Eduardo Herrera

Professor Oakes

Film Review

Her.

Her, a movie directed by Spike Jonze. The movie revolves around an introverted man call Theodore who is going through a break up with his childhood sweetheart. Theodore is a professional writer who specializes in writing romantic cards. Theodore buys an operating system that is an artificial intelligence that can respond like a human being.  Theodore attempts to go out on dates with other people but cannot find the satisfaction he desires with them. He goes home and talks casual with his operating system, casual talk turns into flirting, and before long they are talking very intimate.    

            The whole movie brings a concept of Internet dating or more of cyber-dating. Theodore begins doing romantic couple activities with his operating system. He even goes as far as introducing the system as his girlfriend to his niece. The whole movie has a “hipster” feel to it, from the way the actors dress to the jobs that they carry.

            The movie is a representation of what love is in a relationship. Theodore lacking in the physical content makes up for it in the communication and bonding, and at the end that is what a relationship is really based on. Theodore knows well that he cannot physically feel Samantha (his operating system) but he knows that the bond that they have is strong and that they are always in contact.  The movie brings the idea to the viewer’s mind, is this love really possible? If so are these the bases of any love we come across?

Eduardo Herrera

Film History 2

Professor Brian Oakes

 The King of Comedy

The king of comedy is a movie directed by Martin Scorsese. It is one of his lesser-known films.  It is also one of his films that takes a different approach to his style of directing movies. The movie follows Robert DeNiro’s character Rupert Pupkin and Jerry Lewis’ character Jerry Langford. The movie centers on Rupert trying to become a successful comedian. In his free time Rupert fantasies about becoming a big time comedian. He believes that if he has a chance to perform in Jerry’s show then he will be able to stroll in the doors of success. Rupert becomes obsessed with the idea, so much that he kidnaps Jerry Lewis.  Scorsese goes deep into the mind of Rupert.  Scorsese gives us different angles of Rupert from the guy who is just a goof at first but then becomes desperate and turns to do rash things.  In a way this movie is backwards, usually we see the villain in the story being a bad person, and usually the protagonist being a good guy but in this movie the roles have been reversed. Rupert is the loveable antagonist, and Jerry Lewis is the rude, nasty protagonist.

Robert DeNiro captures the trouble of Rupert, Rupert is very harsh to his mother, and it seems that he will do anything to get on TV, he is very gullible when it comes to the people who work for Jerry, until the end when he founds out that they have been lying about his location. .  At the end of the film, Rupert goes to jail but his role lands him the titles of king of comedy.  He is greeted well by the public and his fame grows bigger than he could imagine. Fantasy is a constant theme in the movie. Rupert is constantly fantasizing on his rise to fame and fortune, and him and Jerry Lewis having conversations about him starting at the bottom and getting a break.  The King of Comedy is a film, which portrays a lovable antagonist and a nasty protagonist.  A king for a night is what Rupert is called after his performance on Jerry’s show.This is one of Scorsese’s most overlooked films, and one of his most successful films also.

Eduardo Herrera

Kean University

Professor Brian Oakes

Shawshank Redemption

Produced by Frank Darabont, Shawshank Redemption is a movie an adaptation of the book, Rita Hayworth and Shawshank Redemption, written by Stephen King The story is about Andy who is framed for the murder of his wife, and sent to prison where he befriends Red.  Throughout this movie Andy is constantly facing off with people who range from a gang of prison rapist, the guards, and the corrupt warden who exploits Andy’s banking knowledge for his own gain. The movie got many nominations for Oscars including best leading actor, which got Tim Robbins (Andy) and Morgan Freeman (Red) nominated.  The movie flopped at first when it was released in theaters but soon after its release on home media, it because a hit. It is frequently making the top 100 list of must see movies and greatest movies of all time. The movie has many conflicts, despise being a prison film this movie touches many subjects that ordinary people could relate. It touches upon the feeling of hopelessness when Brooks is feeling down and chooses to end his own life despise being free from jail.  It also talks about hope, such as Andy; laundering money from the warden despise him being treated horribly. The movie has a great ending theme on the good vs. evil. Andy has stated pure throughout his whole time in prison, and the warden has given him a rough time, near the end Andy takes his opportunity to escape from prison. The warden falls and Andy prevails. There is also a symbolic theme also, when Andy is crawling through a sewer pipe that is filled with human waste, Andy when through so much for him not to come out prevailing at the end.  Darabont is constantly giving us different angels to view the characters. When Andy is sent to jail, the camera shown rising above giving us a whole look at the prison, when Andy is free the movie also gives us an upward angel. The movie majestically captures the story of Andy, a man who is framed for the murder of his wife, but never loses hope in prison, waiting for his moment to escape.  

Eduardo Herrera

Film History II

March 25, 2014

Professor Oakes

Dazed and Confused

Dazed and Confused is a film directed by Richard Linklater, an American director who also directed the 2003 movie School of Rock. The filmed borrowed the name Dazed and Confused from a popular Led Zeppelin song.  This filmed gave rise to many great actors who would later become to star in movies that are blockbuster hits, such as Ben Affleck, Matthew McConaughey, and Mila Jonovich. The movie follows a group of teenagers and their misadventures on their last day of school before their summer break. Dazed and Confused was influenced by the 70’s, this is very apparent in the soundtrack during the movie having songs such as Black Sabbath’s Paranoid, Lynyrd Skynyrd’s Tuesday’s Gone, and Aerosmith’s Sweet Emotion, and especially the scene of stealing the rival school’s statue and painting them with Gene Simmons/Paul Stanley’s Kiss make up. This movie raises the issue about teen’s partying, most of them are smoking Marijuana, and Drinking Alcohol, this depicts a problem with the youth of the era, since also children who are underage partake in the drinking in the movie. Dazed and Confused is a movie about change, and how the internal struggles of a character often paint the big picture that make the big decisions in their life. We can see this from McConaughey character as being the student who graduated from High School but never really grew out of the mentality. We can also see it in Newhouse’s character on how he portrays himself as a Intellect insulting everybody who he does not see as his friend, how his struggle is to not look like a “wimp” because he got into an altercation. Another Example is Mitch Kramer’s character who is trying to fit in with the older crowd even letting himself get caught up with the excitement and missing his curfew. Dazed and confused is a movie that depicts the 70’s lifestyle of a group of teens who are in no hurry to grow up.