A Message from The OA

This week I decided to take on The OA. After hearing a ton of people talk about it, I decided to give it a try. People have told me it was a little difficult to follow, and a great deal happens all at once, so I imagined it would be a good idea to write about why people should watch, even if it is a little more perplexing. Towards the end of the pilot, the OA begins to tell her story to the people she recruited to help her. She must convince them that they can trust her, and opens up to them so they will help her on her journey. So, for my blog post this week, rather than me tell you, the reader, why watching the show is in fact worth the watch despite it being quite a wild ride, I decided to let the OA speak for herself, and gain the trust and guidance of the opposition, as to why you should go with her on her journey, despite it being quite the mystery at first.

Thank you for finding my post. That means you are here because you’re considering helping me. It is crucial I get to the border. Please, don’t click away. I need your help.

I know that this might sound insane, I know you may not want to trust me right now, I know my story is unlike one that you’ve ever heard of before, and my reasons might sound unearthly, but I am the OA and I need your help. I need to tell you why I am worth helping and following.

I am unlike anyone you’ve met in your life. I know that that is a longshot statement to say, but I believe it to be true. Have you ever sympathized with a friend going through hardships? They’re quite easy to help, as you know them, you trust them, you want the best for them. And in the end, you know that they’d do the same for you. Well, have you sympathized with a stranger before? I know, it isn’t as easy to do. I know, that is who I am to you right now. But if you come on this journey with me, I can be your friend, and I will repay you in more ways than you could ever imagine. I know that someone like you can begin to trust me, and find it in your heart to help me on my way.

While trusting me is the first big step, I can’t have you quit on me along the way. The road to my success will be difficult and somewhat confusing, and I will always need the most courageous and strong people to aid me. That is why I have chosen you. There’s countless stories you have yet to hear, to be able to hear my tales I’m sure will excite you! There’s so much more to me, and my life. Or, should I say my many lives. I’m sure if you continue on with me, you will not be disappointed.

I will respect your story if this journey is not for you, or if you are unsure you will be able to keep up. But I strongly encourage you to try, and to believe that you may understand who I am and what I must achieve. So, if you choose to stay with me, I’d like for you to close your eyes, and see what I see.

Little Evil

This week I watched the Netflix original movie Little Evil, and I recommend it. It features Adam Scott from Parks and Recreation, and Evangeline Lily from Ant-man. I have to say that while the horror film centered around demon children and the antichrist are quite common, this doesn’t strike you as a true horror film, in fact it is listed as a horror/comedy. I can tell you that it is definitely more comedy than horror, and so even if horror isn’t your thing I think you would find it in you to like this movie.

What I want to talk about this week is the mise-en-scéne in a particular scene from Little Evil. As a reminder, because as students we all have too many things happening in our heads, mise-en-scéne is the staging of a scene. The scene below is what we are analyzing:

In this scene the main characters are at a birthday party for their child. Within this scene we see the normal signs of a birthday party: a child running in the background, parents talking and supervising their children, and presents on the table by said parents. Looking deeper shows the child all alone on the swing, isolating themselves from the party, implying that maybe they don’t feel comfortable there, or that they don’t have any friends there or even perhaps that they don’t actually know any of the children there.

The another thing is the parents with alcohol; maybe my birthday parties were just lame, but my parents never supplied alcohol to the parents of my friends at a get together that involved children. This could imply that whoever set up this party wanted the other parents to like them, or that they imagined that it would encourage more people to bring their children to the party.

If we look next to the parents we see a small pile of what look to be presents. I could infer from the little amount of presents that maybe people didn’t know what to get the birthday child, they were invited last minute, or didn’t know whether they were going. It is courtesy to bring a gift to a party you are invited to, especially a birthday party. 

If you look at the furthest background of this still, you see a cemetery. Throwing a birthday party next to a cemetery is not something you see very often. Mixed with the child who is playing alone, it gives this scene a very depressing feeling, even though it is supposed to be positive. I mean, who throws a party next to cemetery? Plus, if you look at the faces of the women in the foreground they look shocked, or like they were not expecting the location of the party perhaps, or something the man talking to them might have said.

There are many things that can be inferred from a single still of a movie or TV show. Not many people pay attention to the extra things that truly make up a scene in a movie because they are too transfixed on what is happening with the main characters. So if you decide not to watch this movie I at least hope you give the mise-en-scéne in the pictured scene a thought or two. Let me know what you notice, or what you think is happening in this scene. If you get the chance and are looking for a movie that is a comedy I would recommend this one, but that is my personal opinion and the fact that I thoroughly enjoy Adam Scott.

Another mystery: The OA

What really caught my attention, besides the fact that I really liked this show, were the time jumps being made at the end of the first episode and the mystery that surrounds this storyline. I don’t want to give anything away in case anyone decides to start watching The OA. What I can tell you is: one, the time jumps are needed to dispose of some of the mystery and two, it makes the scenes more impactive. Without those scenes, you would be left hanging, which you still partially are (but it is a good hanging), and the impact of the storyline they are pulling you into would be partially lost.

You start this journey in the middle of the story. The result is suspense from the beginning, as you have no idea what is happening next, or what HAS happened before in the timeline, which not only pulls you in, but leaves you on the edge of your seat. You get more information little by little, but those scenes at the end are there to connect the information together.

The time lapses specifically pertain to the backstory of the main character who remains a mystery while the people around her are starting to open up. In this timeline you specifically find out more information about her relationship with her parents, and find out how she became impaired. Sorry, for the spoiler but you find that out pretty early.

Another thing to pay attention to is the effect the time lapses have on the other characters. Watching the flashbacks and the ‘real time’ characters reactions shows just how skeptical they are of the main character and whether they can truly trust her. The characters are already having issues with how they feel about our protagonist because she doesn’t have the clearest path, and what is happening seems very var fetched. This skepticism has already played a part in the actions of the characters and I expect this skepticism will show later in the show as well.

At this point in the show I have realized that my feelings have been directly affected by the mystery surrounding the show. To only add on to the mixture of feelings I had these scenes are continuing to pull at my heartstrings. My feelings are being intensified by the minute strictly because once you see something in the flashback, you are then thrust into the present when all you want is to find out what happened next to our mysterious protagonist. The desperation to continue this elaborate back story is real, and I will admit I had a hard time not fast forwarding to ease my burden.

When the end of the episode approached, I found that I didn’t want it to. Not only because I still have so many questions, but also because lately I cannot find a show or movie that captures my interest the entire time, and The OA is one of the best I have found that keep my attention and interest. So, if my analysis of The OA hasn’t convinced you to watch it, which I understand if it hasn’t, let me tell you that I am very hard to please apparently and between this show and Hemlock Grove (which I wrote about last week) I have found enough mysteries to last me a while. This will be added to the list of shows that I will have to try to find the time to watch but I will definitely be back to it, and the time lapses that have pulled me in deep.

Hemlock Grove

When searching for a Netflix Original to watch for this blog entry, I started to watch a couple of things that looked interesting, and after several hits and misses I ended up on Hemlock Grove. While I had heard good things about this show I was interested to know if the rumors of how good this show was were true, and I was not disappointed! What struck me as I was watching multiple episodes of this show was that I was glad this came around in a time where special effects seem to be at their peak, and only getting better. One scene in particular stands out to me, and if you have ever seen, at the least, season one of Hemlock Grove you can probably guess which scene I’m talking about.

While the special effects were not used for a lengthy period, they were used over a fairly large area and were quite extensive. The question then becomes were the special effects appropriate for that particular scene? In my opinion, yes they were appropriate. The special effects propelled the storyline further and only increased the intensity of the already mind boggling situation. While you seem to be questioning everything you know about this show and what could be happening next, they throw one more thing into the mix that only makes you want to keep watching to solve the mystery that is Hemlock Grove.

The storyline plants doubts in the audience's’ minds and makes them think about what they truly want from this t.v. show. The intimacy that is fostered in this scene between two teenage males that barely know each other, the secret they are both now forced to keep, and the possibly severe implications that could stem from this scene are carried through the next couple of episodes; the trial that seems to be happening on one side of the point of views keeps you on the edge of your seat doing the only thing you can do… hope things go your way and wait to find out in the next episode. (Although that wait isn’t more than thirty seconds most of the time, it is agonizing!)

Beyond the fact that the storyline greatly benefits from the this scene in particular, it also make the actually storytelling more effective. This added scene gives you a feel for the character and what they are going through, along with the simultaneous sense of security that the scene gives to the budding friendship between the two main characters, and the sense that nothing is ever as it seems. Watching this slightly cringe-worthy scene, makes the audience feel sympathy and stirs the want to know that everything will turn out the way they want it to. This scene while mildly unrealistic to the logically sound of mind, gives you an accurate feel for what this scene might  possibly be like in real life. Is it entirely realistic and accurate? Who knows, I certainly don’t, but if this were to happen this is how I would expect for it to go. The fact that it seemed agonizing, and terrifying is enough for me to expect that no matter what other movies and t.v. show portrayed this scene as, this is definitely the one I could see happening the most in my everyday life.

So final decision time: will I be watching this again? You bet I will! I foresee this becoming one of my many netflix staples that I come back around to when I have finished a series or all the available episodes on Netflix. We all have our staples that pass the time between new series, and are always a pleasure to rewatch, and I am happy to say that Hemlock Grove, if it goes the way I’m hoping it does or even if it doesn’t, has proudly made its way into my list of many other classic rewatch shows. Criminal Minds, CSI (all of them), Supernatural, 30 Rock, The Office, and many others have to make room for one more… Hemlock Grove.