1935 movie

Medal of Honor is the name of the movie we decided to make for our 1935 film project. The story is a bout a boy named Johnny Devarito who desperately wants to join the army and fight for his country during World War one but when he is drafted he is told that he not big enough and does not meet the qualifications of a "good soldier". He goes anyway and sneaks on to a ship, later Johnnys platoon is ambushed and taken hostage and it is up to him to save everyone. Little Johnny comes to the rescue and saves his platoon and proves that no matter how big or small you can still be a hero.

The genre is that of a feel good war movie that has the little guy come out on top. We feel this is appropriate because during this time America is in a depression and we believe that this movie can lift the spirits of everyone and show that the little people have a chance to make a difference.

The studio we chose was MGM because we believe we can make this film into a block buster. With MGM's funding and resources with actors and directors we can make this film into a huge hit. They have a big budget and we would be able to get everything we needed with them. And they seemed to be a powerhouse during that era.

Director: Louis Milestone ("All Quiet on the Western Front" director, experience with wartime movies/ previous WWl Experience)
Actors
a.       Lead Actor: Fred Astaire
b.      Supporting: Clark Gable (Fellow Soldiers)
c.       Gene Kelly (FS)
d.      Wallace Berry (General or platoon commander)
Focusing on  Make-up and Costumes:
a.       Focus on accurate war uniforms and well done blood and other war like effects
b.      Makeup: Monte Westmore (worked with MGM on "Gone with the Wind") and  Jack Dawn (head of make-up for MGM)
c.       Adrian Greenberg: MGM costume designer

We chose these actors because they were all very big during this time and contracted with MGM. Fred Astaire was a smaller guy and a dancer we think he fits the part of Johnny beautifully.  The rest of the cast are big names with MGM and are also strong men that would be believably seen as soldiers. They are all with MGM so it would work out just perfect. 

 Hays Code:
·         Cannot use vulgar language (god included)
·         Use of the flag
·         Use of firearms
·         International Relations
·         Brutality/Gruesome
·       Seduction of women

The techniques we used was technicolor 3 because that was released by MGM in 1934 so that would give it a very modern feel and theme and help by making it the blockbuster we want.

All of the ideas that we came up collectively make sense for this project and and I do not disagree with any of them. They are whats best for this film and all seem to be the best choices.

MYST #2

The second movie I chose for my MYST was "The Spectacular Now", yeah go ahead and laugh i'll give you a minute. I was scrolling through On Demand and couldn't really find anything that seemed appealing so I asked my 13 year old sister what I should watch, strike one. I had no prior knowledge of the film before I ordered so I didnt know what to expect or what was about to come. The plot is like that of any "boy meets girl" chick flick. Our main character Sutter Keely is a senior in high school who lives in the moment and has no plans for the future and just spend all of his time with a spiked drink in his hand no matter where he is goes out for a night on the town after his girlfriend broke up with him and is later woken up by Amy Finecky, a girl in Sutters grade who is under the radar and the typical "nice girl", does what shes told and has her whole life planned out. They, although opposites, are drawn to each other immediately. They start spending a lot of time with one another and you can see how the feelings progress through the film. Sutter helps her stand up to her mother to get her off of her back and let her live her own life, wile Amy helps Sutter stand up to his mom in hopes of reconnecting with his alcoholic father who he thought was asked to leave his family but then learns it was by choice. Through out the movie you see the two characters grow and mature and you can see there feeling grow and watch them fall in love. You also see, but it isnt made into a big deal, Amy turn into as much of an alcoholic as Sutter. They sort of just let that slide by like its no big deal which is somewhat funny when you watch it and start to catch on. The ending is shaky and is left of for interpretation on what you think the future hold for the two because it comes to a sudden stop and cliff hanger. Personally I thought it was cute movie. The plot, not like any other teen girl movie, was well done and seemed a little more realistic than the usual teen love movie. Going into this with no expectations and no prior knowledge of the film I enjoyed it. Yes its embarrassing and I hope it just stays between us classmates but yeah it was good movie and if you're into chick flicks about young love and finding "the one" then you should see this movie. I would give it about a 7/10. it never really dragged on, it seem more sped up in anything. The filming was well done, it had a very "indie" vibe to it. Especially with the lighting, it was more on the dark side which gave it its own feel.Its like every teen movie thrown into one and it just works, popular guy falls fr not so popular girl, they fall in love, both have parent issues, and theirs alcohol involved. If that doesn't have every element you could possibly want in a cheesy teen chick click then you just are in the wrong genre. All in all it was a very good movie and i enjoyed it even though it was very out of my element, which may in part be why i enjoyed it so much. It was a good film and if you have nothing going on one afternoon and you need something to watch, save yourself asking your younger sister and just watch this. Its what shes gonna say to watch anyway. Just do it like i did, in the comfort of your own room with the door shut so no one knows.

"MYST #1 Gravity"

   The movie I watched was the relatively new film "Gravity" starring Sandra Bullock and George Clooney.  For those who have yet to see it or do not know the plot of the movie its a little something like this; Sandra Bullocks character "Dr. Ryan Stone" is an amazing engineer for NASA who is on her first space mission for a completely routine walk with long time Veteran "Matt Kowalsky" (Clooney). All seems to be going well until they receive word that a Russian satellite has just exploded and they are about to be hit with shrapnel and debris that destroys there space station and kills off everyone in the crew but Dr. Stone and Kowalsky. It also cut off all incoming contact with Houston control leaving Stone and Kowalsky completely alone and stranded in space. The rest of the movie is the story of these two trying to get home safely. It is very similar to Apollo 13. The battle to get home safely from space.
   I give Gravity 3 stars. The plot was a good idea but it seemed to drag on and get boring. It was fun to look at though, the effects and cinematic elements were amazing. Even though the crew and actors never left a green screen room, you would have actually believed that Sandra Bullock actually was lost in space. It made it look so realistic and they used sound to there advantage as well, or lack of sound should i say because of how quiet it is in space. The editing and filming crew really made it look beautiful and realistic.
  One key scene that really stood out to me that made it all come together and realistic were the subtle things about the film. For instance, at the beginning wile Dr. Stone is working on the space ship there is a reflection off of her helmet of earth and the rest of the space. It is so realistic and makes it look as if she is actually out there repairing a space shuttle. Another great scene is when Dr. Stone is holding on to the rope that is attached to Kowalsky and she tries pulling him back in. This scene showed the desperation and fear in both of there eyes and then also the acceptance of what was about to happen next. The acting and the effects really made is real and you felt like you were right there with them.
  I'd say all around Gravity is a pretty decent movie. The story seems to drag on at some points and id lying if I said that I was wide awake for the whole thing. But it really is impressive and incredible to see how far we've come with film and editing and to see just what we can do with a camera and a green screen. You don't have to be a film buff to like this movie, I'm sure it would help, but everyone could like this movie. Its the most perfect movie and example of something you could just flip on one Sunday afternoon when you have nothing else going on. It does get somewhat boring and redundant but the effects and images are breathtaking so they cancel each other out.