A Halloween special: Can I be a space-ninja-cowboy-robot-zombie-from-the-future too?

Tell No one looked like an extremely good film. I regret not seeing the first 2 minutes of it, it was that great. I thought I missed like 20 minutes, it was just that intriguing. I loved how Bruno shot the ground a bunch of times and then sat down and told the cops to run one way. I can't wait to finish it. I also loved our little dance party, dancing is a powerful form of self-expression and everyone who danced looked way too happy to be legal. And now a part of me will forever be on the STAC room floor. I just loved it and I hope we can do something like that little dance shenanigan again. Be seeing you!

Squirrels, Dogs and Swans oh my?

I have to say that was one of the greatest things I ever saw. The ballet that is. I loved how the dancers made their arms move like swan wings and the story was clear and understandable. It was about a prince who sought human contact and his mother, the only person who he wanted attention from wouldn't give him the time of day, she wouldn't allow him to touch her. Her life with him was only in public with the countless civilians looking at them, if there wasn't anyone else, she couldn't care less. When he finally makes contact with a young lady (by the way I totally did not see that cell phone bit coming) she turns out to be a prostitute, or at least a floozy. The prince then becomes depressed and sees the swans dance and suddenly he is not a prince or even a pauper, he is equal to the swans and he suddenly regains his confidence. However at the royal ball he is completely emasculated by this mysterious man (who I thought was the swan king because he drew a black line on his face) and then spirals down the path to insanity. He then dies from the loneliness welling up inside him and he is reunited with his psyche, his inner self, the Swan King who was devoured by the Swans who seemingly became vultures. I just loved this trip and I will never get this ballet out of my head. I can't wait for the next trip.

If I'm not going to blow my top will you?

Be kind rewind films. I only have one word for them. HILARIOUS. I just loved creating them. With all the running around the school in costume and saying ridiculous lines in order to entertain ourselves and others is always a wonderful experience. I loved the ideas that came out of the other groups, especially the Man on Top and Mordechai Christ films. We looked so strange filming random things, we even commandeered a girl's bathroom for one of our scenes. This was just a lovely experience and I really want to do it again to see what other over the top ideas we have. So I hope you enjoyed our film I thought it was fabulous (my favorite word in the film, I always included it in every sentence any chance I got). And I think the idea of a youtube channel is very intriguing and I'm all for it and I wouldn't be embarrassed about it. I can't wait for the trip on Friday. Be seeing you

The former ogre meets the fiery transfer student

just to make sure I'll have my film review on my blog. :)

My film review - To Sir, With Love

In a British High school, during the times of the South African apartheid, teeming with misfits and rejects, an aspiring engineer and teacher Mark Thakeray (Sidney Poitier) will rise to the occasion and bring insight to the future amongst his troubled students. This drama film directed by James Clavell will cleverly draw you into the world of a lower classed English High School and how everything is not set in stone and how one even in the midst of adversity can escape their fate and become someone.

This movie had truly moved me. Being raised in a upper middle class family I did not know the difficulties of poverty and all the troubles that accompanied it. All the characters were all real and believable rather than cookie-cutter high schoolers, you felt their pain, anguish, sadness and even their joy, humor and elation. From the very beginning the film drags you into it without mercy and keeps your eyes peeled to the screen. There is no point where you want to leave because even if you miss one second you will regret it. It was an extraordinarily made film that deserves the highest praise for its genre.

Mark Thakeray is an African man born in South Africa and received an education in Africa to become a communications engineer and has moved to England in order to get a job during economically down times. He gets a teaching job at a lower class school filled with rowdy teenagers like Denham (Christian Roberts) and the charming yet mischievous Pamela Dare (Judy Geeson). He learns that the other teacher succumbed to the stress of teaching the delinquents and committed suicide in which the children celebrated their “victory”. However Mr. Thakeray does not plan to give up. After a immature and crude incident he then adopts a new style of teaching and treats all the students as if they were adults and at first the students are excited at their new founded freedom but then realize the responsibilities of being an adult. After the death of one student’s mother, the once horridly behaved students come together and realize they can be more than what they were born into, they are brought together and become a family, respecting and cherishing one another, they see their weaknesses and become adults.

The acting was not over the top or very poorly done, it was on the very thin line that is just right. Mr. Thakeray was greatly portrayed as a respectable gentleman and the students, although most of their crude language has been ripped from their vocabulary were very real and three dimensional. Even with the film’s low budget and small number of sets, the setting of the area was very clear to be an impoverished area. The costumes expertly fitted the people and teenagers of that time period and were not too expensive or inexpensive. The use of the theme song “To Sir, with Love” was placed at key points during the movie and helped move along the plot and the lyrics inadvertently told the story of the film. 

This film was the perfect blend of everything good in film making, it kept you hooked from start to finish. The use of montages, cuts and important scenes made it hard to tear yourself away because you didn’t want to miss the next bit of it because if you didn’t you certainly would regret it. Sidney Poitier did a superb job as Mr. Thakeray and kept you emotionally involved in his journey to teach his students. This film is a must see no matter what genre you like, this will have you loving it from the moment it starts to when it is finished. 

Struggle Icarus, Howl Valhalla, the God Speed You Mix

This week was for a lack of a mature and intellectual word "weird".  The weirdest Prisoner episode ever involving cloning and identity theft, TWO STAC art days (I'm not complaining),  box people drawing and the movie "To Sir, With Love" (It wasn't weird but what my mom told me was the weird part, apparently her friend went out with Sydney Poitier 25 years ago.) STAC really keeps me on my toes. I learned (in art that is) that details aren't always everything and you need to go down to the bare necessities and see the shape in things. I really enjoyed the movie but I will always love the Prisoner more. Maybe I should use "I am not a number, I am a free man" as my yearbook quote. Hmmmm. Decisions. I will write my movie review on a separate blog because I'm very busy at the moment. Be seeing you