To Conclude.

I am pleased with my decision in choosing this class. Even before beginning this class I was intrigued with the 70's. Such iconic characters, films and directors thrived and began in this era, along with monumental events taking place. I wanted to learn about these factors and how they influenced what I know, love and watch today.

Taking our time and immersing ourselves into the events of the 70's - watergate, vietnam, the role of the media, etc - it put in perspective and laid the groundwork for many key films of this era. I liked taking our time on these subjects and discussing them in extent.

Delving into iconic directors and their genesis was inspiring. Seeing Coppola's roots as a director and a storyteller was fascinating and humbling. The reason's why he made The Conversation and why it's his most favorite film he's made are all things I love hearing about. This class added personality to each film. We learned the behind the scenes aspects and that it was I will remember most. I love hearing about how films were made, why they were made, where the inspiration was drawn from and so on.

The final project is one I especially enjoyed. I tried for a long time to connect with my issue and how I could best illustrate my point, and through that of talking it out amongst friends it came to light how I should go about it. Prior to executing my PSA, I discussed the issue amongst friends and strangers and in turn became more aware of everything going on with Facebook. I would like to thank this class for opening up such an issue and allowing me to talk and bring attention to this interesting dilemma. It was a revolt on Facebook and if anything, I've made people think more critically about it all.

Personally, I don't respond well to large open discussions. I get more out of and can contribute proactively to a smaller, personal group. I found myself being closed off much of the time during our discussions and that displeased me. I know I wasn't alone on this. I feel that the environment of the screening room wasn't the greatest for discussions. Everyone is looking at the backs of everyone, and a real discussion seems forced. I feel I could've taken more away from this class if we had moved into another classroom that was set up in a circle for discussion.

Nonetheless, I did learn a lot about this era, I learned much about the films of this time and I saw films I would have never watched if it weren't for this class. It opened me up to new styles, and new inspirations. The ability to blog was a much improved aspect of assignments and I felt more open to writing thanks to this approach. This is a class that I would recommend and one that'll stay with me the rest of my career as an aspiring movie maker.

thank you.

Assault on Precinct 13

I hate to say it, but i didn't particularly ENJOY John Carpenter's 1976 film Assault on Precinct 13. It was loaded with continuity errors, forced and ridiculous dialogue and not to mention the weak, thin plot line. But, then again perhaps that is what makes it so charming.

I went into Assault thinking I was getting into an intense and engaging story, and maybe that was my downfall, but i just couldn't connect with this one. Granted there were some eye popping scenes with the child and the ice cream, the relentless shootouts and the slaughtering of human life. And that stuff I LOVE. I think maybe I set my standards high for this one, and was a little let down.

The films did have a certain charm that I liked. It was very 'indie.' This showed what indie looked like in the 70's. The modern day indie can be picked out of the bunch and I enjoy that style. It was very cool to see that style of the 70's. The set pieces, minimal locations, sound issues and neat workarounds all added, or perhaps took away from the film for me. I think I'd like to see this film again, now knowing it's charm and feel. I have a strong feeling I'll get more out of it this time around.

An Unmarried Woman

This is an honesty post.

I am embarrassed to admit that I actually enjoyed this film. By enjoyed I mean I was intrigued the entire time. I'm not sure if it was the whole 'girl talk' or the anticipation of seeing more breasts or maybe even finding out what what our main character Erica (Jill Clayburgh) will do. But, I stayed awake the entire time and enjoyed it.

The topic of this film was an interesting one. An unmarried woman. This film is simply that. Her struggles of dealing with a husband of 16 years leaving her for a younger woman, getting back in the game and dating again, being sexually active with someone else and simply being a good mom. It explores the roles of a woman and her independence in a world where men should take care of them.

I've been living in an apartment with at least one girl for nearly 4 years now. I've been around all the girl talk, all the period talk and everything else that comes in the package of living with girls. That is why I particularly enjoyed the scene where Erica is talking to her therapist about her period. This discussion seems so misplaced or irrelevant. But, it would be considered taboo when it was released in 1978. To have a woman speak on screen about her menstruation? how empowering for woman to hear? It seemed natural and accurate and I found it intriguing.

Even when receiving backlash from many people in class, I still stand my ground on liking this film. They it was boring, uneventful, they didn't care about it, blah blah. Maybe all it takes for me to enjoy a movie is to see some boobies and hear about girl's talking like girls?

Who knows.

Dog Day Afternoon

I had always heard of Sidney Lumet through text books, and readings about film. But never had I seen any of his work. From what I knew about him, he was a methodical, consumed by film kind of director and had enough knowledge to write several books. This style was what I immediately picked up on when we began watching his 1975 account of an actual bank hold up.

We are thrust immediately into the bank, just like they were. The story begins as they pull up. Through Lumet's massive tracking shots that span the length of the bank to the quick reaction shots sprinkled in, this scene has a life of its own. My favorite scene by far, because it plays with the pace of the scenario and human emotion beautifully. The interaction between the hesitant robbers and the nonchalance of the employee's, this sets the mood for the interaction between the two.

The screenwriter and Lumet's deep research into the actual event provided a near actual account which occurred at that Chase Manhattan Bank in Brooklyn, New York. Relying on the directorial methodology called 'the method,' Pacino consumed this character and went into a state of hysteria every time they rolled camera. His performance has been ranked #4 in Premiere Magazine's 100 top performances of all time.

I had no idea what to expect in this film, and I was pleasantly surprised. It was beautifully acted and well shot. The story was unique and engaging. A classic to say the least.

Saturday Night Feverrrr

I am actually glad I've waited for this post. I had the pleasure of going to New York this past weekend. I was my first time there and I now completely understand the whole 'new york scum/dirty/hole of a place vibe' that comes across in several of the films we've screened.

Granted, these films were New York 30-40 years ago, when New York, from what I've heard, had an entirely different feel. Nonetheless, a remanence of that scum still remains.

I visited my old roommate who lives in brooklyn, and got a feel for his neighborhood and the borough in general. I couldn't help but think back to John Travolta in Saturday Night Fever who is confidently cruising down the street checking out women as they pass him, and he, inevitably being shot down by them.

This film created mixed feelings for me. I kept asking myself, "Do I like Tony's character, or do I hate him? I liked his suave, exquisite dance moves and oftentimes envied his skills. Because I mean, Damn....he can groove. Then on the other hand, Tony is completely unfair to Annette and misogynistic to many. Tony falls under the category of characters you hate to like.

After seeing the environment that these characters live and thrive in, I've developed a new understanding and empathy for them. Seeing this 'scum' of a place and dense character that IS New York, I have a new found respect for it's inhabitants.

Taxi Driver

This was the first viewing of Martin Scorsese's Taxi Driver for me and I felt mediocre after it.

This same effect has happened to me before when a movie is hyped up by many people. I get the idea in my head that the film I'm about to see is going to be the most influential, thought provoking piece of cinema ever conceived. To a degree Taxi Driver was hyped in this fashion.

Honestly, the only thing I knew about it was who directed it and who stared in it. I hate going into a movie with expectations, but for some reason with this film I had high hopes. I wouldn't say I felt let down afterward, but rather it was a feeling of 'meh.'

There were definitely some beautiful camera movements and metaphorical choices that propelled the unique story of Travis and his downward spiral, but in the film as a whole, those moments didn't stand out to accumulate into a film that I really enjoy.

Perhaps this is one that needs a second viewing. Netflix baby.

Shaft

If I hadn't read the passage about black cinema in the 70's I wouldn't have the respect for Gordon Parks' blaxploitation film Shaft

By understanding the culture at the time of its release and its effects on the black demographic, I enjoyed Shaft much more than if I hadn't read anything prior. Richard Roundtree, who played Shaft in the film was an aggressive, cool cat that provided a face and character for many black men to relate to. I can see why it was so well received amongst this community and raised $12 million in ticket sales.

Hearing Charles' experience with Shaft as a young child really put the film into perspective as well. His account of seeing it in theaters for the first time at the Chicago Theater and the feelings it evoked after viewing it was very, very cool. He felt empowered by this movie and by the character he just witnessed. This movie had an impact that very few films have achieved.

The Black Movie Boooom

The movie boom associated with black culture was one I knew very little about. After reading through this chapter I was intrigued to learn about this influential movement.

The 70's were a time where more black actors and actresses were working in films than ever before. Films that provided a new entertainment for the black community were on the rise, ones that depicted a character that African American's could relate to. Oftentimes overly sexual and extravagant, these were characters no one had ever seen before.

Movies like Gordon Parks' Shaft were so successful that the $12 million it grossed in the U.S are what saved MGM from financial ruin. This was an age in film where an entirely unrecognized community was being voiced and entertained. An age where glamorization of the ghetto and glorifying of the pimp was being viewed by all cultures, and many couldn't get enough.

Jaaaaaws!

It had been probably 6 or 7 years since I last saw Steven Spielberg's Jaws in full. I remember seeing it as a young teen and being enthralled with the story. A film that was released in 1975 still harnessed the thrilling aspects that a kid in the 2000's could relate to.

Still over thirty years later, I, as a young adult, was totally into it. The fabricated suspense and decision in the cut to never completely see the shark until well into the story was a interesting, effective choice. Because once you do see this enormous beast of a fish a few feet below the surface you finally put in perspective what the entire town should have been afraid of.

Similar to Coppola's The Conversation, Jaws' sound design and score create terror when we should be scared, or mystery when we are unsure of what is next. Well before we physically see the shark we have associated it with John Williams' score that goes... 'bah, bum...bah, bum.'

This film is a timeless thriller. The kids of today will find it equally as thrilling as the adults who grew up on it. It will forever live amongst those considered immortal. Jaaaaaaws!

Yummy.

The Conversation

I love to see collaboration that is apparent, yet invisible. The unity of Francis Coppola's vision and Walter Murch's ear in The Conversation creates something that beautifully compliments the other.

I 'm a sucker for interesting, well done sound design in a film. In respect to the marriage of audio and visual: when a sound effect propels the story, or an instrument tells me how to feel; I think that is what movies are. A harmony of audio and visual elements. Especially in this film do sound effects, music and silence create a mood or confusion and even lead you to think one thing, when in reality its the complete opposite.

I feel like this is one of those movies that only gets better with multiple viewings. Upon first seeing The Conversation it is apparent why Coppola considers this his favorite film. He crafts a suspense that is successful by todays standards, and provides the audience with moral questions pertaining to technology, secret intelligence and ultimately asks the question, "how much do we really want to know?"

Coming Home

Hal Ashby's 1978 Coming Home starring the young Jon Voight and Jane Fonda was particularly refreshing. Refreshing in the sense that this film was entirely about the effects of the Vietnam war, and yet the audience never once saw violence or gore. I found this approach more captivating and relatable than the material we so often see is war films-violence and gore.

So often war films explore what life was like on the field of battle, and seldom do we see what life is like AFTER all the death and destruction. Jon Voight's character Luke portrays the youth of the day- the tough, athletic, well respected high school honcho. He has seen life as a soldier and is not only mentally effected when he comes home, but also physically.

It was brought to my attention the correlation between Vietnam and its role in this film, and Iraq/Afghanistan and its effect on todays younger generation. Perhaps this film could be applied to any major war and its youth, but this decades war seems all too fitting. More than ever soldiers are returning home injured from battle. I believe this film could relate to many people today on a multitude of levels.

Coming Home was one that I thoroughly enjoyed for its uniqueness, yet captivating content and its uncanny correlation to todays war.

The Long Goodbye

I really enjoyed the first 2/3 of Robert Altman's The Long Goodbye.

Elliot Gould's suave, carefree character appeared to have taken notes from Humphrey Bogart. His witty, mumbling dialogue created a realistic, humorous tone from the beginning of the film. The opening scene with Marlowe (Gould) going to great lengths to feed his cat was fantastic, it could have been a great short piece in itself. This scene setup the first 2/3 of the film, if only it stayed on this track throughout the piece.

As far as quick, witty dialogue goes, the film reminded me of Kiss Kiss Bang Bang. An equally mysterious, quirky film from the beginning of the 2000's. The main characters from both films put on this facade of being worry free and nonchalant in sticky situations, when deep down they do care. They are all business. In the case of Marlowe, just when the audience feels they've figured this character out, he goes and murders the same friend he's been trying to bring justice to.

The last act seemed to detach me from the story I had first been so intrigued by. It seemed to have switched gears, a new character arose and it was one I didn't enjoy following anymore. I just wanted to see more smart talking and smooth wit to detectives, criminals and ladies that many modern day heroes are known for. Oh Elliott Gould, you are so smooth.

week 1.

The idea of blogging wasn't the most appeasing internet phenomenon to me. But, as I collected my thoughts for the first week of our 70's film class, most of the negative feelings seemed to fade away.

We began our first class with a clip of Richie Haven's emotionally charged Freedom from the Woodstock documentary. Several times I've seen this and never does it not resonate something to me. His voice, his passion, his eyes that never break open, him being lost in his music with millions of fans watching as he belts out 'freedom.'

The first film we watched was one that was released at the birth of the 70's decade. Bob Rafelson's Five Easy Pieces starring the young Jack Nicholson. It wasn't until the third act that i really began enjoying this film. After I accepted the nature and form of it did I like the ending. It followed the typical 1970's film criteria- internal struggle of main character, an anti-hero as the protagonist, less than climactic, a slice of life and an ambiguous ending. It wasn't until I let go of all notions to modern movies did i appreciate this film for what it was. I LIKE 'unhappy' endings, endings that don't wrap up the story in a nice little package where the guy gets the girl and bluebirds sing joyous tunes outside the window as the two lovers lay holding each other in perfect, eternal harmony.