So sorry, I'm not writing about movies. I lied. Oops. It was unintential, however, I find this to hopefully be interesting.
Right, so I was at my brothers house, which is 12 miles away from my own, and while I live in town, he lives in the "Boonies." While I might be pretty darn city boy, I do love it there. Its a natural type of beauty that can only be found here in Pennsylvania. Its truly amazing, not just during the day, but at night too.
Why you ask?
Well, at night there are thousands of more stars when the sky is clear, than there are in the town that I live in. Thousands, maybe tens or hundreds of thousands of more stars, lighting the sky like millions of tiny candles, far away. Its a truly spectacular view. Its so clear there that the Milky way Galaxy is visible and stars and planets are visible to the naked eye. I was struck by this rather profoundly while driving home. Even a mere 4 miles from his house, the number of stars had decreased significantly, and the lights from the houses and buildings all across the town lit up the sky, obscuring so many of the beautiful balls of fiery gasses (burning at 3000-50000 Degrees Kelvin). It made me sad, but also drew up a lovely contrast. The observatory at my college is called Davey Laboratories, and is located at the heart of campus, which is in the heart of the town in which I live. There, on a clear night, you can't see jack-shit, while with the naked eye at my brothers house you can see so much more. Even a simple telescope would bring great things to the eye piece for you. It was amazing. really.
But driving home, I dreamed something really interesting. I've always wanted to be a pilot, and while I'm not going to school for that, I do still plan in my future to find a way to learn how to fly aeroplanes. It occurred to me, while difficult to impossible my dream may be, I believe that it would beyond spectacular to fly, with a telescope and a clear fuselage (the outside bit that is smooth. It hold everything inside). Fly around at night, thousands of feet in the air, far away from the lights that would distort the view, and above the clouds, the view would be completely different, and even more stars could be seen than in the boonies even. I just thought that would be interesting, and I'd share my thoughts with you. You know, because its a blog ans stuff.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Monday, October 8, 2012
Ticky-Tacky
So I also promised that I would post about my life, just as many of you have done. So here goes:
So School. Yea, that happens, to most everyone really. It becomes a near expectation that one will go to College, and do well, coming out full of ticky-tacky and look all the same. Obscure reference aside, it does seem to take up most of the day, and a good bit of the night as well, to the point where I wonder if I have become defined by my schooling. I'm an English Major, how about you? Oh, I'm a Virgo. Same difference yea?
Still though, I know that at the end of the day, I get to go home to my own bed, which is large, and quite comfortable, just in case you were wondering, and sleep to my hearts content. That's a lot better than most people, so I shouldn't complain, yet, here I am. It might be that most days I don't get to see my friends, yet, that too is better than most, I don't have to make new friends, I get to keep a great deal of my old ones. Its pretty great really, yet, the idea of extra time still eludes me, so it seems.
On another note, with what little free time that I have, that is, that which is not taken up by my niece and nephew, who I shall talk about in later posts, I'm writing this blog, and ones like it on the Rockethics site, and getting ready for Halloween, and playing Skyrim (but that conversation is long over, so I won't). Halloween, when the actor comes out to play, and one is able to take on a new persona. Jenna Marbles says something to this same effect, but about Halloween sluts. That's cool. You can look up her video yourself. Nonetheless, because I love transitions and segues, Halloween is coming, and that is exiting. Each costume is an extension of the person wearing it. Dressing up shows a different side that is most often hidden, or ignored, allowing the person to be vulnerable, or perhaps, merely more expressive. Again with Jenna Marbles and the Halloween sluts. She's everywhere.
No, there is no moral story, and no meaning, just some ramblings that I subjected you to. Smile, you read this willingly. Brilliant yea?
So yea, a little less formal. Next posts will be about movies again.
Till then!
So School. Yea, that happens, to most everyone really. It becomes a near expectation that one will go to College, and do well, coming out full of ticky-tacky and look all the same. Obscure reference aside, it does seem to take up most of the day, and a good bit of the night as well, to the point where I wonder if I have become defined by my schooling. I'm an English Major, how about you? Oh, I'm a Virgo. Same difference yea?
Still though, I know that at the end of the day, I get to go home to my own bed, which is large, and quite comfortable, just in case you were wondering, and sleep to my hearts content. That's a lot better than most people, so I shouldn't complain, yet, here I am. It might be that most days I don't get to see my friends, yet, that too is better than most, I don't have to make new friends, I get to keep a great deal of my old ones. Its pretty great really, yet, the idea of extra time still eludes me, so it seems.
On another note, with what little free time that I have, that is, that which is not taken up by my niece and nephew, who I shall talk about in later posts, I'm writing this blog, and ones like it on the Rockethics site, and getting ready for Halloween, and playing Skyrim (but that conversation is long over, so I won't). Halloween, when the actor comes out to play, and one is able to take on a new persona. Jenna Marbles says something to this same effect, but about Halloween sluts. That's cool. You can look up her video yourself. Nonetheless, because I love transitions and segues, Halloween is coming, and that is exiting. Each costume is an extension of the person wearing it. Dressing up shows a different side that is most often hidden, or ignored, allowing the person to be vulnerable, or perhaps, merely more expressive. Again with Jenna Marbles and the Halloween sluts. She's everywhere.
No, there is no moral story, and no meaning, just some ramblings that I subjected you to. Smile, you read this willingly. Brilliant yea?
So yea, a little less formal. Next posts will be about movies again.
Till then!
Wednesday, October 3, 2012
Movies
Movies are amazing things. Just like books we allow ourselves to be transported to a new and different place, or to look in, just for a moment, into the lives a new people. Because they allow us to see such varied and amazing things, I hold great value to the medium of film (of course, I don't believe that its actually film anymore). Film has a long history, one that I'm sadly ignorant of, yet I do know this. The way that we view films, and films view us are changing, and have changed drastically in the preceding years.
Film was a medium that was took all day. One would take a date to the movies, and it was The Movies. Films were shorter yes, yet there was more. Before films would be a cartoon, and short skit of sketch comedy a Newsreel, and perhaps an announcement Then the film itself, which would be made better by the preceding content. This was not a quick event. They were, by all means, a social event, one that brought great joy, and might be the talk of the town for a week. Theaters were built not just for the screening of movies, although, later they were, but also for other forms of entertainment. We can see that with our own State Theater, which houses not only films, but plays, and musical guests as well. Now we can see films either in locations such as these, or in the cookie-cutter theaters that riddle this nations. Most go for the latter and not the former, and that isn't just a decision for convince but a statement that reflects the views of the people in relation to the watching of movies. Admittedly few know of the State Theater as other than that old building, which brings great sorrow to my heart, yet my statement still stands, that going to industrial cinemas are a reflection of society. We would rather sit and watch quietly, and leave quietly, than watch and remain, talking about the film. This is a radical change, one that I don't condone. Movie watching has changed dramatically in the last 80 or so years.
Secondly, there is a point that I'd like the make about the movies themselves, as was illustrated by The Manchurian Candidate, The Best Man, and most recently Sunset Blvd, the caliber of film has changed, and what they expect from you has as well. While this is not a rule, it is most definitely a trend that I've noticed, and we'll get back to later, and through out my blogging. However, movies of yesteryear wanted the audience to engage, and to do this they must be thoughtful towards the film. This is a brilliant idea. It increases the quality of the film by being able to explore deeper meanings, and to dive deeper into an issue, while keeping the audience engaged. Not only that, by they are thinking actively about the film. Why is that there? What is the significance of this character? Why did they choose this actor to play this character? What else could this object mean, other than the stated obvious? Things like this went through my head, I was constantly engaged, and by the end, was not rested, but knowingly warn, just as I am writing this.
Movies today, on a whole, do not ask this of their audience. Today, films are more interested in trying to find a new way to present an old idea, one that we've already heard before, and this most of the efforts of the makers of the film; instead of focusing on the actual meat of the film, its depth and quality, most makers of films are worried about arresting the attention of the audience in such a way that it is impossible to break free. Keeping it is a difficult task, and movies are tailored to specific outlets. Guy moves follow this fairly strictly: Explosions, Breasts, Explosions. Other films might follow other lines, as in: Hot Guy, shopping More Hot Guy. Maybe? no? If you don't believe me, go watch a main stream movie (that's not to say that my movie watching is hipster, because they are classic, which is a far cry from hipster).
So the purpose of this blog, to introduce you, as the viewer to films that you perhaps hadn't know about, or haven't seen, or perhaps you've known and seen, in which case, my only purpose is to discuss with you the films in question. As this is with a film class I will post about the film that we saw that week, as well as any others that I've found in my adventures on netflix, and movie stores.
Film was a medium that was took all day. One would take a date to the movies, and it was The Movies. Films were shorter yes, yet there was more. Before films would be a cartoon, and short skit of sketch comedy a Newsreel, and perhaps an announcement Then the film itself, which would be made better by the preceding content. This was not a quick event. They were, by all means, a social event, one that brought great joy, and might be the talk of the town for a week. Theaters were built not just for the screening of movies, although, later they were, but also for other forms of entertainment. We can see that with our own State Theater, which houses not only films, but plays, and musical guests as well. Now we can see films either in locations such as these, or in the cookie-cutter theaters that riddle this nations. Most go for the latter and not the former, and that isn't just a decision for convince but a statement that reflects the views of the people in relation to the watching of movies. Admittedly few know of the State Theater as other than that old building, which brings great sorrow to my heart, yet my statement still stands, that going to industrial cinemas are a reflection of society. We would rather sit and watch quietly, and leave quietly, than watch and remain, talking about the film. This is a radical change, one that I don't condone. Movie watching has changed dramatically in the last 80 or so years.
Secondly, there is a point that I'd like the make about the movies themselves, as was illustrated by The Manchurian Candidate, The Best Man, and most recently Sunset Blvd, the caliber of film has changed, and what they expect from you has as well. While this is not a rule, it is most definitely a trend that I've noticed, and we'll get back to later, and through out my blogging. However, movies of yesteryear wanted the audience to engage, and to do this they must be thoughtful towards the film. This is a brilliant idea. It increases the quality of the film by being able to explore deeper meanings, and to dive deeper into an issue, while keeping the audience engaged. Not only that, by they are thinking actively about the film. Why is that there? What is the significance of this character? Why did they choose this actor to play this character? What else could this object mean, other than the stated obvious? Things like this went through my head, I was constantly engaged, and by the end, was not rested, but knowingly warn, just as I am writing this.
Movies today, on a whole, do not ask this of their audience. Today, films are more interested in trying to find a new way to present an old idea, one that we've already heard before, and this most of the efforts of the makers of the film; instead of focusing on the actual meat of the film, its depth and quality, most makers of films are worried about arresting the attention of the audience in such a way that it is impossible to break free. Keeping it is a difficult task, and movies are tailored to specific outlets. Guy moves follow this fairly strictly: Explosions, Breasts, Explosions. Other films might follow other lines, as in: Hot Guy, shopping More Hot Guy. Maybe? no? If you don't believe me, go watch a main stream movie (that's not to say that my movie watching is hipster, because they are classic, which is a far cry from hipster).
So the purpose of this blog, to introduce you, as the viewer to films that you perhaps hadn't know about, or haven't seen, or perhaps you've known and seen, in which case, my only purpose is to discuss with you the films in question. As this is with a film class I will post about the film that we saw that week, as well as any others that I've found in my adventures on netflix, and movie stores.
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