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Thursday, July 25, 2013

Something missing in movies of late?



Yesterday riding in the car, I passed by a cinema. Very typical thing to do, and it was a very typical cinema, but what was even more typical were the movies playing in it. . .

The big billboard flashed by the window displaying the list of movies playing that week, or that month, but either way, Man of Steel! ... Star Trek; In to the Darkness! … The Lone Ranger! Those were really the only ones I saw, or should I say recognized, as the car sped past. Seeing the names got me thinking about these movies. Mmm, Lone Ranger, heard it was going to be pretty pathetic, might end up a ‘bomb’. (Which isn’t a good thing, btw) Star Trek, *shrugs* haven’t seen the first one though I heard the second one was amazing. Maybe I’ll watch it someday. Man of Steel, ah another Superhero movie. =) Though… I did hear that it had a really good story line, and oh! It actually focused on it! I confess I really want to watch this.

Now, I try not to be obsessed with movies. My parents have warned me time and time again about my world evolving around movies and actors/actresses. I have tried hard not to talk about movies as much as I used to, not to feel irritated when my friend knew some movie fact that I didn’t. And it’s helped, I think – no I know that I have become a lot better in my amount of thoughts about movies. It’s not wrong to like watching movies, but I think there comes a point where you can like it too much. =)

But I think there’s something that a lot of people have noticed, whether they’re obsessed with movies or not. What is that something? Most (I won’t say all...) movie directors have gotten lazy. Now part of that is our problem, the population of people has gotten to a point where they are pleased with 2 hours of action and (most of the time) romance with a 5 minute story line tossed in there. So (this is speculation, but I think it’s pretty good)  the directors, noticing this, figured why go through all this effort to make an amazing story line when they’ll be just as happy with a 2-hour action flick? But whoa! Hold it. Did I not say most directors? I know that there are movies out there that do have amazing story lines that twist your mind until you have the strange feeling of trying to grasp something right beyond your reach. I also know that there’s people out there who appreciate good story lines and don’t feel satisfied at the end of an action flick. And I confess I am one of them. I like action... and yes, I sometimes (I’ve been working on not making that all the time) even like the romance, but I also like it evenly and well balanced with a good story. To have them hurriedly shove
a couple facts in your face at the beginning of a movie before they start the action sequences is not pleasant. What’s even more unpleasant is when they quickly add the end of the story before the close of the movie.

Another thing that goes along with good story line is character development. In one sense there still is a lot of character development in the action flicks. Guy’s a jerk and becomes a better person in the end. Stuff like that. But I’m talking deeper than that. I know that you can’t get deep in every movie, but maybe just a little deeper than typical stuff?

Several months ago I watched a movie that was one of my Papa’s favorite, but unfortunately seemed unpopular amongst everyone else. But I knew that if Papa liked it, so would I. So my sister and I watched it, and I have to admit I quite loved it. I thought it was pretty well made for the amount of special affects they had back then. (haha, back then. It was made in 2000) Months later I decided to watch a remake of the same movie that had been released just a couple months before I watched the original. I wasn’t expecting a lot; to me the old one was always the better one. But a friend of mine really liked (even better than the old one. Ha, traitor) so I figured I should give it a try, I’m sure the special effects would be better. =) I was right, they were. But after I finished I couldn’t figure out what was wrong. Why hadn’t I liked it as much? It seemed like a wonderfully made movie! Comparing the two movies showed me something, the amount of character development between the two movies was drastically different. Though you don’t notice it at first, in the remake there’s a lot more action and less focus on the characters’ lives. In the original movie they had managed to make me attached to the characters, to feel as if I knew them, to laugh when they laughed and to cry when they couldn’t be together at the end. In the new version I found myself very distant from the characters and at the end when they couldn’t be together (similar story line) I was a little sad but mostly I felt just kind of ‘oh that’s too bad, you can’t be together’. Shrug of the shoulders, you know. And there was a lot more action! Though... I don’t remember there being any lack of action in the original? On the other hand I liked the acting; they did really well with the characters they were portraying. I just wish, really, that I knew them (the characters) better. =) So in a time of 13 years we have become amazing at CGI but worse with our story lines. Really? I find it sad that the movies with the good story lines and character development are the ones that are less popular. . . Though, my friend, I find those movies are very few.
 
I don’t want to be stingy, I don’t want to criticize every movie I watch, to try to find something wrong with each of them. I just want to enjoy the movie. I know that it’s not nice when someone has something wrong with every movie they watch, or with every actor they discuss. Or have such strong opinions about movies that they’re not open to changing to their opinions about them or even to just not caring; it’s either hate it or love it. I mean come on, it’s a movie. They’re Hollywood stars, and I can bet you that 1, you will never meet them, and 2, that if you don’t really know what you think about their acting it won’t affect your life. On the other hand, it can affect your life (a lot in fact) if you care too much about what you think about actors and their acting.

I’m sorry, am I preaching again? Forgive me. It’s just that, when I go through a struggle I feel like warning people, to save them from having to go through the same thing. =)

So, what do you think? Do you agree, have movie directors become lazy, and have we (or at least other people) become, sadly enough, pleased with just action, romance, and 5 minute story lines?   


<3 Eva
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Thursday, July 4, 2013

Independence Day: America's Birthday

As you talk with friends and family today, remember the men that sacrificed their lives, and the families that were separated for your freedom.

As you patriotically put on Red, White, and Blue, our Nations colors, remember the price that was paid to allow you to wear those colors

As you live in freedom, being able to worship the One True God amongst many other things, today and in days to come remember that you are living the dream that kept people fighting in the War of Independence.
 

As you watch the fireworks explode into the night sky, lighting it up with brilliant sparks, remember  the sparks that flew from the cannons and guns fighting for this Nation.

As you watch our proud flag fly high in the sky, remember the thrill of joy it gave the soldiers in battle to see it still flying on the fort.



So celebrate this Nation, it's freedom and the brave people that made it come to be.

Celebrate Independence Day!

<3 Eva
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"This, then, is the state of the union: free and restless, growing and full of hope. So it was in the beginning. So it shall always be, while God is willing, and we are strong enough to keep the faith."
-Lyndon B. Johnson; 36th President of the United States of America

Wednesday, July 3, 2013

Would Google Do This to Us?

The rumor is, that Google is shutting down Google Reader and Google Friend Connect.

what?

Don't freak out! Part of this is true, yet part of it isn't! Google is shutting down Google Reader, but is not shutting down Google Friend Connect. Google Reader is something completely different than the frantic bloggers think. This, is your (Google) Blog Reading List:


It shows you all of the most recent posts on the blogs you follow, very nice and handy. However the mistake that everyone is making, is thinking that this BRL (Blog Reading List) is the Google Reader that is being shut down. But it's not!

Today Google Reader was closed down:

Click to enlarge if you wish to read good-bye message
Yep it's gone. But oh! shocker! my Blog Reading List is still there! And so is my Google Friend Connect! (You use this when you follow people)

I have never heard of Google Reader (which might explain why it was shut down - no one used it) so I did some re-search and found the definition of it:
"Google Reader is a Web-based aggregator, capable of reading Atom and RSS feeds online or offline. Have trouble keeping up with the sites you visit? Read them in one place with Google Reader, where keeping up with your favorite websites is as easy as checking your email."
What I get out of this is that it was something similar to our Blog Reading List, (it does pretty much the same thing) but does more than give you feed from just blogs, it keeps you caught up on any website. It works with more websites than the ones that are hooked up with a Google program. So you can follow websites like blogs.

Yes, for all we know Google Friend Connect and out Blog List could someday be shut down. So it might be a good idea to sign up with BlogLovin' just in case it ever does. But until then calm down - we're safe. Unless of course, you used Google Reader. Then I would understand if you were a little distraught. =)

<3 Eva
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