Behind the Scenes of Films

After experimenting with writing our own screen plays, it made me aware of how difficult it must be to write a completely original screen play, one not based off an existing novel. When watching films, I rarely think about all the work that went into it and all the steps it took to get it started. Recently, I was watching the special features to the movie “Juno,” and I watched the taped stage practices where the actors and actresses had their scripts in hand, and were on an empty stage just miming the motions to each other while they rehearsed the dialogue. I noticed that it was a lot less structured than I thought it would be because the actors and actresses were allowed to add their own little quirks and comments to the script, and there were many takes where they tried out different sayings, gestures and tones of voice until it seemed like it suited the character’s personalities. It somewhat reminded me of what we were doing in class, not necessarily my group since we stuck pretty close to the text, but some of the other groups added lines that weren’t in the novel but definitely seemed like they very well could be. After working on the screen plays in class, and watching the early stages of the film “Juno,” I gained a greater appreciation for all the work that goes into the creation of films.

"You Don't Love Me Yet " as metafiction

Melanie Helgerson
“You Don’t Love Me Yet”
Jonathan Lethem
Thus far I have enjoyed Jonathan Lethem’s novel, “You Don’t Love Me Yet,” for its unique context and its wacky characters. All along though, I am reminded that I am reading a piece of fiction. There are certain parts in the context of his writing that definitely give this away, first being the situations that the main characters get themselves into. The part that stands out the most is when Matthew steals the kangaroo, Shelf, from the zoo and keeps it in his bathtub. First of all, one could never keep an animal that big and powerful in an apartment, let alone a bathtub. Secondly, Harvey’s concept of his “aparty” stood out as unusual to me. Not to say that no one would ever attempt a party such as this, but it definitely is unlikely. The band has to play in an almost inaudible tone, the guests have to make their own mixed tapes and listen and dance to their own music the whole time on personal tape players, and there is food, but no one can eat it. It just sounds so ridiculous. I know that it is typical of a contemporary novel to have atypical characters and situations, and for that matter this book definitely fits into that category, but as far as the metafiction we have been talking about in class, this book fits under that category as well because the reader is being subtly but constantly reminded that they are reading a fiction novel. Nonetheless, I enjoy it and it is a quick and easy read. I’d be interested to see what a film version of this story would be like, and see if it is portrayed just as I imagine it.

"Pulp Fiction" as a pop culture film

Melanie Helgerson
"Pulp Fiction," Quientin Terantino

Quientin Terantino's "Pulp Fiction" amongst many of his other films such as "Resevoir Dogs" and "Kill Bill" are the type of films everyone should see at least once in their lifetime. This director in particular addresses certain topics that otherwise would seem taboo. It would sound like a stereotype to say, but the "high class" culture may be a little too conservative for this sort of subject matter, but as for the "pop culture" crowd it would be right up thier alley. People who are into pop culture tend to have more of an openness about them which allows them to appreciate the more eccentric lifestyles and are less likely to be offended by it. Getting into the specifics, certain parts in the movie mimic the pop culture trend. The drugs, cigarettes, vendictive characters and sensuality is one thing, but the overall vulgarity and violence pushes this movie to cross certain boundaries that defy typical filmmaking standards. As a result, it attracts the young adult, new-age viewers who will be less shocked by the visuals. Reguardless of who it caters to, it remains as one of those films that everyone should see, if not for the suject matter, at least for its quality and dimension.

The Gift of Tongues in Relation to the Story

Melanie Helgerson
The New York Trilogy
Paul Auster
In the beginning of the book, when we first met Peter, he mentioned how his father, Mr. Stillman used to “talk a lot about God.” Peter said how his father wanted to know if God had a language, and wondered if a baby might speak if the baby saw no people. Immediately after reading this it got me thinking about the gift of tongues, and I jotted it down in the side lines of the page. Last year I wrote a paper on Pentecostalism and in doing so I learned a lot about speaking in tongues as one of the seven gift of God. This idea especially interested me when Peter said “I still like to be in the dark…I speak God’s language and no one can hear me,” (pg. 21). I wonder if at some point while he was living in captivity, the holy spirit came over him and he received the gift of tongues. Especially when Mr. Stillman began referring to the Tower of Babel, and the history of languages, it became even more apparent that this story goes far beyond its limits into a much deeper narrative than we had expected it to.