Critics, Analysts, Reviewers...Experts?

We are all critics.

We are all analysts. 

We are all reviewers of art.

It is free thought; we are all entitled to our own opinion. Sure there are those who are “experts” at reviewing and critiquing art because they know the format and how to properly type up a review but you don’t need to know the technicalities to think on your own.

There is always a lot of negativity in reviewing anything and I honestly think sometimes the reviewer purposely looks for the bad instead of finding the good and seeing if one could out weigh the other. There are many forms of art and they can be interpreted differently. One reading we had this semester was a reading by John Berger where he said, “The way we see things is affected by what we know or what we believe,” and I agree with him. As an artist I make what I know and there are people who will view my art and it will not make sense to them because they do not know, but it is up to them to make their own connection and interpretation regardless of what the artist’s intention was. There are too many instances where the reviewer over looks the art so much to the point that the art he is reviewing no long makes sense him and there for is disregarded, but as a reviewer sometimes you need to look beyond an image to find the symbolism/meaning of it or read between the lines to properly make an assessment. The creator of that art most likely had an intention and it is up to you to relate to that intention or come up with your own, either you like it or you don’t and state why.

Taking this class I learned the format and how to breakdown what I am reviewing and I use it as an equation. If there is more good than bad than what I am reviewing will most likely get a positive review, but if the bad out weighs the good I will have to be honest and write a negative review. For me as a reviewer it is hard to totally disregard the art because of the bad, I try to look beyond that so I can have a clearer mind to understand the art. There was an intention for making this, there is a meaning, and to me what is it and does it, as a whole, make sense?

And that my friends is reviewing the arts, think for yourself, be a free thinker, be open minded, and perhaps in some cases look beyond the negative to find the good of someone else’s art because it might not be something you know and you have to think about it to understand it.

A Poem with 17 Syllables=HAIKU

“I’m nobody. Who are you? And why are we sharing a locker?”

This is one of 10 or so Haikus on the walls of the Harrison Red Line stop. Have you ever noticed them? I noticed them before today’s class and when I did it seemed like I took the Red Line on Friday night and when I returned Saturday there they were. Wow! Columbia College is taking over the CTA now. The renovation of the place brightens the CTA up, white walls a with a lot of color gives off this clean feel but then the smell of sewer smacks you in the faces and you want to gag.

The Haiku project is a collaboration between Columbia College Chicago as well as our neighboring high school Jones College Prep across the street from the Harrison Red Line stop. Writing students from Columbia College teamed up with students from Jones to create this project of advertising and I guess beautifying the Harrison Red Line stop with their poetry.

I think it is a success. I’m not sure how many people notice the poetry but the white walls and the bright colors is something I’m sure they notice. I doubt anyone stops to read the haikus, after all anyone who is taking the train obviously is taking it for a reason they have some place to be. It is an effort that only a few can appreciate and I do appreciate it. People took time to write and design the stop no matter how rotten the color palette is, the idea was to get noticed and that was a success, people notice the colors and if they have 5 seconds they notice the names attached to the haikus. Well done CCC and Jones!

Mission accomplished?

$$$$ Where's My Money? $$$$

Everyone has that skeleton in their closet and the nagging confession that’s been hiding in their stomach for years, aching to get out. I’m not sure if I believe in ghosts but I certainly believe that once you feel like you have everything in life under control, something terrible goes wrong. The past will always haunt you just when you think everything is perfect. 

Somewhere along those lines is the underlying theme of the Advanced Directing Project Where’s My Money? Written by John Patrick Shanley and directed by Darcy McGill.

I had no idea what this play was about. I didn’t know any of the cast only one member of the crew, so last week after my Wednesday class I grabbed a program and a seat at the New Studio Theater at Columbia College’s theater building at 72 East 11th Street.

I had never been to the New Studio Theater, I didn’t even know it existed it is in the basement. I liked the set up a lot more than the Getz Theater on the first floor. The New Studio Theater is more intimate and personal, better view all around, and it seemed a little more organized.

The setting was well built, the team of designers start with an empty space and work from there when is comes to Level 4 Directing Projects. The setting consisted of a coffee shop, an apartment, as well as an office. All well built and formed, believable and the transitions between all of them flowed nicely. 

The play begins in the coffee shop part of the stage where two old co-workers, Celeste played by Grace Odumosu and Natalie played by Hilary Williams, find themselves at the same coffee shop many years later and decide to share a table. Over a course of what felt to be too long at times confessions are told as well as secrets. After catch up and the truth a weird thing happens, enter Tommy a zombie with really good make-up played by Tyler Prinz and Natalie’s ex boyfriend who returns from the dead to get his money that she owes him. Both women leave the coffee shop a little sore from the truth as well as a little frightened from seeing a zombie. There really is an emphasis on “it is a small world” throughout the play. Everyone seems to be connected somehow. Someone they know knows the other who knows your mom whose dog is your dog’s sister. Natalie’s lawyer husband Henry played by Keith Falconer is friends with Sidney, who is also a lawyer and played by Matt Trudeau. Sidney is married to Marcia Marie, a hilarious character and housewife, played by Jade Phillips who Sidney is cheating on with Celeste. See what I mean everyone knows someone who knows someone and everyone has a story. 

There were times during a few scene where my mind would wonder off and think about other things like “damn I have to check out a camera” or “shit that paper is do on Monday.” I would then come down from where ever I was and realize the scene still wasn’t over and it should have been 5 daydreams ago. The actors who played Celeste, Sidney, and Marcia Marie were my favorite and absolutely hilarious. Jade Phillips who played Marcia Marie didn’t get a lot of stage but got her time in the spotlight. She was hysterical; the scene when she goes nuts on Sidney because she knows about his affair with Celeste is a riot, the audience was rolling. 

The end of the play when all the cast comes out to take a bow is the highlight and a great ending to the show. The lights start to flicker and Michael Jackson’s Thriller begins to play and the cast enters to begin their choreographed dance. 

Where’s My Money? is a bore at times, but with a fabulous cast, excellent make-up, hysterical laughs it equals out to be a true thriller. 

Places to Visit on Campus!

If I had to tell one potential student who only had time to visit one where they should go it would really depend on what they were planning on majoring in. If they were going to major in film I would send them to the film building at 1104 S. Wabash. Over the past year they have really redone the place to a point I can’t even remember a time of when it wasn’t the way it is. 

The Conway Center on the ground floor of the film building is a relaxing place, sometimes between classes I’ll go sit down there on my computer. Many students sit there and study or read a book in between activities. I have met there for many production meetings as well, it is a gathering happening place with a café that sells some pretty good coffee.

Another good meeting place, and a place to pass the time and study or read is the Hokin Center in the 623 S. Wabash. Students of all majors go there because it is a general building, there is were the math and science classes are held, so all types of people are there not just film students or theater student all kinds. It is usually really busy and there is a café too. There are nice big windows like at the Conway Center where you can sit by the window and study and see the people on the street.

Both of these places are filled with students. They are great places to study and have meetings and if I had to tell a student to go check out 2 places on campus it would be the Conway Center, if they were a film major, and the Hokin Center for anyone.

Nim's Island

I would say I had an exciting weekend. I went to the movie theater, something I only do on rare occasions. The reason being…there seems to be nothing but crappy films being cranked out by the studios nowadays. Although the critics didn’t like the film I saw, giving it only a 48% on the tomatometer on rottentomatoes.com, I thought it had a great cast from the animals to the people, it was very imaginative, and whoever made one of their trailers should be fired.

The film I’m talking about is Nim’s Island starring Academy Award Nominee Abigail Breslin from Little Miss Sunshine, 2 time Academy Award winner Jodie Foster, and Gerard Butler (Cameron Diaz’ potential man according to sources). I have to admit I saw a trailer for this film about 2 weeks ago and I thought, “Wow! That film is going to be a hit! Stupid! Dumb! What the hell are they doing? Just another ridiculous kid movie that I’m going to have to take my sister to.” My sarcastic remark was a little off. You see the trailer was ridiculous and stupid, but the film made money and was still in the top five this weekend at #4 at the box office.

Nim’s Island is based on Wendy Orr's junior novel by the same title. Nim’s Island is a magical place, where you swing from trees, your friends are all animals and you are the only human, besides you scientist father, living there. Nim played by Abigail Breslin is a little girl with a big imagination and the ability to communicate with animals. She reads books of Alex Rover and she lives her life like the adventurous cowboy-like character played by Gerard Butler. When her father, Jack, also played by Gerard Butler, sets out to sea and is lost, Nim calls on Alex Rover to come help her from the pirate-themed cruise ship that has invaded her island. It turns out that “Alex” Rover is really Alexandra Rover, the author of these books, played by Jodie Foster, who lives a secluded life in San Francisco. With a little push, literally, from her fictional adventurous character Alex Rover, Alexandra leaves the big city and sets out to help poor Nim. 

“Nim's Island is a so-so live-action movie that would have been better if it were a cartoon. Animated films inspire a greater suspension of disbelief and so we aren't bothered by gaping plot holes or (for example) wild animals that respond to complicated commands” is how Eric D. Snider, a top film critic from Film.com, would describe Nim’s Island. That’s true you can get away with a lot using animation but simply because this film was live-action doesn’t mean it failed, I like the idea of it being live action rather than animated because that has been done before. Snider went on to say, “It is packed with wish fulfillment, girl power, broad comedy, and swashbuckling adventure.” And also that he wasn’t going to nit pick at it too much considering it is a “harmless adventure flick meant for tween girls.” I agree with him on his elements of describing the film, all true, and the not nit picking of a tween movie, this film wasn’t made for me. It was made for me to take my little sister to. But you see I survived this one unlike so many other children films that I have taken her to where I have fallen asleep and really, really wanted my money back. 

Claudia Puig from USA Today wrote in her review of the film, “Nim's Island is a win-win proposition: an entertaining, diverting adventure saga that offers excitement and a relatable heroine for children, and also will remind their parents of favorite classics from their own youth.” This is true, it is very imaginative, with great characters and actors, a film little girls would enjoy and parents would survive.
(Below is the GOOD trailer I mentioned and the one below that, at the bottom of the blog, is the BAD trailer.)

Sicko!

Oh Michael Moore! He did it again. He pissed people off with his film Sicko. But why, why does Michael Moore make people mad? What is it that they don’t like about him? I don’t know, some people out there must like him because after all the tomatometer on rottentomatoes.com has him as a pretty fresh tomato at 93%.

Honestly, how can you dislike someone who utilizes the constitution? Someone who speaks his thoughts? Someone who uses freedom of speech to his advantage? If anything, everyone should be applauding him, whether or not you agree with him, he doesn’t care, he will say what he wants and show you what he wants.

During the week of the Academy Awards, on Bill O’Reilly’s The Factor news program, Moore was labeled the pin head of the week (a segment O’Reilly has on each week). Moore was the pinhead of the week because of this, he said something on the lines of this:

Who knows if the Oscars are on for sure now maybe I’ll bring Castro considering he is no longer the dictator. I’ll bring him as my guest and maybe I’ll let him give the acceptance speech.

Pinhead? Or pretty genius? He knew it would make people made and he was the pinhead of the week, bravo. I laughed when I heard that, I knew it was a joke, and he knew he was going to make people mad. Something I think he likes to do and it isn’t hard when you think and speech for yourself.

Yes his films are bias, from his perspective, which can be very manipulative. But as a filmmaker that is what he is trying to do. He is trying to change your mind, make you think differently. He makes you open your eyes to things you didn’t know, even if you believe it or not.

A lot of this manipulation is done within the editing. He does the voice over for his films, speaking his thoughts. His use of music is so prevalent and I know I chuckled a little when I was watching Sicko, especially when the song “I Got A Golden Ticket” from Charlie and the Chocolate Factory came on when he was talking about Billy Townsend and other members on capital hill getting paid. The Star Wars parody when the list of conditions not covered by the health insurance comes on the screen is pretty funny, connecting with the audience, everyone knows what that is and what film that and the song comes from. He used archival footage of communist countries when talking about making health care nation wide because people, like Senator McCain, were saying “that’s what it’s like in communist countries.” Whatever, you idiot, so we’ll be commies if everyone is given free universal health care, right. I don’t understand people sometimes. He used archival footage when he was talking about “the American Dream”, footage of old household appliance commercials and TV shows from the happy go lucky 1950’s. The soundtrack overlay was “America the Beautiful”, hilarious.

I love this movie, and from looking at other review websites, such as rottentomatoes, I know I’m not the only one. Many people know about the corruption within our government and the insurance companies but seeing it in an hour and 35 minute documentary you see it visually and you can’t believe your eyes. Michael Moore uses freedom of speech to his advantage and people hate him for it.

"They just simply don't understand."

Dave Chappelle is a fan of hip hop music and the documentary Dave Chappelle’s Block Party he says something on the lines of this, “I have been a fan of these performers for a long time and I’m happy that they are taking part in this film.” He sits down at a piano in the Salvation Army in Brooklyn and plays a tune later saying that, “Comedians want to be musicians and musicians try to be comedians.” He appreciates the genre of hip-hop.

Michael Dyson’s article was interesting. Hip-hop has definitely manifested from other genres of music to become their own and the way he broke it down and explained it all was enlightening. Lyrics are powerful and hip-hop lyrics can insult many people but still it is at the top of the chart and still its influence on society is prevalent. All ages, races, faiths, and cultures all over the world either enjoy or hate hip-hop and that is why this film was so popular and well liked. Dave did call on all of the hip-hop world he called on those hip-hop artist who are positive. Yes I see that some of the lyrics are somewhat touchy for some like the lyrics of Dead Prez. But I see it differently, I don’t see those lyrics as offensive, they are opinions, freedom of speech and I like how Dead Prez utilizes that freedom. Dyson concurs with Chappelle’s choice of executing this film this way. Choosing the best artists, choosing a great location, going about getting guest to come buy giving them golden tickets, going to the Salvation Army, talking to the people in the “angel house” were all good ways to make this film work. It could have been something totally different if there were different artists like Lil Wayne, Snoop Dogg, and DMX, all artists that like, but the feel of the film would have totally changed and I’m not sure if it would have worked as well as it did. The artist chosen I feel were all very poetic and were all positive people.

On Rotten Tomatoes Dave Chappelle's Block Party had a 92% rating, one of the highest I’ve seen on there, it was well liked. Phil Villarreal from the Arizona Daily Star newspaper however didn’t think highly of it saying, “What should be a breezy, hand-waving romp turns out to be a misshapen, lazy flop. One moment it soothes the heart with sweet music, and the next it fries your ears with feedback.” I have to disagree with what Phil says and in the name of Will Smith “he just doesn’t understand.” Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe praises it saying, “Chappelle throws a jubilant 'Block Party'.” “Jubilant” perfect word, it sure was thrilling to see all of these artists together in Brooklyn, I wasn’t there but watching this documentary was entertaining enough for me.

For me to already like Dave Chappelle and have liked him from the beginning of his work I don’t know if seeing this film shaped any further opinion of him, I think he is a great comedian. He is smart, reading up on him and keeping up with him in the news, especially over the passed year where he was battling with the producers of his show on skits that were being written and also how he addressed the fact that his audience doesn't really get his comedy. Dave doesn’t want people to change his art he wants to create it and he knows that he has loyal fans so for the producers not to do what he wants or have him do something that he doesn’t want he disagrees with, as do many artists. He got out when he felt he was being held back.

I love how he brought all of these fabulous artists together on one stage, in Brooklyn and gave others the opportunity to go see this once in a life time show. There were all different kinds of hip-hop artists, ones that produce music for the club [Kanye West], ones who are poetic [Jill Scott] and the legendary [The Fugees] and I’m sure if you didn’t like all the performances you at least enjoyed one and that is why he wanted a variety, so it could speak to all ages, races, faiths, etc.