First: you have to know what these words or expressions mean.
1. Zinger
2. Misogyny
3. Repartee
4. Misanthrope
5. Cynical
6. Six sense (intuition)
7. Spoof
8. Tuque
9. Hillbilly
10. Cut me some slack
11. Water under the bridge
12. Freak
13. Twist of fate
14. Stark
15. Figment of my imagination
Second: There will be some comprehension questions based on The Power of the Dog, Life Aquatic, Justified and the Sixth Sense.
Third: You must write a couple of paragraphs.
The Final Exam is next week. I will give the words to study
by tomorrow. The exam will similar to the midterm: vocabulary
match, comprehension questions and some small essay question.
For the homework, I will throw out the low score.
Let’s skip to the end of Life Aquatic, because I want to do
one
program.
A hillbilly (white trash) is a stereotypical person
that lives
in the Appalachian. The Marshall’s family are hillbillies.
Mountains in America. Kentucky is in
Appalachia. The stereotype is they are poor, dirty,
racist, uneducated and inbred. They are
religious too. They are violent and have
feuds (long lasting fights) with their neighbors. They have
a strong, twangy accent and terrible grammar. They
make grammar mistakes when they talk. They love to drive
pickup trucks.
Their ancestors are Scottish. In Scotland, the two main
cultural
groups are the highlander and the lowlanders. Family
alliances,
called clans, are important too.
Cracker is a a rude racist way to call white people.
Cut me a little slack: don’t be so serious or hard on me;
take it
easy on me; let me go
Getting out of Dodge: escaping a bad situation
It was justified: fair; he deserved it
This program is called Justified.
This movie is paying homage to Pulp Fiction.
White supremacists (racist) often like Nazi symbols.
Casablanca was filmed in a studio in California. But it does copy actual streets and buildings of Casablanca.
Rick’s Café Americain is still open today. Black and white photography has more depth than most color photography, especially eighty years ago. At the time Casablanca was filmed, color film had been around for three year.
Zinger: quick, snappy, funny, ironic response or answer. When two people can do it back and forth, we call repartee. I was saying last time this is Shakespearean, because the second time you watch it, you can get a different meaning, etc. Nothing is set or black and white. There are lots of gray areas.
Also like Shakespeare, many lines became famous and are part of English now to explain feelings. People who have not even seen Casablanca use them and know what they mean (these expressions).
Zingers: life sucks and is meaningless “They got lucky. Yesterday, they were just two German clerks. Today, they are the honored dead.”
“I stick my neck out for nobody.” I don’t help people if it could get me in trouble.
“Your business is politics, mine is running a saloon.” Politics are a waste of time and only stupid people think they are meaningful.
“A lot of water under the bridge.” I have experienced much since I last saw you.
“Of all the gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” Why can’t she leave me alone and just get out of my life forever? He is bitter.
Flashback: a memory scene from before
“Here’s looking at you, kid.” I like you a lot romantically.
Profile shot: camera shot from the side
Filter on the lens to make the shot fuzzy, but it has the effect of making woman look more beautiful on film.
When she pulls out a gun, what does Rick’s facial expression mean?
1. He wants her to shoot because he is miserable?
2. He wants her to shoot because she will have to go to jail and that is revenge?
3. He wants her to shoot because he is cynical and thinks everything in the world is bullsh&*. That is the misanthropic idea that one hates humankind (because we think people are stupid).
4. Other?
Zinger. This line has become part of the English language.
Idiom: “We’ll always have Paris.” It means our relationship is over. We cannot fix our problems. We are breaking up. But let’s not be angry at each other or bitter. Let’s have our good memories.
“Round up the usual suspects.” Round up means arrest.
Idiom: There is no justice. Everything is corrupt.
“I think this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Cynical message that nothing is true and the world or life is just bullsh*&.”
Homework:
1. Is Rick truly cynical?
2. One reason Rick may have given them the letters of transit.
3. Another reason Rick may have given them …
4. Another reason…
Playing hooky
The genre now is horror. First generation idea. This is also important in Taiwanese film. Genre is going to be horror.
Dubbing versus subtitles in watching foreign film?
The Sixth Sense is a horror movie that came out in 1999.
The end of the last millennia. The movie is filmed in Philadelphia. The director is first generation. His parents are from India. The director also wrote the script. His father wanted to go to Philadelphia because his dad loved history. Philadelphia is a historic, old city. You will see this theme in the movie.
The five senses: touch (feel), hear, taste, smell, see. The sixth sense is a feeling that we don’t understand where it comes from, but it helps us.
The idea of the basement is important to the story. Why is the wife always so cold? Is it related to the season (autumn) or is there another reason.
The protagonist is a child psychiatrist.
My wife said the guy in the bathroom is the father of the little boy that the psychiatrist tends to.
Psychologist: no medicine
Psychiatrist: can prescribe medicine
It seems like the doctor is always wearing a blue shirt.
The boy comes from a single parent family. We do not see his father. Not introduced or even discussed
The scratches on the back and wrist. What does it mean?
***************************
The genre is horror. The movie is set in Philadelphia.
Some people call me “freak.” Is that the little boy’s father?
Hint one: name. Hint two: he lives in a single mother family and never
discusses the father. Freaken is the surname? If the father committed suicide, the mother would probably not want to talk about that. Twist of fate is a surprise ending, so there is an example of foreshadowing.
“I am not helping him,” but the psychiatrist misses a key/important point when he says that. The twist of fate (surprise ending) is the boy is helping him. People think we see or hear ghosts better when we are tired or sleepy.
1. Things get colder when ghosts are around.
2. The basement represents going down like into hell.
***********************************
Lots of people say Moby Dick is the greatest 19th century American novel.
The book was written in 1851 by Herman Melville. Some trivia: his ancestor is a famous singer today: Moby. The plot of Moby Dick: there is a ship captain called Ahab. He hires lots of sailors to go whale fishing. Once they are the boat, Ahab tells the sailors that they are hunting one sperm whale called Moby Dick. Ahab hates the whale because it destroyed and ate all of his previous crew (sailors). This is a metaphor for two reasons: 1. Chasing something we cannot get in life and becoming obsessed with the idea 2. Revenge will destroy you.
A spoof in literature is when you copy a famous story as a joke. They are spoofing Moby Dick. They are also spoofing Jacques Cousteau, the first famous scuba diver and fish scientist.
The red tuque.
Controversial.
***************************
The genre is horror. The movie is set in Philadelphia.
Some people call me “freak.” Is that the little boy’s father?
Hint one: name. Hint two: he lives in a single mother family and never
discusses the father. Freaken is the surname? If the father committed suicide, the mother would probably not want to talk about that. Twist of fate is a surprise ending, so there is an example of foreshadowing.
“I am not helping him,” but the psychiatrist misses a key/important point when he says that. The twist of fate (surprise ending) is the boy is helping him. People think we see or hear ghosts better when we are tired or sleepy.
1. Things get colder when ghosts are around.
2. The basement represents going down like into hell.
***********************************
Lots of people say Moby Dick is the greatest 19th century American novel.
The book was written in 1851 by Herman Melville. Some trivia: his ancestor is a famous singer today: Moby. The plot of Moby Dick: there is a ship captain called Ahab. He hires lots of sailors to go whale fishing. Once they are the boat, Ahab tells the sailors that they are hunting one sperm whale called Moby Dick. Ahab hates the whale because it destroyed and ate all of his previous crew (sailors). This is a metaphor for two reasons: 1. Chasing something we cannot get in life and becoming obsessed with the idea 2. Revenge will destroy you.
A spoof in literature is when you copy a famous story as a joke. They are spoofing Moby Dick. They are also spoofing Jacques Cousteau, the first famous scuba diver and fish scientist.
The red tuque.
Controversial.
Casablanca
was filmed in a studio in California. But it does copy actual streets and
buildings of Casablanca.
Rick’s Café
Americain is still open today. Black and white photography has more depth than
most color photography, especially eighty years ago. At the time Casablanca was
filmed, color film had been around for three year.
Zinger: quick, snappy, funny, ironic
response or answer. When two people can do it back and forth, we call repartee.
I was saying last time this is Shakespearean, because the second time you watch
it, you can get a different meaning, etc. Nothing is set or black and white.
There are lots of gray areas.
Also like
Shakespeare, many lines became famous and are part of English now to explain
feelings. People who have not even seen Casablanca use them and know what they
mean (these expressions).
Zingers:
life sucks and is meaningless “They got lucky. Yesterday, they were just two
German clerks. Today, they are the honored dead.”
“I stick my
neck out for nobody.” I don’t help people if it could get me in trouble.
“Your
business is politics, mine is running a saloon.” Politics are a waste of time
and only stupid people think they are meaningful.
“A lot of
water under the bridge.” I have experienced much since I last saw you.
“Of all the
gin joints in all the towns in all the world, she walks into mine.” Why can’t
she leave me alone and just get out of my life forever? He is bitter.
Flashback: a
memory scene from before
“Here’s
looking at you, kid.” I like you a lot romantically.
Profile
shot: camera shot from the side
Filter on
the lens to make the shot fuzzy, but it has the effect of making woman look
more beautiful on film.
When she
pulls out a gun, what does Rick’s facial expression mean?
1.
He
wants her to shoot because he is miserable?
2.
He
wants her to shoot because she will have to go to jail and that is revenge?
3.
He
wants her to shoot because he is cynical and thinks everything in
the world is bullsh&*. That is the misanthropic idea that one hates
humankind (because we think people are stupid).
4.
Other?
Zinger. This line has become part of the
English language.
Idiom:
“We’ll always have Paris.” It means our relationship is over. We cannot fix our
problems. We are breaking up. But let’s not be angry at each other or bitter.
Let’s have our good memories.
“Round up
the usual suspects.” Round up means arrest.
Idiom: There
is no justice. Everything is corrupt.
“I think
this is the beginning of a beautiful friendship.” Cynical message that
nothing is true and the world or life is just bullsh*&.”
Homework:
1.
Is
Rick truly cynical?
2.
One
reason Rick may have given them the letters of transit.
3.
Another
reason Rick may have given them …
4.
Another
reason…
Playing
hooky
The genre
now is horror. First generation idea. This is also important in Taiwanese film.
Genre is going to be horror.
Dubbing
versus subtitles in watching foreign film?
The Sixth
Sense is a horror movie that came out in 1999.
The end of
the last millennia. The movie is filmed in Philadelphia. The director is first
generation. His parents are from India. The director also wrote the script. His
father wanted to go to Philadelphia because his dad loved history. Philadelphia
is a historic, old city. You will see this theme in the movie.
The five
senses: touch (feel), hear, taste, smell, see. The sixth sense is a feeling
that we don’t understand where it comes from, but it helps us.
The idea of
the basement is important to the story. Why is the wife always so cold? Is it
related to the season (autumn) or is there another reason.
The
protagonist is a child psychiatrist.
My wife said
the guy in the bathroom is the father of the little boy that the psychiatrist
tends to.
Psychologist:
no medicine
Psychiatrist:
can prescribe medicine
It seems
like the doctor is always wearing a blue shirt.
The boy
comes from a single parent family. We do not see his father. Not introduced or
even discussed
The scratches
on the back and wrist. What does it mean?
The Power of the Dog
The director
is female. She won the Oscar (Academy Award) for best director.
Foreshadowing:
“When my father passed [died], I wanted nothing more than my mother’s
happiness. For what kind of man would I be if I did not help my mother?”
All four
actors were nominated for an Oscar.
The two
brothers are George and Phil. Peter is the young, effeminate guy.
1.
Is
Phil a misanthrope? He seems to treat his workers fairly. He has a black worker
(this is 1925) who he also treats fairly.
Every time
Phil talks about Bronco Henry, his brother George ignores him.
He tells the
story about Bronco Henry and the horse making the jump.
That is
impossible. Remember that Phil studied Classics at Yale University, so he is
interested in myths (stories that aren’t true)
2.
Is
Bronco Henry a figment of Phil’s imagination or is he real?
3.
Homoerotic:
Was Bronco Henry Phil’s lover? Is that why George doesn’t want to talk about
him?
Foreshadow:
give hints about what will happen later
4.
Is
he really hitting the horse or is that a metaphor?
5.
Is
Phil a misogynist (hates women)?
The
soundtrack also won an Oscar. It is written by the singer from Radiohead.
Stark:
empty, like landscape
6.
Does
Phil want revenge for stealing his brother?
He is going
to mentally torture her…
**********************
Remember I
was saying I think Phil is trying to torture his brother’s wife for reasons of
misogyny or jealousy.
1.
Why
is he befriending her son Phil?
Idiom: “got
off on the wrong foot” means we can be friends now even though we had trouble
and did not like each other at first.
Foreshadow:
Pete says to his mother: “You don’t have to do this [get drunk and suffer]. I
will see you don’t have to do this.
Peter isn’t
completely innocent or a sissy. There is a sinister or evil side to his
personality too. Another foreshadow.
2.
What
is the final meaning of Pete saying: “My father said ‘obstacles? You need to
try to remove them?” Who was the obstacle? Phil.
“on the
sauce” means alcoholic
3.
What
does Phil mean when he foreshadows: “Everything is going to plain sailing for
you for now on?” Plain sailing means easy life for you.
Phil warned
about anthrax twice in the movie – once to his workers and later to Peter.
4.
Why
did Phil die?
5.
Why
did Peter change back to the canvas sneakers at the end of the movie?
Casablanca:
1942, set during World War II: 1941-1945 / Asia 1937 – 1945
Taiwan also
fought in World War II for Japan and 30,000 Taiwanese people died. It affected
every country in the world basically.
This movie
is set in Casablanca, Morocco, Africa.
There are
actors from 34 different countries including two from Taiwan.
Critics say
this movie is Shakespearean. That means every time you see a movie or read a
book, you can get a different meaning. There are so many different ways to
interpret the plot. That is what makes a story great.
We have a midterm exam or quiz if you will in 13 days. This included with your homework accounts for 50% of your grade. This is what you should prepare. First, know the meanings of following words or expressions. I will provide the words and definitions. You just need to match.
1. Pay homage to
2. Misanthrope
3. Bird's eye view
4. Conformity
5. Cookie cutter neighborhood or school
6. Clique
7. Myth
8. Noble Savage
9. Angst
10. Match cut
11. Misogyny
12. Genre
13. Tracking shot
14. Opening credits
15. Pulp fiction
16. Chronological
17. Washed up
18. Tracking shot (2X)
19. Nerd/dork
20. Basket case
21. Foreshadow
I will also ask some questions about what happened in the movies.
If you came to every class, this won't be a problem for you. I will
have a paragraph question as well. In my opinion, a paragraph is
five or move sentences.
*****************************
Gen X
People born
between 1965 and 1980. It’s my generation. People say it is the rudest and most
intolerant generation which worries a lot about conformity or being the same as
everybody else.
You can see
it her, when they call her strange. They don’t trust people who are unique.
They will
return to their cliques on Monday and pretend they don’t know each other.
Next two
genres: western (cowboy) and war
Terms to
think about:
1.
Misanthrope:
somebody (usually highly intelligent) who hates other people and humans in
general
2.
Misogyny:
hatred and bullying of women (usually by men)
3.
Narrator:
person who speaks to explain the plot (but you don’t see them). This person is
normally a character in the movie.
4.
Foreshadow:
when we are given hints / clues about what will happen later
I want you
to write down the first voice over (what the narrator says) because I think it
is a good example of foreshadowing.
5.
Soundtrack
is written by the guy from Radiohead, but it is not like Radiohead at all. They
won the Oscar for the music.
All four main actors and actresses were nominated for an Oscar too.
6.
Homoerotic:
subtle gay or lesbian themes
7.
Every
time the brother talks about Bronco Henry, the other brother ignores him. Why?
8.
In
the story, the misanthropic brother majored in Classics at Yale University and
graduated first in his class. Romulus and Remus: it is the story of the
founding or start of Rome. It is a myth. Stories we use to explain when we
don’t have or understand science.
Please look
up the idea “fragment” for writing.
Want to eat
bacon and eggs for breakfast. Every sentence needs a
S. V. O. The
best sentence is the simple sentence. I have corrected a lot of fragments in this class.
Chronological
order.
1. Butch is a little boy. A soldier who served with his dad in the Vietnam War brings him a wristwatch. The plot structure is bookends. The diner starts and ends the movie, with the stories in between.
Genre:
Drama, dark humor (comedy), coming of age
Themes
Conformity:
when the society forces you to be the same as other people; David Bowie is the
opposite of conformity: “Turn and face the strange.” People conform because they
are afraid of being noticed.
Cookie
cutter: everything looks the same and built the same; this is a metaphor for a
cookie cutter we use for cooking
Cliques: the
different groups in a school (power)
The narrator
is talking about cliques.
1.
Jocks:
good at sports: athlete
2.
Nerd/Dorks:
not strong, but good at studying (often bullied)
3.
Skaters
or punks; rebels; criminal
4.
Cheerleaders:
prom queen; princess
5.
Rockers
or headbangers
6.
Weirdos?
Basket case
Theme:
Adults who don’t understand
Theme: Power
tripping teachers who want respect but have not earned it
Opening Credits
Why is the
student punished for giving an opinion and asking a question? The teacher asks:
“Does anyone have questions?” When Bender then asks a question, he is punished.
Idiom: “You
mess with the bull, you get the horns.”
In
literature, the theme: “The myth of the noble savage.” When someone from a
rich, industrial country meets someone from a poor, non-technological place and
assumes they know more about things. Actually, the latter person might have
wisdom which leads to asking questions that cannot be answered.
Notice how
the janitor responds to Bender’s irony and questions compared to the teacher.
