The Truth Behind The King's Speech

Back from London!

On my trip to London, I thought about one of my favorite movies ever, The King's Speech.

Before the film was released, many people did not know that King George VI spoke with a horrific stutter. To think that this film took place not too long ago and so few people knew what truly went on.

But did you know that much of the theories behind stuttering are proven true? Such as if a person has their ears covered or they can't hear themselves, they won't speak with a stutter. Also, a person is incapable to sing with a stutter.

There are very few films out there containing main characters with stutters who learn to overcome it. In a way, those with stutters are a minority in films today. After the release of The King's Speech, there was a great response from those with stutters who were proud that there was now a representative of themselves in a film.

I myself do not have a stutter when I speak, but growing up I had a great deal of difficulty reading. Because of this, I formed a fear as a child of reading out loud in front of crowds. When I would read out loud, I would read with a terrible stutter and would mess up every few words. However, if I were ever asked to sing what I read, there would be no stuttering.

Why? It is impossible to sing with a stutter! When singing you use a different part of your brain, also the reason you can't sing with an accent.

Also, there is not proof that stuttering is phycological. So when a person cannot hear themselves, they will not stutter because they are not aware of what they are saying.

It is amazing how much we know about overcoming stutters, but I personally never noticed how far back some of these ideas went.

But back to film, if you are ever looking for a nice historical yet touching movie to watch, with no hesitation I would say The King's Speech. Considering that we see Queen Elizabeth as a child, the film also brings a "close to home" feeling due to how not long ago it was. The film brings a hidden past that many never knew about and tells the world that even a king can have a flaw, but with strength, anyone can overcome them.

Leaving for a while

So I just found out this Saturday that for my graduation gift, my best friend and I are going to LONDON for 10 DAYS!!!

I will be leaving tomorrow and won't be back until June 1st. This means there will be no new posts for a while. I am sorry there haven't been many, but with graduation and work, things got crazy. 

Can't wait to report back on the trip and do more movie reviews!

CHEERIO CHAPS!!!

MY First Time Seeing.....

So I must confess something....... I've never seen a Star Trek movie before....


I KNOW! But it's true...So here's the thing...The love of my life, Benedict Cumberbatch has been casted as the villain of the new Star Trek movie Into Darkness.

(EEK! SO HANDSOME!)

It is taking all the power in the word for me not to run to go see him and scream like a fan girl, but I have a question for everyone....

Should I watch the original Star Trek movie first or should I just go see the new one then watch the older ones?

Because of my lack of Trek knowledge I fear it will make it hard for me to understand. Who thinks I'm safe?!

If I see Into Darkness first, I will kick off my

NOT SO GREAT GATSBY!

For the first time ever...I sat in a theater where the ENTIRE theater BOOed the movie!!

I love the director, Moulin Rouge is one of my favorite movies ever! That being said....

WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT!?

1. The Great Gatsby IS NOT A LOVE STORY!!!
2. Can you say BAD ACTING!?
3. Leo...you look like a Great Gatsby....but please...don't talk anymore...
4. Toby...not bad...but dear god...could they make you any more naive?!
5. No...that is not what it was like during the 20s...parties were not that over the top!
6. Old sport!? You say that one more time in that accent and I'll slap someone...
7. Baz Luhrmann....I love your style...but really?! WHAT'S WITH THE MUSIC?
8. Can anyone tell me what happened to Myrtle? She like...vanished for the entire length of the movie and then she is BEEP!! (spoiler alert)
9. Do I feel bad for anyone in the movie? NOPE
10. Was I sad that Gatsby died? NOPE

All in all...TERRIBLE!

This was NOT The Great Gatsby.

If you want to watch a good movie, watch the 1974 version with Mia Farrow. Now that is a good movie!

Please...do not waste your money!

Great Gatsby Or Not So Great??

So tomorrow I will be going to see the new Great Gatsby movie by one of my favorite directors, Baz Luhrmann.

So this is how I see it...the movie will either be AMAZING...or just terrible....

But here is what i want to know...the casting...who do you think will be better or is better if you saw it?

Leonardo DiCaprio VS Robert Redford
Carey Mulligan VS Mia Farrow
Tobey Maguire VS Sam Waterston

Who do you think best plays the lead characters?

Also...do you even consider Great Gatsby a "love story"?

I know what one viewer will say, but think about it...do you think there was ever ANY love in the story or just lust and Daisy using Gatsby?

I will be posting a video the next few days with a review of the film!

What's Today?

Anyone know what today is??? Revenge of the 6th!!!!

(And my last class as a Undergrad student!)

One of my favorite days of the year!!!

MAY THE 4th BE WITH YOU!!!

The Beauty of Song

This is one of my favorite moments ever in the Lord of The Rings trilogy. This shows why it can be so important to mix song with action events that contrast each other. Editing, an amazing thing here.

Aside from his quite beautiful singing voice, Billy Boyd does a great job showing the pain his character feels knowing that men are dying and the Steward may lose his only son now but doesn't seem to care.

Favorite scene!

Is there a scene from LOTR that you find that the cross editing makes it so much more beautiful or where the music adds everything to the scene? What about in other movies? Feel free to post a video of it.

Here is my favorite for you to see.

Movie World VS. Real Word

We all have those moments were we just wish that our lives were like those in the movies. We all wish that those prince charming characters or princesses will be out their for us. We wish we could go on some great adventure and go off to save the day, but the sad truth is life isn't a movie.

I know that I wish I could go on an adventure with Indiana Jones, but what are the odds of that ever happening? I just recently went through a breakup and someone said to me "Don't worry, you're a film major. You know how it ends. He will be all romantic and show up to apologize with flowers." REALLY?! Thats the advice I get? How can people be tricked into that idea that their life will be just like the movies?

As a kid, starting with Disney movies, it seems like kids are getting ideas that their life can be like that of all the Disney princesses. Boys want to be like all the action heroes that save the day and fight the dragons.

Emma Stone's character of Olive in Easy A puts it best when she says this...

Everyone would want this! Hell I honestly wish my relationship was as romantic as a movie sometimes. Coming home to roses forming a path to the dinning room where a romantic dinner is set up and my boyfriend there waiting. I want to go to graduation and when I have my diploma in hand I want to look up and see him standing there waiting for me. I wish he would be at my door step with flowers for me when I get home from work to say sorry.  But as she said, my life isn't a good 80s movie.

Films are made to over fantasize all emotions and life experiences. If a character loses someone its not a simple death, no, rather they are hit by a car and thrown from the road so the body is never found. And somehow everyone viewer will "relate" to this.

This blog is more of a rant, but am I missing something in the world? Why do people think their life will be that of one in a movie? Why do we strive to relate with characters we have NOTHING in common with?

Things about the film world I'll never understand.

But tell me, have you seen this before in life? Even if it's yourself, is there something you see in the film world you wish could happen?

The Future Of This Blog

Hello Everyone!!!!

So we are reaching the last few weeks of this spring semester for me. This also means that this will be my last few weeks before I graduate with a degree in English/Lit (focus in Creative Writing) and a second major in Film Studies.

This blog was originally just part of a class I'm taking at the moment, but I have grown to love posting on here about one of my greatest passion. So I will be continuing to post on this blog and bring a new spark to it.

I would like some feedback though on what YOU want to see! Tell me what you want more of. More trivia, random facts, my top... lists. Whatever you want.

Here is something you can look forward to this summer in the blog!!!

Starting in a two weeks I will be posting videos once or twice a month featuring different topics. We will have things such as interviews with fell classmates of mine that are studying film, teachers of mine that have great views on the world of film and maybe some hidden surprises.

One thing I will be doing is "My first time watching..." (working progress on the name) where I will take people who have never seen movies that "everyone else" has seen such as Star Wars, Indiana Jones, Wizard of Oz, and Jaws. I will have a short clip with them BEFORE the screening to see what they will expect then a clip AFTER to see their reactions. Sound good?

Also this summer I will be posting video reviews of films that I have seen. Warning though...if I really like or dislike a film...I get very enthusiastic. Hahaha.

But thank you so much for reading my blog and PLEASE post some feedback!!!!

Too Soon?

So on the radio I heard that the writers of Glee and several other film writers are now writing scripts about school shootings.

It was asked on the radio and now I'm asking you...

Is it too soon for school shootings to be made into a form of entertainment?

Personally yes, far too soon. But I can see the "lesson" one can learn form the films/shows and the message it sends. This is very sensitive ground now and it may be best not to tread on it yet.

But what about your thoughts on it?

Off Topic

So this has nothing to do with film, but is very close to home. Just keep your thoughts and best wishes open to those who were killed or injured in Boston today. I don't live far from there and this is a horrible thing to happen. This year hasn't started off on a great note with so many shootings and now this. Just keep them in your prayers if you believe in that, if not at least offer up good wishes and hopes that they all get better.

Thank You!

Iconic Movie Scores!!!

Not much I need to say here other than CLASSIC!!! Today I will be seeing Jurassic Park in IMAX 3D. Though I am against regular 3D due to it being a real rip off, IMAX 3D really takes EVERYTHING in a film and makes it 3D unlike regular 3D that will only take one or two things in each shot.

But this is about movie scores! There are always movies that the score becomes the icon of the film such as Jurassic Park and other films such as Star Wars.

Without cheating and using google, what are other films that have such iconic scores? Keep in mind, there can not be singing within the score.

Mean while, here is a classic we all love!

Also on a side note...My best friend has never seen Jurassic Park before...anyone else find that shocking!? Any other classic films such as that you would recommend she see? (she also never saw the original Star Wars films...she saw Episode I in 3D...big mistake...it's my fault though.)

Movie Score That Makes You Think...

Ever hear a film score that for some reason is unsettling yet beautiful at the same time? Something feels wrong, you never saw the movie but for some reason something feels...off. That's the feeling I get when I hear this song, Requiem for a Dream from the 2000 film of the same name.

How does it make you feel? Have you ever heard a song that made you feel unsure or gave you a mesh of emotions?

Take a listen!

Movie Score and TRIVIA!!!!

So here is another one if my FAVORITE movie scores ever. It's from an un expected film, The Mask of Zorro from 1998. The music always moves in perfect time and really catches the spirit of the moment...but...FOR THE TRIVIA!!!

In the song (starting at about 20 seconds) there is this tapping/clapping sound that can be heard with a solo of the sound shortly after. What is making that sound? It can be hurt throughout most of the song.

Take a listen!

Movie Scores!!!

It is often said that a movie score can make or break a film. If the music doesn't match, it wont work and will flop. There is even an Academy Award dedicated to best original score.

Here is one that i felt was over looked. 

Peter Pan that was released in 2003. A sweet adaptation of a classic story, but listen to a few songs that I will attach. Every time I hear them I feel so relaxed or inspired. 

Is there a movie that has a score that you just love? 

This week I will post further scores that I feel truly shine. 

what about this!!!

Can We Learn About History from Film?

A few months ago someone chose to say to me "I don't see why movies are so important. Not like we can learn anything from them. The don't do anything." 

Yeah.

Well all I can do with that statement is post this video and then post this question for everyone. What did you learn from this video about the US pov on the situation? Is this nothing? Can we learn nothing from this video?

Food and Movies?

In Forest Gump, we see how Forest makes a friend named Bubba who comes from a family of sharpers. They know everything about shrimp! After the war, Forest creates a his own shrimping business named Bubba Gump Shrimp.

Did you know there are restaurants all across the world!?

Can you guess what food they specialize in?

If you are a fan of shrimp and like corny themed restaurants, check it out! 

http://www.bubbagump.com 

One Word Director!

Now...Everyone knows him, but everyone has a different opinion...Ready...

Burton

Sum up Burton in one word!

One Word Quote!

Here is another one word quote for you! It's a classic! Ready....

"Bueller?"

ONE WORD QUOTE!

You know the rules! And here is my FAVORITE one word movie quote! Ready...

"STELLA!!!!"

Now reply with one word!

ONE WORD: ACTOR!

Todays one word will be the last name of an actor. Give a one word reply to their name. Can be a first name, movie they were in, or even just a one word reply on how you feel about their acting...ready...GO!

Costello!

One Word Week!

This week I will either give a one word movie quote, title, or genre category and you have to respond ONLY IN ONE WORD!!

Example::: One Word Quote: "Inconceivable!"
Response: Buttercup
(get it?)

So for today........


ONE WORD MOVIE TITLE:::: Equilibrium


Now give me a one word response to that! Can be anything from how you felt about it, an actor that came to mind (one word) or even a character.

THATS ENOUGH!

So we are taking it back a bit today! Remember this song!?

OH YEAH! MORTAL KOMBAT! One of the most epic video games of our time! Mortal Kombat became an icon in the video game world and remains one to this day. BUT, did you know there are TWO Mortal Kombat movies?

Everything about them screams "This movie suck!" yet at the same time you can't help but think "This is the best thing I've ever seen!" Acting, terrible. Graphics, dear lord terrible. Scrip, god help us. Nothing about this movie is well done, but they do bring to life the most iconic video game characters ever such as the trio of Scorpion, Reptile, and Sub-Zero.

Mortal Kombat is so bad that even the fighting looks cheesy! How does someone do that!? Ironic enough, one character, Johnny Cage, is an actor who complains about other actors bad acting...yeah.

You also get to hear the best lines ever in video game history such as "Prepare to fight!" "Finish him!" "Get over here!" and "MORTAL KOMBAT!!!!!"

The first Mortal Kombat movie was released in 1995 and focused around the character of Liu Kang. Liu joins together with the thunder and lightning god, Lord Raiden, to overthrow a war lord who steals the souls of fighters that lose. This war lord just happened to steal the soul of Liu's brother, but that doesn't matter at all.

The second Mortal Kombat movie, Mortal Kombat: Annihilation, was released in 1997 and leaves off where the first movie ends. This movie is how the good guys try to stop Shao Kahn and his army from overthrowing the earth. Shao Kahn how ever has NO relation to Lord Rayden....(yes the spelling changed for some reason) and they are NOT brothers....

Not to mention, in the second movie, though 60% of the characters are the same...only two of the actors are the same! New actors were brought in for this films for reasons I cant't seem to understand.

So again, all together two horrible movies. But if you want to see a video game come to life and have fun with it, WATCH MORTAL KOMBAT!

IN YOUR FACE!

So, Ben Affleck WASN'T nominated for best director at the Academy Awards...ok...no problem at all...he will just go and win BEST PICTURE.

In the history of the Academy awards, only three times (before this past year) has a film won best picture without the director being nominated for best director. Ben Affleck is the fourth person in history to do that. I will admit that i found it shocking that he didn't even receive a nomination and I'm sure he took an ego hit with that, but he took that and shoved it in the face of so many by winning best picture on Sunday.

Odds where not in his favor, but i guess this proves that sometimes the "unlikely" can become happen.

Academy Awards Promo Favorite?

Hey everyone! Sorry for the gap in post, haven't been feeling so great. BUT TOMORROW IS THE BIG DAY! The Academy awards are showing tomorrow and I can't wait! In prep for the big night, there have been two amazing promo videos for it staring the host (and local star), Seth Macfarlane. Please tell me which one you like best! I personally love the 007 one because I always wonder why people say "shaken not stirred" but gotta love a good Psycho spoof!

OR

Valentine Movie Night?

So it's the big Valentines day tomorrow! Need a good movie to watch with your loved one? Here are my top five love films to watch.

1. Moulin Rouge (amazing and funny love with a shocking ending)

2. Princess Bride (cheesey funny and sappy all in one)

3. Love Actually (may be set around Christmas time but still great! also has a GREAT cast)

4. A Walk to Remember (sad but still sweet, very sappy)

5. Bridget Jones Diary (amazingly funny and such fun to watch to joke about love)

Quote trivia!

So here is a trivia for everyone! Tell me WHAT FILM the quote is from and WHO said it. For extra credit tell me what scene it is from and what is going on. The quote is....

"Funny, she doesn't look Druish."

One does simply....

Anyone else sick of this meme? I will say though, every once in a while i find a good one. Ever find a good Lord of the Rings meme? If so send me a link and I'll post the best one!

Who are they!?

So here is the game. This is a picture from the book that a series of films were adapted after. You must tell me what film they are from, who is in it, and what is happening! This is an easy one! Give it a try though!

(Russell Potter! Shhh! This is too easy for you!)

I am guilty of never seeing...

Face it, there has to be some movie that you feel everyone has seen but you. WHAT IS IT!?

I will confess....I have never seen seen a Monty Python film before. Never! I hear people quoting it on a day to day basis and feel like I'm missing out on every joke. 

At the same time though, my mother has never seen Princess Bride! How can you go through your life never seeing Princess Bride? 

Tell me what film makes you feel this way or what film you think everyone must see before they die.

Classic Batman.....

Best part of Batman Forever. As a kid I never got it until I watched it randomly a month ago and couldn't stop laughing.

Of all the OLD BATMAN movies, what was your favorite. IT CAN NOT BE ONE WITH CHRISTIAN BALE!

Spoiler.....

Lets sum up Sean Bean in one picture....

Respect for Christian Bale

This is not going to be about a movie today, but rather about an actor I and slowly gaining more respect for.

I will admit, Christian Bale was never my favorite person. He seemed so self centered and cocky at times and when he had that yelling fit on the Terminator set, I couldn't stand him at all. Did I like his acting, yes, but as a person I almost detested him.

After the midnight showing shootings at Aurora it became well known that Bale, one of the most demanded actors in Hollywood at the moment, took time go spend they day with the hospitalized victims from the shooting. It was then that I began to gain more respect for him as a person.

But it was a video that make me truly see that he is growing and becoming more than a great man, but a great human being.

Zach Guillot is an eight-year-old boy suffering from Leukemia. He spends most of his time in in a hospital and loves Batman more than anything. The Guillot even tells people HE is Batman and his younger brother believes him.

While in the hospital one day, Guillot received a phone call from none other than Batman himself, Christian Bale. Guillot's mother videotaped the entire phone conversation where Bale is on speaker and posted it on youtube.

If this doesn't touch your heart, I'm not sure what will.

But wait! There is more! Yesterday Zach received another gift sent to him by Christian Bale, a backpack filled entirely of Batman themed items. The gifts included action figures, coloring books, a blanket, and a signed photo of Batman from Christian Bale.

I truly bow my head in respect to Bale for reaching out to this young boy. It is not easy for children to live like this but it's acts such as this that can make their lives so much better. So hats of to Christian Bale, please keep up the kind acts, there should be more actors and celebrities reaching out in this way.

Woman to Honor

With the Academy Awards coming up, I think it is time to tell you about a woman that made history at the Academy Awards in 1993.

It is safe to say that it is rare for a sifi/comedy/action/adventure/fantasy to win an award at the Awards. Not saying it has never happened, Lord of the Rings Return of the King still has the shared lead for most Oscars won for a single film with 11 (tied with Titanic and Ben-Hur.) BUT for a comedy to win, almost never happens. In fact, one of the first comedy to ever WIN an Academy Award was My Cousin Vinny when Marisa Tomei won best supporting actress.

Tomei plays the character of Mona Lisa Vito, an overly gaudy city girl who is engaged to Vinny Gambini. She is loud, opinionated, impatient and fascinated with southern life. With her camera in hand she is taking pictures of everything from grits to the crime scene. And be careful when her temper flares, she has a reputation for causing a scene and causing your jaw to drop

BUT THATS WHY WE LOVE HER!

Here is an example of why Tomei won. Though Joe Pesci also should have won or at least been nominated, it is refreshing to see something so over the top and hysterical win.

Tomei never held back when portraying Mona Lisa and truly pushed her limits to show the true contrast between her and the southerners.

Oscars normally go to more serious roles and films, but as another Oscar winning character once said, "Why so serious?" It's roles such as this that show that sometimes the "rules of the Academy Awards" can be broken. Hopefully soon we will have another Marisa Tomei to get comedies back in the spotlight of the Oscars. Maybe we have hope this year with Silver Linings Playbook.

Who Do You Think Will Win?

As you may know, the Academy Awards are not far away. This year there are many great films nominated for a line of great awards. But who do you think will win the award for Best Picture?

The Nominees For Best Picture Are...
Amour
Life of Pi
Argo
Silver Lining Playbook
Lincoln
Beast of the Southern Wild
Django Unchained
Zero Dark Thirty
Les Miserables

My bet is that Lincoln will win, but please, share what YOU think. WHO WILL WIN???

Who Is This?

Can anyone tell me who this classic movie monster is?

Hint: The film was by Universal Studios.

Extra points to the person who can name the actor!

Sick of Superheroes But Want Some Action?

Sick of super heros but want a good action movie to watch one night? Well here is one you may not be familiar with.  1996 The Phantom, directed by Simon Wincer.

Acting skill, reasonably good....but cheesy and overdone at times, but still entertaining. Storyline, also cheesy but entertaining. Everything about it can make you laugh and shake your head, but at the same time it is addicting.

Set during the 30s, the film focuses around the character "The Phantom," who lives in the Bengala Jungle, wears a purple skin tight body suite and is known as the protector of the land and sacred grounds. The Phantom starts quest to stop The Same Brotherhood from gaining possession of three ancient skulls. When the skulls are combined they will give the holder power to overthrow the world. Of course that sounds too easy, so of course there are many "bad guys" thrown in, love triangles, and guns.

What makes this unique? The Phantom is based off of a comic written in the 30s by Lee Falk. Because of this, there are no super powers, no fancy weapons that only the rich could have, just ones physical strength, will, and a gun. This hero COULD be possible unlike Batman or Superman.

The film stars Billy Zane, Kristy Swanson, Treat Williams, and Catherine Zeta-Jones.

By far not the greatest movie every made, but if you want something thats fun with action and a good 90s flashback, I recommend this film for anyone in the mood for action.

Trivia

TRIVIA!!!

Name TWO Mel Brooks films that have remakes or adaptations done by Mel Brooks himself.

Hint: One of the remakes is not a film.

Classic Hitchcock

I'm going to tell you a name and I want to know what the first film is that you think of.

Hitchcock!

Let me guess, you said Psycho. When Hitchcock's name is said, more often then none, people will think about his most violent or terrifying films. The leading film of his and the most notorious of them all is Psycho which he directed in 1960. But did you know, though he is considered one of the fathers of suspense films, Hitchcock never won an Academy Award? He was nominated five times for best director, but even his most famous of films, Psycho, never won. 

Psycho is about a young woman takes off with $40,000 dollars that she stole and tries running from the police. In doing so she comes across the Bates Motel where she rest for the night. During her one night stay she meets the owner of the Motel, Norman Bates, and hears about his mother who lives at the top of the hill. The same night as her check-in, the young woman is stabbed to death in her shower. Who did it? What about the money? Will anyone find out? All questions that linger after her murder. 

Did you know that Psycho was based off of a novel? The novel is based off of true events. The film was based off of a book of the same name by Robert Bloch. Bloch based his novel off of Ed Gein, a murderer and grave robber from Wisconsin. He was known for collecting body parts from graves and keeping them. When he was caught by the police he confessed to killing two women but it is thought that there may have been more.

From this story Hitchcock not only created one of the greatest horror films of all time, but one of the most famous villains of all time, Norman Bates. Anthony Perkins started in his hit role of Norman Bates when he was casted in Psycho. With his cross dressing and murdering and antics, he becomes balanced with his young, charming and awkward first appearances. When Norman Bates is first seen, it would be hard to think that such a young gentleman could hurt anyone, but at the same time, that is what makes hims so terrifying. Years after the films success, Anthony Perkins took part in creating the less successful sequels to Psycho which he stared in.

Though it is over 50 years later, Psycho remains one of the greatest horror/suspense films ever made. If ever you are looking for a good thrill or a film that will make you think, I recommend you have a night in and watch this film. But, next time you check into a hotel, watch out for any dark shadows on the shower curtain.