Wednesday, October 30, 2013

Top 5 Movies You've Probably Never Heard of

I have spent more time than I should watching movies with my friends on school nights. That essay that is due tomorrow at noon? Not important. If I want to consider myself well-educated, it is imperative that I watch all of Pootie Tang. What's that about Brit Lit reading homework? Naw, I'll just wake up early and get that done. As if.

For my fellow procrastinators who are also interested in watching good movies, I give you the-

List of Top 5 Movies You've Probably Never Heard of: 

1. Big Fish 

We've all heard those stories that begin with, "When I was your age, I walked ten miles uphill without shoes in a blizzard..." Will Bloom's father is the king of tall tales, which aggravates Will as he becomes an adult. Why can't his father ever tell him a true story? Why do his stories have to be so farfetched? When Will's father has a heart attack, Will is determined to find out the real details of his father's life. Starring Ewan McGregor, Jessica Lange, Danny Devito.

2. Wristcutters: A Love Story 

Don't be fooled by the title. This movie is not nearly as dark as you may think. Patrick Fugit's character Zia kills himself after he and his girlfriend break up. He ends up in a second world, only populated by people who have killed themselves. When Zia discovers that his ex-girlfriend has also killed herself, he goes on a mission with the help of his friends to find her, but he discovers there may be more to the afterlife than he thought. Starring Patrick Fugit, Shannyn Sossaman, Shea Whigham.


3. Seven Psychopaths: 
When a struggling writer's best friend steals the Shih Tzu of a well-known criminal in Los Angeles, he is unwillingly drawn into a world of violence, and is forced to face a psychopath who will stop at nothing to get his precious dog back. Featuring Colin Farrell, Woody Harrelson, Christopher Walken and Sam Rockwell, this movie has one of the most original plots I have seen in a long time.

4. Saved 
Mary, the main character, grows up in the Bible Belt of America and attends and extremely Christian high school. When she discovers that her boyfriend Dean is gay, she has a vision that Jesus tells her to make him straight. Having sex with Dean is Mary's only hope. When his parents discover that he is gay, however, they immediately send him away to a rehab so he can "recover." Mary finds out she is pregnant, and decides to keep the baby a secret, but only succeeds for so long before the adults in her life discover her secret. This movie is great at making you question your beliefs and relationships. Starring Mandy Moore, Macaulay Culkin, Patrick Fugit, Jena Malone.


5. Heathers 

Winona Ryder is the only Veronica in a group of girls all named Heather.The top-Heather wears a red scrunchy in her hair, asserting her dominance, and uses her position to put everyone else down. Basically, she is the Regina George of the 1980's. Veronica teams up with J.D., the new rebel on campus, and the take down the top-Heather, killing her with Draino in a coffee cup. The next Heather assumes the top role. Veronica needs to decide whether she will keep killing off her friends with J.D., or whether she will put a stop to his killing streak. Featuring Winona Ryder, Christian Slater, Shannen Doherty.


My Top Pick:



Monday, October 21, 2013

Writer's Memo for Story Two

I had a little bit of trouble with story two because I thought I would be able to find out more information about the train itself. There was no information available about which company owns the freight train, the train schedule, or even where its station is located.

The story still came together, however, because I was able to focus on the train in a different way. I focused on the students' perspective of having a train in front of their residence hall.

I feel like I present both sides of the story without bias. I have quotes from students who dislike the train, and a quote from a student who likes the train. I also have quotes from an administrator.

As usual, the weakness of my story is my transitions. I am still working on the flow of the story and making it flow well without any awkward breaks or sentence structures.

Overall, I am pleased with how the story turned out. 



A Train Runs Through It