I am almost at the end of Ender's Game, and I now have a new favorite book that I've had to read in school (barring a horrible ending).
I loved the matrix and I really like this book for the same reason. In each story there is the one, who is destined to save humanity or the world. This person is just a normal person before but has enormous potential to best the very best. I probally like these types of stories because I wish that I could save that many people.
I also like how Ender battles his way through any obstacle and confronts each challenge head-on without complaints. He is the classic hero who sacrifices something for the greater good, in this case he sacrifices his normal life and his sister to be a commander in the army.
Tuesday, May 5, 2009
X-FILES
I've heard of the X-Files before and new its basic premise but I had never seen it. After watching it, I think I am going to watch more.
The story in the two-episode-thriller that we watched was compelling and while not totally believable is somewhat on par with the truth of the UFO phenomena today. Most of the cases when people report seeing unidentified flying objects they are a case of mistaken identity and the government allows these rumors to circulate so it can cover up what it is really doing.
While its not likley the government is harboring a Japanese scientist who is experimenting on human beings on rail cars, it is more likley that the government is trying out new and futuristic looking technologies. If they keep the story that the strange craft in the sky was not that of this earth then they can prevent foreign governments from knowing the technology that we posses.
The story in the two-episode-thriller that we watched was compelling and while not totally believable is somewhat on par with the truth of the UFO phenomena today. Most of the cases when people report seeing unidentified flying objects they are a case of mistaken identity and the government allows these rumors to circulate so it can cover up what it is really doing.
While its not likley the government is harboring a Japanese scientist who is experimenting on human beings on rail cars, it is more likley that the government is trying out new and futuristic looking technologies. If they keep the story that the strange craft in the sky was not that of this earth then they can prevent foreign governments from knowing the technology that we posses.
La Cosa
The Thing was a good movie, I enjoyed it. Everyone enjoys a good movie when the hero saves the day and is willing to sacrifice his own life for the greater good. Thats exactly what MacMurphy does and who he is in the movie.
I liked that the movie surprised you and that it was unknown who the thing was the whole time. I thought that when the doctor is on his computer it was really funny. He would type something on the computer and it would say something like probability that someone in the building is infected, or probability that the thing will kill everyone 75%. Without a sentient computer that task of computing those probabilities accurately would be impossible.
Another part of the movie that was questionable as to its scientific accuracy was the test that MacMurphy creates to test the blood of the people to see if they are infected. It might be just me but I don't think putting a wire next to blood will do anything.
I liked that the movie surprised you and that it was unknown who the thing was the whole time. I thought that when the doctor is on his computer it was really funny. He would type something on the computer and it would say something like probability that someone in the building is infected, or probability that the thing will kill everyone 75%. Without a sentient computer that task of computing those probabilities accurately would be impossible.
Another part of the movie that was questionable as to its scientific accuracy was the test that MacMurphy creates to test the blood of the people to see if they are infected. It might be just me but I don't think putting a wire next to blood will do anything.
2001: Pop Culture Odyssey
When we were watching 2001, Mr. Inloes said that you can't go more than a couple of days without seeing a reference to the movie. Of course I didn't believe him, because of his tendency to be a pathological liar (just kidding mr. inloes).
Anyways, after I watched it I tried to find references to it and I wasn't able to until one day when I was watching tv. A commercial came on the television, it was one that I had seen many times before but this time it clicked in my head that it was a reference to 2001.
The commercial was about this guy who bought his wife a necklace at some jewlery store, and as he tried to go home his GPS system started talking to him. The GPS system wouldn't give him directions until he showed her the necklace in the bag. The specific reference was when the GPS said "I can't do that Dave."
So I guess this proves that Mr. Inloes doesn't pathologically lie, references to 2001: A Space Odyssey are all around us, you just gotta know where to look.
Anyways, after I watched it I tried to find references to it and I wasn't able to until one day when I was watching tv. A commercial came on the television, it was one that I had seen many times before but this time it clicked in my head that it was a reference to 2001.
The commercial was about this guy who bought his wife a necklace at some jewlery store, and as he tried to go home his GPS system started talking to him. The GPS system wouldn't give him directions until he showed her the necklace in the bag. The specific reference was when the GPS said "I can't do that Dave."
So I guess this proves that Mr. Inloes doesn't pathologically lie, references to 2001: A Space Odyssey are all around us, you just gotta know where to look.
Sandkings
After reading and then watching Sandkings I have to agree with Mr. Inloes, the movie was terrible.
I really enjoyed the short (if you can call it that) story, and thought it was original and very creative. However the movie was not good at all. I didn't like that they changed the story, but after thinking about it more, I think that they did this because they wanted to set it in the present day instead of the future. This movie story is the only one that make sense in the present day. In the written story, Simon Kress travels to another planet on his personal space ship to get the sandkings and maybe because the creators of the movie were lazy and didn't want to have to create all of the special effects of outer space stuff, they set it in the present day.
If another version of the movie was made today that stuck to the script, I think it would do very well, and it would be a lot easier to create with the recent computer generated images technology.
I really enjoyed the short (if you can call it that) story, and thought it was original and very creative. However the movie was not good at all. I didn't like that they changed the story, but after thinking about it more, I think that they did this because they wanted to set it in the present day instead of the future. This movie story is the only one that make sense in the present day. In the written story, Simon Kress travels to another planet on his personal space ship to get the sandkings and maybe because the creators of the movie were lazy and didn't want to have to create all of the special effects of outer space stuff, they set it in the present day.
If another version of the movie was made today that stuck to the script, I think it would do very well, and it would be a lot easier to create with the recent computer generated images technology.
2001: A Slow Odyssey
If you want to know the perfect recipe for falling asleep in a science fiction class, just take a tired student, add a dark room, an early morning, and 2001: A Space Odyssey.
With each scene taking excruciatingly long period of time , I soon became very bored during parts of the movie.
Ok, I'll stop. But you can see how annoying it is in writing, just imagine that multiplied by 10 and in a movie. Scenes that could have taken 10-20 seconds to show, instead took 2 - 3 minutes. I know that movies from different eras are slower and not as action packed but this was just ridiculous. I mean we get the point that the space ship is flying through space, you do not have to show it for ten minutes moving at what appears to us as 2 miles per hour.
I know that the movie was delibrately slow at times by the director's choosing and it is meant to convey a message. However, I'm used to action and images on screen for a few seconds, and I like movies that way.
With each scene taking excruciatingly long period of time , I soon became very bored during parts of the movie.
Ok, I'll stop. But you can see how annoying it is in writing, just imagine that multiplied by 10 and in a movie. Scenes that could have taken 10-20 seconds to show, instead took 2 - 3 minutes. I know that movies from different eras are slower and not as action packed but this was just ridiculous. I mean we get the point that the space ship is flying through space, you do not have to show it for ten minutes moving at what appears to us as 2 miles per hour.
I know that the movie was delibrately slow at times by the director's choosing and it is meant to convey a message. However, I'm used to action and images on screen for a few seconds, and I like movies that way.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Science Fiction Movies
In class we discussed an article in the Detroit Free Press about the Top 10 Science Fiction films of all time. I haven't seen all of them on the list but I have seen about half. When I got home I decided to find another list of the top 10 sci-fi films of all time. This list comes the Guardian.
1. Blade Runner
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Star Wars: Episode IV
4. Alien
5. Solaris
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. War of the Worlds
9. The Matrix
10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
To read the full list click here
From the Science Fiction movies that I have seen, my favorite is the Matrix, followed by Star Wars: Episode IV, Jurassic Park, and the new, Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning version of War of the Worlds. I am excited to watch Blade Runner if it is really considered the greatest sci fi movie of all time. My list might change the more movies that we watch in this class, and the more movies that I see out of class.
1. Blade Runner
2. 2001: A Space Odyssey
3. Star Wars: Episode IV
4. Alien
5. Solaris
6. Terminator 2: Judgment Day
7. The Day the Earth Stood Still
8. War of the Worlds
9. The Matrix
10. Close Encounters of the Third Kind
To read the full list click here
From the Science Fiction movies that I have seen, my favorite is the Matrix, followed by Star Wars: Episode IV, Jurassic Park, and the new, Tom Cruise and Dakota Fanning version of War of the Worlds. I am excited to watch Blade Runner if it is really considered the greatest sci fi movie of all time. My list might change the more movies that we watch in this class, and the more movies that I see out of class.
GATTACA
I've already seen the movie GATTACA in 9th grade. I thought it was pretty good movie then, and I still like it, as I watch it a second time.
Genetic manipulation and being able to choose the gender, abilities, and other characteristics of a child is the central theme of the movie. Genetically manipulating the DNA of people to make a better race of people as they do in the movie, is like what Hitler did in nazi Germany in the 40's. He wanted to create a master race, he saw it as white people, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and the future in GATTACA is not much different. The master race in the movie is someone who is healthy, intelligent, athletic, and machine-like. Imperfections are what makes us human and by removing them and creating a society where everyone knows about you, you create a world without emotions and feelings. Genetically manipulating DNA should be reserved to only preventing disease, and scientists should not be able to alter one's genes to make them more athletic, smarter, or better at a skill.
Genetic manipulation and being able to choose the gender, abilities, and other characteristics of a child is the central theme of the movie. Genetically manipulating the DNA of people to make a better race of people as they do in the movie, is like what Hitler did in nazi Germany in the 40's. He wanted to create a master race, he saw it as white people, with blonde hair and blue eyes, and the future in GATTACA is not much different. The master race in the movie is someone who is healthy, intelligent, athletic, and machine-like. Imperfections are what makes us human and by removing them and creating a society where everyone knows about you, you create a world without emotions and feelings. Genetically manipulating DNA should be reserved to only preventing disease, and scientists should not be able to alter one's genes to make them more athletic, smarter, or better at a skill.
Jurrasic Park
Two hundred and something pages into Jurassic Park, I would say that this is my favorite book that I have read in a high school class, second is Kite Runner. I saw the movie but had never read the book, and I am not ready to call on which I liked better. I read the sequel to Jurassic Park, The Lost World, over the summer because it was at my house and I felt like reading it. After reading half of the first and all of the second, I like the first book better. However, after reading this first book I think I will read it again and see if I enjoy it any better.
One of the things that I like about the book is how it seems realalistic with all of the explanations and scientific jargon used. I like Crichton's writing style and I like how he does a good job at explaining very complicated topics, and making them fit in with the story. An example of this is chaos theory. He uses the character Ian Malcolm to explain chaos theory and to foreshadow that there will be trouble at Jurassic Park.
I hope that we will read more books and watch more movies that incorporate realistic science fiction elements. I thought that The Day the Earth Stood Still was unrealistic, and most of the short stories were also, but Jurassic Park is actually plausible.
One of the things that I like about the book is how it seems realalistic with all of the explanations and scientific jargon used. I like Crichton's writing style and I like how he does a good job at explaining very complicated topics, and making them fit in with the story. An example of this is chaos theory. He uses the character Ian Malcolm to explain chaos theory and to foreshadow that there will be trouble at Jurassic Park.
I hope that we will read more books and watch more movies that incorporate realistic science fiction elements. I thought that The Day the Earth Stood Still was unrealistic, and most of the short stories were also, but Jurassic Park is actually plausible.
Not With A Bang
The short story Not With A Bang brings up an interesting issue. In the story the last man on earth tries to convince the last woman on earth to marry him with the apparent noble intention to keep the human race alive. However, the only reason he wants to marry this woman is so they can have kids who he can abuse, and a wife that he can abuse. The man dies in the bathroom from the disease that inflicted the rest of humanity.
The interesting issue that this story brings up is that if the last man on earth is evil, does the human race even deserve to survive. It does deserve to survive because there is always a capacity to change, in people. It happens every day, people make the decision to change a habit, to quit smoking, or start working hard. Another reason is that you shouldn't punish the son for the sins of his father. By the last couple not reproducing you do not give any of there children or their children's children a chance at a good life, and worse you kill the whole entire human race. The man in this story was truly evil but the human race shouldn't be punished or eliminated just because of one man's shortcomings.
The interesting issue that this story brings up is that if the last man on earth is evil, does the human race even deserve to survive. It does deserve to survive because there is always a capacity to change, in people. It happens every day, people make the decision to change a habit, to quit smoking, or start working hard. Another reason is that you shouldn't punish the son for the sins of his father. By the last couple not reproducing you do not give any of there children or their children's children a chance at a good life, and worse you kill the whole entire human race. The man in this story was truly evil but the human race shouldn't be punished or eliminated just because of one man's shortcomings.
Frankenstein
I did not enjoy the movie Frankenstein as much as I did The Day the Earth Stood Still. The melodramatic acting was distracting and it was dissapointing that even though there were many Hollywood stars in this movie it still wasn't very good. Another annoying thing about the movie was that the music was also extremely dramatic and unnecesarily loud and fast at the parts of the movies that were supposed to be the most intense.
I had never read the book before nor seen any of the movies, so I came into this movie not being able to compare it to any other version, only to other movies that I've seen, and I thought it was not a very good movie. I had actually thought that the monster was named Frankenstein before we started the movie and started discussing it, and I was surprised to hear that the monster didn't have a name and that Frankenstein was the name of the scientist.
I didn't understand the end of the movie. I am not sure how Victor Frankenstein got into the middle of the artic and why the monster was there also. I also am confused as to why the monster killed himself when Victor was going to be burned.
I had never read the book before nor seen any of the movies, so I came into this movie not being able to compare it to any other version, only to other movies that I've seen, and I thought it was not a very good movie. I had actually thought that the monster was named Frankenstein before we started the movie and started discussing it, and I was surprised to hear that the monster didn't have a name and that Frankenstein was the name of the scientist.
I didn't understand the end of the movie. I am not sure how Victor Frankenstein got into the middle of the artic and why the monster was there also. I also am confused as to why the monster killed himself when Victor was going to be burned.
The Day the Earth Stood Still
I enjoyed the movie The Day the Earth Stood Still. When it first started, I didn't think that I would like it due to my mostly unfounded bias towards not liking old movies, however now that the movie is over I realize that I just because a movie is old doesn't mean you cannot still relate to its characters and the plot themes. This new realization may open up a whole new world of movies that I might also enjoy that my Grandparents enjoyed in their day. I used to have the same bias towards older music. I never tried listening to the older bands like the Rolling Stones or The Beatles, because I thought that those were songs that my parents listened to when they were teenagers, so why would I enjoy them? However, once I started listening to these and other older bands I discovered that they still sing about the same themes as are sung about today.
I thought that though some of the mannerisms, outfits, and technology was oudated, the movie was still good. I have never seen the remake that came out recently and after hearing some of the comments made in class I don't think that I will see it.
I thought that though some of the mannerisms, outfits, and technology was oudated, the movie was still good. I have never seen the remake that came out recently and after hearing some of the comments made in class I don't think that I will see it.
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