Franchised

            I would like to make a movie about an entrepreneur who becomes extremely successful but falls from the success because he was not prepared for it.  He starts a popular restaurant that becomes very popular.  The company gets franchised but the big dogs in the industry, knowing the man is not experienced take advantage of him.  Eventually taking his business and leaving him less than he deserves.  As the franchise grows the man spends his life filing several lawsuits against the people that took his business but he never wins and basically loses everything in his life. 

Everything was Perfect

            I want to make a film noir about a man suspicious of his business partner, thinking that his partner has been stealing money from the company.  The movie would take place in the 50s.  After much suspicion the man decides to kill his business partner, with help from his wife.  He and his wife succeed in killing the man but after the man’s brother comes into town for the funeral, he begins to investigate the crime further.  He finds out that the man killed his brother and after nearly killing him, he forces him to leave the country and never come back.  He goes home to tell his wife.  His wife has a glass of wine waiting for him, knowing about the brother had found out.  He drinks the wine and dies.  The wife confesses to the camera that she had been the one stealing the wine, suggesting the murder, and using her husband as the scapegoat.  She leaves town, drops off the body and lives happily ever after. 

Trollhunter

            This week I saw the foreign film, Trollhunter.  This film was shot in a style that has recently been popularized in the horror film industry.  What I mean by that is the handheld style, like Blair Witch Project, where the camera is controlled by the cameraman who is much of a character as anyone else in the film.  In this movie the cameraman was using the footage that he is shooting for a documentary about the trolls that exist on earth that no one knows about.  This film was enjoyable, although I felt that it didn’t do as much with the fear factor but rather felt educational to me.  The cameraman was hardly ever in danger, which gave the film less fear in my eyes.  The special effects for the troll, which had 3 heads, were well done and fit well into the film’s world 

Peter Pan

            I watched the Disney cartoon Peter Pan this week for the first time since I was young.  I had been interesting in watching this animation after watching the film Finding Neverland, a movie that I really enjoyed.  Peter Pan was just as magical as I remember from childhood.  The story is so incredibly original and playful that it is a joy to watch.  I always find it so interesting how Wendy’s character is so hated when arriving in Neverland.  First, Tinkerbell gets mad at Peter when she offers to kiss him after he invites her to Neverland.  Following Tinkerbell, Wendy is splashed at by the mermaids in Neverland.  They make Wendy, who in the real world is very in control and well liked, now out of place and not liked.  My favorite part of the film will always be the alligator who swallowed a clock, allowing Captain Hook to hear him approach.  This is incredible clever and fun to watch.  You hear the clicking and look forward to everyone’s response. 

Friends with Benefits

            This week I saw Friends with Benefits.  This is a recent film feature Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis.  I’ve been working on a screenplay of my own this semester and this movie made me think of a classic three-act structure.  Although the film for the most part was poorly written it did follow the classical film structure and foreshadowed well while still being a step ahead of the viewer.  The first act of the film was terrible but as the film went on I began to enjoy it more and more. Mila and Justin were a good choice for the role and I think their on screen chemistry carried the film more than anything else. 

Renaissance Faire

            I am going to make a movie about the Renaissance Faire.  I find it interesting that people can go to a place where they can change themselves into a character of a different era.  This takes them out of their own world and allows them to be whomever they want.  There are also traditions of the faire that people are not aware of.  For example, the faire is the meeting place for many swinger couples.  They go to the faire and go home with each other’s mates.  I would like to follow some of the committed faire-goers to their homes and observe what their life is without the fair and how they act in their everyday life.

Sports Fan

I’d like to make a movie about a sports fan that lives in the city of his rival’s team.  He constantly gets grief from the opposing fans about his team and his team never wins to back it up  His mood will completely reflect how the team is down.  When things are going well he is protective and charming.  Happy and fun to be around.  However, when things are going poorly he is a bore and non-productive.  The sport is only entertainment and he realizes it but can’t help to get involved.  He must make a decision whether to chose him team or his life. 

Laundry Days

Laundry days.  I would like to make a short series about the days that a guy would do his laundry.  He goes to  a laundry mat and often gets into weird situations there since the people at the laundry mat are very strange.   He dreads going but has to in order to keep his clothes clean.  He meets a girl but loses her because of his embarrassing laundry and gets in a fight with a guy after moving the man’s clothes to a dryer when there are no available washers.  I think this series would be fun since I always have time to think about the odd things that could happen when doing laundry since it is usually a task that takes the whole day. 

Deck the Halls

            This week I saw Deck the Halls, in the spirit of Christmas.  Although the movie is a rather silly tale about a man, Danny Davito, who is looking for a purpose in life so he decides to decorate his new house with Christmas lights in the attempt to be seen from space.  His next-door neighbor, Mathew Broderick, is the only one who is not fond of the decorating since he was the former “Christmas guy” in the town.  Although the movie was often over the top I found it to be a pretty smart narrative and I enjoyed the narrative more than I thought I would.  The two men’s battle between who is Mr. Christmas was entertaining and believable enough to move along the film. 

Carrie

            I watched Brian DePalma’s Carrie this week.  I had seen this film once before but it had been so long that it felt as if I was watching it for the first time.  I miss 70s filmmaking.  70s filmmakers like DePalma were so willing to experiment.  They would do a shot just to do it rather than worry about it looking corny or distracting. I find that experimental nature exhilarating and I miss it in today’s movies.  Carrie uses a several minute split screen sequence that is a joy to watch.  Carrie just gets pig blood spilt on her head she images that everyone is laughing at her.  This causes her to uses her telekinesis to lock everyone in the gymnasium and ultimately burns the school down.   Carrie is not only terrifying but incredible fun to watch because of the creative sequences and camera shots.

Escaped Perspective

            This is one idea that I have had and been trying to constantly explore.  The film would start with a guy sitting in his house and we see his point of view, using POV shots.  We as viewers are used to this technique and are able to follow it.  The man’s POV however leaves the room with the man still sitting in the room.  The POV continues down the street and the perspective continues to grow more and more abstract as it gets farther away from the man in the room.  In explores the ideas that are in his head by finding them in the real world.  I’d like to use subtle film clichés in the film as well, like having bad things happen on a full moon or waking up to find that it was a bad dream.  I would like to use them in a way that they are almost unrecognizable though, to show that clichés are fine as long as you present them well.

Close Encounters of the Third Kind

            This week I went to the screening of Close Encounters of the Third Kind at the oriental theater.  I also had the honor of meeting Vilmos Zsigmond, the cinematographer for the film.  I’ve seen the movie several times and actually had watched it just a couple months prior but it was a great experience getting to see the film projected on 35mm.  The film’s special effects are very much magical and allows you to lose your self in the film’s world.  My favorite sequence of the film this time around was when Roy encounters the aliens for the first time.  The car stops and turns off and the road signs and everything surrounding begins flashing and shaking.  It was a great use of storytelling and simple effects to show an experience.

Marine

            I would like to make a movie about a Mexican-American man who joins the Marines.  He would be involved in conflict, with his parents deported back to Mexico but he was born in the states making him a citizen.  He loves America and wants to fight for the country.  This upsets his family because they don’t want him risking his life for the love of a country that often doesn’t love him back. He will also get into conflicts  liberal white Americas who has lived in the country their whole lives but cannot appreciate all that is given to them.  I’d like to explore this subject because Mexicans are an overlooked race in the United States and I feel do experience racism but it is less talked about then African Americans.  One of my good friend’s is Mexican and his little brother is interested in joining the Marines which I found very interesting and drew me to the idea.

The Green Fanatic

             Movie about a man known as the Green Fanatic.  This is an idea for a horror movie about a man who obsesses with protecting nature and kills those who attempt to harm it by littering or destroying it.  The man could have one of two main weapons.  One could be a knife that he had stolen from a kid who had been throwing the knife into a tree, and he now uses the knife to kill people to harm the nature.  As if to rebel for the tree.  The other weapon could be something of an all-natural nature. Like a poisonous plant or some kind of natural rope he could strangle them with.  The story would begin with him killing and transition into what made him start.  Possibly at the end he meets his match with an extremely conservative outdoorsy gentleman. 

A Clockwork Orange

             This week I watched A Clockwork Orange at the union.  This is one of my all time favorite films and one of Kubrick’s best.  I love that the film, even though odd in nature follows a very straight forward three act structure.  It is a wonderful narrative, showing that a man cannot be changed from what he truly is.  Alex is a classic character who charming and incredible fun to watch even though Alex as a man would not be seen as a good person.   Kubrick succeeds in this challenge of making a bad person a likable character and this has helped with the films cult following.  I look forward to every scene in the film, and I especially enjoy the music whether it be Ludwig Van or Singing in the Rain.  Genius. 

Socialist Leader

Movie about a musician who seeks fame to spread his views politically rather than wanting to be famous for his music.  He becomes a socialist leader after making it into the industry and gains a following.  Realizing that this man is dangerous to the country, the government will eventually kill the man.  This death causes greater rebellion however and the group’s power grows stronger than ever. Man succeeds in dying rather than wanting to only succeed in fame.

Zodiac

            David Fincher’s Zodiac is one of my favorites.  At 3 hours long it is hard to get most people to watch but it is worth every second.  The movie tells the story of the Zodiac killer and the men that attempting to find and arrest the murderer.  This film I feel is about failure.  Pretty much everyone in the film loses at something.  The detective never gets proof on who the true murderer is even seemly substantial evidence.  Even Jake Gyllenhaal’s character who writes a book about the killer and seems show that the man was the true murder, loses his family in the process after investing so much of his life in the case.  The film is a depressing joy ride. 

Dominant Race

Show a different world as if evolution evolved differently. Human like figures exist but are not the dominant race.  The dominant race is a more evolved “superhuman” who has physical powers much greater than the less dominant race.  With both races being smart there is a war, or a rebellion by the inferior race. The dominant race with wipe out the inferior race will once again control.

Class Acts

            Movie idea about two young guys who attempt to become classier.  Starts with a guy getting dumped by his girlfriend and she mentions that he is really immature and he decides to start to dress nicer and make himself what he considers classy.  He gets his friend to do it with him.  His friend opposes the idea initially agrees to do it.  The look ends up working for his friend, who gets increased attention from girls and eventually gets a job because it.  The other friend who first had the idea changes his mind about being classy when he sees that it isn’t working for him. 

Moneyball

            This week I say Moneyball with my mom.  This was the best-written film I’ve seen all year.  Cowritten by Aaron Sorkin, the film was wonderfully paced and driven by dialogue.  Brad Pitt was fantastic as always and I would look forward to seeing him on screen.  The surprise for performance was from Jonah Hill, best known for his role in Superbad  He had smart and witty humor and he turned into the character that you would root for to succeed.  The movie worked on all levels.  I also enjoyed the baseball references since I am a former baseball player.  Bennett Miller did well to accurate interpret characters that are real baseball players.  The film also seamlessly transitioned between real game footage and film shot for the movie.

Cache (hidden)

            Cache (hidden) is now one of my favorite Michael Haneke films.  I had been meaning to see the film for quite some time after enjoying many of Haneke’s other films.  He has a very distinct stile, forcing you to be patient as a viewer.  His films also contain footage that is tough to watch on an emotional level, so you will need to prepare yourself before watching.  In Cache, a man basically has a stalker, someone he new from his childhood who has been taping his house and leaving the tapes at his doorstep.  Unlike most of Haneke’s films, this film took on the thriller genre.  The narrative was loose but great and the film had me gasp louder than I ever had in my life. 

Taryn Smith

            I visited Taryn Smith’s exhibit at the Milwaukee Art Museum this week with my photography class.  The exhibit some separated into three sections.  The first section contained photos that used former inmates as models.  The subjects appeared very separated from their environments, which were often fairly odd as well.  These photos very enjoyable and often odd.  The second exhibition included photos that could be considered racy.  The photos showed subjects such as abortion, animal testing, and the war in unique but deliberate pictures. One that was especially interesting was a photo of nuclear waste, which contained in tubes gave off a beautiful blue glow.  Although these photos by themselves were interesting I found some to be over the top and not tasteful.  The last section showed several series of photos of objects that were confiscated from people traveling to America from other countries. These photos were entertaining more than anything else.  The exhibit was entertaining and interesting.  Taryn Smith is obviously a very talented photographer, although her photos are sometimes too racy for my taste.

Artist

An artist dies and his friends and family work to finish his final work.  He could be a photographer and the family has to choose what pictures to include in his final exhibit.  In doing this they learn things about the artist that they didn’t know by his character when he was alive.  The photos show his focus.  What he obsesses on.  Maybe he has a perfectionist, and maybe the opposite. 

Dirty

I would like to make a movie about someone who lives a dirty life. He eats fast food and the wrappers fill his car. His apartment is constantly messy, with dishes piled up. Even with living this messy life, the man is still very goal oriented and organized within his career.  He fails at relationships because of his messy life. He might meet a girl that is fine with the mess but the man later grows anxious when she begins to clean. The mess calms the man down. He can't handle the added responsibility of keeping things clean.