Movie Review

SEAing high reviews for 'Captain Phillips'

On the American Cargo ship Maersk Alabama, Captain Richard Phillips (Tom Hanks) left his family to deliver supplies to needy countries in Africa. Taking extra precaution around the borders of Africa, Phillips and First Officer Shane Murphy (Michael Chernus) order safety checks, only to encounter armed Somali pirates who manage to hijack the cargo ship. While searching the ship, Somali pirates Abduwali Muse (Barkhad Abdi), Adan Bilal (Barkhad Abdirahman), Nour Najee (Faysal Ahmed), and Walid Elmi (Mahat M. Ali) take Phillips hostage and demand a large ransom. However, as the money is collected and the pirates board an emergency lifeboat, they don't release the captain, and Phillips gets taken with them. Both the crew members and Navy SEAL then have to work to rescue their captain and do whatever it takes to keep him alive. The determination and persistence brought out through the characters' actions supplied a prominent theme in this film. All while Phillips was held hostage by the Somali pirates, the crew and Navy SEAL never stopped trying to bring him to safety.

Because this movie is a retelling of a true story, I feel that this movie appeals to many audiences. Those who lean towards action and suspense will definitely be interested, but those that aren't as big into the action portion can still enjoy this captain's fascinating story. This movie does contain scenes with abuse and violence, which might not be appropriate for younger generations, but in my opinion, there is no set age limit.

Overall, Captain Phillips was a very well constructed film that was able to hold a suspenseful factor as the plot progressed. As a viewer, I was constantly on edge, wondering the outcome of this uncanny situation. Although the introduction was a bit slow, the series of events quickly picked up speed, beginning when the Alabama first spotted the Somali boats trailing after them. Aside what was shown in the film, the ensemble effort and production of this film is extraordinary. The director, Paul Greengrass, kept the film rolling for many minutes on end, which proved an exponential strength of character for both the actors and filmmakers. As this story is based on true events, Greengrass did an incredible job at capturing all aspects of this story. This movie shows a new level of remarkable abilities with its use of real equipment instead of fake props, which are unable to capture the full essence of the story. For that reason, this film went above and beyond to draw the audience in and provide a true retelling of this astounding event. I would rate Captain Phillips an 8 out of 10, for it fully encompasses the captain's story and provides a new sense of action and suspense that leaves the audience at the edge of their seats.

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Movie Review Homework

Disney’s new take on The Jungle Book is gorgeous but under-conceived

1. The AV Club

2. Ignatiy Vishnevetsky

3. I'd rate the movie review an 8/10.

4. The review really stresses how good the filming and screenplay is, from the realism of the animals to the talent of the scenes.

5. Although this movie is very good, the review criticizes how the film doesn't contain any of its own elements. The movie is simply a remake of the old film, making it less original.

6. "...there are no moments of weightless perspective; perhaps what makes The Jungle Book so convincing—so effective as simulation—is that the camera never defies an audience’s expectations of how a real camera moves, even though it’s not always a real camera, or how real animals look, and even though there are no real animals."

The Huntsman: Winter’s War is more fun than its wan predecessor

1. The AV club

2. Jesse Hassenger

3. I'd say the movie was rated a 6 or 7 out of 10.

4. The author of this article claims, as I haven't personally seen the movie, that it had better pacing, livelier characters, and special effects than its previous films.

5. Some low points that the author expresses are that the movie feels old-fashioned, and that the actors could have been better.

6. "It’s inarguably a waste of time; both its stars and its audience probably deserve better. But sometimes wasting time can be fun in the right company."

Movie Review Prep

1. The main character's I'd expect to see are Richard (Captain) Phillips, Mike Perry, the four main Somali pirates.
2.    I predict that this movie will be action packed and at sea. Captain Phillips' ship was warned to keep  their ships away from the coast, but when the ship was too close to a port, four Somali pirates boarded the ship. As the pirates made their way around the boat, the ship crew took shelter in different rooms and attempted to get the pirates off of their boat.
       Eventually, the pirates were captured  and sent to be released, but after the boat refused to start, Captain Phillips was taken with the pirates.As Phillips continued to be held hostage, the Navy SEAL and other services attempted to rescue their Captain, as his life was in danger. Eventually, the pirates were killed, and one was sentenced to 30+ years in prison, and Captain Phillips was rescued.
3. This story is important because it shows that the unexpected can happen at any time, and a person needs to be prepared for it. Captain Phillips even reflected how "in that area of the world, any blip on your radar is of concern. I always told my crew it was a matter of when, not if."
4. The pirates tried to take the ship because there was an immense load of cargo boarded on the ship (5,000 metric tons of relief supplies to be exact).

1. The most important actors in the film are Tom Hanks, Barkhad Abdi, Michael Chernus, David Warshofsky, and Yul Vasquez.
2. This movie has an average rating of 8.3 out of 10.
3. Paul Greengrass directed this movie.
4. This movie was produced by Scott Rudin,  Dana Brunetti and Michael De Luca.
5. This movie won Best Actor in a Supporting Role (Barkhad Abdi), Best Edited Feature Film - Dramatic, Top Ten Films of the Year, Outstanding Supporting Actor (Barkhad Abdi), Outstanding Breakthrough Performance - Male (Barkhad Abdi), Supporting Actor of the Year (Barkhad Abdi), Best Sound Editing, and Best Adapted Screenplay.
6. This movie cost $55 million.
7. ??
8. Rotten Tomatoes said that the movie was "smart, powerfully acted, and incredibly intense, Captain Phillips offers filmgoers a Hollywood biopic done right—and offers Tom Hanks a showcase for yet another brilliant performance", as well as "fresh" and rated an 83/100 on the Metacritic site.

iMovie Project Questions

1.  On the websites I viewed, I learned about the basic functions of iMovie ranging from simply importing video footage to adding cool effects and titles. As explained, these functions will serve as the baseline to creating any unique video I come up with. There are different sections in the iMovie program. These include the timeline, clipboard, and video screen.
    There are also many different buttons and controls on the iMovie software that can change the view options. These can change how you view the timeline or edit modes. When publishing, you are taught how to change the format of the video to make it accessible on many players.
2. I already knew how to import and add videos to the timeline in order to edit.
3. One thing that I didn't know before but know now is that there's a button to change the way you view clips. I didn't know that you could change the timeline from entire clips to how long they are.
4. With this final project, I'm mostly concerned with finding a topic that will work for me. Also with the topic, I think a struggle could be finding time to shoot. Once I get the base idea and coverage, the editing should come very easy.
5. I am confident that I can complete the editing in good time. I am familiar with the iMovie software, and I feel I can get plentiful coverage to use.
6. I might do a project revolving around paining or adventurous things, but I need to think about it a lot.

CE 6.1

1. Harriet Tubman is replacing Andrew Jackson on the $20 bill.
2. The Texas teachers union is suing the head of the state education agency over a new evaluation system tying teachers' scores to the students' scores on specialized tests.
3. 8 people have died in the Houston floods.
4. The subject matter is algae.
5. 4 of the 6 ways to change the look of your room is to change the layout, paint your room a different color, get window treatments, and get new rugs that work well with your room.

Short Answers:

When I heard about this story, I was appalled. How could people know about this lead contamination,  and instead of fixing the issue with some expenses, simply cover it up? Who does that? I heard about this incident in my geography class earlier this year when we watched a video regarding it, so I already know about it. The video showed a new aspect of the situation by helping me see the water after it was affected, which made the problem seem worse. I think that the people who knew about the contamination should definitely be fined, or punished of some sort. They shouldn't be able to poison people, knowing that they're doing so, and get away without punishment. I think that's just wrong on so many levels. Since children were affected, I think the consequence should be stronger as well. In my opinion, everyone involved in the incident should be punished, title or not. If the governor or other high-title people knew about the situation, that's almost worse, because they have the power to change the situation for the better. For them not to do that definitely deserves a consequence.

Free Write

Prompt 17 - 

I thought today was going to be like any other. Man, was I wrong.

I trudged home from a long day of work, my shift ending only a few minutes ago. My backpack grew heavy on my shoulders and my eyes stung from staring at a computer screen all day. I couldn't wait until I was able to quit my job and move to a new city, away from the people and the stress. As I neared my ever so welcoming home, my eye was caught on a shadow across the street. The human-like shadow darted to the left, deeper into the alley. I know I should have just gone inside, but my curiosity got the best of me. Making my way across the barren street, I peered into the midst of the alley, looking for any sign of movement. Nothing. Shrugging, I turned as to head back to my house. All of the sudden, a cool breeze came from behind me that sent shivers down my spine. Something was behind me.

Then everything went black.

 -- Beep! Beep! Beep! --

I woke to the familiar sound of my alarm clock. Throwing my arm over to where my clock stood, I went through my usual routine; snoozing until my mother pounded on the door and insisted I get up, or be late for school. However, when I cast my arm toward my nightstand, I found only air. That's weird. With sleep still lingering, I opened my eyes. Instantly, I sat up, my mind suddenly alert. This wasn't my room. This wasn't my furniture, or even my alarm clock. Sh*t, where is that thing? After searching for what seemed like hours trying to find that piercing noise, I spotted it perched on a dresser. Figures. With the new silence that filled the room, my mind tried to process what the hell was going on. I made my way to the door, and opening it, I found myself in a house - my house - but with new furniture. I raced to the front door, eager to find something, anything, familiar. Nothing. As I made my way outside, I darted to my neighbor's house where I had spent countless hours with my best friend. Impatiently ringing the doorbell, the door finally opened and my friend stood, still in her pajamas and eating an apple.

"Oh my god, Frankie, it's you! I thought everything was gone, but you're here and where the hell is my family?" I rambled on, but my best friend stared at my with wide eyes.

"Um, I feel bad for asking, but um, who are you?" Frankie asked.

What? "Frankie, it's me, Riley Jackson... Your best friend? I live right next door.."

"No one with the last name Jackson has ever lived next to me, I'm sorry. Are you new to the neighborhood?"

"What? No, Frankie, I live there... I always have. I live with my parents and two sisters. We've gone to school together for the past nine years?.." Frankie continued to stare, confusion present on her face. 

What the hell happened last night?

Photoshop Woman

my original picture said that it needed to be "rasterized", so I tried to work around it.