Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee

The netflix original Comedians in Cars Getting Coffee is a great show on netflix. It is about a very respected comedian named Jerry Seinfeld who takes famous actors and comedians out for coffee. Every episode he takes a different exotic car to pick up the guest he is getting coffee with. In all of his episodes he starts the episode off with the history of the car. He gives the audience very interesting facts and describes each car very elegantly. This is very appealing to me because it makes the car even cooler than what it already appears to be. I really enjoy this show because you get to see famous comedians being themselves and not acting. It is something that is very new and original that you do not see happen a lot. There are four seasons of this show, which is great for someone who has not seen it yet because they will have lots of material to watch.

I am going to be talking about season 2: episode 2. The special guest is one of my favorite comedians of all time. His name is Kevin Hart and his on top of the world right now. He is just about in 2 very big movies each year. In this episode Jerry Seinfeld takes Kevin Hart in a Porsche Spyder. I think one of the funniest things about this episode is the fact that the car is really small and it is a convertible and so Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin are wearing these nerdy old eye goggles. They look ridiculous, which adds to the personal aspect of the show that I think is really important for the audience. Another really funny part about this show is when Kevin hart is talking about how is daughter asked him if there family was rich. Kevin responded saying, “Honey, we are well off but that is only because If you work hard and put your mind to something, anything can happen”. Jerry Seinfeld responded saying, “You know what I would tell my daughter? I’m rich and your not rich”. This is shocking to me because in my head I think that famous people are all snotting stuck up. This is totally something my dad would say, which is very funny to me. I like this because this makes Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart look like he is normal and more relatable.



When Jerry Seinfeld and Kevin Hart go to the cafe they talk about many things like hyping up the crowd before the comedic show and the struggles of becoming famous. I really enjoy this about the show because it is two generations of the great comedians sharing their views and experiences about their life. Kevin said 2 times how much he is enjoying and appreciating the conversation. Kevin is showing his respect in this conversation because he is happy to be hearing advice from one of the greatest comedians ever. I really recommend this show to anyone who likes comedy because it is a great way to see your favorite actors being themselves.

A Royal Conundrum

The Crown is a dramatic recount of the transition of power of the British royal family shortly after the second World War. The first episode begins with the marriage of Prince Phillip to Princess Elizabeth with some concerning wedding vows - but I’ll get to that later. The story mainly focuses on King George VI’s failing health due to lung cancer. After learning that he only has a few more months to live, the king struggles to find an appropriate time to tell his family - let alone the rest of his country who needs a strong ruler.

The main concern that I see developing in the first episode is not that of the king’s failing health - that is an obvious and soon to be resolved problem - but from the chemistry between the prince and the princess. The power will soon transition to the newlyweds, and I have reason to believe that difficulties will ensue. During the scene when the prince and princess give their vows, Princess Elizabeth pauses on the part about obeying her husband. She seemed very tense, and Winston Churchill points out to the audience that the word “obeying” wasn’t even originally supposed to be in the wedding vow. Later in the episode, when King George VI asks his daughter how she feels about her husband, she says that he is high-strung and controlling when it comes to decorating their new home. A sickly king may not be good for the nation, but it’s certainly not worse than an inexperienced couple in a power struggle.

Those who disagree with me might point out the public’s opinion towards Prince Philip. After all, he must not be marrying the princess to gain political power; he had to renounce his royal titles of both Denmark and Greece just to gain a royal title in England. Furthermore, the English royalty doesn’t have nearly as much political power as it used to. During this time period England had a parliament that made most of the major political decisions. On another note, Prince Philip served valiantly in the English Royal Navy, and is shown at a party celebrating his upcoming promotion. There is no doubt that the prince has done a lot of great things; but that cannot hide the lingering effect his foreshadowing has on the audience throughout this episode. During his wedding vows, the prince seemed impatient and stared intently at Elizabeth while she struggled to say her words. He nodded controllingly for her to finish speaking. By the end of the episode, the king had taken Prince Philip out duck hunting with him to talk to him about his true duties as king one day. While the prince was respectful to the king, he gave the audience a weird feeling about whether or not he was sincere about loving his wife first.

In conclusion, the first episode of The Crown leaves the audience with a lot to question. While many may see Prince Philip as a respectable runner-up to the king, I believe that his controlling ways will lead to problems for Elizabeth in later episodes. Watch out!

Disjointed

For this week’s blog post I watched the first episode of the Netflix original series Disjointed. Which follows the crew of Ruth’s Alternative Caring marijuana dispensary in southern California. This show is very fun and witty, and full of way too many puns. With bloodshot eyes and a smile Ruth is there to serve you for all of your marijuana needs. The customers in this store are given their medication, and then hang around the shop while it runs its course. Ruth’s son, Travis, is greatly encouraging her to make the shop a franchise while they have the chance. With the new, now legal, merging market it is now their chance to make large amounts of profits. As travis said, “We could be the Walmart of marijuana.” Ruth is very old fashioned and doesn’t want to buy into the idea.

Obviously, this show makes light of something that is a very controversial debate currently in the United States. That is the legalization of marijuana. At Ruth’s Alternative Care dispensary the patients are required to have their license and a doctors note solidifying their need for the medicine. This show makes a lot of jokes and cracks, but this is something that is very real in America’s current culture. With the recent legalization of marijuana in a few of the states in America. There were many people that were happy, and had been fighting for this for years, while other Americans were up in arms about it.

Personally, I think that there is really nothing wrong with the legalization of marijuana. It’s something that has been so widely accepted and used for hundreds of years. People are going to continue to use it whether or not it is legal. Also, I think that the legal charges for marijuana are outrageous. People with a few ounces on them are getting locked up for years upon years. This is not fair. I think that it should become legal because it is already so widely accepted by so many different people. If it became legal, each individual state could gain in on the profits of it. Taxing the marijuana the way that we tax alcohol and cigarettes, would help the economy. Creating more jobs from growing, and manufacturing the marijuana would also help the state’s economy. There has also been so many different proven medical benefits from the use of cannabis.There are so many people that are suffering in the world, that could have a much better quality of life if they were able to have the access to legal cannabis. This could be something that could be really beneficial for everyone that is involved in the matter.

Queer Eye Queries

In Netflix original, Queer Eye, five gay men, Jonathan van Ness, Antoni Porowski, Tan France, Karamo Brown, and Bobby Berk, visit men in the state of Georgia and give them a complete makeover. Along with changing lives for the better, Queer Eye addresses some heavy contemporary issues such as sexual orientation and race. As my mother and I ate lunch this past weekend, a few interesting questions came up. Does this show perpetuate stereotypes? Is a reality makeover show the wrong place for those issues to be discussed? Though she is not homophobic or racist, my mom said yes to both of these questions. I disagree, though admittedly, with a few qualifiers.

Many people who do fit stereotypes appear in the show. However, the directors and producers make sure the stereotypes are broken down by including individuals who don’t fit them. Jonathan van Ness is an example of the clichéd effeminate and flamboyant gay man. But the other four gay men fall outside this stereotype to varying degrees. Antoni Porowski, in fact, says “sexuality has always been a secondary part of [him];” he doesn’t feel it suits him to be so gaudy. One of the nominees is a typical southern conservative police officer. He and his colleague use humor and hospitality in accepting the “fab-five’s” help. They eventually learn from and like each other. Throughout the first season, a similar connection builds between the five hosts and nominees: a nerd, a firefighter, and a Christian.

The hosts and nominees, along with breaking down stereotypes, talk about the societal issues they stem from. However, this reality show setting may not be the best for discussing serious issues. In episode three, Karamo Brown and the nominee drive around Atlanta and talk about the relationship between the police and young African-American men. All of the episodes confront biases about sexual orientation. Over lunch, my mom said that this show trivializes these issues. I, however, think this setting can relieve tension between opposing viewpoints. The fun atmosphere of the show can reduce the anxiety around such heavy topics like race and sexuality. There may be times where a more serious discussion is needed, but this indirect approach might elicit less antagonistic discourse.

It is easy to draw hasty conclusions about Queer Eye, but upon closer examination, this Netflix original cleverly addresses heavy topics in a light-hearted setting.

Works Cited

“You Can’t Fix Ugly.” “Saving Sasquatch.” “Dega Don’t.” “To Gay or Not Too Gay.” Queer Eye, season 1, episode 1, 2, 3, 4, 2016. Netflix.

Wholesome Trashy Comedy

Trailer Park Boys is a Canadian television show that follows the misadventures of Ricky, Julian, and Bubbles in a Nova Scotia trailer park. Netflix took over Trailer Park Boys for season 8 and on. Netflix gave the The show focuses on how the trio will make money. The trio has tried anything from growing dope to selling clean urine. This is the basis of the show, and it goes off on many tangents. Nearly every season begins with the gang getting out of jail, and the seasons typically end with them going back. This is a show that will have you constantly laughing. Trailer Park Boys is a nonstop gut busting series that holds a special place in my heart.

The show has many great aspects that I love to share with people, but I’m going to narrow it down to a couple. The first aspect that really sticks out to me from the show, is the style it is shot in. Trailer Park Boys is shot in a mockumentary camera style and adds to the originality of the show. I could say that I have a slight bias, because this is my favorite style of camera angle. For example, Paranormal Activity really grabbed by attention because of the camera style. This camera style, allows the show to capture the hijinks in an unique way that sets it apart from others.

The comedy in this show is slapstick crazy. This is a show that I have been physically sore from laughing. The ridiculousness that happens, leaves my jaw open. The get rich quick scams never get old, and they never stop amazing me. The best part of the comedy to me, is from actor Rob Wells. Rob plays the character Ricky in the show, and is depicted as being very dumb. The fans of the show have labeled Ricky’s misplaced words “Rickyisms.” For example, Ricky has said “Brain Phones” when meaning smart phones. The comedy is constant throughout each episode, making it hard to stop watching.

The last aspect of the show that really keeps me going back, is the character attachment and development. The majority of the characters have been on the show since it’s start, which causes a great attachment to the characters you like. For instance, one of the main characters of the show recently passed away in real life. In the upcoming season, they are finding a way to write his character out due to his irreplaceability. Fans are so connected to the current actor, that changing actors and keeping the same character, would cause a huge uproar. This causes a much stronger fanbase, than a show without character development.

Trailer Park Boys is a show that I will always go back to watch. I have a strong connection with nearly all of the characters. This is a show that I can watch any time of the day, or even while i’m doing homework. I would recommend Trailer Park Boys to nearly anyone that enjoys a ridiculous comedy show.

4 Ways Latin America’s Environment is being Destroyed

I recently watched a few episodes of Netflix’s new original series 72 Dangerous Animals: Latin America. While the show was very interesting and had many points I found intriguing, often what I was thinking about was how these animals and others are threatened due to climate change. I therefore have decided to make a list of a couple ways the changing climate and increase in human interaction harms the animals on the show. The conflict surrounding this issue is fierce and extensive. I personally believe that preserving the environment and the animals that live there are important to our future on this planet and as a species, and therefore we should work as a society to solve issues of climate change, human encroachment on their territory, and massive extraction of resources. Saying that, though, I understand that the things on this list cannot be accomplished overnight, for the economy would fail if they were employed quickly. All of the things I think society needs to accomplish must be done over a long period of time with constant attention payed to the global economy. Here are 4 ways Latin America’s environment is being damaged:

1. Deforestation- Massive removal of trees can lead to destruction of habitats for animals and rapid changes in the ecosystem. “Forests are home to many of the world’s most endangered wildlife,” says the WWF in their mission statement. This holds true, the show 72 Most Dangerous Animals: Latin America states this often. Many of the animals on their lists are endangered or near endangered, often due to destruction of their habitat.

2. Extreme weather patterns- Climate change, studies show, creates more extreme weather patterns that can be very damaging to vulnerable species. The extreme patterns can lead to weather patterns that are abnormal or can lead to more frequent natural disasters. One example of this is a change in precipitation. A recent study by NASA showed that precipitation in the US has increased. This can lead to flooding that could kill many animals and destroy habitats. Another worry is lack of rain. Many places may experience drought due to changing weather.

3. Increased human interaction- Due to increasing travel and decrease in land reserved for animals interactions between the animals in the show and human is constantly increasing. This is harmful for people, because the animals on the list are often deadly and can kill people they interact with. This often leads to these animals being killed on sight, leading to decreases in their populations.

4. Rising Ocean Levels- Due to melting ice caps, ocean levels are rising. This is problematic for much of Central America, for it is low lying. This of course could lead to flooding destroying all habitations, animal and human. Another threat would be turning of fresh water sources to salt water. This would be especially prominent in marshy areas, or areas close to the ocean. Again these can kill many people and animals.

Overall I find this issue to be important and pressing. In order to save ourselves and other species, we need to work together to save our environment and the creatures, even the 72 most deadly, that live in it.

Mindhunter: A Great Choice, My Friend!

In the Netflix original Mindhunter, a hostage situation gone wrong makes FBI negotiator Holden Ford rethink his philosophy on the “irrational” human. Right from the first episode, the viewer can tell that Holden is going to have a lot of trouble finding ways to fight crime in his own way. Unfortunately, the other investigators at the academy see no sense in embracing the “soft approach” of looking deeper into the human psyche. Not long after his latest hostage negotiation attempt, Holden finds himself on the road with Bill Tench, a behavioral science professional from another branch of the FBI. Together, the two of them plan to educate small town police precincts on the new age of crime.

Mindhunter seems to start out following the common plotline where a main character sees a problem with society or common method of doing things. While Bill and Holden travel, all of the local police think the two of them are crazy for suggesting that serial killers aren’t completely evil. It seems kind of ridiculous, but nobody save for the main characters stop to think that serial killers have a deeper thought process than just going on blind killing sprees. I would expect that out of further episodes, Holden will start to get a grasp of the challenge at hand, and he’ll start to actually make some progress.

After watching the first episode of Mindhunter a second time, I started to pick up on some possible foreshadowing. Holden meets Debbie Mitford in a bar, and begins a relationship with her. Debbie is a post-grad student who makes some understated, yet ominous comments about sociological deviance and “playing against type”, suggesting that she isn’t who she appears to be. It may be too early to tell, but plots like these usually end up with the love interest of the main character somehow involved with the more obvious challenge that surrounds the show.

The cinematography of Mindhunter works well with the central theme of the show. Set in the 1970’s, the show frequently displays vintage cars and interior design. We see a lot of this in one of the first scenes at Holden’s apartment and in the car rides with Bill. The color scheme of the show feels bland compared to other shows that take place in a modern setting. Pausing the episode and looking at the scene feels like looking at a photograph from the 1970’s, and I think that is a really neat effect to give the audience. On an even more obvious note, Mindhunter covers a very dark topic, and so it is fitting that the majority of the scenes of the show are dark. I would note that the acting feels somewhat out of place though; characters seem to interact with each other the same way people do nowadays, instead of how I would imagine they would in the ‘70s. I would assume that Holden would talk similar to my grandparents, since he is around the same age that my grandparents would have been in the 70’s, but he seems to talk more like a Millenial.

From what I’ve witnessed in the first episode, I would highly suggest watching Mindhunter. I am left wondering what will happen next, and I expect the rest of the show to be entertaining.

Bloodline

The netflix Original Bloodline is one of my favorite shows on netflix. It has three available seasons on netflix and each one is better than the next. I wish there was more seasons because I think it is very well done. I also think that this is a reason why this show is so good because the producers did not want to extend the show and make new seasons just to make more money. They wanted to make it as good as they possibly could. This is different from many other shows because other shows stretch the storyline and try to make as many episodes as possible. This dilutes the whole series and I am glad Bloodline does not do this.


The show Bloodline is about a the Rayburn family who owns a bed and breakfast on a beach in Islamorada, Florida. This a very neat part of the show because the environment is very elegant and a dream location for me. There are six members of the Rayburn family. Mr. and Mrs. Rayburn run the bed and breakfast. There four kids are grown up. Danny is the oldest followed by John, Kevin, and Meg. Danny is the outkast of the family and only comes home when he needs help or money. John has taken on the older and responsible role as the oldest sibling. He always helps and takes care of people. John is my favorite character because he is the most level headed and always tries to do the right thing. He is a local detective and is very good at it. John narrates the from time to time during this series and I find this very effective because you get an insight on the show and many critical things for the storyline. Kevin runs a boat dock and Meg is a lawyer.





The show starts off as Danny returning to home for his parents 45th anniversary of their bed and breakfast. I thought this was a great way to start the show off because you get introduced to all many of the characters and you get a sense of how the characters feel about each other. During this episode we begin to see flash forwards of John taking Danny’s dead body to a boat in a cove. He then begins to pour gasoline on the boat and Danny’s dead body. John is narrating all of this very mysteriously saying, “We’re not bad people, but we did a bad thing.” This scene starts to really pick up the show because it leaves the audience with with so many unanswered questions. From here the show talks about what happens leading up to this event in the first season. Danny was helping people smuggle drugs by keeping the drugs hidden in the bed and breakfast. John found out and was very angry at him and began to fight him and ended up killing him. The whole rest of the show is about how John, Kevin, and Meg try to cover it up. They run into many problems like how to keep it a secret from the police and their parents.





This show is the most unprediting show I have ever seen. I like that a lot about this show because I feel like most movies and shows are very predictable nowadays.

EMCC and Me

This week I am writing about the Netflix Original, Last Chance U. Last Chance U is a documentary series that follow East Mississippi Community College and their football team during the 2015 season in Season One of the show, and the 2016 season during Season Two. As a former football player and a current collegiate player, I was curious to compare the players experience with mine and also the coaching styles from the EMCC staff and my football coaches from high school as well as my college coach.

As far as experiences go, my high school football story was pretty full of success just like the players of EMCC. At the start of Season One the program is currently building on a twenty four game winning streak, the second longest streak ever and only two wins from the current record. With the streak they have won back-to-back National Championships and five strait District Championships. Comparing that to my high school football days is almost impossible, with the exception of winning the Conference Championship all four years that I played. Another aspect that stood out to me was how the program started from the bottom and gradually made its’ way to the best. Before coach, Buddy Stephens, took control of the team, the team would only win maybe two to three games a year, and had the worst facilities in the state. At my high school, before the current coach took over, we went three straight years with winless seasons and had not made it to the playoffs in ten years. But even after all the years without success, the current coach has made it to the playoffs in all twenty seven of his years as head coach and is about to win his 300th game as head coach, along with 7 appearances in the State Championship game, and twelve Conference Championships.

The coaching at EMCC is nothing short of crazy, and that is putting it lightly. Head coach, Buddy Stephens, is an old school coach with a new school scheme. To keep his players in line he uses a lot of vulgar language and also uses conditioning as a punishment. Once you get past the bad though, Coach Stephens has created a dynasty at EMCC and an expectation of excellence for its football program. With my experiences, it was about the same, but without the vulgar language, until I got to college. In high school the occasional curse word would slip, but only for motivation or a good butt chewing. Now in college, cursing is expected and happens often no matter what the situation. It could just be a greeting from one of the coaches or the obvious angry yelling.

Stranger Colors

In the Netflix Original Stranger Things the color element of film is used for emphasis in many ways. In the show Stranger Things, the audience follows a group of kids as they explore new parts of the world they did not know before. The explorers are named Mike, Lucas, Dustin, and Will, and they make an unlikely friend with a girl named Eleven. Their journey begins when Will gets lost in a place called the “Upside Down” and we watch as the rest of the kids try to get their friend back. Colors plays an important role because in the show, when the colors and lights are brighter, the show portrays more hope and creates a sense of security. Once the colors and lights dim or flicker, though, it shows the danger, chaos, and despair the show is trying to convey. Colors and light work together to create contrasts between emotions and make us feel the shifts in tone throughout the series.
To begin, we will look at how light and color affect the sense of danger, chaos, and despair in Stranger Things. The “Upside Down” is a place of monsters and suffocating, deoxygenated air. In this world, the lighting drastically dims and has a bluish hue. Everything is also under a haze. The trees and other scenery are darkened and muted in color. The entirety of the set is portrayed as dark and hopeless. The use of the darkness creates a sense of fear because it is human nature to fear the unknown, so when the fog, darkness, and muted colors are combined, it makes the setting more unfamiliar and scary. The creators of Stranger Things incorporate the change from the normal lightness of what people are familiar with to the drastic darkness of the upside down to create a strong shift of feeling and reinforce the negativity through the muted colors and dim lighting.
To contrast the darkness, the happier, lighter scenes are more well lit and have brighter colors. For example, when the boys are at the arcade, there are a lot of brighter lights and a lot of colors representing the happiness that the arcade brings them. Another example is when Will is lost, Joyce spreads Christmas lights throughout the house, leaving strands of bright color. She is able to communicate with Will, who is stuck in the “Upside Down”. The bright colors of the Christmas lights represent her hope that through her limited communication with Will, she and those around her will be able to find him. The scenes where the boys are at school or outside are well lit showing the difference between normal life and the “upside down”, where everything is muted and dark. When the colors change, we as the audience can get a sense of lighter energy and happiness as the set changes from darkness to light.
To conclude, the film element of color in Stranger Things is used to contrast the happier, brighter moments with the unhappier, darker times. In the hopeful, more upbeat times there is more color along with brighter lights to connect the brightness of the setting into the brightness of mood. In the fearful, negative times the colors are muted, the light is darkened, and a fog is set over the scene contrasting the brightness and strengthens the feelings of despair and fear. Color is a very useful tool to make the audience feel stronger, more contrasted emotions.

The Entire History of Us (Black Mirror S1 E3)

**SOME SPOILERS**

The third episode of Netflix’s original science fiction anthology series Black Mirror is called “The Entire History of You.” The main character is a young man named Liam. It is set in the not so distant future where a device, called the “Willow Grain”, is created that records and stores memories, which can be viewed and displayed at the whim of the user on their eyes or television. There are many benefits of the device but (as in every episode) the episode begins to show how it can ravage the personal life of its user. Jonas it introduce early in the episode and begins to create a divide between Liam and his wife, Fi. Liam obsesses over a past relationship between Fi and Jonas. This obsession is eats away at Liam. His obsession is fed and allowed to fester with the existence of the Grain. He hyper analyzes every single interaction Fi and Jonas share. Even finding Jonas and Fi in the background of other memories he views at a dinner party. Predictably, envy and obsession take over Liam.

There is a huge focus in the episode on human interaction and dialogue. The Grain removes people from the moment. Peoples past memories are the center of who they are as people. At the dinner party the hosts play footage of a party they attended several years earlier. Past recordings go so far as to invade the sex lives of Fi and Liam. They watch themselves making love in the past while having non-passionate sex in the present. It is deeply troubling to see how simple conversation, arguments, and even sexual encounters are blurred and superseded by past memories viewed over and over again. When the characters look back using the Grain their eyes are even made opaque, which is a clearly intentional choice to symbolize how they become/are becoming removed from the people around them. Retreating into memories viewed through rose colored glasses. They pale color their eyes become take on an even deeper meaning as Liam lets visions of the past take over his life.

This dulling of human interaction is what I believe to be the endpoint of the spectacle of social media and the way it can inform and often control our sense of self. The spectacle is not simple a collection of images, but rather the relationship between people and those images. The focus on people, conversation and deep emotions exemplifies this fact. It is easy to interpret the picture and video capabilities of the Grain as the root of the problem, but when you look deeper into the way those images are used it is obvious that the root of the problem comes from how we operate as people. We are creatures of passion and sometimes narcissism. The Grain operates as a catalyst for passion to become obsession and narcissism to enter the forefront of one's mind.

While the other episodes are dark, this episode takes the classification of “sci-fi horror” to a more human level. The implication set forth in the episode are particularly relatable as the world the main characters navigate is similar to our own. Each character in the episode nails complex and sometimes awkward nature of conversation. Liam (Toby Kebbell) and Fi (Jodie Whittaker) make you believe their story on a personal level. The constantly provocative and innovative storytelling and writing delivered in this underrate (in my opinion) final episode of the first season.

Inside the Life of a Professional Soccer Player

In the Netflix Original First Team: Juventus, a camera crew takes an inside look into what it is like to be a professional soccer player. They take a look at the team Juventus, who are a renowned team with a history of legends and championships. It shows the rich culture that surrounds soccer in Italy. The film looks at all aspects of team life, both on the field and off the field. The film starts off by showing a few highlights with edited footage to show the exciting moments from the previous season. The film is a documentary, which means they have a person narrating for most of the episode. The voice narrating is deep and it gives the documentary a serious; intense mood. Another element in the film is having live player interviews asking them how they feel about certain aspects of the life of being a player. The coolest part is they keep the players speaking in their natural tongue, and putting subtitles for you to read what they are saying. One of the players interviewed, Gianluigi Buffon, is one of the greatest goalkeepers to ever play the game. He is interviewed and he speaks in Italian the whole time. In other documentaries that I have watched, they have a person speak they have a voice over translate what they say. 

The camera work in the film is nothing short of exceptional. The camera shows off the players jerseys in the locker room before their first game of the season. The room is dim lighted to give an intense mood, to make the audience feel excited and anxious for the game. This gives the audience the feeling that these players have before they step onto the field. In the following scene they show the highlights from the game, which Juventus wins. They show different camera angles from the side of the field and from up in the stands with the fans, though out different points in the match. They make it feel like you are at the game. 

In order to show the rich culture of the team, they interview ex players from the team, they are also referred to as legends. The two legends that they talk to were part of the team in 1996, who won the coveted Champions League trophy. They show the award ceremony from the past champions league tournament where one of their players, Gianluigi, being honored as goal keeper of the tournament. This is a cool aspect in the film because it gives a break from the interviews and the narrations. You get to hear the real portions of the award ceremony, including Gianluigi being interviewed with two of the worlds best players, Cristiano Ronaldo and Lionel Messi. 

Another cool part that the film shows is all the different facilities that the team have to their use. They show their youth academy, where they train kids the hopefully one day be a part of the team. The camera shows the film room, where players watch film to see what they are doing well and what they need to work on. This part of the film is shown, but instead of having the narrator say what it is used for, they use a player to explain its use. 

Serendipity

When We First Met is a netflix original movie which follows Noah’s adventures as he goes back in time over and over to try and win over the girl of his dreams. Each time he goes back he uses the knowledge he learned the previous time to his advantage but is thwarted each time. The whole time he was focused on Avery, the love interest, and didn’t realize the real relationship he was building was with Carrie, her roommate. Throughout the movie I couldn’t help but think about what I was taught when looking to date -- serendipity: finding something good without looking for it.
Although Noah was in fact looking for a relationship, it wasn’t with the right girl. He spent the whole movie so focused on Avery and was so certain that she was the one for him. When you close your mind off you limit your possibilities. Each and every time he went back to try and right his wrong he got more frustrated and more determined to get Avery. He learns something new every time he goes back which throws a wrench in his plans. It wasn’t until he went back in time and woke up engaged to Avery and was a CEO of a large company that he got a shell shock.
Opposed to the other times he went back in time where he had to try and get Avery, he woke up engaged to her. He also realized that he had become a workaholic and had neglected Avery and his hobbies. Even though Noah and Ethan (Avery’s Fiance) had traded places, Noah still knew that Avery was in love with Ethan. Throughout this whole time he was so engulfed in trying to get Avery that he didn’t realize that each time he went back to the present he was growing closer and closer to Carrie.
Although it is indirect, I do believe it is serendipity. All it took was Noah realizing that Avery was happier without him to find the true love that was under his nose this whole time. I’ve learned that since high school and I believe everyone should follow this this advice. It may take some trial and error (going back in time a few times?) but once you stop looking for love you may just find it where you least expected it.

Something Different

Hey Mom,
I watched a Netflix Original this week for my blog post to you. It’s called Girlboss. It’s about a twenty-something young girl that gets fired from her job, which seems to be a habit of hers, and she is trying to get her life together. She had an epiphany one day that she knew she was meant to have more of a purpose in life than just to work and grow old. She ends up doing an online resale shop on eBay. She seems to love it as she is able to express herself with the resale of the clothes she finds in second-hand stores and “recycles,” as one could say.
The show is set in 2006 in San Francisco. I like shows that are set around the 2000s, like 2000 to 2010. With the colors that the show has, it definitely puts you in the mindset of the 2000s, if you know what I mean. I don’t really know how else to say it. They are bright, vivid colors, from the clothes you see on screen to the colors in Sophia’s apartment. (Sophia is the main character.) Her apartment is a typical apartment for a young girl on her own just trying to pay rent and live a little. It’s usually messy and dark. She seems to never have the lights on, which is also something that helps to give away her age to me. Honestly, this show makes me think of 13 Going On 30. I barely remember 13 Going On 30, but the colors in it make me think of this show, Girlboss. I know I watched 13 Going On 30 when I was younger, but don’t remember much of the plot. I did a little research and 13 Going On 30 and found that it was set in 2004, so these movies’ plots are only two years apart, which is why they probably remind me of each other.
I know your favorite shows are crime shows like Law & Order: SVU and Chicago PD, but that seems to be the only kind of shows I watch too, therefore I chose to watch this show that we wouldn’t typically watch. I hope you enjoyed reading this and maybe we can watch this show together.
-Morgan

Bright: Disguising Political Issues

Bright is quite the movie, taking on very modern issues in a fantasy setting. The main theme throughout the movie is that orcs are the minority race. Every other race, being the humans, the elves, and the fairies. The whole movie, the main orc, Nick Jackoby, just wants to be a police officer. It is what he has wanted to do this whole life, but he is constantly being berated by the humans that he works with. It takes the whole journey one police call turning into a whole fiasco involving a magic wand for him to prove that he is really worthy to be a police officer.

This type of setup is analogous to the race struggle in America. People of African American descent had been fighting for civil rights since slavery had been abolished in the United States. Though I cannot say things are truly equal for all individuals, regardless of race or ethnicity, but the movie parallels one giant event that turned the favor onto the side of the oppressed. That incident in the movie being when Jackoby is being slammed by people of his own race that he would never be one of them, as it is not alright in orc culture to conform with other cultures. Jackoby states earlier in the movie that being a police officer is all that he has wanted in life, and he wants to prove that he is worthy of wearing a police badge. A gang leader of his own race kills him. However, he is brought back from the dead with the help of a magic wand, which fulfills a prophecy. He is now respected by all of his fellow orcs in what he is capable of (Bright).

The closest thing to this in the real world was the “I have a Dream” speech by Martin Luther King Jr. at the Lincoln Memorial. This speech rallied many oppressed individuals, allowing their voices to be heard. Bright cleverly comments on progressing forward towards equality though the use of the fantasy gene. If you are in any way interested in human rights, this is a great movie to watch.

Ayer, David, director. Bright. Bright, Netflix.

It Wasn't About The Music

Spoiler warning: This post has the biggest spoiler for the entire episode. I would suggest watching “Metalhead” before reading this.


Black Mirror, in season 4 with the episode “Metalhead,” explores the potential of a world after an apocalypse. In this episode, we meet a group of three people on their way to a warehouse to find a mystery item to make their presumably dying companion, Jack, comfortable in his final moments. In the warehouse, they find a machine that they call a dog. It attacks them and kills two out of the three. The lone survivor, Bella, runs and afterward faces many trials of survival in the post-apocalyptic world.

“Metalhead,” while it’s not a bad episode in terms of cinematics, did not completely live up to the expectations that the show has created so far. The finishing touches were great, but the characters and the plot were disappointing.

Episode five’s most obvious feature is the lack of color throughout. The entirety of “Metalhead” is in black and white. The director’s choice to do so contributes to the grim nature of the land as well as the “uneasy sense of imminent dread,” (Venable). The feel of this episode could also be compared to Alfred Hitchcock’s Psycho. Both the film and “Metalhead” create an eerie mood from the color choice alone.

Another important feature “Metalhead” is the use of slow motion. At pivotal moments in this mini-film, time slows and a moment is drawn for longer than the it would take in real time. Usually, this cinematic crawl ends in death. It draws us into the perspective of the protagonist, Bella. We see how time nearly stands still as she watches a gory scene open in front of her eyes.

While Black Mirror’s “Metalhead” has great visuals, the characters and plot push the episode into the “cheesy” territory. For example, the slow-motion and color do not make up for the fact that the whole episode feels like watching the “dumb blonde” in a typical horror movie as she walks into the basement, disregarding every sign of her imminent death. The protagonist walks into her metaphorical basement by making many unconvincing errors. For example, she knows the blinded dog chasing her is sound-seeking. Bella predictably left the radio on after the car did not start. She drew the sound-reliant murder machine straight to her. Previous episodes that created high standards led us to expect more here.

Adding to the aggravation of “Metalhead,” are the final moments of the last scene. The last scene in this episode takes a trip down the path Bella took from the warehouse all the way to her hideout. Dogs tread everywhere across the landscape to hunt and kill her. The very end shows the box of the items for Jack. Teddy Bears. Three survivors of the apocalypse ultimately lost their lives over stuffed bears. This short moment in the show frustrated me the most out of every plot point. Bella may have said they needed to make him comfortable but surely they would have thought of a better solution.

“Metalhead” may have been frustrating due to choices in the plot, but the visual aspects of the episode make for an interesting watch. I was hoping for some references to the metal music genre: it might have made of for the cheesy plot.

Works Cited

Venable, Nick. “Why Black Mirror Went Black And White For That Crazy Season 4 Episode.”

             CINEMABLEND, CINEMABLEND, 1 Jan. 2018.

Psycho. Directed by Alfred Hitchcock, Paramount, 1960.

“Black Mirror.” written by Charlie Brooker, season 4, episode 5, Netflix, 29 Dec. 2017.

Nosedive

In season three episode one of Black Mirror, we get to experience a different form of society where everything anyone does is scrutinized and they are given a rating of one to five from other individuals. This system is based off of how an individual is perceived by the rest of their peers, and also the quality of interactions you have. This leads to both a increase of fakeness among people and also a society where the popular rule everything. When the main goal of people is to get others to like us, most people tend to change their personality to fit in with the cool crowd and may do stupid things just for attention and likes.This actually happens in my generation a lot. We can see this through the app Vine. There were many people that got famous just doing stupid things and posting them to Vine. Many of the famous viners are known by name but others are just known by what they did to become famous. This is similar to what the main character does in season three episode one of Black Mirror, when she does many things to try and impress everyone to get her score up, but then she lets her own personality slip out a little and she starts to lose her rating. When she gets angry she reverts to her original personality. She want to go to the wedding of one of her super popular friends so she can get a good rating from them all. She also learns that the lower your rating, the less opportunities arrive, which is similar to discrimination to poor people in our society. At one point the main character tries to rent a car but is denied all of the good cars since her rating has dropped so dramatically. She basically becomes a nobody that people see her and drop her number. When she finally arrives at the wedding, her friend no longer wants her there because she has so low of a score compared to everyone else there, she may look like an embarrassment if people knew they were friends. When i saw this episode, I was in a high school economics class and we were learning about the power of bias in a market and how a good name or popularity can make an item more desirable in a market. I think this relates to the social hierarchy this modern generation of mine has really perfected. There are those people who have built a name and are popular. Then there are those that stay close to the popular ones and do things the popular ones want so they too are popular. And finally there are those that no matter how hard they try or don’t try, it is very hard for them to become popular. This system can move bilaterally but normally does not change very often in one of the two ways, people are more likely to become less popular than more popular.

Race and Comedy

Dear Maggie,

I recently watched Trevor Noah’s Netflix comedy special, Trevor Noah: Afraid of the Dark and have decided to write about it on this blog for my Netflix and Quill class. I thought, after watching it, you would also enjoy this show. This stems from a multitude of aspects from Trevor Noah’s personality and humor to his take on current events. I personally enjoyed this show and think you would enjoy it just as much as I would.

I think you have probably heard of Trevor Noah before, but in case you haven’t he is a very interesting man. Noah is a man originally from South Africa, who has moved to America and is the current host of the Daily Show. Noah recently published an interesting autobiography about his experiences with apartheid South Africa labeled Born a Crime. In this book Trevor discusses how his existence was a crime when he was born due to his mother being black and his father being white. He then describes his upbringing and the troubles he had. One example of this is when he and his mother had to walk on the opposite side of the road than his father, due to the fact they couldn’t be seen together. After all this struggle Noah still has a fantastic sense of humor that shows in this special and in all of his works. He is a true inspiration and I think you’d enjoy all of his works.

Another reason I think you’d like Trevor Noah and, more specifically, this Netflix special is due to his political commentary. Your passion for politics is one of the characteristics I greatly appreciate. We both have an interest in this field. I think you’d greatly enjoy Noah’s take on politics from the conversations we have shared on politics. He makes great statements on Colonization and current events in this comedy special. While these are in the context of jokes they often have a political undertone that I find interesting and enlightening. His comments on race are especially interesting due to his perspective living in South Africa and America along with his frequent travels. He proves to be a moderate tone in a world that is becoming more and more polarized. One example in this show is his statement on Idris Elba playing James Bond. He states at first it could be seen as racist how people are arguing James Bond can’t be black, but he makes the statement that there are few people who are black in Great Britain, which is troubling for a spy. His humor fills all of these poignant statements on politics.

Overall I think you’d greatly enjoy the film and the works of Trevor Noah in general. He proves to be an intelligent, moderate commentator on politics. He also proves to be hilarious in all the forms of comedy he engages in from stand up, this this special, to his recorded Daily Daily Show episodes. I find him very interesting and think you would as well. I recently learned that his book is being made into a film. Depending on when is comes out maybe we could take a group from the church to go and see it.

A Tale of Two Queens: The Crown Episodes 1-3 (with Commentary from Victoria Seasons 1 and 2)

     I have finally taken the opportunity  to watch The Crown, a show which I have had recommended to me even before I had Netflix. Watching it, I was struck by how similar to ITV's Victoria (viewable to us Americans on PBS). Both are about  the early reigns of young British queens and their relationships with those around them. The cast are even similar, with Doctor Who alums in leading roles (Matt Smith and Jenna Coleman as Prince Philip and Victoria respectively) and Alex Jennings playing an uncle for each of the young monarchs. However, there are some differences and I feel I can analyze The Crown better by bringing in comparison to Victoria.
     On of the most striking differences is that of the main couples. While Victoria is about a newly established queen finding domestic bliss, The Crown is about an established family finding a way to be happy in their new position. This difference in when the queen gets married drastically changes the dynamic between the couples. Since Victoria has established herself as a leader before her marriage, Albert must shape his role in Victoria’s life around that. Phillip, in contrast is already the head of the house before Elizabeth’s ascension to the throne, he takes a diminished leadership role within the family poorly. This can make Phillip seem like a complete jerk at times for insisting things should go his way more often. However, if the viewers remember that Phillip is adjusting to his role just as much as Elizabeth, his character becomes much more likeable. One point also in Phillip’s favor is the fact that when Victoria goes into confinement, Albert takes on more powers, more powers that he is reluctant to give up. This does change eventually, but it is worth noting that Albert had less time to get used to this new position while Phillip had been man on top for his entire marriage.
    Another comparison point is the focus. The focus of The Crown is much more targeted towards the political side of life, with some look at family life. This helps further enforce the idea that this is unfamiliar territory for our new queen. Elizabeth is used to being a wife and a mother and is unsure in her new role. This adjustment is shown best is outlined in her unease at being told by he grandmother that she must wear a mask.  Likewise, in Victoria, the titular leader is unsure in matters of love and family, but she knows how to treat her subjects, something we see during the second season in her dealings with the Irish potato famine.
     This shows that Elizabeth and Victoria are very different women, with Elizabeth being a better family woman and Victoria being somewhat more state-savvy. This makes the shows good companion pieces; in a lot of scenarios, such as child rearing or dealing with prime ministers, you can see how a different attitude and skill set affects a person’s reaction to the situation. However, many fans of each series can get somewhat heated in their debates on which series is better. I, for one, remain non-committal. I like Elizabeth as a leader better, but Albert makes a better companion. I like Victoria’s supporting cast better, but The Crown does have more challenging themes, like colonialism. In the end, I recommend The Crown, but maybe watch Victoria afterwards.