Midterm Exam Film and Culture

Here are the words, phrases and names that will be on Midterm Exam: Tuesday, October 29: 

Bird's eye view, pay homage to, weird, dystopic, opening credits, Ringo Starr, cameo, government, tracking shot, totalitarian, misogynist, vote, genre, science fiction, animation, horror, dark comedy, chopper, chronological, twist of fate, depressing, hillbilly, pulp fiction, strange, mindless, expect, uneducated, represent, psychiatrist, basement, hitman, is, follow

You also need to answer some questions about the three movies we watched. 

Ringo

We have the midterm exam next week. I will email you with the words to study for the test. Also the watch in Pulp Fiction is first a family heirloom from his dad and grandpa. The movie is not in chronological order because the director is talking about the chaos of life. The watch represents order in the chaos or craziness. It goes forward. It is chronological or linear.

I think the bird is his soul going to heaven.

 

 

 

 **************************

The replicants (robots) do not have memories when they are made (except the woman who has Tyrell’s niece’s memories). That is why the photographs (that they have stolen / found) are important. They use photographs of family members instead of memories.

But the replicants after a few years get their own memories. That is what makes them become human. That is why they are programmed to die after four years.

Theme: photographs

Last time I talked about a totalitarian government where the people can’t vote, have few human rights, and the police control everything.

Ray Bradbury wrote a book about this called Fahrenheit 451, where the government was burning all the books.

What does the unicorn represent? Some people say innocence. Other people: a person who is so special and unlike others. Extinct. Lost. The unicorn did not get on Noah’s Ark in the Bible.

Misogyny: hatred and violence toward women from men

Redemption: The Sixth Sense

 

Here are today's notes. The homework questions are there:

Genre: we are still doing The Sixth Sense

I did not post the notes last week. I will post last week’s and this week’s notes after class. I will also give a homework assignment. I gave everyone 100 percent for attendance last week because I was too busy. I will NOT do that this week.

I think the psychiatrist feels guilty about not saving the Freak. That is why this little boy is so important to him. It can be redemption for him. I think this is also a religious story and God is giving him redemption. I think God is blocking that basement door too; He is telling the psychiatrist he does not have to feel guilty now. Redemption.

Twist of fate: surprise ending to a story (plot is the story in a drama)

Script

Homework: 

1. Write a paragraph explaining the twist of fate in The Sixth Sense. Remember a paragraph is five or more sentences. We cannot develop an idea in a couple of sentences.

2. Write a sentence to explain why the psychiatrist almost always wears a blue shirt.

Trailer: is a two minute advertisement for a movie

Genre: science fiction, UFO

It was made in 1982 and set in 2019. This movie is also dystopia.

A story about the future when the world is worse than now. Like a movie about global warming and asteroids.

Background: WWII in Asia. Japan (and Taiwan) fought America. Japan lost the war while America won. 1941-1945. Taiwan was a colony of Japan. 200,000 Taiwanese people fought in WWII. 30,000 died.

In Blade Runner, Japan won WWII

The studio made the director put in a narrator (voice over) to explain the movie. This is the director’s cut. The narrator is gone.

If you have a totalitarian government, you will need a lot of police officers to control the people. This is when the people cannot vote or have human rights. “If you are not a cop, then you’re little people.” No power. Origami.

 ************************

Below, please find last week's notes:

Genre: horror or I suppose mystery

Basement represents hell.

Why does the psychiatrist always seem to wear a blue shirt?

Religious themes: hell, guilt, church

Remember the patient that shot himself was also called “freak.”

Camera shot going down represents heaven. “The bird’s eye view” camera shot.

They are both so similar. Who is he comparing Cole, the little boy, to? Was the man that committed suicide his father?

You have to add some twists to make the story interesting. Twist of fate is a surprise ending to a story.

Cameo: the director makes a cameo as the doctor and later as the guy buying a ring

Who is helping whom? Does the little boy help the psychiatrist deal with his guilt, especially if the dead man is his father?

 

He is also bullied by the other kids a lot. 

 

 

 

 

Ezekiel 25:17

Rhubarb Pie

Ezekiel 25:17

Homework Assignment:

1. The plot line of Pulp Fiction is jumbled up. Write one sentence to describe each scene and put the sentences into chronological or sequential order.

2. What is the significance of Butch the boxer’s wristwatch? Write a couple of sentences to explain.

Cameo: when a famous person or the director goes into the film for a short time.

3. Why does Jules call the robber Ringo? Please give two possible reasons.

We are back at the start of the movie. Remember he called the waitress “garcon.” This is a bookends’ technique.

The subtitles. Are you simply reading them or are you trying to listen. They do not seem so great for this movie. They miss a lot of the translation.

The basement scene: Marcellus called Zed a hillbilly. That is not translated in the subtitles. A hillbilly is white trash: poor, uneducated white people.

They look like dorks. You give that f(*&ing nimrod 1500…

We will be cool like Fonzie.

I said we would do a different genre of movie each time.

1.    Pulp Fiction is comedy and film noir.

2.    The Sixth Sense is horror (maybe mystery).

The five senses:

1. See

2. Taste

3. Touch

4. Hear

5. Smell

6. Intuition (funny feeling).

This director, Shyamalan, is a first generation American. That means his parents are immigrants or come from a different country. Growing up, you will notice your parents are little different from your friends’ parents. That should cause you to think more about who you are (existential and identity).

For example, Taiwan’s four great directors are all first generation Taiwanese.

The Sixth Sense is set in Philadelphia. This is one of America’s two oldest cities (with Boston). Shyamalan’s father chose to live there when he immigrated because he loved history.

The movie takes place in fall / autumn. All the leaves have fallen off the trees and the sky is overcast / cloudy. How does this affect your mood? Does the director do this on purpose?

I think themes or ideas from the Bible, especially God and Satan (the devil) control the plot. She was in the basement = hell. We will feel cold when there are ghosts around or near.

He is a child psychiatrist. She says “you sound like Dr. Seuss when you’re drunk.”

We should hang [this award] in the bathroom. He is being ironic. It is bullsh&^. This is BS.

“Some people call me freak.”

Pay attention to the blue shirt in this movie.

Are you a good doctor? I used to be. Before but now. He feels guilty because he could not help the “freak” who committed suicide. Guilt is part Christian psychology.

The basement doorknob is red.