women are not dynamic developed characters, they lose their human empathetic characteristics and exist only for the feminist agenda in the film.
Some argue that the prominent progressive message against sexism and homophobia made the movie less funny by making it "too politically correct". Others, reply saying that comedy like this should be standard. If making a joke at the expense of a whole group is the only way you can be funny, its time to retire. True comedy should unite people, not alienate them, which is what Seth Rogen achieved in this film. Many have heralded Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising as the peak of modern feminism in film, while others see this as the bare minimum effort in progressive media.
While this movie hasn't done too well in the box office, it has started important conversations around language and the role comedy plays in ending oppression.
The original film was about two new parents who move into the suburbs and the subsequent prank war which occurs when a fraternity, Omega Psi Beta, moves in next door.
While I would love to say this was a highly anticipated sequel which will surely be one of the latest blockbusters, the film community would disagree. Film critics at The Guardian were not impressed with Rogen's sequel.
"That’s got potential, but a sustained script is what he needs. It’s not forthcoming here", says Peter Bradshaw of The Guardian.
The plot fell sort of expectations by using what critics see as the same storyline as the original with frat boys exchanged for a sorority.
Fans of the first movie, however, walked away with a different opinion. I spoke with people as they left the theatre to get their opinions.
"It was actually better than the first one, this one was hilarious", said Mary Harris from Centennial Colorado.
The lack of plot variation from the original movie was over shadowed by fresh jokes and new faces for many of the fans of Sorority Rising, allowing them to enjoy the film more than the its predecessor.
Despite the mixed reviews, most agreed that Neighbors 2 had a feminist message that was not present in the previous film. However, the were further disputes over the quality of that message and whether it may have been more harmful than progressive. Vulture magazine mentions how the women in the film are used as "signposts for the audience (or our male characters) to 'learn something' from". As a result, the women are not dynamic developed characters, they lose their human empathetic characteristics and exist only for the feminist agenda in the film.
Some argue that the prominent progressive message against sexism and homophobia made the movie less funny by making it "too politically correct". Others, reply saying that comedy like this should be standard. If making a joke at the expense of a whole group is the only way you can be funny, its time to retire. True comedy should unite people, not alienate them, which is what Seth Rogen achieved in this film. Many have heralded Neighbors 2: Sorority Rising as the peak of modern feminism in film, while others see this as the bare minimum effort in progressive media.
While this movie hasn't done too well in the box office, it has started important conversations around language and the role comedy plays in ending oppression.
Thursday, May 19, 2016
Getting Started
I made this blog primarily as a way to gain experience as a writer while talking about something I enjoy. Needless to say, this is my first venture into any form of true journalism. My prior experiences with journalism have all been pretty loosely tied to the field, things like running a Tumblr or other social media, up until this point.
I created this blog to deliver the latest movie news and reviews to the youth. Recently, I went to the premier of Captain America: Civil War, and the enthusiasm of the people in the theatre with me motivated me to share my zeal for movies with more people my age. In order to do just that I chose movies as my subject for this blog. This will be my first attempt at covering a beat so this should be exciting. Hopefully I can learn more about the role blogs play in the world of entertainment news and how they interact with the public. I know that often times blogs can influence everything from fans, to actors, to the crew, to the actual plot of a film.
What I look forward to the most in this blogging experience is updating regularly and watching other people's interactions with my posts. I really appreciate the way that blogs and social media platforms allow for people to engage with the content. Although, I am nervous about staying on top of updates on this blog and simultaneously working to keep a close eye on the latest movie news.
As a journalist I think this will help me to improve my writing simply by forcing me to write more often and check over everything I write before I post it. As a writer I tend to check as I go and then not spend too much time looking over the final product before I submit it. On the bright side, writing tends to come to me easily once I get going on a subject I don't face any problems with writer's block along the way.
What I hope to learn from this experience is how to run a high quality blog about any subject I choose, along with how to research that subject to make updates about it regularly. I am confident that this blog will be my first of many chances I have to use my writing to connect with and inform the public about things wonderful and new.
I created this blog to deliver the latest movie news and reviews to the youth. Recently, I went to the premier of Captain America: Civil War, and the enthusiasm of the people in the theatre with me motivated me to share my zeal for movies with more people my age. In order to do just that I chose movies as my subject for this blog. This will be my first attempt at covering a beat so this should be exciting. Hopefully I can learn more about the role blogs play in the world of entertainment news and how they interact with the public. I know that often times blogs can influence everything from fans, to actors, to the crew, to the actual plot of a film.
What I look forward to the most in this blogging experience is updating regularly and watching other people's interactions with my posts. I really appreciate the way that blogs and social media platforms allow for people to engage with the content. Although, I am nervous about staying on top of updates on this blog and simultaneously working to keep a close eye on the latest movie news.
As a journalist I think this will help me to improve my writing simply by forcing me to write more often and check over everything I write before I post it. As a writer I tend to check as I go and then not spend too much time looking over the final product before I submit it. On the bright side, writing tends to come to me easily once I get going on a subject I don't face any problems with writer's block along the way.
What I hope to learn from this experience is how to run a high quality blog about any subject I choose, along with how to research that subject to make updates about it regularly. I am confident that this blog will be my first of many chances I have to use my writing to connect with and inform the public about things wonderful and new.
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