I would have to call it a love-hate relationship. I can't live with it, can't live without it. Maybe thats being a little bit dramatic, but after having a cell phone since the young age of 13, i have become quite attached to it. First of all the cell phone that i am currently using is the LG Keybo. Here is a photo:

I always assured myself that i would never become one of those people who is constantly on their phone, texting instead of having real conversations. I am sad to say that i have somewhat become this. As much as i hate it when other people do this to me, I cant help but do the same. Every time i get a call or a text i get a little burst of excitment as to what the other person might have to say. So, what I'm trying to say is texting is like being able to be two places at once and allows you to communicate and socialize with more people, more often.

Not only am i constantly on my cell phone, i am also a extremely technology obsessed. Therefore, just weeks after i got this phone i was already wanting a new one. This is the phone i currently want:

Speed texting is my speciality and this is something that i am quite proud of - which is slightly disheartening. Text messaging is becoming a competition and the people that text the most are considered to be the most popular or biggest socialite. Teenagers today are in constant need of stimulation and entertainment which is why when you look around any given room at any given time most of the teenagers will have their heads down in their phones or blackberries.

So...what is my final opinion on cell phones? I myself would not want to give it up, as not having a cell phone in high school would be like not having a oxygen tank underwater or being weaponless in battle. So unless everyone would be willing to give up their cellphones I am no way prepared to handle the world phone-less.

Here is an example of what happens when texting becomes an obsession. This is a video of a girl who texts while she drives which is not only putting her own life in danger, it is also putting everyone else on the roads at risk also. 

                                         

On Wednesday April 11th, many students at York Mills as well as many other schools in the GTA had the opportunity to attend the Reel Canada Film Festival at the Sheppard Grande theatre. This is my second year attending the festival and this year I saw "Water" in the morning and "Sharkwater" in the afternoon. 

We started off our day watching the film Water, which is an oscar nominated and critically acclaimed film directed by Deepa Metha. The film is about a group of widowed woman in India who are forced to live in a secluded temple and what it is like to be widowed from the early age of 8, for young Chiyua. The following is a trailer for the film:

                                                   

                         

I personally was not a huge fan of the film Water. Although I will say that the acting and scenery was quite well done, I could not get into the plot and found that it was quite slow. However, this could largely be a result of my age and therefore i found it difficult to relate to the characters and there situation. Overall, I am proud to say that a film so successful and well-known was made by Canadians.

                                                            

After a break for lunch we resumed our day of Canadian films. In the afternoon I had the opportunity to see the film "Sharkwater". This was my second time seeing the film Sharkwater in theaters. I have to say that it was even better the second time. Sharkwater is a  documentary film written, directed, and starring Canadian Rob Stewart. The film follows the adventures of this Shark enthusiast as he travels the world saving as many sharks as he can. However, during the journey he is faced with a flesh-eating virus as well as near arrest by the Costa Rican officials. 

                                      

I must say that I was very impressed with this film. It isn't your typical "documentary" film in that it was action-packed and truly interesting from beginning to end. This film takes a topic that many people would not find interesting and has such a hard hitting impact on the audience. Not only is the film entertaining to watch but it also quite educational for audiences of all ages. Here is a trailer for the film: 

                           

So what is my opinion on Canadian films?

After attending the film festival for 2 years, and seeing a total of 4 Canadian films I have come to the conclusion that Canadian films can be just as entertaining and professional as American films. Therefore, I feel that you cannot assume that if you like one Canadian movie you will like all of them, as like any other movies, they must be judged on an individual basis.

I intend to continue to watch more Canadian films in the future and the Reel Canada film festival has brought to my attention the amount of true talent that our country holds. Seeing these films has made me even more proud to be Canadian. 

AMERICAN TEEN

When we first got the assignment to blog about the "Movie that Changed My Life" I was very hestitant as it was hard for me to think of a film that effected my view of the world. However, this weekend I watched the documentary called "American Teen". I can honestly say that the characters and the stories that are told in this dramatic and emotional film effected my life in more ways than I ever expected.

This film looks at what its really like to be a teenager in High School. Like most movies about this topic "American Teen" portrays the 5 common cliques or stereotypes in high school: the jock, the nerd, the popular girl, the heart throb, and the rebel. However, in contrast to similar films it shows each person's story and shows what its like to live in their stereotype. 

This movie changed my life firstly because of the fact that it broaden my movie watching horizon. I had never been a big fan of documentary films, however after seeing "American Teen" I can safely say that this is no longer the case.

Also, this film had a strong effect on my life in that it showed that everyone has their own story and no one is what they appear to be. Take the main character Hannah, who was known to be a confident, out-spoken, artistic, and rebellious student. However, we learn that she is on medication for depression and is not as strong as she appears to be.

The film "American Teen" is one that I feel all high school students should be exposed to as it gives them something to relate to and connect their own personal experiences to. It profiles the up's and down's of high school life that we all will experience. So whether your the jock, the nerd, the rebel, the heart throb, the prom queen or "unlabeled" all of us can identify with American Teen. 

Oh Brother Where Art Thou?

 1. What is your favorite scene in the film and why?

Although there are many scenes that I thoroughly enjoyed in the film "Oh Brother Where Art Thou" I must say that my favourite was the scene when the 4 men travel to the radio station and record the Soggy Bottom Boys soon to be hit single, "Man Of Constant Sorrow". I enjoyed this scene so much as it is both unexpected and entertaining. You would not expect these three escaped prisoners would have such smooth and melodic voices. However, we soon learn that they are up-and-coming country superstars! This scene is ironic in that all the men wanted was their 10 dollars for recording a single, however it resulted in an uncontrollable love and admiration for them and their music throughout the little town in Mississippi. 

2. Research and find pictures that you've seen with the starring actors. Discuss their range as actors and what you find interesting about their work.

GEORGE CLOONEY 

                                                          

       Starring In: Spy Kids and Burn After Reading

 

Clearly from the two movies I have shown above that George Clooney has starred in he is not an actor that is restricted to one type of movie. Burn after reading is a new type of comedy and isn't the typical slapstick hollywood "funny". In complete opposition to this Spy Kids is a children's action movie about, as you could probably tell from the name, kids who are spies. Furthermore, this shows George Clooney's versatility and the vastness of roles that he can effectively portray. 

JOHN TUTURRO

     

Starring In: Transformers and Don't Mess With the Zohan

John Turturro is an actor unlike any other. Although many people are not as familiar with him as say George Clooney, he is a comedic genius in whatever role he is playing. This actor is so unique as he is able to bring a smile onto the faces of audiences regardless of how villainous his character may be. 

                                          

3. What reasons are given for the alterations in colour in the film? How do you feel about them? What do they contribute to the film?

It is clear when watching the film that its colour tones are different from most movies, as the creators used digital colour correction, which gives the movie a sepia-tinted appearance. It was said by the cinematographer of the film "Oh Brother, Where Art Thou" that the reason for this tint was,

"Ethan and Joel (Coen) favored a dry, dusty Delta look with golden sunsets. They wanted it to look like an old hand-tinted picture, with the intensity of colors dictated by the scene and natural skin tones that were all shades of the rainbow."

I feel as though that this was a good decision on the part of the Coen brothers as it fits the theme of the film perfectly. The warm yellow tones are suited to the Mississippi setting and give the audience a warm and almost cozy feeling while watching the movie. Furthermore, it creates what is called "Magic Hour" throughout the film and the yellow glow makes it appears as though the sun is always just about to rise or set.

4. Find 5 'references' to other films or stories in the movie and list them.

Reference 1: In the scene where the trio and George Nelson are sitting around the fire after the robbery at Itta Bena, there are Greek columns in the background. 

Reference 2: The scene where Ulysses, Pete and Delmar come upon the KKK meeting is a reference to the scene in The Wizard of Oz (1939) when the Tin Man, Scarecrow and Lion sneak up on the Witch's castle. The chanting and formation marching of the Witch's guards are mimicked by the KKK members. Infiltration is achieved in both films by overpowering three guards and KKK members respectively and donning their garb.

Reference 3: The cabin in the valley before it is flooded is a replica of the cabin from The Evil Dead (1981), a movie directed by Sam Raimi, a friend and co-conspirator of the Coens.

Reference 4: When Everett, Pete, Delmar, and Tommy encounter the sheriff at the cabin, the sheriff remarks, "End of the road, boys. It's had its twists and turns." The opening line of The Odysseyis "Sing to me of the man, Muse, the man of twists and turns."

Reference 5: Everett also comes back to stop the marriage and fight Vernon, much as Odysseus comes back to kill the suitors. Everett, however, is badly beaten by Vernon, perhaps creating a parallel with Telemachus' inability to discharge his mother's suitors.

5. Discuss any other Coen Brothers movies you have seen with respect to this one based on criteria of your own choosing.

Other Coen Brother films that I have seen include Burn After Reading and No Country For Old Men. All of these films can be enjoyed by both movie enthusiatists as well as average people who just go to be entertained. The plotlines of all three films are easy to follow however, if you are a true movie lover it is nearly impossible to not notice all of the undertones and references.

6. What did you think of the music in the film? 

Probably the reason I enjoyed the movie most was because of the soundtrack and after watching the film I found myself humming "Man of Constant Sorrow" uncontrollably. All of the music in the film was very fitting to the setting and theme of the movie, and had a country, bluesy feeling. 

Student Film Project

What Are You Contributing to the Process?

For the creation of my group's film entitled, Scribbles I have taken on a variety of roles. In the pre-production process I worked to help develop the script and storyboards as well as various other tasks to ensure the production phase went as smoothly as possible. As for the production stage, I assisted in developing the shots and camera angles. I also wrote down the shots and their descriptions. Although we have not started our post-production phase I am looking forward to helping in the editing process.

What Skills Have You Acquired?

From this film project I have acquired the ability to do stop-motion animation. I know understand the process and am now able to effective create a scenes using this type of animation. This makes me extremely happy as I always have been fascinated by stop-motion animation and now being able to do it myself is a skill I can use outside this course. I have also developed a better ability to shoot from various camera angles and how to make a film more interesting by adding new and interesting perspectives to view from. 

What Do You Still Need to Learn?

Although I have learned a lot throughout this process, there is still much i need to learn. Firstly, I need to learn how to deal with the technology of the cameras and computers themselves. Uploading from different types of cameras as well as learning how to deal with different types of software on computers are vital skills that I hope to acquire after the editing process is complete. Also, I need to learn how to add different elements to a project from music to seamless transitions. 

TO BE CONTINUED

AGO

Going into this field trip I expected that the Art Gallery of Ontario would be like every other trip I have taken to a museum or gallery throughout my life. I expected to be counting down the minutes until lunch, and to be very under whelmed by old oil paintings and portraits.

However, this is in no way what I experienced at the AGO and my views of this building have transformed drastically after my visit on my monday. The architecture alone of this monumental builiding is unlike any other structure in Toronto. Immediately when you approach the building you are exposed to a kind of design and style very different from typical architecture in this city, which mostly consists of old Victorian and new industrial type structures.

And all this before even entering the building.

We began our day at the AGO with a guided tour of some of the highlights of the gallery. We recieved some background information on the artists as well as deep insight into some of the more abstract pieces. A few of my favourites include:

This piece is called "TV Works" and was painted by Iain Baxter from 1996-2006. Although it doesnt seem like much in the photo above, when it is seen at the gallery it is truly spectactular. There are approximatly 12 televisions, all which are slightly vintage and ranging in sizes. All of the TV's are painted with a different landscape. All the televisions are turned on but on the setting of the shifting gray fuzzy screen. There are then lines scratched out in the painting which allows the TV's image to shine through creating the effect of movement.

This was a form of art that I have never seen or experienced before and it truly caught my attention. The classic paintings on the usual surface of a television screen is what makes this piece spectacular. 

This piece was another one of my favourites from the AGO. It is a chromogenic print (mounted on acrylic) entitled "Blue Fear" by Genevieve Cadieux. The artist is from Montreal, Quebec and it was done in 1990. 

This piece stood out to me as I feel as though it can have many percieved meanings. Firstly, I see the body of the man as a "nose" for the face looking back at him. I see this piece as a representation of how critical we are on ourselves, even at his age. The look of dissapointment and unhappiness in the eyes of the man when looking at himself proves that we put too much worth in outward appearances. This piece of art shows us that we must accept ourselves for what god gave us and appreciate all that we have in life.

This piece was entilted "Gravel Mirror Corner Piece" and was created by Robert Smithson. The artist is from Passaic, New Jersey, USA. He was born in 1938 and died in 1973, at the young age of 35. 

The piece involves 3 mirrors set up in a corner formation. Gravel stones are then piled ontop creating the illusion of a full round pile of gravel. The reason i chose this piece as one of my favourites is because I love the simplicity of it. The piece looks different from every angle. 

Robert Smithson's other pieces are also very similar to this in their use of mirrors as well as natural materials such as gravel, rocks, red sandstone and other substances of the earth.

"Stretch #1" by Evan Penny is artwork truly unlike anything I have ever seen before. The piece is made of silicon, pigment, hair and fabric. It was created in 2003, and the artist is from Elim, South Africa. The elongated scuplture is so fascinating because it is a completly fictitious character and it was sculpted in this stretched form from the beginning. 

This piece is so unusual and always had a crowd of people around it because of this. It was extremly life-like from the t-shirt to his hair. It made its audience stop and think as it plays a trick on your eyes, and it puts a great emphasis on the features of this man. 

Finally, one of the pieces that had the greatest impact on me was entitled "Base of the World" by Mona Hatoum. It was created in 1992 to 1993 and it is a wooden structure covered in steel plates. Within it are magnets which then attract the metal shavings that are visible to the viewers. 

This piece stood out to me primarily because of the texture that is created from the metal shavings. It gives me a feeling of gloom and despair as in my eyes the shavings represent bugs and worms. This piece is very real and I enjoyed it so much because it takes art and science and brings them together in a creative and new way. 

The Official GNB's View on Valentine's Day

I definatly believe in love. I would even say that i believe in love at first sight. However, I am not completly sold on Valentines Day. Year after year i see women walking in the streets with roses and flowers, and it makes me think that this holiday has become just too conventional. Whatever happened to those grand romantic gestures you see and hear about from decades ago?

But thats not to say i have lost all faith in Saint Valentine! This day is a reminder to share the love and often it brings out the romantic and traditional side of a society that has transitioned from love poetry to emails and e-cards.

I would have to say that my favourite part of this holiday goes back to elementary school when every February 14th, we would all design boxes and handout valentines to our classmates. This i feel, is what Valentine's Day is truly about - fun.

So although I am not 100% convinced on this holiday, I feel that if you have someone special to share it with do so, but if you don't - do not fret! Just because you havent found your one true love on February 14th it doesnt mean that you can't enjoy the day with friends and family.