is 'Gravity' a horror film?

A little about ‘Gravity’: A medical engineer and an astronaut work together to survive after an accident leaves them adrift in space. Stars: Sandra Bullock, George Clooney, Ed Harris.

 I think Gravity, when it comes down to it, is a horror movie. There are lots of similarities to Alien: The claustrophobic feeling of space, the looming, unseen dangers that could pop around at you at any second, right down to the some of the quotes. A note at the opening of the film tells us, “In space, you do not have the ability to speak,” a line that sounds very close to Alien’s, “In space, no one can hear you scream.”

But the alien in this movie is space itself, which Alfonso seems to realize is more frightening in real life than the most monstrous extraterrestrial our imaginations can come up with. Like the scariness of the monster is the laws of gravity them self. Think if you got a tiny nudge and had nothing to hold on to you would continue to go at that rate forever unless something stops you…that’s scary, the fact that you are out in the depth of unknown space drifting is more fearful then being eaten by a monster.

The horror of ‘Gravity’ relies upon putting yourself in the place of these characters. And here, we have to imagine ourselves in a state of absolute helplessness, a place where the two things that can usually get us out of a jam, our muscles or our speech, are equally useless. Alfonso does a good job of demonstrating the great range of ways to die in space, including, but not limited to, “burning alive, being impaled, and slowly suffocating while performing an infinite series of unintentional backflips”.

Cloudy With A Chance Of Meatballs 2

Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention, a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes, seen in the first movie ‘cloudy with a chance of meatballs.’ But Flint soon learns that his invention survived on a remote island and is now creating food animals “foodimals!" Flint and his friends set out on a dangerous mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheespiders and other foodimals to save the world from the newly created world of food!

 

Who goes to a kid’s movie with one friend at 10 pm? This guy. This movie was not so surprisingly packed. Filling the theater with sold out tickets. Want to know if this movie is for you? Well ask yourself, do I like food? Do I like cute childish entertainment? Of course you do…

 

In the immediate aftermath of the dangerous food catastrophe at Swallow Falls, the technology firm Live Corp. led by orange-vested CEO Chester V swoops in to clean up the mess. First Chester tells everyone that they must evacuate the island and offers young inventor Flint Lockwood a job at his renowned company in "San Franjose," where Flint discovers what it means to be an overcaffeinated 9 to 5 inventor in a Live Corp. cubicle. Then Chester V reveals that Swallow Falls has been taken over by wild food-animal hybrids and sends Flint to retrieve his invention from the island. But instead of going alone, as directed by Chester V, Flint reluctantly brings along his fisherman father Tim, weather reporter girlfriend Sam, her cameraman, security guard Earl, chicken-loving Brent and, of course, pet monkey Steve.

 

Was it any good?

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs two is not like the first movie, in the first it is based off the children’s book which gives it a set up story line we have all seen before.    Since the original Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs made it clear that this cinematic story was only very loosely based on the beloved children's book, it was easy to step into the story again for the second without any preconceived expectations. To keep the food machine (" the FLDSMDFR") plot going, the writers devised a conceit in which the FLDSMDFR is able to create "living" food that looks and acts like a host of different real animal/food hybrids. Some of the frightening predators; like the cheespider, the taco-diles, and the apple pie-thons will momentarily scare younger viewers, whereas others like Barry the strawberry, the fruit cockatiel, and the mini marshmallows are sweet and huggable. In addition to "foodimals," the story introduces viewers to new characters who might seem friendly to kids, but adults will recognize them as evil right away like Chester V, a wall street like visionary with a thing for facial hair, turtlenecks, and grand announcements. His interest in Flint makes for an interesting conflict, and his talking ape assistant, Barb, is the kind of confused character who just wants to be considered a friend. The focus on the Live Corp. characters leaves less for Flint's friends to do, but they manage to add enough comic relief for fans of the first movie. As for the squishy Barry, the marshmallow family, and Mr. Lockwood's new fishing pals (they're like Despicable Me's Minions.

The Walking Dead S3 E4 'isolation'

You have seen or heard about the hit TV shows ‘The Walking Dead’ and as the series has progressed they have been getting closer and closer to setting up a civilization and learning to live in this zombie infested world these survivors call home.

 Life in a zombie apocalypse is tough. It’s all blood, sweat and fears battling walkers and people, and the characters hardly ever catch a break. And if being bitten by zombies isn’t enough now sickness is just another problem added to the list of dilemmas the survivors have to worry about.

 And while it’s exciting to see the hacking and slashing of decaying walkers or the facing off against human foes, struggling with a virus, it allows for a real look at characters. It’s a quieter way to expose certain truths like Tyreese’s anger, Carl’s responsibility or the big drop at the end of this episode, Carol willing to do whatever it takes to survive.

 It’s an interesting direction for the series, a positive one, and The Walking Dead Season 4 Episode 3 took full advantage. A Plague has started and so the isolation has begun. The isolation being that the group and their newly found Woodbury cohorts have to be separated into groups of infected, non-infected and dead.

 Isolation takes place immediately at the conclusion of last week's episode (read or watch a recap of last week's episode 'Infected' to catch up). A group of non-infected survivors with shovels led by Maggie and Glenn are digging graves for those who have already died from the disease.

 Tyreese loses it with Daryl and Rick after finding his girl Karen and David burned to death in last week's conclusion. When Rick tries to calm him, he starts punching Rick in the head. Daryl grabs Tyreese from behind and pins his arms to stop his beating, but after being momentarily being stunned by the attack, Rick gets his crazy on and cheap shots Tyreese. He then proceeds to start pummeling him into a pulp uncontrollably. He would have killed him if Daryl hadn't pull him off. Those long months of gardening hasn't quite cured his crazy tendencies. I can understand how distraught Tyreese is, though. In a world where zombies far outnumber humans, it's almost impossible to find a girl like Karen to help him make it through just one more night. I'd be salty too is my one thing connecting me to normal life died.  Unfortunately, Tyreese’s problems kept on going with his sister Sasha getting sick. It was enjoyable to witness the care and concern for her.

 Really, that’s all anyone can do at this point with the prison plague continuing to spread. It’s seemed to have infected most of the new survivors that we care little for since we don’t know them well, but also Glenn and Sasha. And I like that possibility that either of those two could meet their demise not in a blaze of glory bashing zombies until their demises is inevitable, but the writers saw fit to give them a quite glorified death.

 The council meeting has also started (Hershel, Michonne, Carol, Glenn and Daryl) and Hershel goes over the dire situation they are in and his conclusion is that they need antibiotics and fast. There's a veterinarian college about fifty miles away and it's their best chance to find some so Daryl and Michonne volunteer to go.

 Rick tells Carl to stay isolated with the other kids and to watch their backs. Carl patrols the halls and finds Hershel trying to leave the compound. Carl suddenly acts like the grown up again and cautions him about going out of the prison alone. During this virus crisis, Hershel is being made to feel old and unimportant and he's not liking it.

 Overall this episode has been about the ‘Isolation’ of all the survivors based off their health. Tensions are rising as people are going further and further to survive, causing fights, and future problems for the group.    

How do new and old horror movies differ?

Since the 1900 horror movies have been increasingly popular. America has come accustom to watching Freddy and Jason go murder innocent teens or watch demons torment people in their home. In the newer movies like Paranormal Activity we are use to seeing a lot of technology incorporated. For example in Paranormal Activity you are watching for doors shutting, objects moving, etc. even in there movie the family is using video cameras to record their experiences. There is a great use of technology in modern day films, but it is just part of our culture now.

 

Older horror films in the past such as Poltergeist tended to make the actual characters the scary part. Making a scary character with grotesque features or a creepy back round story go attack the characters. There was less focus on special effects and more on what horror the character added to the film. In Poltergeist the little girl's character is part of what made the movie scary. For example by using the little girl’s famous line “their here.” And then continuing to not tell her parents about it because she was to frightened made us all freak out a little bit wondering ‘what the hell is going on! Who’s here?’

 

Another thing about modern technology in movies is the way the character looks. In modern films we focus on how the character looks trying to make them as real as possible, although we can still tell it is fake because no one looks like that in real life. In older movies you would see almost no makeup or prosthetics added to a character because these older characters would be casted based of how scary they looked in real life creating more of a thought about how this situation could be real. Also newer movies have been made more graphic through editing blood and adding makeup on the character.

 

Special effects in horror films of today also use the camera by doing certain tricks like spinning or moving fast. The way the film is lighted is also a big part of horror films today. Lighting effects usually have the lights flickering on and off or flashing. Sound effects are used more too. You might hear lightning or the sound of a ghost or zombie.

 

If you compare what was scary about both movies you will see that the newer film made in 2007 has more technology used and special effects added to up the level of scariness, while the older film released in 1982 has barely any special effects. The little girl’s character was part of the actual scariness in Poltergeist because she would do all kinds of weird, freaky things in the movie. In modern films the scary parts are hearing a loud noise or seeing a person being pulled by something you cannot see.

'Prisoners'

How far would you go to protect your child? Keller Dover is facing every parent's worst nightmare. His six year old daughter Anna is missing, together with her friend Joy, and as minutes turns to hours, panic sets in. And the families run through the rain in search of the two little girls. The only lead is a old dilapidated RV that had earlier been parked on their street and the girls were said to be playing on it. Heading the investigation, Detective Loki arrests its driver, Alex Jones, but a lack of evidence forces the only suspect's release. Knowing his child's life is at stake, the frantic Dover decides he has no choice but to take matters into his own hands. He goes to an extent farther than any other father has before. But just how far will this desperate father go to protect his family?

This movie is a thought inducing mystery about memory and identification. ‘Prisoners’ is a white knuckle type movie with violence bloodshed and just a straightforward believable movie. Normally in movies there is a definite line between good and evil. But in this movie the roles are intertwined and even the good characters in the movie turn to be a little twisted, blurring the line between good and bad people.

Let’s face it, after seeing how the police chief acts here, more or less telling Detective Loki to “forget” the prime suspect because there’s no hard evidence against him, it’s no wonder the concurrent searches of his RV and his home are unsuccessful. Well, the vehicle does get a thorough once over, and nothing of significance is found, but that’s beside the point. We hear that the same happens at the home of his Aunt. And yet, there, right out in the middle of the property for all to see, is a weird looking shed and an old muscle car that clearly can still be driven. Are either of these potential crime scenes searched? No they are forgotten and if they would has simple continued to search they would have found the warped boards covering the hole filled with evidence under the old muscle car.

Although it is not my type of movie I found Prisoners to be mesmerizing. When the film ends you might be scratching your head and asking what certain people or events had to do with the plot. I know I have several unanswered questions. Still, this film was about 2 1/2 hours and I never looked at my phone. I thought the acting was superb across the board, and the pacing excellent. Good film to watch during Halloween time because it is creepy for sure.

how acurate is the new movie "Captain Phillips"?

In the “true” story of Captain Richard Phillips and the 2009 hijacking by Somali pirates of the US-flagged MV Maersk Alabama, the first American cargo ship to be hijacked in two hundred years. The movie is made out to be a dramatic drama with a captain who is willing to give his life for his crew. But based off my research on the actual event that occurred in 2009 I am not sure the movie was accurate in depiction the type of man Phillips was.

 

Based off my research into the issue I have found that many of Phillip’s crewmembers, claim his account misrepresents the story. According to them, Phillips behaved irresponsibly; saying that they he ignored warnings about pirates in the area and sailed too close to the Somali coast. One of Phillip’s crewmembers, a man who goes by the name ATM, has also claimed that he warned Phillips that a pirate ship was approaching only to have Phillips dismiss him: “I told him, ‘Captain, I’m damn sure this is pirate boat,’ ATM has said. “He laughed at me. He told me it could be a fishing boat. He walked away from me.” Phillips denies this account ever happening.

 

 As in the movie, Phillips received messages warning him about recent hijackings in the surrounding waters but chose to keep his course. The Alabama (the name of the ship) sailed 300 to 400 miles from the Somali coast in order to maintain a faster and more direct route, even though at least one warning cautioned that “vessels should consider maintaining a distance of more than 600 miles from Somalia coastline.” Most of the warnings were directed at all the ships in the area, but one was sent directly to Phillips. Unlike in the movie, Phillips didn’t hide the surrounding hijackings from his wife, as he did in other accounts recorded.

 

The hijacker’s first failed attack plays out in Phillip’s account in the real situation as it did in the movie. The detail about Phillips faking a radio call with the U.S. military in order to scare off the pirates is also true to Phillip’s account. But the Alabama wasn’t in the middle of a pirate drill when they were attacked, they were in the middle of a fire and boat drill.  The crew members successfully fought off the pirates.

 

The crew’s efforts to take the ship back are also largely accurate, though some accounts where proven to be made up by the movie writers. For example the crew never made a field of broken glass to have the pirates step on as a booby trap.

 

Also another way to disprove that Phillips was a ‘great hero’ is that Phillips doesn’t call himself a hero for these actions. In the movie, Phillips says things like, “If you want to shoot someone, shoot me!” But Phillips says that he never meant to sacrifice himself for the crew. Not very heroic.

 

In the end as soon as the Navy SEAL snipers (members of SEAL Team Six, the same team that took out Osama bin Laden) were able to get clean shots on all three pirates at once, they killed them almost simultaneously, with one shot each to the head.

 

The end of the movie was also different from the account because Tom Hanks said that Phillips couldn’t remember what he first did after his encounter was finished, the movie writers added in themselves the parts of his shock where all made up to make it more interesting.

 

 

 

 

 

cloudy with a chance of meatballs two? who would kids react

Inventor Flint Lockwood thought he saved the world when he destroyed his most infamous invention, a machine that turned water into food causing cheeseburger rain and spaghetti tornadoes, seen in the first movie ‘cloudy with a chance of meatballs.’ But Flint soon learns that his invention survived on a remote island and is now creating food animals “foodimals!" Flint and his friends set out on a dangerous mission to battle hungry tacodiles, shrimpanzees, hippotatomuses, cheespiders and other foodimals to save the world from the newly created world of food!

 

Who goes to a kid’s movie with one friend at 10 pm? This guy. This movie was not so surprisingly packed. Filling the theater with sold out tickets. Want to know if this movie is for you? Well ask yourself, do I like food? Do I like cute childish entertainment? Of course you do…

 

In the immediate aftermath of the dangerous food catastrophe at Swallow Falls, the technology firm Live Corp. led by orange-vested CEO Chester V swoops in to clean up the mess. First Chester tells everyone that they must evacuate the island and offers young inventor Flint Lockwood a job at his renowned company in "San Franjose," where Flint discovers what it means to be an overcaffeinated 9 to 5 inventor in a Live Corp. cubicle. Then Chester V reveals that Swallow Falls has been taken over by wild food-animal hybrids and sends Flint to retrieve his invention from the island. But instead of going alone, as directed by Chester V, Flint reluctantly brings along his fisherman father Tim, weather reporter girlfriend Sam, her cameraman, security guard Earl, chicken-loving Brent and, of course, pet monkey Steve.

 

 

Cloudy with a chance of meatballs two is not like the first movie, in the first it is based off the children’s book which gives it a set up story line we have all seen before.    Since the original Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs made it clear that this cinematic story was only very loosely based on the beloved children's book, it was easy to step into the story again for the second without any preconceived expectations. To keep the food machine (" the FLDSMDFR") plot going, the writers devised a conceit in which the FLDSMDFR is able to create "living" food that looks and acts like a host of different real animal/food hybrids. Some of the frightening predators; like the cheespider, the taco-diles, and the apple pie-thons will momentarily scare younger viewers, whereas others like Barry the strawberry, the fruit cockatiel, and the mini marshmallows are sweet and huggable. In addition to "foodimals," the story introduces viewers to new characters who might seem friendly to kids, but adults will recognize them as evil right away like Chester V, a wall street like visionary with a thing for facial hair, turtlenecks, and grand announcements. His interest in Flint makes for an interesting conflict, and his talking ape assistant, Barb, is the kind of confused character who just wants to be considered a friend. The focus on the Live Corp. characters leaves less for Flint's friends to do, but they manage to add enough comic relief for fans of the first movie. As for the squishy Barry, the marshmallow family, and Mr. Lockwood's new fishing pals (hey're like Despicable Me's Minions.