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Showing posts from December, 2023

The Hunger Games

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The Hunger Games      The Hunger Games series began in 2008 when Suzanne Collins released the first book. After that, she went on to release two more books, The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, and The Hunger Games: Mockingjay . These books became popular and were adapted into films in 2012 when the first Hunger Games film was released. The story takes place in the future in the Capitol of Panem, where people are placed into districts based on wealth and specialties. The main character, Katniss Everdeen, is a teenager living in District 12, the lowest district, with her younger sister and mother after her father died in a coal mine. Every year, in Panem, one boy and one girl are randomly chosen from each district to fight in the annual Hunger Games where they must fight to the death until one victor is standing. After her sister’s name is reaped, Katniss volunteers for the games and must fight alongside a boy from her district named Peeta. Together, they fight in the Hunger ...

Titanic

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  Titanic The 1997, romance/adventure film, Titanic , follows the story of a poor man named Jack Dawson who was lucky enough to win tickets to the most exclusive and beautiful cruise ship in the world. While on the ship, he finds a wealthy woman named Rose, who is about to take her own life by jumping off the ship into the cold water. Jack interferes, saving her life, and they fall in love. However, Rose is trapped in an unhealthy relationship with a man who is obsessed with money and power. Then suddenly, the ship crashes into an iceberg and begins to sink. Everyone on the boat begins to panic and fight over the limited lifeboats and Jack and Rose must try to survive in the dangerously cold water. Jack ends up sacrificing himself to save Rose and she makes it to land safely. Everyone watching this film knows the ending, but Jack and Rose’s beautiful love story almost makes you forget about their terrible fate. The beautiful sets, music, and color scheme are enchanting and almost m...

Little Women

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Little Women Directed by Greta Gerwig, the 2019 romance/drama film, Little Women , follows the story of four sisters, Jo, Amy, Meg, and Beth, as they navigate womanhood in the 1860s. The film goes between their childhood and adult years, showing the challenges they face following their dreams, and in some cases, finding love. The main character Jo, wants to become a writer but is struggling to do so because she is a woman. Amy wants to become a painter and Meg wants to be a wife and a mother. After grieving their sister Beth’s death, they all eventually follow their dreams and find satisfaction in their life.  Greta Gerwig brilliantly represents the hardships and the beauty of womanhood by relating current issues to the ones in the 1860s. Jo March’s famous monologue in the film is such an inspiring and beautiful moment as she gracefully explains how exhausting it is to want both love and a career as a woman. She explains that women are more than just love and beauty,  they hav...

The Harry Potter Universe

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The Harry Potter Universe The Harry Potter Universe was first started in 1997 when J.K Rowling released the first book of the franchise, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone . From that point, this magical universe has been drawing in audiences of all ages to experience the whimsical and exciting world of Harry Potter. J.K Rowling went on to release six more books, concluding the series with Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows. All of the books in the series were adapted into films that bring the Harry Potter Universe to life. The film franchise started in 2001 when Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone was released to eager audiences who were anxiously waiting for the movie version of their favorite fantasy book. The film took the world by storm and the Warner Brothers went on to release seven more films. The story of Harry Potter begins with young Harry living with his aunt and uncle after his parents were killed by a notorious evil wizard named Voldemort. Harry not knowing this, ...

Cars

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  Cars The 2006 comedy/animation film, Cars , follows the story of a rookie but confident racecar, Lightning McQueen, as he races against two famous racecars to win the Piston Cup. While traveling to California for the race, Lightning gets separated from his driver and ends up in a small town called Radiator Springs. When he first arrives, he accidentally destroys a single road in the middle of the town. The town decided that he must stay in Radiator Springs until he fixed the road, delaying him from making it to the race in California. While he is there, he finds friends and comes to the realization that life is more than just winning.  Cars is a nostalgic film that delves into themes of friendship and the importance of personal connections with people instead of material items and fame. Lighting McQueen goes on a journey of self-discovery to understand his priorities which makes this film so inspiring for its younger audience and adult viewers. Overall, this is a very cute a...

Moonlight

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  Moonlight The 2016, thriller/romance film, Moonlight , follows the story of Chiron, an African-American boy who struggles with his identity and suppressed thoughts of homosexuality. The film is split into three acts, all displaying different points in Chiron’s life, beginning with childhood, adolescence, and ending in adulthood. When Chiron is a child, he is living with his mother who is addicted to crack, in a neighborhood in Miami that is filled with crime. He is a small and shy boy with the nickname, “Little”, which leads to a lot of bullying and harassment from his peers. When Chriron becomes a teenager, he continues to be bullied and eventually lashes out and attacks one of his bullies, landing him in Juvy. Chiron also experiences some sexual experimentation with his friend Kevin during his adolescence. When we see Chiron as an adult, he is much larger and he is living in Georgia as a drug dealer. Kevins tells him to come pay a visit after years of not talking, which eventua...

Jaws

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Jaws The 1975 thriller/ adventure film titled, Jaws , follows an ex-NYC police officer, Martin Brody, as he moves to a beach town to become the town sheriff. When he finds out that a girl was recently killed by a shark, he attempts to warn the town to stay out of the water. However, the mayor explains that people come to their town for the Fourth of July celebration, which brings in a lot of money. After another person is killed by the shark the Sheriff’s son is driven to shock, the mayor finally permits Brody to track down the great white shark with the help of a marine biologist, Hooper, and a professional shark hunter, Quint. While out on the water, the four men find that the shark is especially large and dangerous. In the end, Quint gets killed by the shark and Martin Brody makes the shark explode with an air tank. Steven Speilberg’s cinematography is what makes this film so gripping and groundbreaking. One of the most iconic scenes in the film that shows off Spielberg's cinema...

Swiss Army Man

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  Swiss Army Man The 2016 comedy/fantasy film titled, Swiss Army Man , follows the story of Hank, a man who recently found himself stranded on a desert island. When Hank loses hope and is prepared to end his life, he finds a dead man that has washed up on the shore. Hank uses Manny’s strange and seemingly magical powers from his body to return to shore and find his way home. Along the way, Manny starts to come to life and they build a friendship that teaches them the true meaning of life. While teaching Manny about the societal norms and expectations of the world, Hank uncovers some dark and painful memories of his past which causes him to question everything he ever knew. Hank eventually finds his way back home and Manny rides off into the sunset. The camera angles in Swiss Army Man significantly contribute the whimsical and surreal feeling of the film. The Daniels used wide shots and close-ups to capture the emotions of the characters and make the audience feel like we are along...