Do a little bit of research on film history and cult classics.

I decided that I would research cult classic movies since one of my favorite movies is Rocky Horror Picture Show.  I really didn't know what made a film a cult classic or what movies where considered cult classics.  I was shocked to find in my research that most movies that are considered cult classic films where not considered big money making films and often where low budget films.  The movies where not considered a cult classic until it attracts a group of followers or obsessive fans.  Some movies go on to become classics, such as Willie Wonka and the Chocolate Factory.  I did find a web site that had The Top 50 Cult Classic Movies, http://www.filmsite.org/cultfilmsew2.html  I was shocked by some that were on the list, such as The Shawshank Redemption (1984) at number 10, Dazed and Confused (1993) at number 17 and Friday (1995) at number 49 to name a few.  I don't consider myself an obsessed fan or in a group of followers, but I like a lot of the movies on the Top 50 Cult Classic Movie list.

Which film director do you think has changed the world of film forever?

Steven Spielberg is hands down my favorite director.  I am not sure if its because he directed my favorite movie The Goonies or if its his imagination.  His films have a wide range of variety such as sci-fi, adventure and drama.  His films be it drama or sci-fi are realistic.  The very first Spielberg movie I remember watching was Jaws and yes I was afraid of the water for awhile.  Lake Alma or Raccoon Creek could have a shark to a little girl.  I cannot think of a Steven Spielberg movie I don't like.  He has directed some memorable films and I expect he will direct many more.

Guess what movie these quotes are from.

Let’s play a game.  Give us a quote and let us guess which film it’s from!

"Nobody puts baby in a corner."


Had to share another......
     He is a boil on the butt of humanity!
This character is my favorite in this movie.

This was alot of fun!!!

One of my favorite Scenes

	Let’s talk about movies!  Tell us about your favorite scene from one of your favorite movies by examining the dominant element of that chosen scene.

 

One of my favorite scenes is from Armageddon.  I cry every time I watch this.  It starts when they are drawing straws to see which one stays on the asteroid to manually trip the bomb.  AJ pulls the short straw, Harry takes him down and when AJ tells him to tell Grace he will always love her he pulls his air hose and pushes AJ into the air chamber.  AJ is screaming no Harry...Harry tells him he has always thought of him as a son and the last words he hears is I have always loved you son.  I am crying at this point the next scene is when Harry is telling Grace goodbye.  I think everyone knows how this scene plays out.  She wants to be just like him. He will check in on her from time to time.  The scene ended with her hand on the snowy monitor.  The emotions this brings out because of the sacrifice.  The dialog is the strongest element in these scenes.  Cheesey put a wonderful ending.

Brief & Bold Paragraph Critique of one artsy film of choice

One of my favorite movies is the cult classic, Rocky Horror Picture Show.  Rocky Horror Picture Show dealt with topics that where still taboo in 1975 but still brought entertainment.  This was a low budget film with many actors (Tim Curry, Susan Sarandon and Meatloaf) who would end up being big names.  The music coupled with the signature Time Warp Dance and costumes drew the audience into another would.  The costumes and music in my opinion is what set the film apart from other musicals.  In time audiences dressed as characters in the film thus leading to a true cult classic.  I remember going to the theatre n Saturday night with a group of friends where we where all dressed as a character.  I remember the first time I sat my son down and attempted to watch this movie with him at age 15. The Time Warp Dance was playing, he states "Mom you are warping me with this crazy movie, it makes no sense and its about a bunch of transvestites."  All I could do was laugh and tell him he may appreciate it when he gets older with a reply of "I doubt that will ever happen."  He really lost it when I showed him I knew every step of the Time Warp Dance.  It is truly a film of time in my opinion.

HW11 Essay on movement/Bellydancing

I belong to a Middle Eastern Tribal fusion bellydancing troupe, named WhipLash.  Belly dancing is a large part of my life in many different ways.  I have learned the history of this ancient dance while learning the graceful moves that mesmerize the world.  My self esteem has always been low and through dance I have learned to compliment myself as well as take compliments from others.  The fear of performing for others was overwhelming in the beginning but with the help of my sister dancers I have also overcome this fear.  As you can see dance does affect your life in more ways then just the physical movement of the dance itself.

     Bellydancing is one of the oldest forms of dance there is, tracing back over six thousand years and has its own set of values and morals.  This form of dance was performed by women for women during family and social gatherings, during child birth and a girl’s first dance was her passageway into womanhood.  Women would gather in a circle showing off their grace, beauty and skill by dancing solo or in a group.  This dance was taught to every woman from a very young age and would become second nature to them.  The costuming we see dancers today was influenced by Hollywood, where history tells the story of women remaining covered in colorful clothing, scarves and belts.

     Bellydance is a beautiful art form that is displayed with many different movements such as, the shimmy, hip bumps, Turkish walk, belly rolls, camel and the horse to name a few.  I had no dance experience prior to taking this class with my sister at age 42.  We both thought it would be a great way to exercise and have fun while socializing with other women.  We both became hooked the very first class learning the basic move, the shimmy.  One must be committed to this dance to learn the movements with practice and determination. 

     As a child and adult I have always found myself having a low self esteem and feeling embarrassed when a compliment was given to me.  I was always and still am the first dancer to admit that I was incorrectly performing a move or step.  I flushed when a fellow dancer paid me a compliment.  With the collection of dancers (nurses, accountants, social worker, students) and their support I quickly overcome this, somewhat.

     Performing in front of an audience is and will always make me nervous but with the help of my dancing sisters, I have overcome this fear.  Our dance troupe embraces the fact that Bellydancing is performed by women for women.  We support each other in every aspect of our lives, be it good or bad.  Our former name was Alachwat, which means sisters but was changed due to having been announced by some pretty obscene names.  We are a lost tribe of dancing sisters being the happiest dancing in a circle laughing, talking and smiling with each other.

     As you can see Bellydancing has affected my life in many different aspects for the better.  I have the support of my loving family and my loving lost tribe.  With this support I am ready to try any new adventure that comes my way.  I am a very lucky person to have found such a wonderful group of dancing women.

The Role Of Dance In My Life

Dance is a BIG part of my life.  I am a member of a dance troupe, Whiplash (formerly known as Alachwat, meaning sisters) for the past 3 years.   We are a tribal, middle eastern fusion belly dancing troupe.  Dance fills several roles in my life such as, socializing with a group of women that are like sisters to me, self esteem, making spectators smile watching us perform, stress relieving and so much more.  I look forward to our practice time, talking, dancing, laughing and yes even sadness for events that happen in each others lives.  It is challenging and rewarding to learn new movements and choreography.  We love to discover new music to dance to.  My instructor, Penni Alzayer is the most fascinating person I have ever met.  She has lived all over the world and shares her experiences and knowledge with us.  It is not only fun to dance but the costumes are always fascinating.  I have used several of our photos during this course as examples.  As you can see dance is a big part of my life. 

 I have included a link to a video of one of our routines we performed at the Apple Festival in 2010.

http://www.youtube.com/user/JacksonCTimesJournal#p/u/204/T7PnY9sXMwo

We just performed at the Chillicothe Ghost Walk in our Victorian Steampunk Costumes.

Emotions in Music

Music affects people's emotions in different ways. Certain types stimulate sadness or anger while other types cause feelings of well being or happiness. Music is used in various settings to help set the mood of an environment or to amplify an experience.  It is also used to deliver messages in media and entertainment. The power of music continually affects the emotions of people and motivates them towards change or harmony. A great example of harmony that was felt all over the world was Michael Jackson's, We Are the World. 

http://www.bing.com/videos/search?q=Micheal+Jackson+we+are+the+world+offical+video&view=detail&mid=C7473F2FEAF46675B720C7473F2FEAF46675B720&first=0&FORM=LKVR

This song still brings goose bumps to my arms when I listen to it.  This song is a collection of famous singers, singing for the desire to help our world.

A song that will make me cry everytime I hear it is Your Gonna Miss this by Trace Adkins

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lBDN8yWyNYU

The song that annoys me beyond words is Miley Cyrus, The Climb.  It annoys me in so many ways that I cannot begin to list them here.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NG2zyeVRcbs

A song that makes me happy would be Good Life by OneRepublic.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jZhQOvvV45w&ob=av2e

As you can see we can relate to music by how it makes us feel when we listen to it, what a person is doing at the time the song was first heard, in what chapter of our lives we can relate the song to.  All these things are why emotions in music are capable.

Season Haiku Poems

Winter Haiku Poem                                  

Magical winter
Blankets of beautiful snow
Mountain tops of ice

                           Summer Haiku Poem    

Warm ocean breeze blows

    Sound of ocean waves crashing 

 Turtle eggs in dooms

Haiku Poem

HW 9                                                             

 

 Write a haiku about the role of music in your life (consists of 3 lines with 5,7,5 syllabic rhythm).

 

Music has rhythm

Life has rhythm like music

Music sooths my life

 

My first Haiku Poem.  This was more difficult then what I thought it would be.

History & Mystery of Chillicothe Ghost Walk

Tis the season.....come and join in the fun.  There will be many different performances to enjoy while exploring the many historical sites of Chillicothe.  I hope to see you there.

Scott Michal The Moonville Tunnel Ghost

I choose Scott Michal.  It was the title The Ghost of Moonville Tunnel that sparked my interest because I am from Vinton County and know the story of Moonville Tunnel.  I recall swimming as a child near there and I visit there as often as possible.  The history there is amazing, even with the little that is left from the town.  It intrigued me also because I did a photo shoot with my dance troupe there last summer.  My dance instructor, Penni Alzayer knows Scott Michal and his work and gave raving reviews of his work.  The piece started with explosive sound and excitement. 

The composure had various pitches and dynamics ranging from loudness to softness, which I can picture with the loud dynamics the drunken conductor being killed and the citing of the his ghost, with the softness I can picture visitors to the tunnel.  The quickness of the rhythm with the loud dynamics made me think of, what is coming next? 

The slower rhythm with the softer dynamics made me relax.  I feel that the rhythm mixed with the loud and soft dynamics are the dominant elements.  I decided that I would attach a couple of pictures from our photo shoot for those of you who have never seen The Moonville Tunnel.  It is a wonderful place to explore and I think Scott Michal has captured that with his composition.

Discussion Board---My Favorite Music

I want to start out by saying I love music!  Music is a daily part of my life.  I listen to music in the car, at work and I always have a radio playing at home.  I have always said my perfect job would be a radio disc jockey, but it doesn't pay well.  I would never be able to pin down my favorite genre.  I listen to all types of music.  Each type of music genre makes me feel differently.  Instead of posting a link to a favorite group I thought I would post a link to three of my favorite songs that are different.
The first is A River Flows in You by Yiruma.  I was exposed to this song in the movie Twilight and instantly feel in love with it.  The simplicity of the music has mesmerized me.  I love the rhythm and pitch of the piano.  Lay your head back, close your eyes and feel the music...relaxing.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F-4wUfZD6oc
The second one is Knockin by the Carolina Chocolate Drops.  They are a group of young black musicians who studied from an older black fiddler, Joe Thompson who handed down musical traditions from generations of musicians that he had learned from.  I interpret this music as a jazzy, blues style.  This music just makes me happy and feel good.  I think its wonderful they want to continue a tradition that is dated back to slavery days.  When I first heard Adele's song Rolling in the Deep I instantly thought of this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xbGYQgBPY5k
The last one is Put a Spell on you by Natacha Atlas.  This is the same song that Bette Mittler did in Hocus Pocus.  I find this one more interesting because it is sang in two different languages.  I also admire her for the ability to become a famous female singer in the middle east.  My dance instructor is a wealth of information and turned me onto this song.  We have a dance choreography to this song.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=eIPaZ0V5f-8
Ok, so I was going to stop at 3 put wanted to put one that my 17 year old son came in and ask if I had heard.  I of course said yes, and I love that song.  Haven't quite figured out the lyrics yet.  I think a class mate I posted on already would enjoy this song also.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SDTZ7iX4vTQ&ob=av2e
Hope you enjoy all the videos as much as I did doing this post.