Doc Review

After finishing Super Size Me, a 2004 documentary directed by Morgan Spurlock, some may never want to eat fast food again. The film takes a stab at the fast food industry, and with the use of clever animations and an interesting story, it aims to expose the industry for what it has become.
In an attempt to raise awareness about the dangers of overindulgence in fast foods such as those offered at the restaurant McDonald’s, director Morgan Spurlock embarks on an experiment in 2004, eating food off of the McDonald’s menu for 30 straight days. All throughout the process, he is meticulously monitored by doctors and fitness experts to track the damage done to his body. For the experiment, Spurlock maintains a set of rules in an attempt to further realize the effects the food has on his body. The rules are as follows:

• He must fully eat three McDonald's meals per day: breakfast, lunch, and dinner.
• He must consume every item on the McDonald's Menu at least once over the course of the 30 days (he managed this in nine days).
• He must only ingest items that are offered on the McDonald's menu, including bottle water. All outside consumption of food is prohibited
• He must Super Size the meal when offered, but only when offered (i.e., he is not able to Super Size items himself).
• He will attempt to walk about as much as a typical U.S. citizen, based on a suggested figure of 5,000 standardized distance steps per day, but he did not closely adhere to this, as he walked more while in New York than Houston.

So, Spurlock completes the experiment, eating nothing but McDonald’s for 30 days straight. Spurlock’s various troubles with completing the experiment are all documented, from vomiting one day, to struggling up stairs the next. The film also utilizes this time to give the viewer background on the fast food industry, providing insight into the corruption that has occurred within the industry for financial gain not only in America, but all over the world as well. Legal documents are examined, interviews are conducted, and the general atmosphere of the fast food industry are introduced to the viewer through clever pictures and animations. At the conclusion of the experiment, Spurlock has gained nearly 25 pounds, suffers from mood swings and sexual dysfunction, and has a loss of muscle mass, clearly illustrating the dangers of eating the food this often, which he indicates that a good number of people do.
From a cinematographic standpoint, the film is nothing to marvel at. It’s basic shots provide the visuals needed to understand the depth of the experiment Spurlock subjects himself to. Nothing more. However, with the addition of the film’s many animations to further display the points on fast food Spurlock attempts to convey, the film manages to grasp the attention of those who may not necessarily be interested in the financial or scientific aspects of the fast food industry.
The literary aspects of the film help to accentuate the messages portrayed throughout the course of the film. The mood, which reflects a sort of cynicism towards the nature of the fast food industry, furthers the impact of Spurlock’s experiment. For example, in the part of the film that examines how much money fast food companies spend on advertising, Spurlock speaks with an obvious bias towards the companies, which stresses the negative impact they are having on American society.
The characters are another literary aspect that have a large effect on the film as a whole. The main characters in the film, Spurlock, a cardiologist, a gastroenterologist, a general practitioner, and a nutritionist, each play a distinct role in communicating the messages of the film. For example, at the end of the film, when the results of Spurlock’s experiment are being displayed, each one of these characters help to emphasize how drastic the effect the food had on Spurlock actually was by comparing his start physique to his finish. The characters also help to add a sense of professionalism to the film, making the effects of fast food seem tangible and real.
The theme of the film is another literary aspect that enhances the understanding of its principal messages. The theme of the film is that the evolution of food to be produced more quickly and cheaply has only hindered our well-being and health as consuming Americans, evidenced through the experiment Spurlock undertook. So, this literary aspect ultimately lets the viewer understand the complexities of Spurlock’s arguments, and how vital nutrition really can be.
It is easy for me to recommend this film to anyone, as it may open many eyes to the dangers of a diet consisting of mostly “fast foods.” The film maintains its credibility by consulting with 4 professional doctors to track the progress of the experiment. Though the quality of filming may not be the best, it really does not need to be, as the message illustrated by the film is still abundantly clear: fast food is bad. The interviews conducted by Spurlock are meaningful in that they offer a perspective on the fast food industry that is unknown to many. Spurlock presents the viewer with enough evidence through the use of statistics, on site investigation of some of the McDonald’s restaurants, and the actual results of the experiment itself. In terms of a social impact, the film was successful in raising awareness of the dangers of consuming too many processed foods, though the fast food industry remains a large cause of obesity around the world. After the release of the film, McDonald’s even got rid of their “super size” option, though the company stated it had nothing to do with the release of the film. Super Size Me is a film that suits all, raising awareness of the dangers of fast food with a more radical twist.



Morgan Spurlock's "Super Size Me" 100 min IMDb Rating: 7.4/10

And We Dance

You know I've got to say it really hasn't that been an eventful week. In any event, I'll head over to the Tube to find a video so I can provide some insight flavored with some flamboyant language from yours truly. Off we go.

And here we are:


Ah, the perplexities of time travel. It really is a difficult concept. So many paradoxes that in fact ever harnessing time travel may seem impossible. You've got to think. If time travel were ever invented and the inventors decided to travel back in time, wouldn't they be living among us? It's just so darn confusing to think about. I was watching some Morgan Freeman documentary awhile back about how one could technically time travel into the future by travelling at an extremely fast rate through space and this apparently makes time travel slower for those who were travelling in space and by the time they got back 100 years would have passed on Earth and only 10 for them. I don't know. Weird stuff. That's it for today. Night folks.

Don't have a title for this one. Not very creative at night.

Look at me and my tennis videos! Gawd, I'm such a nerd. Anyway, time to move past that. Reasons I have chosen this video. To be honest, I don't know. It's not to different from any other tennis videos out on the tube. Although I've got to say, the angle whoever shot this uses is really quite lovely. Big tennis matches are always broadcast from this nasty bird's eye view that makes the court look too long, and subsequently shots look off somehow. I'm really quite picky you know. I try not to be. My mommy says it's why nobody likes me. After watching this a few times, I start to realize why I can't hit the ball like Roger Federer. That's pretty obvious I guess. I'm not Roger Federer. I guess what I meant to say was that I realize why I can't hit the ball in the manner that he does. Firstly, I have a stroke that's largely reminiscent of Nadal's. You know that sort of buggie whip type over the head thing that gets a lot of spin. Without all the grunting and butt picking of course. I've got to say it's pretty funny to watch your opponent line up for a big shot just to have the ball whizz past their head. Ah, the feeling. Federer's stroke is a lot flatter you see. He still gets a hella lot of wrist into his shots mind you, but the way he does it is a lot more graceful. Just the way he's hitting in the video is probably enough to win a match against me. It's been said over and over again during match commentary that he makes the game look so easy. Because that's the truth! He comes up with these amazing shots without breaking a sweat. It really doesn't look like he puts much effort into anything. Then you have players like Nadal and Djokovic who probably aren't going to have very long runs due to repeated injuries and such. I mean Federer's 31 and he's still winning grand slams. That's pretty damn impressive. There are players like Andy Roddick who've retired at the same age as him and haven't won a fraction of the tournaments he has. So yeah, he's a pretty impressive guy. Gee, look at the time. Thanks for tuning in. Next time I talk about garage sales.

Capture the Fall Doe

Here's that fall video. In all honesty, I woke up today and remembered I had to film this. So I rode around Olney on my bike and got all these nifty shots. Used my trusty Kodak of course. Got some of my lame friends to run around with me. Took a few swings on a tire swing. So this is essentially what fall is for me in my neck of the woods.

Sugar Bear

So my sister made me watch an episode of Honey Boo Boo today. And as I was watching, I thought to myself, is this really we as humans value as a viable source of entertainment? I guess what I mean to say is that we're getting stupider. Sorry to say it so harshly. Rather opinionated too. But with the emergence of stay-at-home jobs where you never have to leave the couch, what are we moving towards? It's ironic isn't it? That though we are supposed to be moving forward, we are still, in some ways, hindering ourselves. Think back to the Italian Renaissance, where innovation in philosophy, science, mathematics, art, and literature were prominent. It seems that we are moving further and further away from this period of heightened enlightenment and into a generation of people who remain ill-informed and ignorant of the world around them. Just the other day, I read in the NSL textbook for Freeman's class that a significant portion of American people cannot find their nation on a world map. And so watching Honey Boo Boo got me questioning what our future holds for us if this is the path we choose to take. Though it may seem melodramatic that a TV show about a pageant girl got me calling everybody stupid, this is a serious concern that I am sure troubles more than just me. This isn't exactly "solvable" through any conventional means either. From what I gather, a good amount of students believe school to be a waste of time, and focus primarily on other things like video games for instance. It's worrying really. But I'm just your friendly neighborhood cynic, here to complain to you about the world. Thanks for reading. Next time, I will talk about why Macs are for hipsters.

Weekly Post #1 Because I Have To Do It For A Grade

I'll assume I don't have to write this formally, so I'll adhere to a sarcastic style of writing for now. Alright, now before anyone criticizes me for being a preppy, catholic school guy for posting a tennis video, take a moment to understand and enjoy the artistry involved in playing the sport. You know, as an added bonus, mute everything else on your computer and add a nice Chopin sonata in the background for a real crispy tip. Tennis is a beautiful sport. I guess it takes a sufficient knowledge and experience with the game to really enjoy it. I can understand that it's not very popular in the U.S., as its not as clumsy or as liberal as American-oriented sports such as football. I've played the sport a while and I've observed with a very close eye all of its twists and turns, challenges and pleasantries. It takes an impressive mental resolve to remain composed throughout a match. Keep in mind I am not writing this to persuade you of why tennis is so great of a sport, I am merely trying to voice why I love it so durn much. I think you've got the picture though. I've touched on enough.

Dystopian Trailers

For my group I'm a scriptwriter. And I've got to say, I'm really enjoying the freedom that I'm permitted. They story is pretty interesting. I'm awesome. Get at me. But seriously, I guess I'll start following the prompt now. The script? It's progressing nicely. The story is pretty much set and we've got a lot of cool shots to boot. I mean it's got a lot of dystopian elements. I don't know why whenever I spell dystopian I get that squiggly red line. Not like I'm spelling it wrong. Alright, I'll try to be frank with describing the plot. Basically, it's about a society that's completely separated by class. The rich control the poor by implanting chips into their brains so they cannot see or hear anyone outside of their society. SO, the main plot line follows a boy who is born without a chip. Don't you dare say it's cliche. I think it's hip. Anyway, this boy travels to where the rich are located and wipes out the generator controlling the power of the chips and there's a huge fight against the poor and the rich. It includes the dystopian elements of civilians believing there to be a utopian society, some sort of tyrannical figure who looms over everyone else, a protagonist who tries to rebel against the power, that sort of thing. Seems kind of obvious. Is that it? But wait! There's more. Um, we've got voiceovers from the main characters, actual dialogue, and those title things! My, we're some overachievers aren't we. The story is pretty linear. With the type of characters we have I don't think it'll be too hard to follow. We've actually got a lot of scenes though. I think it's going to be under 2 minutes 30 seconds. Not as if they're long scenes. Just to give a broader picture of the story. Our script is still in progress. We've got stuff to do. But I think we're in a good position to execute and really get on track for filming and editing.

5x5

1. Establishing shot of Rite Aid.
2. Shot of carrying groceries.
3. Shot of mixing batter.
4. Shot of oven going off.
5. Shot of people eating brownies.

I created the 5x5 with a camera and some ambitious friends. I used a Kodak point and shoot. Nothing fancy. I edited the clips using Windows Movie Maker. Macs are for hipsters. I did hit a "snag" actually. My friend dropped the brownie mix on the way back to the house so we had to buy a new box since the mix spilled out. I am pleased with how it turned out for my video making abilities. I mean it's not like I'm talented with cinematography or anything. I really just want to see Sam Howells'. An idea for our next challenge you say? Whoever can make the best impromptu Jackass short film. Now that's a challenge.

Dystopian Trailer Critique

The Book of Eli. The Hughes Brothers. R. 2010.
Set in a post-apocalyptic world, a man embarks on a journey to save humanity by protecting a sacred book, though he is not the only one who finds the book valuable.


Dystopias are characterized by an anti-utopian society, often caused by a political, technological, or environmental crisis. The trailer for The Book of Eli not only encompasses these dystopian concepts, but also shapes an understanding of dystopian society through its cinematography, music, and gripping plot. Immediately noticed when watching the trailer are the distinct colors found in the palette of the film. The colors used are mostly oranges, blacks, whites, and grays, necessary to create the parched, dying setting of a post-apocalypse. Also included in the trailer is a voice over that clearly defines key plot points. The trailer features an intense score, adding more definition to the underlying tone illustrated in the film. The absence of captions until the end of the trailer adds a nice sense of fluidity. The implementation of these effects will play a large role in the dystopian trailer for class. The altering of colors in the trailer may ultimately be a necessary effect to add in our trailer to further shape the tone and setting of the story we are trying to tell. Also, a voice over may be necessary to detail the plot, unless we manage to get the message across in a different fashion.

Communication

It really does intrigue me that these blogs were to be used to display our thoughts and ideas, yet we are assigned which thoughts and ideas we are to display. Anyway, back to business. The article advocates the extended use of collaborative technologies in and outside the classroom, in an effort to create a shared well of knowledge that increases and evolves infinitely. I think it's a nice article. It just about sums up the endless possibilities that are presented with the emergence of new innovations, allowing us mere mortals to communicate in ever more effective ways. Thus, education does not end within the classroom. It continues on through social networking, blogging, email, and even the illustrious Youtube. So all our experiences, memories, and knowledge can be shared to introduce a, in some ways, more effective means of communication, as well as education.

The quote "experts are at our fingertips, through our keyboards or cell phones, if we know how to find and connect to them," is a really nice quote. I mean I really, really like this quote. It just defines modern technologies that exist in most developed parts of the world. I mean, just imagine you have a question. Any question in the world. You whip out your fancy new Iphone, type a few words, and bam. You have your answer. Knowledge is spread at an astounding rate, with people simultaneously sharing and receiving information. It's quite the concept. 

The only aspect of the article that surprised me was right in the beginning. Since when are eleven-year-olds so hip that they have "readers." Makes me really wish I had readers when I was eleven. Seriously, all I did when I was eleven was watch Avatar: The Last Airbender. Sorry, but I don't have too much insight to provide here. 

I think I said this earlier somewhere, but this type of communication, by which I mean through communicative technologies, is a really very great idea. There is lots of great potential for the things it could accomplish. In and out of the classroom. Or in and out of CAP even. It will be interesting to see what kinds of advances in the field pop up within the next ten years or so. 

Here's my Diigo link, since it seems to be so popular: http://diigo.com/0sy2i

Film "Assignment"

Ah. A movie review assignment. Alright. You know, Pulp Fiction has always been one of my favorite films, mainly for its unrestrained use of wit and sarcasm, often portrayed in more cynical ways. I got my review from The Washington Post because you can't go wrong with the Post! It's written by Desson Howe, who seems like a nice enough guy. Pulp Fiction is directed by Quentin Tarantino, who's other works of art include the Kill Bill series, as well as his breakthrough film Reservoir Dogs. The film follows a nonlinear plot line, switching between episodes of Samuel L. Jackson as a flamboyant hitman, and Bruce Willis just being Bruce Willis. As a result, the film should not be enjoyed for its plot, but for its artistic use of dialogue, the depth of the acting, and the sheer awesomeness of watching Uma Thurman get stabbed. But on to the review. Even though's its from the post, it doesn't really touch on a lot. It opens with a fresh analysis of what is Pulp Fiction: "brilliant and brutal, funny and exhilarating, jaw-droppingly cruel and disarmingly sweet." Sheesh, I love that sentence. But aside from that, it only really talks about the plot. After watching the film, I already know that Jackson does a kick-ass job and that a quarter-pounder in France is called "Le Royale." That being said, the author does a good job of conveying his hip sense of style, using phrases like "disarmingly sweet." The review reflects nothing but utmost praise for Tarantino's great addition to the film world, which is nice to read since it's my favorite film. 

How we should structure an assignment? Being the teenage anarchist that I am, how about no assignments? But if I had to offer an opinion, I'd say to let it be as liberal as it can. Let us create our own prompts. Let us write what we want to write about. Film is an art, and therefore, can be interpreted an infinite amount of ways. The confines of a quarterly prompt are not conducive to exhibiting the raw potential for the great academic products as all of us are capable of. 

Here's my link: http://diigo.com/0sva2

Gotta go. It's past my bedtime.

The First Blog Post

Hey. My name's Jordan. I go to school. At Montgomery Blair High School. It's nice. I learn things. That's what I do. Having been in the Humanities and Communication Program at Eastern Middle school, I've been exposed to various types of film for roughly three years prior to coming to Blair. I've always been interested in the cinematographic aspect of film making; using different camera angles and shots to provide an enhanced experience for viewers. Yeah. Always liked that stuff. Actually, in the 8th grade, we took this real cool trip to New York where we shot an interview of a former actor and were later required to create a brief documentary about said actor through the use of both A-roll of the interviewee and B-roll created from shots around the city. It was a really great project. There was actually a small rodent in the hotel we stayed in. I'm still not sure if it was a rat or not. Either way, we killed it. Don't worry, I'm kidding. Oh wait, I'm not. Being involved in the project really got me interested in the film world, which led me to get my own cheap camera and start shooting away. Anyway, let's see. Ways we can use these blogs this year. I mean I guess we could use them to share our thoughts on classes in CAP 10, as in thoughts on assignments or lessons plans, to work to benefit the educational environment. But I bet loads of people have already come up with something similar. Or how about to showcase some of our accomplishments during the year. Maybe we could even use them to raise awareness about how much of a problem procrastination is. All are possibilities. Well! That's all the assignment asked me to do so I guess that's it for now.

Oh wait. I have to find a picture.




Check it out. Alright. That's it.