We've had a chance to watch some really interesting early sound movies, each one different, unique, and important in their own right. So, let's "talk" about them, shall we? (See what I did there, since this blog is about "talkies"? Eh?...well I guess you're actually writing about them...)... Um, so let's write about talkies!!!
For each of the following films, write thoughtful answers to each question. Give us at least three good, solid paragraphs for EACH movie. THANKS!
The Artist (2011)
This movie is such a painfully accurate representation of that time in history, and it is told so uniquely.
Here are your questions:
- Did the way this story was told (done as a silent film) work for you, or do you wish they'd just made it a sound film about that time period? Why?
- What did you learn about the shifting from the "silent film" era to "talkies" that you hadn't thought of before, thanks to this film?
- What was the overall message or theme to you?
King Kong (1933)
This movie was so important historically, I can't even stand it! This movie was the first creature adventure film of this scale. Yes, we had monsters and creatures and dinosaurs before in earlier movies, but never such a huge creature!
And, sound wise, this movie is the father of Sound Engineering, the first movie to have such a long, original score instead of library music or sparse music. Yeah King Kong!
OK friends, time to answer the following questions!
- How'd you like this movie?
- Why do you think that, even when people were dirt poor and could barely afford to eat, they still went to see this movie about a giant Ape?
- Did the music and sound design enhance your movie going experience? Why or why not?
What a cool, interesting, and less flashy movie than King Kong. This one is quieter, but not less interesting. Just different. Horror director Tod Browing brought to this world a movie that after the Hayes' Code just a year or so later, couldn't have been made.
- Did you like this movie? Why or why not?
- What was the message of this movie, in your opinion?
- Did you like the use of real circus people instead of actors in this movie? Why or why not?
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
Like I mentioned in class, this film is an important piece of film history for several different reasons. It is a representation of the early musicals, a place where people don't just burst into song, but there is plenty of singing to do as they get ready to put on a play. It is a movie made during The Depression about The Depression. It is the last of the Pre-Hayes code movies. And, it has choreography by legendary Busby Berkeley, someone who anyone who cares about dance and musicals should know about.
- So, what did you think? Did you like this movie? Why or why not?
- What Pre-Hayes code content did you notice?
- Why do you think musicals like this were so gosh darn popular during the Great Depression?
The artist
ReplyDeleteThis movie was about a man who lost his way because of sound films, and his journey without acting. I wish that it hadn't been made as a silent film, though. I think it's because i really am not a silent film fan that i didn't like it, but i would have i think if the film had more sound. I appreciate what they did with the film though, showing the pain that actors felt. I really did like the part where he 'starts hearing sound' and it freaks him out. I think that symbolizing how he's not used to sound films and that they kind of scare him.
Though I didn't like it very much, I learned from this film how someone so huge can be almost nonexistent to the public in the blink of an eye when things change. That's scary but its a fact of life. Also thanks to this movie, i got to understand how painful it was for silent film actors and how hard it is to shift from silent to sound film for them. I think this movie was great for shifting into sound film, because there is some sound in the film, and its also ABOUT shifting into sound film.
The theme of this movie, i think, was how it was for actors shifting into sound film. For some actors, it was great and they loved it. It gave them fame, and people were excited to hear their voices. But for others, it was awful and they lost their jobs, and their fortune.
ERIN ALLGOOD
Graded.
DeletePatience Montoya
ReplyDeleteKing Kong
I really like this movie a lot. I think it's cool how they had all the different creatures. It looks like it would have been pretty difficult to make this movie back then because they didn't have the equipment and technology that we have now.
I think that people, although poor and depressed, would save up their money to go see this movie because it was a way to escape from life and forget about all their worries for a while. Specifically to see this movie, because it's something that had never been done before. It was new and different.
I thought it was cool how they designed King Kong and the dinosaurs. The island where that tribe thing was living was cool looking too. I liked the music in the movie too. When it would get dramatic and people would start screaming.
Freaks
Yes of course I liked this movie. It's one of my favorites. My favorite part is when they turn the lady into a chicken thing. I think it's really funny. I don't really understand how they did that effect back then though.
I think that the message of this movie is that everybody is different. What matters the most is how you treat people and accepting them as they are. The lady who was trying to get the money was evil and deserved to become a chicken lady.
I liked how they used really circus people in this movie because it makes it more real. A lot of the people weren't in costumes or special effects, they were their true selves. I think it's cool that Todd Browning like took the time to find these people just so he could make this film.
Gold Diggers of 1933
I liked this movie a lot. It's another one of my favorites from the movies we've watched so far. I like all the outfits and musical scenes a lot. I think it was funny too how the girls were pretending at first and then actually ended up with those guys in the end.
Some pre-hayes code content that I noticed were the alcohol scenes. The scenes where they were being more revealing. (Dresses going up, lots of skin showing) I don't really know what else.
I think the musicals were popular because the songs are happy and uplifting to people so they could go see the musicals and forget about whats going on in their lives for a while. Music makes people feel better.
Graded.
DeleteIsaiah,
ReplyDeleteI thought the setup for the artist was a great way to transition into sound movies because they didn't just throw it out there without people not knowing what is going on they played out the movie with silence and as soon as people got the point of what was happening they finished it off with talking
what i learned about the shifting from silent to sound was that it wasn't going to be easy but everyone was going to have to do it at some point even the stubborn ones like Charlie Chaplin even though it took him a long time for him to transition into sound movies and he didn't like the idea of it he still ended up making one or more
and i didn't think it would be a problem for some of the bigger film makers but for some of them it was the end of there carriers
the overall message was kind of like i said before it would be really hard for most people in the film industry but it was a transition that everyone that everyone was going to have to be apart of
Graded
DeleteThe Artist
ReplyDeleteThis movie really worked for me and i thought it was soooo cool how they put his voice in the end of this movie. I didn’t think they would do that and it was surprising and i really liked it. How they put a little sound in his dream was really cool to. he was like knocking things down and the girls were laughing and he was trying to scream but he couldn’t and it just explained how his career was ending with the new sound films. I just really loved it and it was really cool how they did those things, to me it just made things so much better.
What i haven’t thought of before is how much sound films could effect people who liked silent films. How the silent film makers would become poor and how he couldn’t pay for his butler guy. It would effect all the other silent film makers to, and all of there butler/made people. The butlers/mades lose there job because they don’t get paid, the silent actors lose so much and get so lost with things to. I really felt bad for the guy during the movie to, he got drunk a lot. He burnt his house down, and everything was just getting worse until the girl tried to help. And the dog!!!!! I loved the dog! He was soo cool. He totally saved his master when the house was burning.
The over all message to me was that when people in the silent film era would lose all there jobs and things became hard for them. I explained some of that in the 2nd paragraph to. But the message was how the silent actors would be and how hard they would try to be new actors. Nobody liked there voices so they all just ended up fading away. Not all of them some of them did pretty good in the sound era to.
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist
ReplyDeleteThe way they did this worked perfectly. It was in the time period when talkies started kicking in, but the main character only understood silent filmmaking. It’s what he made his living on. That’s a way he sees his world.
The fact that many of Silent film stars went through the same is depressing. Not many were as lucky as Charlie Chaplin, but still for him it was hard to accept talkies. The first time I watched this, I was alarmed at the ending. His voice shocked me. Didn’t expect it, but I guess that’s how many people felt when they first heard their favorite actor, like Buster Keaton.
No matter how deep in a hole you may think you’re in, there’s someone at the top trying to help you get out.
King Kong
Loved it! For a movie in that time period to exist, is just amazing. When Will told us that King Kong’s growl was a lion’s and a tiger’s growl, my mind was blown.
The same reason I watch movies when I feel down. To distract myself from everything else. Escaping reality for a moment and enjoy a great story.
It did. The sound engineering was really creative and well executed. Playing a tiger roar backwards? How crazy is that!?
Freaks
Yes, very much so. The choice of making us empathize with the “Freaks” was spectacular. In the end the real “Freaks” were the “Normal” ones.
The real “Freaks” are the beings that don’t have a soul, the one’s that are willing to end another beings life for their own selfish reasons.
It was great. If they used actors, it wouldn’t have been as great as it is. The circus people know how it feels like to be stared at. How it feels like to be laughed at and pushed around. We wouldn’t have gotten the raw emotions that the circus people gave us.
Golddiggers
I thought it was a very fun film to watch. I had a great time watching it. The comedy and musical numbers were great.
The scene when the lady dancers were changing behind a curtain. Too bad the little kid was late in pulling them up, am I right? Also the scene when one of the girls was laying in the tub. They did a similar thing in Buster Keaton’s “One Week”.
It was about the Great Depression. It helped them get through their problems. Their struggle.
Graded.
DeleteIsaiah,
ReplyDeleteI thought king kong was a great movie it was a classic it was something that nobody has seen before in there time it was action packed and i wish that i could have watched that movie in 1933 and it would have been mind blowing
i think that people used all they had to watch this movie even though they could barley afford to eat is so they could take they're mind off everything that was going on around them because being starving and unhappy wasn't how they wanted to spend their time they wanted to be happy and enjoy there selfs for a couple hours even if it was only for a couple of hours
the music and sound design did enhance my experience because the music was loud and intense and it helped through out the movie a lot i would think that it would be kind of hard to do the sound effects and blending to different animal noises just to make one animal noise
Graded.
DeleteKing Kong
ReplyDeleteTo be completely honest, i really didn't adore this movie as much as most people did. I know its a HUGE movie and everyone loves it and it's a classic. Everyone knows this movie. When i watched it i was way excited because everyone talks about it, my family especially. (they love it) I will say i didn't like it nearly as much as i thought it would. It was cheesy, but that was to be expected. Mostly i was just bored during it.
Some people did like it though, obviously. When it first came out many people skipped meals to go and see this movie. I think they scraped together their last bit of money so that they could escape their life for a little while to go watch this movie. People loved movies then, just as they do now. And they were happy for a moment while watching it. I'm sure in that time it was worth the money.
Ummm to be completely honest i didn't really notice or pay attention to the music or sound design. In many movies i do, but for some reason in this movie it just wasnt a priority for me. Im sure, though, that the music enhanced the drama, and the mood of the film. Thats what music in film is for. And also, the sound design i know was creative, because we talked about king kongs growl.
ERIN ALLGOOD
Graded.
DeleteMaybe you didn't notice the sound design BECAUSE it was done so well. It didn't call attention to itself in a way that overpowered the story but strengthened the story.
King Kong
ReplyDeleteI liked King Kong a lot. this class keeps on amazing me with better films every time I come into the class. King Kong was a really cool and innovative film That used new ways to make the film awesome. The Claymation was sweet and it was really good for its time. It was really believable to me and i was amazed by how they made King Kong look so huge.
People would come to see this movie because it distracted them from real life for a little while. They would use all of the money they had left to go see this film because it felt nice to distract yourself for a few hours. It's worth missing a meal to have a little bit of fun once in a while.
The music is always my favorite thing to critique in a film because it is the thing that pulls the entire movie together. The music in this film was good, nothing out of the ordinary, but still good. The music was the best during all of the fighting scenes because it built up well and you felt the suspense and I was always wondering who was going to win. But other than that there wasn't very much that was so astounding that i would have to point it out. King Kong was overall a good film, especially for its time.
The Artist
I liked that they didn't make it a Talkie mostly because The main actors voice would've bugged the crap out of me the whole time. It being a silent film was a good decision because it shows the difficulty that the actors of that time feel. I think that they wanted the people who are watching this film to feel The struggles that they had to go through During this time.
I learned that a lot of people lost their jobs because of the movement into the talking film era. Mostly because people didn't like their voices, and that some people didn't want to move forward to the new era of film.
What I took away from this film is that being too stubborn to make a change could seriously hurt your future, and you need to keep moving forward. The struggle he went through was all brought on by his unwillingness to be in a Talkie, and it brought a lot more bad things his way.
Josh Payne
Film History
Graded.
DeleteKING KONG
ReplyDeleteThis movie was awesome!!! i was gonna watch this movie for the movie at home blog post but we ended up watching it in class. So i still have to find another movie to watch for the movie at home. But this movie was really cool, the fighting was cool, i don’t know if i should’ve laughed at the part when he grabbed a girl out of the building and just dropped her but i thought that was kind of funny.
The reason people went to watch this movie was because they found it as an escape from the depression. They were all very poor and were probably starving, but this movie was just something for them to talk about besides the depression and all the sad stuff. This movie was something amazing for them, like everyones was so sad and when they watched this movie they could go up to somebody and say “ HEY! Have you seen king kong!?!?!? And they would just talk about the movie instead of sad things.
The sound did enhance the movie to me. I never usually paid attention before, but in class when i learned about how king kong made there own music, i just payed more attention and it made things soooo cool, and how they made king kongs growl to was cool. Now because of king kong i feel like I’m gonna start paying more attention to the music. The music just made everything so instance and so like more interesting, and thats so cool now, because now i could watch other movies and think about how awesome the music is. I can watch movies and ask myself if the music made the movie better or worse.
Graded.
DeleteKing Kong
ReplyDeleteI really enjoyed this film. Even though the special effects were not what i am used to. I really enjoyed the love story that they used i prefer movies with a thought out love story. Everything about this movie is intriguing. I admit i was sleepy and not in complete focus for the movie but i still enjoyed every minute of it.
I don't understand why people would spend their money on this film. YES, it is a good film and it is entertaining, but i don't think it is worth a weeks worth of bread. I do understand wanting some thing enjoyable to do besides sitting and doing nothing. there are lots of other things to do that would have saved their money. If i had the choice between food or a movie i would pick food. they could have made puppet shows out of sock puppets for something fun to do.
The music was one of the best parts. I can't imagine the film being as good with out the music. It would still have the amazing story but it would not be as enjoyable to watch if it had no music. Music is strange, some how it makes the story better even though in real life there would be no music. Also the sound effects were reasonably good. They weren't to load and not to quiet.
Freaks
This movie did not entertain me i did not enjoy it. It was boring to watch i dozed off several times and i was not really interested in the story or anything. I could not relate to any characters like i can with most movies. I would have been more into the film if i had a connection to one or more of the characters.
Even though i did not like this film i still got the message. I feel like this movie was trying to make us realize how things are for people who aren't like us. It was being a window into the life of those who have it harder than we do. showing us the different challenges they face that most people don't. I also feel that it showed us how we aren't so different.
The fact that they used real circus people is intriguing. the real people make the film feel more lively and less fictional. I feel like if they used actors the message wouldn't get out to people. Every one would just see the film as another fun movie nothing more.
Gold Diggers of 1933
This film was extremely entertaining. I loved how everyone ended up in love. The twist and turns, the curiosity of who Brad really was, and everything else was simply amazing. I noticed that this film was put together really well nothing was left out. there were show girls, poor people, rich people, HOT GUYS , mix ups, mysteries, and disagreements.
This film as i'm sure you are aware was made before hayes code. I noticed how in the first scene there was barely any clothing on the show girls. That would not have been excepted if it was made after the hayes code. Thats all a really noticed.
Music is amazing, thats why musicales were so popular. Everyone loves music even today music is popular with everyone. Music is fun and thats what everyone wants. The musicals would put people in better moods and make their day better. Doesn't make a lot of sense but nothing really makes sense.
Neeva Wimmer
Graded.
DeleteFreaks
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie. It was so creative and just great. I was so entertained and kind of on my toes throughout the entire film. It's pretty great. It was kind of confusing to me at first, but i got over it soon enough. I liked the storyline, and i really liked the characters, though it kind of made me sad at some parts seeing how cruel characters were to each other.
There are a few possible messages in the movie. 1) Dont screw with Carnies cause they'll cut your legs off. 2) you get what you give. I'm pretty sure its a mixture of the both of them. But for real, that lady was a gild digger, and she was rude, and she used them so they cut her legs off. I'm glad they did. I hated her from the start.
I'm glad that midget guy got his heart broken though cause he deserved it. Having an affair. Hmmmph.
I loved that they used real circus people in this movie. I didn't spend my time wondering how they made them do certain things like i usually have to do with movies with actors. It was super cool in my opinion, but i understand that people might think its using them or rude to put them in a movie called 'freaks.'
ERIN ALLGOOD
Graded.
DeleteIsaiah,
ReplyDeleteI did like this movie it was interesting comparing it to musicals that we have today and i think if i was gonna pick which ones i liked more i would say i like the old ones more because in the musicals today they sing almost every two scenes and in the gold diggers they only sung about three songs which i thought was enough
the things i saw in pre haze code was the clothing and alcohol mostly things like that but i didn't think it was really that bad at all i mean compared to what we see now at least, i think that what they wore was almost like what some dancers ware today
i think musicals were popular in the great depression because everyone likes music and everyone likes movies so putting them together would make something even more great and it was something to focus on other than being sad and depressed musicals would just make people really happy and while they watched it they weren't worried about other things
Graded.
DeleteFreaks
ReplyDeleteI did like this movie, i got a ltille lost around the middle i think. This movie was actually pretty cool though. I liked how all of them were like family and just friends and they just accepted each other. But not the mean girl who was playing the little guy. :(
That was so mean and sad, and the little girl to who loved him was sad and she just wanted him to be happy.
The message to freaks, in my opinion was to accept everyone. Not to be so cruel, and everyone is the same. Everyone should be excepted no matter what. There was one guy in the movie, the clown guy. He was nice to everyone and he loved them all like family. The hercules guy was really mean, he was just really buff and cocky to.
I did like how they used real circus people in the movie. It made things so much better to me. If it was just actors it would have been worse because then we would know that it was all just kind of fake. I liked the end of this movie when they were all crawling under the carts with a knife. That was just kind of scary. I think it was funny how the little guy knew the girl was giving him poison. He spit the poison out in a rag. Then he just got out of bed and was holding out his hand for the little tube thing. HIs friends where in the movie to and they pulled out a knife and a gun. I think that was pretty dang funny.
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist-
ReplyDeleteI actually enjoy the silentness of this film. I feel as though it was a very good way to end the era with only specks of sound, and then being able to hear them at the end. Especially since it goes threw his life, he was a silent film actor, it was his profession, and he didn't go into talkies until the woman got him to.
It made me think about the struggles that silent film actors must have went threw and how people reacted to what they sounded like and just the over all struggle of switching eras and having to step up their game for the camera. I really didn't think that there would be a problem with it, so when I saw that there was actually a lot of heartache for the actors, it made me actually think about how brutal the movie business is.
The over all message I got from this was that life is hard, but when you help people and you're in need, help will come, don't give up hope.
King Kong-
I liked this movie in a few different ways. I liked the animation for it's time, and how graphic they made some of the fight scenes. I also liked that when they did close ups on Kong, his facial expressions where just comical, (of course for the time it was good.) But over all, the story line was wonderful, the actors were actually very good and the plot was pretty fantastic.
I'm sure people were willing to go see this movie and scrounge up as much as they could because of the pure wonder. I think the fact that there would be a large animal on screen and the adventure aspect of it would make most people want some of that in their life.
I think it did, because not only was the scenes epic in themselves but, the way the music makes you feel pulls you into the film and you fell more attached and indulged into the film as the two main senses are engaged.
Freaks-
I Absolutely loved this movie! I think it's half to do with my fascination with circus people and the other half the longing to have always been apart of it. I also love how it shows all of the relations in the film, not too slow, but just quick enough that you get the jist of it. The whole plot line was just very interesting and kept me looking out for the next scene with anticipation all threw out!
I think the message in this movie has to do with Karma and when you treat someone bad for the way that they were born, or when you take advantage of people, it always ends badly. You should treat people with respect and love, especially if they are different.
I did, because it made the film more real to me. The fact that they used real circus actors also gave it the feel of sympathy and actual problems that some of them go threw, what they have to compensate for and how they've adapted with their disabilities.
Graded.
DeleteTigger Payne 2nd 10/28/14
ReplyDeleteTHE ARTIST
I thought that the artist was done well by being a silent film. I think that if the movie had sound it would have diminished how dramatic the coming of talking films were to actors like him. When he can here sound as if it is new was very interesting and well done and wouldn’t really have worked if the movie was a sound film over a silent film.
I learned that silent film actors had a real struggle changing film types. It was very drastic and even ruined some peoples lives. People like Buster Keaton who was a major silent film artist turned into an alcoholic and ended up making commercials which is very sad.
It talks about the tragedy of silent film stars changing to sound film. It also shows sound film in a good light at the same time. It tries to keep overall bias out of it and show itself for what happened to the old actors.
KING KONG
I thought that this movie was pretty good especially for the time period it was made. The soundtrack was very good and the sound engineering for king Kong's roar was pretty awesome.
People used this movie as an escape from reality. They didn’t have to think about money or food and they just watched the movie for a little bit and went on an adventure.
The music was very noticeable since we were watching silent films before this. The sound engineering was very interesting and shows the ingenuity and it shows that movies just get better with time.
FREAKS
This movie was really interesting. Im not really sure whether or not i liked it but it was very entertaining. It was really weird and sad since the characters were abused in instances and mean to each other.
This movie is about treating people how you would like to be treated. The guy that looked like a kid was treated poorly and they were trying to kill him and it came back in the end because they turned the lady into a duck person which is probably horrific.
It was a good choice and gave the movie a more in depth feel. It is very sad at the same time since the characters are promoting the word freak as there description. It seems like the movie would help circus acts all around the universe.
Graded.
DeleteIsaiah,
ReplyDeletei liked Freaks it was a really good movies i saw a movie like that before i think it was called the butterfly circus but i'm not sure i saw it last year they are both cool movies i have also saw a show called show freak show too but any way i thought freaks was cool and interesting
i think think the message in this movie was that just because we are different doesn't mean were not equal we should treat other people how we want to be treated and we shouldn't look down on other people just because may have a disability because most of the time people don't have anything to do with the disability they were born with that and we need to understand that
i think the fact that that they used real circus people instead of actors because circus people know more about being circus people than actors do it wouldn't make sense to have a bearded lady play a part as a princess, any way i thought it was a great idea to use real circus people
Graded.
DeleteGold Diggers
ReplyDeleteThis movie was so good!! I though this movie was really funny. It was during the depression to. All the actors where losing there jobs and nobody could get any jobs either and they where sitting there in the rain. They where gonna make a movie during the beginning but they didn’t end up doing it because they guy didn’t pay some of his bills.
The Pre-Hayes code was when they couldn’t have some like nudity in it or alcohol or just stuff like that. But in the beginning of this movie there was girls being covered up just by giant coins. Other parts is when they had alcohol to. The rich guys brother got drunk in this movie. The girls put him in the bed and made him think that he did something that he shouldn’t have done. I thought that was really funny to. It was also funny when they first met the rich guys brother and they made him buy them new hats and things like that.
these musicals where so popular because it was explaining a lot of things that where happening. I really liked all the music they had. I liked how the rich guy made his own music and he sings to. He has a nice voice to. But i don’t know if he said why, but i still don’t understand why he didn’t want to be the actor in the first place during the movie. But at least he did it. the show girl told him all the things that would have happened if he didn’t act in this movie, he didn’t think of those reasons but he did end up doing it.
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist was indeed another awesome film and it totally worked for me. I think it couldn't have told the story without it being a silent film so I'm glad it was silent. Their was tons of moments on the main actor, close up, and capturing that good acting talent. For those moments a sound film couldn't have really done much for it. As well as other parts sound couldn't really do much.
ReplyDeleteThe silent era showed me that talking in a movie came make a HUGE difference. I hadn't really noticed before just because I was so used to people talking in movies. Take movies like Lord Of The Rings or Narnia that if talking hadn't existed they definitely would've been 10x worse (no offense). The silent films for sure gives me tons to think about.
I feel like their was a couple of themes in this film. I think one was even though things and life can get really bad and rock-bottom it doesn't mean your run is over, it just means to get back up and run again. I also think another theme was to never give up on hopes or dreams no matter what people or obstacles are in your way. Awesome movie!
Graded.
DeleteKing Kong, I think, was one of the best old movies ever. Not only that but I also think it was a HUGE move in film history. Its a classic and it also must have took so much work to make. Back then they didn't really have much to make special effects with so the fact that they pulled off something as huge as it was is very impressive. No matter what or who you are you have had to heard of King Kong.
ReplyDeleteI guess what I just said leads me into what's next. I think everyone, as dirt poor as they were, had to see it because of the special effects man! I mean back then hearing about a giant ape and stuff like that must have made peoples minds been blown. Im sure mine would've, at a time period like that. Anyways everybody probably heard it was the best so they had to see it.
To be honest I think having sound and music ruined the film a little. It seemed really derpy with sound a lot but even without derpy sound I would've still preferred a silent film. Their was lots of moments where I feel if their was no sound more emotion would've happened. This film was obviously still really cool and im thankful to have watched it again.
Graded.
DeleteFreaks was a little weird but I still enjoyed it. I thought the people were a little weird but I feel that were all weird in our own way. A circus definitely isn't for normal people so its only natural to have weird people which are still cool. This movie also made me think a lot, especially with humans in general. Right away I noticed tons of themes in this film.
ReplyDeleteI feel the overall message of this film was that even if people are weird or different that doesn't mean you shouldn't treat them any differently. Were all human so we treat each other like it. This film was so bizarre that seeing it almost tripped me out. Felt almost like I was in a dream or something.
I love how they used real circus people! Its a brilliant way to get raw talent and emotion. Once again its insanely bizarre, to have thought of such a great idea. Throughout the entire film I saw amazing things: shots, lines, backgrounds, and scenarios. This is one of those films that you cant forget about just because its so great, I for sure want to watch it again.
Graded.
DeleteGold Diggers was soooo great. I enjoyed this movie to the max, I like it so much. It has so much meaning and emotion. This film mustve took lots of effort and time to create. The amount of extras was ludicrous and on top of that each one was instructed to do a specific thing. Just so crazy how everything was, a crazy cool.
ReplyDeleteThe scene that spoke to me most pre haze code wise was the scene with like 50 girls who all unchanged behind the screen or curtain. I think its pretty obvious why it spoke to me most but it was still really surprising to see that in a movie like this. For some reason I didn't even expect a thing like that in a movie Gold Diggers.
I think this musical and others as well were so popular during The Great Depression because of the depression. Think about it, whenever we get sad we tend to drift to music because its a way to get all of our emotions out. So back then when everybody was super depressed musicals cheered them up. Especially musicals like The Gold Digger.
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist
ReplyDeleteI loved the artist, my favorite part was when he was having a nightmare about sound.
The fact that they chose to make it silent film made all the difference in the art-form. Adding sound at the end really was a fantastic touch.
Learning how hard it was for so many actors to find their voice. The main character was afraid of his voice and wanted to keep doing what he does best. Silent films.
The overall message or theme of this move was adaptability. Being able to take your talent and evolve to keep going on in the new era.
Freaks
I loved this movie, it was amazing, the acting, the reality, and all the humor.My favorite part was when the freaks were going in for the kill on the pretty lady (Peacock).
The message in this film was most likely, "treat those who are different with respect especially after they have accepted you as their own. They will turn on you." Or... "Families are important, even if they aren't blood."
I like the use of real circus people in the film, it made all the more believable and authentic. The reality was poetic and beautiful.
Graded.
DeleteGold Diggers
ReplyDeleteI loved this movie! Oh my gosh it was so great. I didnt think i would like it very much but from the beginning of the movie i was hooked. The storyline was great, the music was great, the dancing was fantastic. And the actors actually did so well, it wasn't as cheesy as many of the other movies from that time.
I noticed alot of 'nudity'. Like in the play they had to change behind a curtain and you could see the outline of their bodies, it was pretty risque. Also, they made kind of sexual jokes and inferences during the movie. They dressed kind of showy as well, but i dont think it was that bad.
I think musicals were popular during the great depression because people love music. music can improve someones mood in an instant, especially if they can relate. Ind in theis musical, there was another musical about the great depression, probably making this movie even more popular because people can relate. Basically the whole movie revolved around the depression.
ERIN ALLGOOD
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist!
ReplyDeleteTelling this story without sound worked very well for me. It gave a nice feeling or mystery and suspense when there wasn’t much of either in the film. It also gave it almost an eery feeling as the intensity of the film increased.
I never thought of how the transition from silent films to talkies could have ruined a lot of people's careers and lively hoods. Like Buster Keaton he has a hard time with films because people didn’t like his voice. I’m sure many people lost a lot of their luxuries after sound took over because it was a new generation of people and technology. That must have been a hard transition.
I think there are a couple of themes to this story. One being that just because one door closes doesn’t mean another won’t open. I also think a key point they were trying to make was to not dwell on the past and move forward with your head held high.
Freaks
I very much so enjoyed this film. I was nervous at first because about year or so ago I watched a film called “Freak Show” directed by Drew Bell. This film was banned in forty-three (43) countries due to it’s grotesqueness. I honestly think the idea for the film came from this classic film. This film was very well crafted and you really got a sense of caring for all the characters.
I think the message of this movie is the old saying don’t judge book by it’s cover. Just because someone looks or acts differently than you or social normality doesn’t mean you’re better than they are.
I don’t see why using people who fit the kind of characters Tod Browing wanted, especially if they were willing to be a part of the film. I think it’s great actually because I bet it gave those actors a lot of confidence. Not to mention probably changed a few minds on how people like them were viewed.
Gold Diggers
I love musicals so much. They are by far my favorite type of films. Although I enjoy modern musicals where people spontaneously sing to express their emotions more than classic realistic ways of why songs were being sung. But I think it’s important to know how they first started and appreciate the originals. I really enjoyed how the songs were written for the play but still pertained to what was going on in the film.
The biggest pre-Hayes code moments dealt with the play. Like the opening part where girls were just being covered by money. Another being when it rains in the play and all the women run to change and while doing so they have suggestive silhouettes.
I think musicals were popular because they were a new kind of escape. A melody is easier to remember than lines or scenes, so when when someone was down they could hum or sing the songs to brighten their spirits. Music can be it’s own kind of medicine and with there being so little of everything around everyone at the time I’m sure they couldn’t get enough music.
King Kong
I appreciate this film because it’s a significant evolutionary step in film history but I’ve never been a big action movie fan. I don’t think this was a bad film by any standard especially being made the Great Depression. I’m just rather indifferent towards it.
Although this isn’t my type of movie if I was in the 1930’s I’m sure I would have scrounged enough money to see it. Why? Because with all the hardship you’d need some sort of an escape. People needed to be reminded that the dark and dreary was not going to last.
I don’t think this film would have been nearly as good without sound. I think sound is vital to the story of King Kong. The sounds are what really makes it. Hearing the footsteps through the grass, King Kongs famous roar, all the other creatures movements and individual sounds adds to the intensity and reality into the story that is King Kong.
Graded.
DeleteTigger Payne 2nd 11/3/14
ReplyDeleteGold Diggers
I thought this movie was pretty good. I haven’t seen a movie like it before. It is pretty funny through the whole movie and has a pretty decent love story that works out in the end. I don’t think this movie was very impressive besides the violin scene.
I noticed a lot of “nudity” and sexual innuendos which probably wouldn’t have stayed through the hayes code. It is a romantic comedy type movie so it has what you would expect from it with those things. I’m sure it used “vulgar” language as well throughout the film which they hayes code would also ban.
It is very entertaining and it takes your mind off of things that are going on. It is kind of like King Kong, but King Kong gives you something that you can put yourself into while Gold Diggers you just sit back, watch, and laugh. It doesn’t really make you think about anything while at the same time taking your mind off of your current situation which was pretty poor during the great depression.
Graded.
DeleteFreaks:
ReplyDeleteI would like to start this off with how much i enjoyed this movie. I Personally think that the story line was hard to follow. But the use of real circus performers really made this movie seem more realistic and more unique.
I would say that the message of the movie was do not judge a book by its cover.
I like the way that the circus performers were able to use the difficulties of their birth defects to their advantage. I do not think that just because some one looks different or acts different entitles you to treat them as if they are below you.
I really enjoyed the use of real circus performers. i like how they made the film more unique. How it helps open the audiences eyes to how these people really are, and how they are able to survive despite the difficulties they were born with. it is nice to see that these kind of people could still acquire a job.
Over all i think that this is a must see movie.
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist:
ReplyDeleteI would like to start off with the fact that I really enjoyed this film. The way that the story was told really brought you back to that time period. It made me feel like I was really there watching the transition in real life, and showed how it was effecting the actors.
What I learned from their shifting from silent films to talkies in this movie was how the shift affected the actors. I had never thought about how some actors were loosing their jobs because the audience did not like their voice. Because of this many actors suffered from loosing their houses and everything they loved because they are no longer able to afford their luxuries.
I would say that the message of this film was sometimes you need to change yourself in order to adapt to society as it changes. It is hard on people in many ways and some people half to switch careers completely.
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist:
ReplyDeleteI would like to start off with the fact that I really enjoyed this film. The way that the story was told really brought you back to that time period. It made me feel like I was really there watching the transition in real life, and showed how it was effecting the actors.
What I learned from their shifting from silent films to talkies in this movie was how the shift affected the actors. I had never thought about how some actors were loosing their jobs because the audience did not like their voice. Because of this many actors suffered from loosing their houses and everything they loved because they are no longer able to afford their luxuries.
I would say that the message of this film was sometimes you need to change yourself in order to adapt to society as it changes. It is hard on people in many ways and some people half to switch careers completely.
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist
ReplyDeleteThey way that they filmed this movie worked for me. How they had it silent for the whole movie and then at the end it was a sound film. His dream showed what was happening to his career. Silent films were starting to get old. And in his dream there wasn’t really anything he could do about it.
What I learned is that it was hard to make sound movies because you couldn’t move the camera around like in silent films. It was also hard for silent film actors and actresses to switch over to sound films. It also might have been hard for silent film actors/actresses because they most likely lost all their money and lost their jobs because of the sound films.
I think that the theme of this movie was for the silent actors that lost their jobs were hard and horrible. The people were probably excited to hear the actors/actresses voices. But others didn’t like some of their voices and so they stopped being in movies. They eventually lost everything they had and some might have just done commercials.
King Kong
I liked this movie a lot because they didn’t have technology like we do. But they still made a movie like this. I think it’s cool how they made the growl from a lion and a tiger’s growl. Nobody in that time period had ever seen anything like this before.
I think that the people went to go see this movie was because they never had seen anything like it before. They probably never would see this movie unless it came back out in the theatre again. So that might be why they wanted to go see the movie.
I think that the music did in some parts of the movie. Especially in dramatic scenes or intense scenes the music probably did enhance this movie. But I wasn’t really listening to the music I was mostly paying attention to the movie. But the sounds I listened to enhanced the movie for me.
Freaks
I did like this movie even though some people didn’t. It was really creative and I was really into it and entertained. When it first started I didn’t really get what was happening but after a couple minutes I got what was happening. I really thought this movie was interesting and I would watch it over again.
I think that the message was not to judge other people because they are different. And to accept people just how they are and people who don’t have something different about them need to learn that just because people might not be just like them doesn’t mean that they aren’t human.
I liked that they used real circus people because they know how it feels to be like that and actors wouldn’t really know how to act as good as the real people who are like that. They didn’t have to wear anything special to make them look like that. They already looked like that and they didn’t have to use a costume.
Graded.
DeleteGold Diggers of 1933
ReplyDeleteI liked this movie; I think this is one of my favorite movies. I liked the outfits and how they did their hair and makeup. I think that it was funny how the girls pretended at first and after a while they felt bad.
I didn’t really notice anything about the Hayes-code because I was too interested in the movie to really notice anything. But the clothes in the first scene probably wouldn’t have made the cut for the Hayes-code. And some of the other clothes might have been too short for the Hayes-code.
I think they were so popular because everyone was depressed and seeing movies that were happy made them feel better so during the movie they might not have been depressed so they kept going to see musicals just to get away from the real world for at least a couple of hours.
Graded.
DeleteThe artist
ReplyDeleteI like how they made it a silent film because it really brings back the feeling of the silent era also with him dealing with not wanting to go to sound and he didn't know how to act with sound. But it worked out.
It was hard to transition from a silent film to sound film for alot of actors this movie shows that witch I really enjoy. Also it was different to change from a silent film to a talkie because the acting style had to change.
The overall message of this film to me is change is difficult but no matter how hard it is to go through this change. You can make it through it.
-Jacob Belcolori
Graded.
DeleteGold Diggers
ReplyDeleteGold Diggers was an okay film. some parts were really good and other parts dragged out too long for my taste. It was a mixture of a film and a musical which was really interesting. But sometimes it was too much like a musical and i didn't like that. I liked the musical numbers for the most part, but some of them were way too long and that made me less interested in the film.
I think the reason that musical films were so successful was because it was probably way less expensive than to go see an actual musical would be and that it let them forget about the depression for a little while. It was also probably really cool to see a musical in the form of a film.
I don't know what the second question means so i'm not going to answer it.
Josh Payne
Graded.
DeleteThe Artist (2011)
ReplyDeleteThe way this story was told (done as a silent film) worked for me. I thought it was a very nice homage to the silent film era with about the same level of story telling ability as the original great silent films. It also brought intensity and story telling abilities that a "talkie" never would have been capable of.
I learned that the shifting from the "silent film" era to "talkies" was a lot harder on people for more reasons than I had ever thought of before, thanks to this film.
The overall message or theme to me was that you should never be too proud to try something new and that even when times get hard you need to find a way to adapt.
King Kong (1933)
I liked this movie a lot.
I think that, even when people were dirt poor and could barely afford to eat, they still went to see this movie about a giant Ape because it was a great relief from the stress of the real world. A distraction like no other.
The music and sound design did enhance my movie going experience. It helped the movie feel more real life.
Freaks (1932)
I did like this movie. It was a story of justice from the outcasts. That works for me.
The old advice of "don't pick on circus people"seems to be a good way of describing what the message of this movie was, in my opinion.
I did like the use of real circus people instead of actors in this movie. It wouldn't have looked nearly as realistic or worked nearly as well if they had been actors. They wouldn't have near as much skill.
Gold Diggers of 1933 (1933)
I think this movie was decent but, by no means one of my favorites. I liked this movie but, I felt that it was really only a watch it once and that's enough kind of movie. It just really didn't strike too much of a chord with me.
I noticed that the costumes and themes in the play were definitely Pre-Hayes code content.
I think musicals like this were so gosh darn popular during the Great Depression because they were themed to be happy and kept their relate-able messages.
Graded.
DeleteJosh, I'm not in your class, but I thought I'd let you know that The Artist totally rules.
ReplyDeleteThe Artist
ReplyDeleteI think that the way the story was told in this movie was absolutely perfection. It used a for of symbolism that couldn’t have been done if this was a Talkie, because if it was a talkie, how would we probably wouldn’t relate as well to the MC. not only that, but if a movie about movies is set in a time around the invention of Talkies, it would have to be silent to accurately represent said time period.
If I had to have learned one thing about the transition from Silent to Talkies, it would be how stubborn actors were back then. They decided, that instead of getting with the times an evolving as actors, they would rather die off and become meaningless. Now, that isn’t to say that they always had a choice, some would end up going bankrupt because people didn’t like their voice, but deciding to not even try is just shameful behavior and a disgrace to their own career, and subsequently dying broke
For me I think that the theme of the movie is one that has two levels. On one level, it is about how people to be so stuck up in their stubbornness, they would rather kill themselves then to become better people and to have better lives. While on another level, it is simply about how some famous actors fell out of fame because of talkies.
King Kong
ReplyDeleteOh King Kong, how could I possibly describe my love for thee. It was one of my most favourite films as a child, and it remains as one of the best to this day. Its story, the monsters and the beauty of the sets was one the shocked and amazed ne at the time, and even today I can appreciate it at a level that I don’t think young me could handle.
I think people went to see this film because of how awesome it was, but also because they needed a form of escapism for their trying times in The Great Depression. They were dirt poor (sometimes even poorer) they couldn’t even afford to eat most days, so its obvious to me that without forms of escape like movies, many bloodlines would’ve died out, so if you are still around today, you can thank movies like this.
One of the greatest parts of this movies for me was the sound design. I mean think about it, would King King be anything more than an overgrown ape if it wasn’t for that glorious sound he made when he opened his monkey jaw? The answer is no, he would suck so much if it wasn’t for the tigers and lions used to make him.
Freaks
ReplyDeleteFreaks is an interesting movie to me. While I hate it for being too rude to disabled people, I love it at least same time for being one of the best revenge movies out there, at least for the time period. and considering how tame the movies that followed it were, it really is a godsend among the time period.
I feel that the message, or theme if you will, is one of not underestimating your enemy. I mean think about it, that women wouldn’t have become a chicken person if she had realised that the little guy (both literally and figuratively) knew he was being poisoned and if she hadn’t acted like a absolutely idiot around the other disabled people, they probably wouldn’t have treated her like she was treated (chickenified)
I think that the fact that real circus people were used, instead of actors, both increases the value and decreases the value at the same time. It does this because while good, the acting abilities of the circus people could be so much better if it was actors playing the part. But, at the same time, who would know the life of circus people better than circus people? No one, thats who.
Gold Diggers of 1933
ReplyDeleteI’m sorry, but this is not a fun movie to watch, in my opinion. The relationships were too easy to follow, thus becoming boring, the pacing was too quick and confusing, and on top of all that, It’s part of my least favourite genre, Musical. If it wasn’t a musical however, I still wouldn’t like for the aforementioned reasons.
In this movie there is at least two things I can think of on the top of my head that would’ve made them pay a fee according to the Hays Code. For one they had scenes that included law enforcement, which was a very bad thing to do according to the Bores (I mean Hays) Code. On top of that, they showed kissing in the movie, because apparently that is a super duper bad thing to do.
Why did people like musicals during The Great Depression? Beats me, I wouldn’t watch a musical willing if a gun was put to my head, but if I had to guess, It would probably be because of how happy and cheery that kind of rubbish movie has to offer. On top of that, Musicals often have dancing, and how doesn’t like dancing with their singing? Me, thats who.
Freaks
ReplyDeleteThis has to have been one of my favorite films we’ve watched in class so far. That might be due to the fact that I’ve always been fascinated by freak shows and found them incredibly interesting. I loved seeing a ‘behind the scenes’ take on a freak show.
I think the message of this movie was to accept everyone as they are. Everyone in the freak show loved each other and accepted how they were different, making their friendships even stronger.
I really enjoyed the way they used real circus people. I think one of the main reasons I enjoyed it was because in the movie it showed us, the audience how they were proud of how they were different, and them putting themselves in this position to act for the film shows us that message on another level.
The Artist.
ReplyDeleteI liked how they did this film I appreciated how the makers of the movie took the time and effort to go through what was necessary to make a silent film. Maybe that opinion sounds odd, but that’s because I think that with all of the struggles they had in the silent film era, it would have been a lot harder to make a film than it is now. So for them to even have the courage to step back in time ads to the story. I also liked how it made the film seem more genuine.
In short, the change from silent film making to using sound was hard. It was hard on everyone involved in the making of the films, and for many different reasons. There were a lot of technical issues when the film industry switched to sound. The camera men and directors had to limit the amount that they moved the camera so that the new found sound equipment would work for them. This movie however highlights the struggles that the actors had during the switch. Many actors lost their jobs, and others found a way through and still managed to make a living. But either way it wasn’t easy for them.
The theme or message from this movie, in my opinion, was the struggle that the actors had during the dramatic change in film industry. Some went on to be even more successful than before, while others were judged so harshly they would lose their jobs and stop working.
King Kong
ReplyDeleteI ended up enjoying this movie a lot more than I originally thought I would. For the time that it was made I really liked the special effects, and the fact that King Kong and the other creatures were Claymation impressed me more than anything. I can’t begin to imagine how long it must have taken to take so many pictures and edit them together to make all of the scenes.
I think that people would choose to save up what little they had to go see a film because they has so much going on around them that was negative, and sad that it was worth it to miss meals to go see a film to get their minds off of reality even for a short while. They could also think about the movie afterwards.
The sound enhanced the film a lot in my opinion. I thought it was really creative how they chose to make the sounds for the creatures. And the score for the rest of the movie was still dramatic as most older movies were but I liked how it wasn’t so overwhelming that I couldn’t focus on the film itself.
Gold diggers of 1933
ReplyDeleteI had a love/ hate relationship with this movie. I really enjoyed the music and the big sets, but I didn’t like the confusing love plot. It may not have been that complicated at all, but for some reason it was hard for me to keep my mind wrapped around it.
There was a lot of Pre-Hayes code content in this film, including scenes with any drinking, or when the women would wear revealing clothes or a few scenes in particular that you could tell were sexual teases directed at men.
I have a similar opinion on this question and I did in the response for King Kong. I think that people would save up what little money they had so that they could go get their minds off of what an unfortunate life they had, and I think that the music that was in the movie was just the cherry on top for the viewers.
King Kong
ReplyDeleteKing Kong is a fabulous film. Everything is so cheesy. It’s awesome. The fight scene between Kong and the dinosaur-like-creature gives me a such creepy feeling. The sound when he breaks his jaw sends shivers down my spine.
This movie helped people imagine this crazy scenario. It transported them into a different world. It got their minds off of things for a little while. They were able to use their imaginations for fun, instead of to solve problems.
The music and sound design helped give me that creepy feeling. You can’t recreate that nowadays. It gave the visuals depth. I found it really interesting how they recorded Kong’s roar.
Freaks
This was such a good movie! It may have taken a spot in my Top 10 Favourites. It’s such a dynamic, well told story. It’s about life behind the curtain. It’s hard to say who my favourite character was. I can tell you that I did not like the main couple. I found their personalities annoying.
I feel like the message was family sticks together. No matter what. You hurt one person, you hurt everybody. People that are often misunderstood bond with others like them. This can work for good or bad. As it did in the film.
I loved that they used real circus people in the movie. It made it seem so real. Like they weren’t even acting.It wasn’t difficult for me to look at them, like I’m sure it was for some people back then. People with disabilities aren’t hid away anymore or put on display. It was interesting to see what it was like during that time.
Gold Diggers of 1933
I don’t even know how to describe my feelings for this movie. I absolutely loved it. It’s over the top and hilarious. It’s like someone’s imagination threw up all over the screen, when it comes to the music.
It’s about seduction, in all different forms, with a comedic twist. A lot of this would not have been allowed during the Hays Code. The costumes, the silhouette changing, and the overall theme of the film were very risque at the time, but now we find it hilarious.
When things are at their worst, you can always count on a happy ending. Musicals always have a happy ending. It’s a rule.They needed the opposite of what they had, which is over the top craziness. The songs would get stuck in their head, and they could bring some of that happiness back home with them. I know Pettin in the Park was stuck in my head for a week.