I can't understand why M. Night Shyamalan's The Village is so widely disliked. Correction: unappreciated. I love this movie. It has the feel of a Twilight Zone episode, so naturally I like it for that reason, but there is much more to admire beyond that alone.
What makes the film most terrifying is its precise manipulation of sound. The Village manages to create shock not through loud explosions, but small noises such as the crunching of leaves or twigs to make the audience wonder, "What is that?". It helped me realize just how easily scared I am. It's really fear of the unknown, a concept that Hitchcock applied to his films. Shyamalan has clearly learned from the Master. I'm relieved to know a modern director can grasp what really frightens people.
Another thing I enjoyed about the movie was the absolutely beautiful music. A James Newton Howard score, it focuses mostly on strings. The music can at one moment relax me (on par with George Winston) and then the next have my heart racing. It contributes a lot to why I like the film. The soundtrack is on my ipod, of course! :)
Also worth mentioning is Bryce Dallas Howard's performance in the lead role of Ivy Walker. Simply brilliant.
My Grandpa Knapp has been visiting us this past week for Thanksgiving. We watched The Village tonight. I was glad that he loved it and that the twists surprised him (as they did for me the first time I saw it). We both appreciate good movies and have a mutual taste for Hitchcock films, making for some pretty engaging conversations. I wish we could do this more often.
Sunday, November 28, 2010
Friday, November 19, 2010
Harry Potter
Just minutes ago I came back from seeing the latest Harry Potter movie. I feel like I'm wasting time with this stupid introduction, so...my reaction to Harry Potter and the Deathly Hallows: Part 1.
The film is very dark and epic as I expected it would be going in. There was some humor injected here and there that helped it from being too serious, but not always. Daniel Radcliffe is a little too dramatic ("I will do this" or "We will do that"), but the performances from the leads are good enough by and large.
It's clear that JK Rowling had plenty of creative control over the production. It was an excellent decision to split the story over two films, since Deathly Hallows is certainly the most detailed book in the series. I was happily surprised at how much was kept in the film; the things that didn't make it aren't really missed. My only complaint is that the camping scenes before they break the locket drag a bit and the whole part with Ron leaving Harry and Hermione seems to have the sole purpose of adding an extra half hour to the film. To be fair, these were also problems with the book. I would always prefer an accurate adaption to an inaccurate one, so I consider it a minor quibble.
My favorite part of the film was when we learn about "The Tale of the Three Brothers". I thought the animated way of telling the story was interesting and delightfully creepy (with a very Tim Burton-inspired vibe). The whole scene where our heroes visit Luna Lovegood's dad was exactly what I envisioned just from reading the book.
I loved this movie. It's the best film adaption since Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm going to see it twice on the big screen, but I want to wait until the excitement dies down a bit. It was worth seeing on opening day, but I don't want to have to force my way through a sea of people to find a place to sit next time.
The film is very dark and epic as I expected it would be going in. There was some humor injected here and there that helped it from being too serious, but not always. Daniel Radcliffe is a little too dramatic ("I will do this" or "We will do that"), but the performances from the leads are good enough by and large.
It's clear that JK Rowling had plenty of creative control over the production. It was an excellent decision to split the story over two films, since Deathly Hallows is certainly the most detailed book in the series. I was happily surprised at how much was kept in the film; the things that didn't make it aren't really missed. My only complaint is that the camping scenes before they break the locket drag a bit and the whole part with Ron leaving Harry and Hermione seems to have the sole purpose of adding an extra half hour to the film. To be fair, these were also problems with the book. I would always prefer an accurate adaption to an inaccurate one, so I consider it a minor quibble.
My favorite part of the film was when we learn about "The Tale of the Three Brothers". I thought the animated way of telling the story was interesting and delightfully creepy (with a very Tim Burton-inspired vibe). The whole scene where our heroes visit Luna Lovegood's dad was exactly what I envisioned just from reading the book.
I loved this movie. It's the best film adaption since Prisoner of Azkaban. I'm going to see it twice on the big screen, but I want to wait until the excitement dies down a bit. It was worth seeing on opening day, but I don't want to have to force my way through a sea of people to find a place to sit next time.
Monday, November 1, 2010
Short Stories
For all of my optimism about my novel, I haven't gotten past the third chapter. Right now my progress is at a standstill. Was I a bit too ambitious? Maybe. I have put my novel in a white envelope where all of my unfinished work goes. They say that if you are unsure about your writing, the best thing to do is let it sit for a while and come back later. In the future when I review my work, hopefully I will be struck by some wave of inspiration.
I feel a bit guilty for neglecting my blog during the past month, but I have been consumed with writing my would be-novel. Now, to stay productive, I decided to begin with short stories as baby steps. Short fiction is an entirely different type of creative writing than the novel. They are shorter, obviously, which makes them easier to write in one way, but harder in another. There is very little room to write backgrounds for characters beyond what is absolutely necessary for the story itself. As much as possible has to be revealed through the actions of the characters. It's a difficult task for a new writer like me. Practice, practice, practice...but isn't that the point?
I finished my first short story last week and am very proud of it. I think of it as Twilight Zone-style science fiction. What I like about writing scifi is that you can go in pretty much any direction in terms of storyline. The genre also works well with social commentary, something I admired Twilight Zone for. I like my stories to be food for thought. I think the show's creator and primary writer, Rod Serling, was a genius. It took guts to stand behind his work and fight censorship. His writing continues to inspire me.
I started writing my next story today and I think it will be better than the first one. Although I strive to put quality over quantity, my goal is to complete four stories by December. Having a goal keeps me working.
I included an interview with Rod Serling when he had just begun Twilight Zone, before it was a huge success. I like his strong-willed attitude toward his work. I would recommend watching it.
I feel a bit guilty for neglecting my blog during the past month, but I have been consumed with writing my would be-novel. Now, to stay productive, I decided to begin with short stories as baby steps. Short fiction is an entirely different type of creative writing than the novel. They are shorter, obviously, which makes them easier to write in one way, but harder in another. There is very little room to write backgrounds for characters beyond what is absolutely necessary for the story itself. As much as possible has to be revealed through the actions of the characters. It's a difficult task for a new writer like me. Practice, practice, practice...but isn't that the point?
I finished my first short story last week and am very proud of it. I think of it as Twilight Zone-style science fiction. What I like about writing scifi is that you can go in pretty much any direction in terms of storyline. The genre also works well with social commentary, something I admired Twilight Zone for. I like my stories to be food for thought. I think the show's creator and primary writer, Rod Serling, was a genius. It took guts to stand behind his work and fight censorship. His writing continues to inspire me.
I started writing my next story today and I think it will be better than the first one. Although I strive to put quality over quantity, my goal is to complete four stories by December. Having a goal keeps me working.
I included an interview with Rod Serling when he had just begun Twilight Zone, before it was a huge success. I like his strong-willed attitude toward his work. I would recommend watching it.
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