Homework this weekend

For those not in class today, the assignment is to write a review of a movie, album, or concert and post your review by Sunday evening. Please remember that attendance and participation make up the majority of the grade for this course. Examples of music reviews can be found at Popmatters.com. Here are some guidelines:

ALBUM REVIEWS

∑ Lead: Who. What. When. Name of group/artist, name of album, release month, record label, producer if important, how long since last album, your overall impression and summary description

∑ You can also use an alternative lead that offers a funny or engaging story or description of the music, but then you must follow up with the who, what, when (the “nut graph”)

Secondary graphs

∑ Bio graph on band, focus on highlights and recent history, include names of main band members

∑ Graph on most recent album (before this one), how successful, how received by critics, summary description of sound

∑ More detailed graph giving description of this album. Reviewers often give a couple sentences each to the best songs including a sampling of lyrics and description of music.

∑ Graph comparing how the album compares overall with earlier efforts by same artist

∑ Graph comparing how the album compares with recent releases from other artists is same sub-genre

∑ Wrap-up. Recommendation, ratings, rate how the album compares with other’s in sub-genre released this year. Is it one of the best so far of 2005?


CONCERT/PLAY REVIEWS

∑ Lead: Name of event/show. Who (artist name). Where (venue). When. Brief description of scene, brief summary of what happened including your overall feeling of it.

∑ Bio graph. This would be a short bio of the band or play.

∑ Description of event, describe the venue and audience as a way to ease into talking about the actual performance.

∑ How did the performance begin? Describe first song, scene.

∑ Describe highlights. Best songs, best scenes, best individual performers.

∑ Especially for concert reviews allow yourself to be creative in describing the sound of the music and the feel of the experience. Use lots of colorful, imaginative, metaphors, adjectives, adverbs, and active verbs. Take notes of all the things you see, hear, and smell, and your different emotional reactions to the performance.

∑ Wrap-up. This could be a rating, but it is better to find a witty or honest way of summing up the experience. If this performance is ongoing, then end with a recommendation.

25 years of drop, cut, mix, scratch fun

By Jay Chrisman

Turntablism has been around for over 25 years, whe-wa-whe-where have you been? Since the beginning of turntablism the status of musician for turntablists has been heavily argued, but with artists such as Qbert, Kid Koala, Yoga Frog and Mixmaster Mike it is hard to deny that they are musicians and that two turntables and a mixer are musical instruments.
During the 1970s Kool Herc, a Jamaican DJ, moved to New York City. In New York reggae was not as popular as funk so Kool Herc was forced to adapt. Soon Kool Herc realized that the breakbeat, which is the faster cut of a song, was more popular and that if he mixed only the breakbeats of songs he could keep a dance party bumping all night long. Soon the style was widespread throughout the underground hip-hop scene.
Grandmaster Flash invented cutting and mixing which allowed for extended play of especially popular cuts by putting the same record on both turntables. Grand Wizard Theodore, who's mentor was Grandmaster Flash, took the final progression that would result in the culture called turntablism by inventing needle-dropping and scratching.
Scratching is the manual back-and-forth rotation of a record which creates the wika-wika effect. Needle dropping allows DJs to sample a specific point on a record with minimal or no cueing.
Kool Herc, Grandmaster Flash and Grand Wizard Theodore may have been the pioneers of turntablism, but today's turntablists have perfected the art. DJ Qbert is arguably the best turntablist in the world. Qbert has been known to manipulate a vocal sample until it has been distorted to imitate a breakbeat, rendering the original vocal track unrecognizable.
Beginning his career in the late 80's Qbert joined the world-famous break-dancing squad, the Rock Steady Crew. In the 90's, along with DJ Shortkut and DJ Disc he founded the Invisibl Skratch Piklz. Later DJs such as Mix Master Mike, Yoga Frog, A-Trak and D-Styles would join. The Invisibl Skratch Piklz were the most famous DJ crew during the 90's, arguably keeping turntablism alive into the new millenium where it would finally be celebrated as a musical artform.

We ARE going to have class today. Yeah!

I'm feeling better, so let's do this thing. Be prepared to discuss the business aspects of the music industry.

Thanks to Jay for posting the cancellation yesterday.

My internet is out at home, and he is easy to contact; just call Ka Leo.

Homework for this week

For homework tonight:

1) Read pages 64 to 91 of the handout.

2) Write a brief report on a genre of music that either interests you or is your favorite genre. You don’t need to cite your sources of information, but you will probably have to do some research online or in the library. Here’s what to include:

a. Attempt to define the genre.
b. Write a brief history of the genre. What are the genre’s main roots?
c. What is the contemporary state of the genre? Is it popular, underground? Who are its main audience/fans?
d. Mention some of the main contemporary artists in the genre? Which ones do you like best and why?

For homework Wednesday night:

1) Read the last few pages of the handout.

2) Choose two of your favorite artists/groups to research. Try to research at least one that is on an independent label (not Capitol, Virgin, MCA, Interscope, Geffen, Arista, BMG, RCA, Atlantic, Elektra, Columbia, Epic). Compile a brief bio that focus on the business aspects of that artist’s music career. Here’s what to include:

a. What labels have they been on? Why did they change labels?
b. What are their most recent/most successful albums? How many sold?
c. What genre of music/musical influences?
d. Very brief history of the artist’s career.

Hollywood Sales Figures

Here is another Slate article on recent Hollywood sales numbers.

"Unleashed" by Rogue Pictures

By Jay Chrisman

Life is a series of coincidences. Some call it fate, some call it luck, but nobody denies that there isn’t a certain amount of magic involved in the coincidences of life. Take for instance, Danny. Danny was taken from his mother at a young age and raised as a human pitbull. The only shred of humanity left in Danny is his affinity for pianos. When Danny and his captor, Uncle Bart, are involved in a car accident why is it such a stretch for Danny to seek shelter in the home of the only person who’s ever been nice to him, a blind man who tunes pianos?
Screenplay writer Luc Besson has been heavily ridiculed for the improbable coincidences that make the film “Unleashed” work, but isn’t that what life is, a series of improbable coincidences?
Danny, played by Jet Li, was separated from his mother, a piano prodigy at a nearby music institute and trained to be a high-flying, kung-fu pitbull, collar and all, by his loan shark master, Uncle Bart, played by Bob Hoskins. After crossing the wrong guys Danny and Uncle Bart are involved in a not-so-accidental car accident. Danny thinks that Uncle Bart is dead so he does what is logical to him, crawl to the workplace of one of Uncle Bart’s collections, which happens to be the workplace of Sam, who is played by Morgan Freeman.
Sam and his adopted daughter Victoria, played by Kerry Condon, welcome Danny into their home and teach him about humanity. Danny warms to them and eventually becomes human, except for his inexperience with the world and things like ice cream, which lends a few laughs to this otherwise action-packed drama.
Eventually one of Uncle Bart’s henchmen recognizes Danny and brings him home. Uncle Bart isn’t too happy when he finds that Danny doesn’t want to hurt people anymore.
Jet Li delivers a stunning performance in this film. This will definitely be a step up from kung-fu guru to well-rounded actor for Li. Li doesn’t deliver many lines but he doesn’t have to. Some critics have joked that Li wasn’t written out of much of the script because he can’t act, but Li delivers more emotion and understanding with his facial expressions and development into the character of Danny than most A-list actors have ever done.
Morgan Freeman, who is cast into a stereotypical role gives his usual words of wisdom but does so in a believable manner as the character and not in his played out voice-over style. Freeman also delivers a bit of unchecked aggression, something his usual roles lack, but is always present in human nature.
Danny’s should-have-been love affair, Kerry Condon, is probably the weakest actor in the film, failing to lend complete believability to her part, but she still has a large part in giving touches of humanity to Li’s character.
Bob Hoskins is the only character that doesn’t develop much in the film. He’s a money-hungry, evil shrew of a man with his usual British accent, this time accentuated instead of underplayed.
The cinematography, while not too subtle, lends a rift to Danny’s two worlds. Danny’s life as a dog is white-washed which lends a feeling of coldness to the scenes while Danny’s life with Sam and Victoria are full of colors and things that lend warmth to the scenes. The costumes and settings also lend themselves to the overall effect.
The only thing that really stands out about this film is a lack of explanation into the circumstances of the plot. How did Uncle Bart get away with keeping a child locked up in a cage with a collar around his neck like a dog? How did Danny learn amazing martial arts techniques? Where are the police during all of this?
But none of these questions are important. They could be answered with a few extra scenes, but those extra scenes would only distract from the perfect flow that has been orchestrated for this film.

Sakamoto's "Out of this World"

WWII era Japanese were forbidden to listen to jazz because it was the enemy's music. After WWII when Americans began occupying Japan the Japanese began listening to and playing jazz. Junji Sakamoto's "Out of this World" is based on a true story of American GIs in Japan and the Japanese who entertained them.
Burl Burlingame of the Honolulu Star-Bulletin does a good job of making the film come to life in his review. Burl does a good job of summarizing the film without delving into the complexities of the film.

Infotainment juggernauts

Infotainment juggernauts
by Jay Chrisman

You just can’t trust the media. You hear bleeding-heart liberals say it. You hear the tighty-whitey conservatives say it. You even hear the nutjob at the library that everyone so endearingly calls “Cat Jesus” say it. It’s too bad Danny Schechter, the director of “Weapons of Mass Deception” uses the same technique of those he intends to cover, reducing his own credibility.
It’s ironic that in the documentary he portrays Al-Jazeera as the only truly fair and balanced media outlet because they are committed to giving equal time to both sides of the story. Schechter even uses clips from the Al-Jazeera network of journalists interviewing angry, mourning Iraqi women and children. Hey Schechter, did you ever ask Tom Brokaw what he thought of the whole affair instead of following him around like paparazzi?
Failure to adhere to one of the most important of journalistic codes is one of the only mistakes Schechter made during the documentary, however. Every Fox News watching bumpkin who doesn’t bother to question the information they’re spoon-fed should be required to watch this film.
I don’t think that Schechter’s intentions were to perform a clean surgery, removing the cancerous lump afflicting mainstream media. He did as he intended to do: cut it open and let it bleed from every orifice.
Schechter’s most effective analysis is the coining of the term “Militainment.” Schechter points out that during the build-up to war, network journalists provided Superbowl-esque game plan calling instead of real analysis of the reasons for war. Then they discuss the statistics of a bomb named “MOAB,” or “Mother of all bombs,” like it’s the star player of the Chicago Bulls.
Just as you’re starting to tire of the militainment analogy Schechter switches gears. The focus shifts to journalists actually in Iraq. First he analyzes embedded journalists. How can you be objective when you become a part of the “family?”
These journalists are made to go through basic training that includes how to use a gas mask. Then they live with the infantry, getting to know them and admittedly being worried that one of their “boys” may die.
Most disturbing, though, are the posers of adventure journalism. During previous wars many journalists made a name for themselves by diving headfirst into danger, disregarding their own life by being in a battle zone. These journalists showed the truest vision of the wars they covered as objective observers.
Unfortunately, the only adventure journalists represented by mainstream media during this war were the posers. Schechter follows these journalists, who in the pursuit of adventure race to every suicide bomber site in hopes that they can be the first to be photographed next to the charred skeleton of the suicide bomber’s car. Then, without missing a beat, they race back to the hotel bar for a round of drinks so that they can sit around and pat each other on the back.
Schechter finishes the documentary with a handshake between gentlemen. Pay attention, because here is where the most important question is asked. If only a few networks control almost all of the distribution of news... And the administration wants the war covered their way... What happens when the administration offers a lucrative deal to further deregulate FCC standards allowing the networks to turn into juggernauts of information control?

Which indie film to see & review?

Tomorrow we will vote in class for which of these four indie movies to see and review.

- "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind"

- "Diarios de motocicleta" (The Motorcyle Diaries)

- "Crash"

- "Sideways"

Slate article

Check out this Slate article on Hollywood's use of market data to schedule blockbuster release dates.

Things to include in doc reviews

Most of these items should be in your documentary reviews, although some of them will not apply to all docs. The more research you do on the doc itself and on the subject the doc takes on, the more info you will be able to draw on in your review. The goal is to inform your reader as much as possible, while also being entertaining and critical.

Director’s portfolio (discuss most recent doc done, compare/contrast if relevant)

Why did they decide to do this particular doc? Where was it set? What/what is the topic/issue being covered?

Who do you think is the main audience for this doc?

What are the social/political/cultural contexts? (for “Fahrenheit 9/11” the context would be that it was released to influence the election, etc.)

Give summary of doc.
Identify main arguments/points made
What type of content is included? How is it edited/put together

If the doc does make specific arguments, what evidence does it present, and are the arguments convincing?

What is missing/left out?

Discuss aspects of style

Pace, production quality, use of taking head or voice-only narrator, narrative techniques used to start/end the doc or to move it along (like the Apocalypse Now/Vietnam theme used in WMD)

What were the most powerful moments?

What were the failed/disappointing moments?

Do you recommend watching the doc?

Upcoming Assignments

1) Write your review of WMD (or another doc), you will need to do research, go for 700 to 1000 words, post by it by Monday afternoon for extra credit

2) revise your WotW reviews, post by Sunday by 5pm, read classmates' WotW revisions

3) Monday we will critique/discuss WotW revisions

4) Tues and Wed we will critique doc reviews

Assigments & Homework!!!

For class Thursday we will watch "Weapons of Mass Deception," a documentary by Danny Schechter. The movie is about 95 minutes long, so I will start the movie at 12:50. Please come early, and prepare to stay about ten mintues after class ends.

On Friday we will discuss the film and a reading on the state of documentary films.
You can get the article here.

This weekend you will be expected to write a 800 or so word review of WMD, and (2) to revise your "War of the Worlds," "Land of the Dead" reviews. You will need to do background research on WMD and perhaps other issues as well to include in your review.

War of the . . . movie elements?

War of the . . . movie elements?
by Jay Chrisman

The aliens of Steven Spielberg’s “War of the Worlds” are no match for someone with a camcorder bootlegging the film on opening day. This technique altered the qualities of the film – tweaked to perfection by directors, editors and producers – over emphasizing sound effects and dialogue and distorting the special effects and cinematography.

The appeal of “War of the Worlds” is purely a visceral one, which made this bootleg particularly hard to watch. It is an extreme disappointment when compared to some of Spielberg’s other accomplishments. Even today, people remember seemingly mundane lines like “E.T. phone home,” and “This means something, this is important,” but there will probably be no connection to this film. Even though the only part of the bootleg version that was clearly decipherable was the dialogue, there was nothing memorable about it.

Ray Ferrier (Tom Cruise) is your stereotypical blue-collar tough guy who drives a mustang, drifting it around corners on his way home from work. When he gets home, however, you find out his role as tough guy is completed with his near-inability at being a father to his 15-year-old son Robbie (Dustin Chatwin) and his 10-year-old daughter Rachel (Dakota Fanning).

In the first few scenes you get a crash-course in how bad of a father Ray really is. Then the aliens fall from the sky and the action begins. It’s too bad because in the few scenes you get without over-produced sci-fi, you get the feel that there’s potential for character development between Ray and his kids.

After the arrival of the aliens Rachel becomes nothing more than a scream machine. A piercing 10-year-old pair of lungs belting-out at every opportunity so that the viewer is constantly on edge. Half the time Rachel cued me with a scream as to what scenes were supposed to be scary before I had made out through the garbled effects what was going on.

In this movie it’s easy to pick out inconsistencies that make it wholly unbelievable, but these days who can’t pick out an inconsistency? Why have filmmakers become so careless? Is it because they’re so focused on the CGI that they don’t notice simple flaws in plot?

The only refreshing part of this movie was Spielberg’s loyalty to the author of the novel, H.G. Wells. Unfortunately Spielberg couldn’t even get that right. In the novel the aliens are rounding up the humans and using them as food. That explains why there are parts of the world that are left untouched – they serve as a corral where they can be preserved until they are needed.

In the movie this is not made clear. The aliens senseless killing makes you wonder what their intentions really are.

Most disappointing was Morgan Freeman’s voice-over. Can Freeman do a movie without using his smooth, soothing voice to explain the movie to you? The age-old rule of literature should apply to movie-making as well: “Show, don’t tell.”

-Jay Chrisman

Readings for Monday

For those of you who did not come to class today. I left copies of the readings for Monday protruding from under my office door, Crawford 325. The building will probably be open until later tonight and Saturday during the day. -JL

Danny the Dog

I've been enthralled by the prospect of seeing Jet Li's knewest release "Danny the Dog" since I picked up the soundtrack - composed completely by the Trip-hop legend Massive Attack - back in November. Released as "Unleashed" in the US, most critics have panned it for its rediculously contrived plot.
After reading half the reviews on RottenTomatoes.com I stumbled across two writers who were both brutally honest and insightful regarding the movie. Ironically, both are from Salon.com.
Manohla Dargis accurately pinned the film when she said, "Although it lacks the ambitious reach of Zhang Yimou's period epic 'Hero,' one of Mr. Li's higher-profile pictures, 'Unleashed' has a satisfying purity of form. Or, to put it somewhat differently, the story is stupid enough for you to concentrate on all the bodies in fast, furious motion."
Although Dargis displays praise for Li's martial arts, she is less than nice about her thoughts on Li's acting skills. Dargis goes on to degrade the premise behind Morgan Freeman and Kerry Condon's characters. Dargis doesn't put the movie down for trying to be what it's not though. Instead she prepares her audience for a sub-par plot.
Dargis' co-worker, Stephanie Zacharek, didn't see feel the same way about the plot. Instead, Zacharek says that if the plot were divorced from the martial arts, the acting would make the movie stand on its own. Zacharek also offers an excuse for the director and screenwriter's follies: "They know that stereotypes - the wise blind African-American, for example - have power over us, and they wield it accordingly. They're essentially showmen, and the experience of watching 'Unleashed,' ... is a kind of call-and-response. Leterrier and Besson are riffing on old Hollywood tropes, tugging at our heartstrings in a kind of code; they're playing us, but not disrespectfully - we're their ultimate instrument, not their bingo card."
Zacharek goes on to say that Li may not have the voice for acting, but his facial expression conveys much more than is needed to qualify him as good actor. In closing, Zacharek explains how although "Unleashed" may not be more than a martial arts film with an exagerated plot, it will be a stepping stone for Li - from a martial arts guru to a more than well-rounded actor.

Readings for Friday

For Friday be sure to read the article on Star Wars, Alien, and Blade Runner.

Read the New Yorker review, New York Times review, and Slate review for Revenge of the Sith.

Read the Slate review and New York Times revew for Batman Begins. And the New Yorker if you want.

Good posts and comments so far. Keep thehttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.gifm coming.
Here's a good page with links to movie research resources.

The main site for doing research is the .

A couple handy links

Hey ya'll,

Here is a link that I like to share with my writers. It is a great profile on a very interesting musician. Most people can't handle listening to his music, but this review is very interesting and provides a little insight on the man behind the turntables.

http://www.sfbg.com/noise/27/koala.html

-Jay

Class Today

I found this awsome review on Batman Begins. Check it out.

For homework tonight (Wednesday evening) find and read at least two reviews on a movie that you are interested in seeing. Don't choose a movie we have already discussed or assigned for class.

After reading the reviews post to the blog your comments on each review. You should also comment on at least one other student's post.

For Friday, make sure you read this academic article that analyzes Star Wars, Alien, and Blade Runner. After you read the article post some comments on the blog and be prepared to discuss the article on Friday.

For Friday you should have also read at least two reviews on the movie you elected to see, either Batman Begins or Star Wars III, Revenge of the Sith.

Has anyone read the New York Times review of Batman Begins? Check it out
here.

It is good to consider the readership of a particular publication. The NYTimes caters to an educated readership, and thus the movie reviews tend to be smart and engage in more cultural issues than others.

We can talk more about this particular review in class.

Welcome to the Media Criticism Blog at UH

Welcome to J327. Please post to this blog often. You should post URLs and comments on reviews you have read. You should also engage each other in discussion about class readings, posted reviews, writing ideas and challenges, and so forth. We can continue discussions from class here, and can use the blog as a springboard for class discussion.

Let's have a fun and stimulating semester!