Spiritual Twist Productions Christian Youth Theater's Presentation of "Jesus!"

This was a really powerfully written script. The best part about it was that it wasn't your conventional church drama about the life of Jesus Christ. It was admirable that lesser known scenes were included in the story such as when the crowed wanted to throw Jesus off of the mountain. The opening scene, Repent, was really powerful. It was overall a really good play, but the group vocals could have been better refined and controlled.

Hugo

This movie was visually stunning! The opening scene was amazing the way they faded the clock gears into a shot of Paris. The music was also fantastic and emotional. It fit the mood of the story so well, and really enhanced the experience of watching the movie. What was really brilliant in this film was the amount of story which was able to be told without the use of dialogue. The two child actors were amazing. It is hard to find child talent as good as that which was in this movie. Overall it was really good and really well made.

2001: A Space Odyssey

This movie left me with two side effects: confusion and a headache. The allegorical nature of this movie made it very hard to follow especially since it was designed to be so ambiguous and open to interpretation. Pretty much the only connection I understood while watching the movie was the connection between the computer Hal and the Cyclopes in Homer's The Odyssey. As for the movie in its technical aspects it was visually stunning. All the ships in space looked incredible. For the time it was made, the visual effects were top notch. Also the lighting was really good for the time as well as the very interesting camera angles they used. Other than that and the allegory there wasn't really much that was good about this movie. ALL the movement was too slow and drawn out. There was too long of gaps between human dialogue and explanation, including about the first half hour of the movie not having any dialogue whatsoever. The foley art was terrible, specifically all the scenes with breathing. The breathing sound was always mixed in too loudly and it became distracting and irritating. The music had great moments, but it really didn't seem to fit with the movie's feel. Also all the scenes with the black slab, the music in them was so chaotic that it made audiences dread to see it on the screen. It was a brilliant psychological devise used by the director, but an uncomfortable one for those audience members that already have a headache from listening to all the chimps screaming at each other and the other various sounds which drove one crazy watching the film. It was interesting, I'll give it that, and it certainly did make me think, but the headache I received from watching the film overrules any pleasure that I received in watching it.

New Earth

The concept of New Earth is very good. David Tennant's expressions during the disinfectant scene are fantastic.  The body switching process was a brilliant plot twist. The episode brings up interesting debates on morals behind what is too far in finding cures for illnesses. Rose and David Tennant, and all the other actors did a really good job portraying when Cassandra was in them. The solution of this episode is good and strong. Overall it is a really good episode.

Tooth and Claw

The whole idea of the monks in this episode is very ridiculous and rather weak.  A lot of the dialogue is weak in this episode as well. David Tennant's Scottish accent in this episode is great! The bet between the Doctor and Rose is rather ridiculous as well, this episode was really weak. The best part of this episode is the introduction of the torch wood estate. The story line was not very supported and suspenseful like many other Doctor Who episodes. Granted, I suppose David Tennent is still getting used to the role of the Doctor at this point in his career. The special effects in this episode are really cheesy. The episode tried to have the feel of a period piece but with modern aspects and the way they did it did not mix these two aspects very well making the episode un-relatable and distant from the audience. Overall this was one of the weakest episodes David Tennant is in.

The Angels Take Manhattan

The weeping angels are one of the most brilliant Doctor who villains ever. It is hard to make a bad episode with such a scary monster! The fact that the action of the villains can only happen off screen is a very frightening concept. The narration for this episode is really good, but they should have more variety, after all this is the third episode in a row that is narrated. The awesome thing about Doctor who is that each episode can be very different, it is disappointing the lack of variety in storytelling this season. Using the statue of liberty as an angel was a brilliant move. The statue is a landmark so turning it against humanity is brilliantly scary. The use of the book by Melody Melone to  narrate and keep the story flowing was a very unique idea. Arthur Darville's performance was Rory was great in this episode. he really did a great job portraying the emotion of the scene. The rooftop scene between Amy and Rory was great. This was a great episode, and there was a lot of emotion behind the farewell to the ponds that made the episode really good!

The Power of Three

The opening montage of this episode was really good. Using Amy as a narrator was not a particularly good choice particularly since the last episode had a narrator was well. The montage with all the news clips about the cubes was also really good. Brian, once again, was a brilliant character. The concept of having the Doctor stay in the life of his companions instead of the other way around like usual. There was were a lot of montages in this episode, but I think that the montage really helped to set the feel of this episode. There is more foreshadowing in this episode for what will happen when the future of am and Rory's companionship with the Doctor. The montage with the Doctor trying to entertain himself at the pond's house while they wait for the cubes to do something was really funny. The new UNIT is good, and Kate Stewart was a great character connecting the new series to the classic episodes of Doctor Who. The scene between Amy and the Doctor when he asks her if she is going to stop traveling with him was a great scene. Using the classic countdown technique was a great way to build suspense in this episode. The conclusion was really rushed and seemed too easy for the difficulty of the problem presented; it was a very unsatisfactory ending. Overall this was a really good episode and all the ideas behind it were really great, but the ending was too quick and not thorough enough. 

A Town Called Mercy

The narration of this episode really adds to the feel of this specific episode. The line right before the credits is brilliant. Great use of a trick to cause the audience to think one thing when the writer means another to add suspense to the story! The lighting of this film is gorgeous. Also the costumes are a lot better than the last episode. The comment the Doctor makes about his christmas list is a great follow up for the comment in the last episode about his Christmas list. The scene where Matt Smith walks into the Saloon and asks for tea was great. The American accents in this episode are rather cheesy, it is quite humorous listening to the British people trying to imitate people's speech here. The sheriff does a great job developing his character. The thing on the alien species faces was really odd. There is a very different side of Matt Smith's Doctor exposed in this episode. The taunt about having the nerve to be able to save his people no matter what the cost. The guilt the Doctor feels about destroying his people in the time war at the cost of destroying the Daleks is made apparent in the anger he shows in this episode. The music really enhances the feel of this episode. The use of rack focus in the scene with the clock behind the Doctor was brilliant, and it really added to the suspense of the scene.  The explosion of the alien ship at the end of the episode looked a little out of place for the setting, so it just screamed computer generation. The end of the episode was a great twist, with the gunslinger becoming the Marshall!

Dinosaurs on a Spaceship

The character of Brian was the highlight of the episode. The lighting for this episode was good as well, not as good as Asylum, but still a lot better than the previous seasons. The idea behind this episode was quite absurd and distant and the episode relied a little too heavily on comedy. Also there were so many people traveling with the Doctor that much of the opportunity of each character was not fulfilled because of the lack of time. The costumes of this episode did not read as well on the screen as they could have. The striped sweater on Amy's costume made her look bigger than she was, and Rory's jeans were a really sickly color that looked terrible especially in all the blue lighting in many of the scenes. Every main character wore blue, which seemed unrealistic. The blue costumes do look the best in the blue lighting, but some variety is need as well, perhaps some white. There was a little bit of brown, which was good, but the variety wasn't enough. The robots of this episode were too silly; this episode really did depend too heavily on comedy. The best comedy of this episode were the reactions between Rory and his father. There had been a theme of the Doctor playing classical music. He was on the triangle in the last episode and he was hands three and four on a four hands piece for piano in this one. Is this going to be a theme throughout the whole season? There is so much foreshadowing in the scene between Amy and the Doctor near the end of the episode. The ending with all the postcards from Brian was golden.  This episode was certainly not amongst the best of Doctor Who, but it certainly had some good moments.

Memento

This film has one of the most unique presentation methods that I have ever seen. The story is told backwards and time runs differently in the black and white scenes than in the color scenes. The editing  was brilliant. It is very masterful how the different clips of the story are woven together so that even though the story is told out of order, the audience is still able to understand and feel connected to the story. The way the story is told puts the audience into a situation similar to that of the main character with his memory problem, which is a great storytelling technique that helps the audience connect to the character. It was a brilliantly made film.

The Asylum of the Daleks

This episode was a very good start to season seven. The lighting of this episode was fantastic! It was of a much better quality than the lighting had ever been for Doctor Who. The opening credits were fantastic. The comedy and seriousness of this episode were really well balanced. Jenna Louise Coleman was really good in this episode. Her character mixes really well with Matt Smith's doctor. Bringing back the classic villains, the Daleks, in this new way through the introduction of the Dalek asylum was a brilliant idea. The new human Dalek puppets were a great addition which made the Daleks even scarier and more relatable than the original Daleks which in all honestly are not very scary looking at all. The use of slow motion in the scene with Rory escaping from the Daleks was very good. The hallucination that Amy has in the Dalek asylum is very interesting. The Doctor finding the reverse button on the Dalek to avoid being killed by the self destruct was a very clever plot twist. The begging of the relationship between Oswin and the Doctor is very unique. The moment in intensive care where Clara deletes all the information about the Doctor it makes her the superior of the relationship for those few minutes. This is a very unique Doctor companion relationship right from the start. The glance Clara makes towards the camera after she says "Run you clever boy and remember" was very powerful and foreshadowed the importance of the line. The fact that the Daleks cannot remember the Doctor opens up a whole new realm of opportunity for future Doctor Who episodes. Overall this was a very good episode of Doctor Who. I loved Stephan Moffat's writing and the production value was a lot better than it has been for the past seasons. It is a very promising beginning to season seven. The references to the time war were great, and the new presentation of the Daleks was fantastic.

Vertigo

Once again Hitchcock masterfully concocts a movie that gets its strength from psychology. Although this film is not on the same level or mastery as Psycho, it was a very good film. It had you on the edge of your seat trying to figure out what would happen next. The main thing that could have been a little better for this film was the pacing which was a little on the slow side. 

The Snows of Kilimanjaro

This is one of the weakest films I have seen in a while. The lighting was very poor. There were many scenes that were too dark for the audience to see what was going on. The changes made to Mr. Hemmingway's story in the film caused the story to loose much of its deeper symbolic meaning. The best part of this film was the use of flashback, especially the one scene where there was a flashback within a flashback. Other than that, it really wasn't all that great of a film, and certainly isn't one I would want to watch again any time soon, if ever again.

Star Wars Episode III: Revenge of the Sith

The last installation of the Star Wars saga was breathtaking and visually stunning. The final pieces fit together in the puzzle of this story as the film unfolds. The relationships between the characters were very interesting, particularly the one between Obi-wan and Anakin and the one between Anakin and Darth Sidious. The Visuals in this film were fantastic, and it was far better than Attack of the Clones as far as story. Overall it was a pretty good film, and a wonderful completion of the series. 

Star Wars Episode II: Attack of the Clones

This film has the weakest story line of the whole saga, but it does have some of the bast one liners. The comedy between R2D2 and C3PO is priceless. The love story crafted between young Anakin Skywalker and Padme is incredibly cheesy and does not hold a candle to the story of Han and Leia. This film presents many of the key puzzle pieces of the saga such as the death of Shemi Skywalker and Anakin's murder of the sand people. Like its predecessor, The Phantom Menace, this film is an exciting adventure for Star Wars junkies, but is not up to par with the cinematic excellence of the original trilogy. 

Extremely Loud & Incredibly Close

This film was very well made. I loved the use of the mirror as a prop lens as shown in the picture above! The story was very well written and paced. It was deeply emotional. The characters were the best part of this movie. Sandra Bullock and Tom Hanks did a wonderful job portraying their characters and the kid that played Oskar was brilliant. Overall it was a very good movie, well worth the couple of hours it takes to watch it. 

Star Trek (2009)

The character development of this film is brilliant. Not only that, but the visuals are stunning. J.J. Abrams did a fantastic job of merging the concepts, characters, and feel of the classic Star Trek with modern advances in filmmaking and technology. It was a very well made movie and much of the acting was very good!

Spiritual Twist Productions Christian Youth Theater's "Around the World in 80 Days"

This play, although one of the hardest to present, is one of my favorites in CYT History, it is very fast moving with absolutely now blackouts. The story is so well paced that the time goes by before you know it. The music for this play is fantastic! Although it was not a perfect portrayal of what is written in the script, as is always the case with live performance, it was a very well done play. There is so much to this story that you catch something new every time you watch it. The costuming for this play was brilliant as well. The detail of the narrator changing hats based off of what country the main characters were in was a brilliant detail. Overall it is a fantastic play!

Star Wars: The Clone Wars

This film was really forgettable. There was nothing really fantastic about it at all. Everything seemed like just a cheep copy of the world the Star Wars saga had created. Many points of the film were illogical based off of the already established events in the series, and the story seemed rather flat at times. This is more a film for the children fans of the series rather than the adult junkies. Although there were interesting aspects of the movie, the film as a whole was not brilliant enough to earn its place amongst the rest of the Star Wars series. It was enjoyable to watch once or twice, but is certainly not a necessity to complete ones collection of the Star Wars films. 

Star Wars Episode I: The Phantom Menace

This film is a lot weaker in its story than the original movies, but the special effects are a great deal better. The story presents a Jedi Padawan relationship that was never fully explained in the original stories. The younger versions of the characters from the original series are very well portrayed. Overall it was a good film, and a great experience for serious Star Wars fans!

Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi

This film, like the two that come before it, is brilliant. The sequences on Endor and on the new death star are beautifully crafted. The second face off between Luke and Vader is classic and well portrayed. The music in this film was amazing as usual. One thing that stood out in this film that was done particularly well, was the symbolic use of costumes. Luke's costume undergoes a major change for this movie and it symbolizes the change in his character that has occurred in the time that fell between this movie and the last one. The change shows that he has grown in power, and control, in his ability to use the force, and many other things. The story was also well developed. The addition of the fact that Leia was Luke's sister wasa beautiful twist. Many stories use the classic love triangle which was in this story existed between Luke, Leia, and Han, so this twist Andes shape and dynamic to the story. It added interest and flair! This conclusion to the saga and the original trilogy is beautiful and brilliant. The one thing I must say, is that I am not a big fan of the changes made to the films in the remastered editions. To me, it seems like a crime to mess with such classic movies. 

Star Wars Episode V: The Empire Strikes Back

The Empire Strikes is a brilliant sequel to episode four of Star Wars. It is rare that a sequel is just as good or better than the original movie, but in the case of this saga, the second film continues the story wonderfully. In fact, the original trilogy flows together into almost a seamless story that is beautifully crafted. This film introduced the world to what is now the classic "I am your father" plot twist. This twist is what the series is known for. The pacing is great, the music is fantastic, and the characters are once again very well developed and well portrayed. The direction for this film is beautiful and it's story is close to many hearts. 

Star Wars Episode IV: A New Hope

This film is a classic. It has a great story that has planted itself into American culture and become a part of our society. Even people who have not seen this film know many of its characters. The music of this film, and all its counterparts is fantastic. John Williams's brilliancy show in the themes he created. The characters are well developed in the script, and the story is strong with good pacing. There is so much symbolism and depth in this movie. Overall it is a great introduction to the Star Wars saga. 

The Prestige

This film was very good. It's nonlinear plot added a lot of interest and added to the thrill of the prestige being revealed at the end. The repetition of the three steps of a magic trick, the pledge, the turn, and the prestige, set a theme throughout the film which keep the audience focused in on trying to figure out the prestige of the movie. Of course as the movie says though, the audience is not really looking, they want to be deceived. However when the trick is learned then the overwhelming amount of foreshadowing in the movie suddenly becomes meaningful. Christian Bale and Hugh Jackman portrayed their characters very well. The costumes were also well done. Overall it was a beautifully made film. 

Cloud Atlas

This movie had very interesting concepts but was rather difficult to follow. The director made an interesting choice to cast the majority of the lead actors as multiple characters. This concept for a film was very fascinating, but confused the story of the movie. The film had so many different story lines going on at once with only vague connections between them, but despite how difficult the movie was to understand after only one viewing, it was a good film. I don't think I ever want to watch it again, though I think I would understand it a lot better if I saw it again. The actors playing multiple roles was very unique and an interesting approach to telling a story, and the concepts of the movie were deep and thought provoking. It was interesting to see how they connected the different time periods together. It is based off of a book, which would also probably be pretty interesting, and probably help one's understanding of the story. Overall it was a very good film, I just don't think it would be worth ever watching again. 

Spiritual Twist Productions Christian Youth Theater's "Daniel: An Uncompromising Life"

This film does not have the greatest quality in the world, but is one of my favorite plays that CYT has done. It was well liked by its audience as well because although it is a fairly young play it has already been done three times. This cast was a great mixture. The four boys that played the main characters worked well together. Also there could not have been better casting for the wise guys. Josh, Josh, and Frank were hilarious in their roles! The musical allusions throughout this play were also brilliant. The whole production was very good and the humor was very well placed. It was a great play that successfully mimicked the style of the Broadway production of "Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat". It is one of my favorite, and always a good one to view!

Billy Elliot

Billy Elliot was really good. It had good music, good dancing, and a feel good story. It was well written, and the characters were well portrayed. Also the director did a great job, because the child talent was very well handled! The costuming was good as well. It was emotional, and inspiring, and overall a good  film.  

Footloose

Footloose was pretty good. The opening credits were clever, and the story was well written. The music was very well mixed into the story which was of great importance considering the premise of the story. There was a scene that used a mirror as a prop lens, and that was really good, also there were some very unique and interesting camera angles that added interest to the scenes they were used in. The story had good pacing as well. It isn't one that I think I would ever watch again, but it was worth watching once.

Les Miserables

The Liam Neeson version of Les Miserables is very unique. As someone who was introduced to the story of Les Mis through the stage musical I was uncertain that the story would be as good when it lacked the music. I was however proved wrong. The story itself is very powerful and the actors in this film did a really good job portraying that depth of the story. Just like Victor Hugo's book, the theme of Law vs. Grace is very apparent in this film. From the moment that the priest gives Liam Neeson the candlesticks the character of Jean Valjean begins to symbolize the grace of God and the ability for a sinner's life to be turned around and redeemed. Javert, portrayed by Geoffrey Rush, symbolizes the law, and the idea that only strict adherence to the law can save a man's soul. The costumes were beautiful, as were the sets and locations. The script was well written, the story moved at a very good pace to keep viewers interested and involved. Overall it was beautiful, simply beautiful! 

Spiritual Twist Productions Christian Youth Theater's "Beauty and the Beast"

Beauty and the Beast is probably the weakest CYT production that I have been a part of. There were some really clever things about the play through, like for instance the set. The set was designed to be a storybook. Whenever there was a different location the page in the book would be turned to reveal that new place. Also there was the song "Wonder what they'll write about me" which was very good. That song alone contained many different allusions to the works of Mr. Shakespeare himself. They way the play-write, Mrs. Snapp, worked in each allusion within such a small frame of time was very unique! The set really was amazing though, it was one of the most clever sets CYT has ever done, it is right up there with the radio set CYT had for Ruth: A Love Story.

Spiritual Twist Productions Christian Youth Theater's "Around the World in 80 Days"

This play, written by Mr. Brian Shrager, was fantastic! It had great humor spread throughout it, as well as many audience interactions for those sitting in "the splash zone". Around the World in 80 Days is one of the fastest moving and difficult plays that CYT does. Every cast member has a lot of stage time, and the characters are always on the move. It is a fast paced adventure, that leaves the audience quoting it for days and even years afterwards! It tells the story of a man, Mr. Fog, who was beaten and ridiculed for his faith when he was a young man; because of this treatment he has remained silent much of his adult life. Fog's character unfolds and develops beautifully as he is challenged to make a trip around the world in 80 days or less. Once again, this is a DVD that presents a story that was written for the stage, and is therefore better when presented live, but the quality of this performance is higher than the usual quality of the Tuesday 13+ group's plays at CYT, so it makes a better DVD than many of the other plays. It was quite a difficult play to be in, but fun nonetheless, and a great one to sit back and watch years afterwards from the comfort of your living room!

Spiritual Twist Productions Christian Youth Theater's Production of "Jesus!"

This was a beautifully written chronicle of the life of Jesus Christ. It was not written to be a film, so the DVD is not the best way to view it by any means. Also some of the vocals were not as professional as the best seen at CYT. However despite the mistakes, and such that come from it being presented by an amateur theatre, it was great! I am certainly grateful to have the DVD. The backstage memories from this play were fantastic. It is hard to look at this play with an unbiased view because I know everything that went on backstage. The sets, I must say, were gorgeous! They were a little noisy at times, but they were very visually stunning! 

Man of Steel

Man of Steel was a good movie. The music was not all that great, and overall very forgettable. The story was very fast paced and did some very interesting things. For example, the exposition with Superman's parents was very well laid out. The portrayal of the planet Krypton was very good. I loved all the costumes for the movie, especially all those worn by the council members on Krypton. Also it really helped the pacing of the movie that they used flashbacks to Superman's past throughout the film rather than simply telling the story in chronological order. The special effects were very well done, but the movie almost relied on them a bit too much. The story could have been stronger if it had not relied as heavily on these special effects. Also the story was not as relatable as it could have been. Yes, Superman by nature is a harder character to relate to, but both the villain and the hero of this movie were portrayed as very disconnected from Earth. Yes, Superman saved the Earth, but there was a lot less of that feeling, and the emotional side of the story and more pure action and battle sequences. Without those emotional aspects in the story the audience does not grow as attached to the characters and does not relate as well. If there had been more emotion behind the story it might have helped Superman be more relatable. Don't get me wrong, there was still a lot of emotion in the movie, such as when Superman finally got his victory and snapped General Zod's neck and yelled wildly, only to be comforted by Lois Lane. This scene and the scene where Clark was a kid and couldn't handle all his senses were the most emotional of all the scenes. The emotion level just seemed to drop a lot when there were battle sequences and that lowered the quality of those scenes and forced them to rely on the special effects to awe the audience rather than make them feel attached to the story. Overall it was a pretty good movie.

Casablanca

Casablanca had a very slow beginning, but once the story was set up and things started rolling, it is a great story! The classic love triangle, friendships, and the hardships of wartime all fill this classic story. There are several very excellent uses of flashbacks throughout the film such as the one which explains the Paris love story. My favorite part of the film is the use of the song "As Time Goes By" to set up the relationship between the characters of Rick Blaine and Ilsa Lund. The song becomes a theme in the movie as it is repeated several times. Overall a good film, as long as you can be patient through the beginning of it. 

Pocahontas

The classic "Colors of the Wind" and "Just Around the River Bend" are the highlights of this classic Disney movie. Other than a few moments of triumph there are quite a few weak performances in this movie. It is understandable because it is a children's movie, but the rest of the movie simply does not stand up to the quality of those two songs which stand out as jewels! 

War Horse

This movie was simply beautiful! The bond between a young man and his animal is told in a new and wonderful way! It was very well written and directed so that little snippets of comedy broke up the tension of all the dark scenes without completely ruining the effect of those darker scenes! The animals in the movie were amazing creatures, and the costumes were fantastic! The only real complaint I have is that the effects with the flames and the machine guns firing were not as realistic, and well done as the rest of the movie. The characters were well developed and had the audience on the edge of their seat hoping wildly for the reunion of the boy and his horse. Overall it was a beautiful job well done; a great film!

Psycho

This film was simple brilliant; it is the best Hitchcock that I have watched so far. The music is perfectly timed to play with both the minds and emotions of the viewer. The fact that the whole story is based off of real/plausible events makes it all the more frightening. Hitchcock takes advantage of many tools in order to trick the viewers mind into being afraid. All the violence in the film is implied through various camera angles and movements, so all the fear essentially comes from the viewers own mind because everything is only implied. Every detail of this film built up to its dramatic ending! From the famous shower scene murder, to the symbolic use of stuffed birds at the hotel. The dialogue during the scene in the hotel was very well written, and had foreshadowing cleverly placed throughout it. Through this film Hitchcock truly earns his title as master of suspense. 

Little Women

Little Women is one of my favorite classic stories all time. Winona Ryder was an excellent Jo. In fact all the casting was very good for the film. The characters were well developed and the story was as heart warming and inspiring as ever. Nothing beats the book, but this was a very good adaptation of the story. 

Where the Red Fern Grows Part Two

I hate to say it but this movie was terrible in every way. The story was weak and underdeveloped, the characters were not very dynamic, and the love story between 'little sister' and Rainie was extremely cheesy. The soundtrack to this movie was even worse than the first one. The filmmakers had some interesting ideas, but they just didn't portray them well. For example the big train opening was a good idea, but it was slow and not used very purposefully so it made audiences disconnect before the movie even truly started. Also in the opening, the flashback was quite clever, but the music was mixed in rather loudly, and was therefore quite distracting. It didn't seem like the filmmakers trusted these dogs as much as they did in the first movie. They were nearly always on leash or locked up, and since it is supposed to be a movie about coon hunting dogs, that really took away from the story and slowed it down. The script prolonged  the protagonist's reluctance to accept the dogs as well, which also caused the movie to move REALLY slowly. There was one scene when Grandpa was talking to Billy after Old Dan died, and the way the scene was shot the viewers could see very little of the actors faces and expressions due to the lighting and the poor choice of camera angle. Also in this same scene, when Grandpa hugged Billy, he completely blocked Billy from the screen. This was very poor direction; in such a scene as that the protagonist's face is far more important for the viewer to see than Grandpa's back. The story was not very original either; the elements were all stolen from either the first movie, or other famous films (for example the opening train sequence is a classic film opening). Overall it certainly is not a movie I will ever find myself watching again; it was slow, and not well made at all. 

Where the Red Fern Grows

     This is a very family friendly movie that tells the classic tale of a boy and his dogs. The score of the movie was terrible, and often distracting, but the story is alive and full of emotion. As always, when working with younger actors, there was a lower standard of professionalism in the finished product, but besides that it was a nice film. Although it is quite sad, the best scene in the whole movie is when young Billy finds the symbolic red fern between the graves of his beloved dogs. This scene was shot in a specific way to emphasize the significance of the fern. As his family turned away to leave, there was a moment of pure symmetry on the screen. The two graves stood side by side and on either side of the boy was a parent and a little sister. Not only was this moment symmetrical, but it also formed a visual line drawing viewers eyes down to the fern. The tallest thing in the shot (the parents) were on the ends, and then the little girls standing (the next tallest), leading one's eyes to the little boy sitting before the grave. Billy's eyes turned downward towards the fern act as the final detail which influences the viewer to look at the fern. The meaning of this fern is told through a lovely bit of foreshadowing in the beginning of the film, when Billy's little sister tells the story behind her drawing. It is a beloved story, and a good film; it certainly isn't a masterpiece, but it has a great story!

Star Trek: Into Darkness

This film was very stunning on the big screen. I know very little about the original Star Trek movies, so I know very little about the fandom, but the movie was enjoyable even for one without such knowledge. Benedict Cumberbatch was brilliant as Khan. His portrayal of the already hated villein, from The Wrath of Khan, and others of the older movies, was very well done, there wasn't a moment when viewers didn't hate his guts. The reversal of the roles of Spock and Kirk near the end in the new movie verses The Wrath of Khan was a great tribute to the older movies! It was a fast paced adventure through space. The best things about the movie would have to be the interesting ties and parallels to The Wrath of Khan, and Benedict Cumberbatch's portrayal of Khan. A great film exploring space, humanity, and emotions! Certainly a roller coaster of a film that is well worth viewing. 

Sabotage

   I have to say that I was rather disapointed with this Hitchcock film. There were definently some brilliant moments such as the scene right before the bomb explodes with the quick cuts between the boy and the clock. Other than a few golden moments, this film was not as likable as other Hitchcock films. It moved slower in the beginning and the story took a while to set up. I did really like the loose ending it left off with. It was very abrupt, but it made the viewer think about the film long after it was done, debating what would have happened next if the film had continued. The ending and the bomb scene were the crown jewels of this film, but overall it was not the most entertaining film in the world. It had a good premise, and story, but it could have been set up better so that the audience would be more quickly tied into the story. 

Tangled

Not only is this film cute, but it also uses so many brilliant techniques! It uses a mirror as a prop lens, great foley art to highlight the comedy, and various other things. This adaptation of the well known fairy tale, Rapunzel, is very unique. It steps away from the traditional fairy tale formatting and yet maintains the vibe of a Disney princess film. The characters are very well developed, and the story moves at a great pace. If the audience isn't laughing their heads off to start with, they will when Maximus, the horse, enters the screen. The music is very well mixed into the story so that it advances the plot rather than distracting from it. Overall, it is very cute and is well made. hats of to Disney for another success! 

Serenity

This movie concluded the television show Firefly beautifully leaving only a few loose ends left untouched. From start to finish, it was action packed, and kept viewers on the edge of their seats. Several notable scenes include the flashback to River's escape, the battle sequence at the end, Wash's death, and the scene where River attacks everyone in the pub after saying Miranda.  The flashback was a brilliant piece of cinematography; not only did it serve to tie up loose ends for the audience, but it also introduced the film's villain. The battle sequence began with a very clever twist, and unfolded to create an epic sequence. Wash's death is tragic, and sudden, and end viewers are not likely to forget, though he is not the only casualty in the movie. Lastly River's attack scene gives the audience a taste of the girls capabilities and foreshadows the role River will play in the later battle sequence. The movie certainly exceeds the show in many ways, and leaves fans of the Firefly series thirsting for more trips on Serenity smuggling goods, making a way in the Verse!  

Les Miserables

   The new movie musical, Les Miserables was a stunning success. From the moment it begins, to its final moments it maintains its mesmerizing affect. The music is fantastic! None can deny that great power lies behind the songs of this movie, songs such as "Do You Hear the People Sing" and "Bring Him Home". The reoccurring theme of the two candlesticks that were the gift of the priest was a detail that stood out and attests to the great amount of work put into making every detail of this film shine. There was a very apparent spiritual twist throughout the movie that was often highlighted by the smallest of details. The movie presented a very strong message of the battle between law and grace which was made clear through the characters of Jean Valjean and Javert. Javert symbolized the law, and the path one can take in trying to please God by adhering to every letter of the law, which is impossible for mere men. Valjean symbolizes grace; he accepted God's help because he new that he could never meet the law on his own. The priest saved his soul for God which marked the turning point in Valjean's life. This theme of grace is highlighted not only through the repetition of the candle sticks, but also through other things. For example, when Valjean prayed over the sleeping Marius at the barricade, a large eye was seen in the background of the shot which could be interpreted to symbolize the eye of God watching over him, protecting him, hearing his prayer.
     The only real complaints that I have to voice about the film, is that it strayed too far into sexual themes particularly in the "Master of the House" number and of course the "Lovely Ladies" number which was of course unavoidable in a strict film adaptation of the play. These two scenes do serve important roles within the story, but perhaps could have been filmed in a way that was more suggestive of prostitution rather than simply showing the audience. My other main complaint would be Russel Crowe's singing was not up to the same standard as many of the other actors and actresses in the movie. He could have benefited from a few vocal lessons to improve his professionalism in that area of his performance.  Other than those two things, the film was brilliant and VERY well made. It is a favorite that will stick in the memories of all who watch long after the credits roll.

Mamma Mia

     This movie was very cute and the direction was brilliant. Not only was a mirror used as a prop lens, but there was plenty of symbolism scattered throughout the film as well.  When the character Donna says "it is like a trick of fate" the locals standing by burst out into a fit of apparently random laughter. This laughter however is not random, and shows Donna's mental confusion because of her current situation. The music of Abba is integrated very well into the story, and flows naturally with the narrative. Overall, it was cleaver, and cute. Well done cast and crew of Mamma Mia!

The Lady Vanishes

     Alfred Hitchcock, master of suspense, presents a beautiful, well edited film in "The Lady Vanishes". The plot is clever, telling the story of a young woman, Iris, who befriends an old British woman named Miss. Froy, who vanishes from the train entirely. Iris is convinced that something is wrong but nobody on the train save herself remembers the old woman. Hitchcock uses masterful cinematic storytelling as the mystery plays out. Screen direction, and montages are two powerful tool Hitchcock employed in this film.
     Throughout the movie there are many shots of the train's exterior as it runs across the tracks. To take complete advantage of these shots Hitchcock used screen direction to send a subtle hint to the audience of the trouble to come. The train often moves across the screen on the x-axis(horizontally), this is normal movement for a train, but what makes it clever is that it moves from right to left. In western culture, the eye is accustomed to moving from left to right due to the direction one reads. Therefore, when the eye perceives motion in the opposite direction it causes subconscious discomfort. This direction therefore can be used to increase the tension of a scene, as is done in "The Lady Vanishes".
    Montages are often used to represent the passage of time. The montage when Iris was coming to for the second time was particularly brilliant. Not only did it show time passing, but it also presented the chaos that was to come. The fast assembly of cuts gave a sense of panic to the film which raised suspense, and tension. It showed that while the character was out, the scene itself was developing and changing. This warns the viewer of the disorientation the character will experience when she wakes to find the world changed around her.
     The film was brilliant. Fresh, and watchable, it keeps the viewer's attention. The characters are likable and understandable, which created a tie with the viewer almost instantly. The tie with Miss Froy was especially important, and it was acquired quite easily in the first scenes of the film. Hats of to Mr. Hitchcock and his masterful direction!