Blog 3 (My Opinions on a Medical Thriller)

Today in class, I learned that the word pregnancy was not allowed to be said on TV when TV first became popular. Clearly, the content and use of words have changed in television and movies over the years, becoming dramatically worse (or better? entertainment-wise...). This idea made me think of the content of a movie I just watched called Awake. This movie took a very morbid subject, displayed it, and then made it even worse by adding human cruelty at its worst.

Awake is about a young billionaire residing in New York City who experiences anesthetic awareness during heart surgery. This means that the patient who is supposed to be in a deep sleep ends up waking up but being completely paralyzed, and thus not being able to do anything but lie there in agony. The main character, Clay, realizes, while still in surgery, that the entire surgery team and his own wife (whom he'd married the night before) are plotting to strategically kill him--to get his money. The surgeons planned to make it look like just a failure that naturally can happen to heart transplant patients.

The movie takes some crazy twists and turns and leaves you wondering until the very end. The essence of human cruelty is very obvious throughout the surgery process. This is way worse than using the word pregnant in the script. It just goes to show how far entertainment has come and makes me wonder if it's gone too far. I thought Awake was a thrilling but also very disturbing movie. The beginning of the movie shows Clay having a close relationship with his fiance and his surgeon/doctor. Once I realized that they were plotting to kill him, I couldn't believe it. I thought, "How could they be so cruel?" A scene featured Clay literally crying during his surgery and it made me think of all the people that have actually experienced anesthetic awareness (though hopefully not like that in the movie!).

This movie was very well-written and made a seemingly boring subject one of the most thrilling movies I've ever seen. For a movie that features a man going through surgery nearly 75% of the entire show, I wasn't bored for one second.

Blog 2 (The Talkies)

The movies or once referred to as "the talkies," is a global phenonmenon that contributes to the pasttime of probably most of you in this class. Movies were actually silent (with the exception of music playing in the theatre) up until the late 1920s. In 1926, Warner Bros. and Western Electric created a sound on disc system, which will later be termed as a vitaphone.

Not everyone benefitted from the sound films, though. Orchestra musicians' careers started to struggle because the musicians generally played live music during silent films.

Everytime you go to a movie in a theatre, you see what flash across the big screen? A notice to turn off phones and to stay quiet. Why? Well, it all goes back to the invention of the vitaphone. With talking pictures, audiences concentrated on hearing the movie, rather than those seated around them, leading many patrons to look down upon talking while the movie was playing.

Isn't it amazing how far movies have come? I even notice how the special effects change over time and how movies just keep getting better. It makes me wonder what movies will be like in the future. I think, "How can it get any better." That is, until I see a better version of what we have now. Is interactive movies the next big trend?

I got the movie Final Destination 3 on DVD and it had the feature of being able to choose one of two scenarios which would ultimately decide the ending. It was a neat way to watch the movie. One of the scenarios I chose from was to choose to what temperature the girls should set their tanning bed. We chose one, and after it was done, went back and watched it all over again, only choosing the other. I can foresee interactive movies becoming a trend, but I guess I'll have to wait and see.

Blog 1 (An Introduction)

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The medium I've chosen for the topic of my blog is simply movies because it's a medium I use quite often. I am a recent new member of Netflix, and have really began to love it! The genre of movies I watch most often are thrillers and horror, but I really watch anything!

I won't be treating this blog as a movie review page; though, that is pretty much what this first post contains. I figured it's a good way to start off the blog. Keep reading future posts to find out about movie reviews; the actors, directors, and other parts of the staff that should be credited with our entertainment; and also, look for the history of movies and different types...

I generally stick to watching movies on one of my two televisions in my apartment, but if I wanted to, I have more options. I have an iPod Touch that allows me to upload and watch movies, plus, I can watch movies on my laptop, phone, or even a portable DVD player. An article written about a study states that U.S. respondents who watch video on their mobile phone spend an average of 36 minutes per day doing so (Watershead Publishing, 2009).

I just don't see why anyone would want to watch a movie on a screen that small. Aren't we living in a world of big screen, high definition televisions? And in some cases, those HDTVs are less expensive than the mobile phone!

I just watched a movie called The Prestige, which was one of those movies that I had to pay close attention to, so I didn't miss out on any vital scenes. If you haven't yet watched it, I recommend it. It was released in 2006, so you can easily find it in stores and movie rental shops.

The movie was intense, thrilling, confusing, and clever. The ending will surprise you and probably make yourself want to watch it again, so you really get it. That's all I'll say, for those of you who might want to check it out.

That's all for now. 'Til next time...

hEiDi*MaE