Labyrinth
By: Cam Hall
Labyrinth, a fantasy/adventure film released in 1986, is one of many interesting creations by the ever so brilliant Jim Henson. The film tells the story of a young teenage girl named Sarah (Jennifer Connelly), who has been reading a story/play book called (The) Labyrinth. Sarah hates her home life and all of the people in it, especially her little baby brother, named Toby. On one stormy night, while her two parents go out and leave her with the baby, Sarah wishes for the goblin king and his army of goblin henchmen (most likely in connection with the play she was reading) to come and take Toby away for her. This wish is then granted, with Toby mysteriously disappearing from their house and Sarah being visited by the goblin king (David Bowie), who tells her that Toby resides in his castle, at the center of a labyrinth. Sarah asks for him to return Toby to her house and that she really didn't mean anything by the wish she made. The goblin king, who goes by the name of Jareth, then gives her the chance to solve the labrynth and rescue her brother in the time frame of 13 hours. At one point, Sarah is transported to the magical fantasy world of the labyrinth and starts her quest to rescue Toby from the goblin king and his minions, while also trying to prevent him from becoming like one of them.
This film is truly an instant classic and should be recognized for its great musical store, characters, and settings. A great number of songs on the soundtrack were made and composed by David Bowie. People will enjoy the beat to his song "Magic Dance," a catchy tune that allows people to get up out of their seats and move around wherever they are. In addition, viewers will like Bowie's slow ballad song "As The World Falls Down," which allows them to picture themselves dancing slowly with a partner like they are at some grand ball dance of some sort. Another song by David Bowie that is played in the film is called "Underground," which talks about not always enjoying life and wanting to run away from what is given to you, something that everybody can connect to in one way or another.
The many characters in the film help to contribute to the film's maginificent appeal and entertainment purposes. The audience will fall in love with the ever so loyal Ludo. Ludo is a big beast who is very friendly and is able to summon large groups of rocks by bellowing and/or roaring loudly to help Sarah in her quest, throughout the film. Viewers will laugh at the ever so outrageous Sir Didymus and his canine dog pet Ambrosious. Sir Didymus proves to viewers that bravery comes in any shape and size, even when his dog Ambrosious acts afraid of the enemies that they, Sarah, and the others are pitted against in the film. One other character that viewers of the film will enjoy is Hoggle, a little troll-like figure who likes to collect jewels and tries to help Sarah to the best of his abilities, while being one of Jareth's henchmen at the same time and trying not to disappoint him, either.
The different settings in the film are another factor that contribute to the films overall brilliance and appeal to an audience. People will be intrigued by the first part of the labyrinth that Sarah encounters, in which she is between two tall walls and no matter which direction she decides to take, left or right, is seems as though both paths go on forever and do not stop. What makes this setting really interesting is that the audience assumes that there is not way to get out of it, when the only possible ways to get out of it are camouflaged by the two walls that she is between. Another interesting setting is under the ground in a dark cave where the stone walls have faces that talk to Sarah and Hoggle in deep bellowing voices as they pass by them. This setting can get a few different reactions from viewers, such as fascination, fear, and wonderment. One other setting that will stand out to audiences is within Jareth's castle, in which there are a bunch of staircases that go every way a person could possibly think of. Sarah finds this to be a challenge when trying to reach Toby who keeps crawling away from her and who then possesses abilities like the goblin king, such as being able to walk on walls while being upside-down and sideways.
Despite having negative reviews from certain commentators, Labyrinth will still be able to appeal to audiences, both young and old alike. Certain people that the film has not appealed to include Desson Thomson of the Washington Post who stated that the film ". . . never sets a timely tone beyond the 1980s. It remains disappointingly tethered to yesteryear." Another person who had some negative criticism of the film was Wesley Morris of the Boston Globe, who felt that the film ". . . has no pep. It's a dream in neutral." The negative crticism that Labyrinth gets from certain movie reviewers will never change the fact that it will remain an instant classic in American popular culture. Anybody can be able to like this film, he or she just has to open his or her heart and mind to it.
Works Cited
http://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/labyrinth/
Sunday, November 18, 2012
Sunday, November 11, 2012
Writing a Report
Teens Get The Chills
By: Cam Hall
During this last weekend, over 100 area teenagers from several area churches found out what it was like to be homeless. The teenagers were able to accomplish what they set out to do by setting up a youth camp at Mason Fielld, in North Attleboro, MA. In addition, the teenagers used assorted cardboard boxes of different sizes and wore several layers of clothes to prevent getting cold. The event took place during a weekend on November 10 and 11 of this year, with the sole purpose of raising awareness for the homeless and what they have to endure in their everyday lives.
All of the participants in the organization went into it with the determination and will to obtain $10,000 to help better the Attleboro Area of Council of Churches' Food 'n' Friends program, which gives to nearby food storage units. On the plus side, additional food storage units and organizations would also gain profits from the event, such as the Homes with Heart program, a number of nearby soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.
A number of the participants in this event were willing to share how they felt about the kind of experience they were going through during the event. One participant, a 16-year-old girl by the name of Catie Silva, a resident in Barrington, RI, said in her own words, "I think it was colder in the box than it was outside." Besides this statement, Miss Silva also said, "I woke up (during the night), and my face and feet were freezing." Silva, who has partcipated in this organization for three years, was accompanied by novice Abby Bushnell, a 15-year-old girl from the town of Rhehoboth, MA. Miss Bushnell explained about her present thoughts and feelings about what she was going through by stating that, "I never realized how much I needed until now. A mirror, money, running water...". Abby Bushnell also commented during the organization, stating that, "I've definately learned that even though someone doesn't look homeless, you don't know someone's life story until you experience it." These comments help to indicate how old and new arrivals in this organization might have felt about experiencing this kind of organization in their lives.
A number of people were appreciative of the youngsters' drive to help shine a light on homeless people and what they have to go through in their daily lives. The head organizer of this charitable happening, Don McClain, stated that, "The teens are so excited to be here. It's something that effects their lives, and how they view homelessness and hunger." In addition, Original Congregational Church's youth leader Heather MacAskill had great acknowledgement of the youngsters' determination in the organization whe she said, "They're a really amazing group of kids to give up the comforts of their home and spent two nights in a cardboard box." It is easy to think that a great number of people responded in similar ways to the youngsters' drive in this organization like the way in which McClain and MacAskill did, based on what the youngsters did during the organization.
Despite having to make it through cold evening temperatures - which decreased to a mere 34 degrees at 1 in the morning - and resting in multiple-sized cardboard boxes, the participants made it through this organization with flying colors, and were more than happy to take part in this happening. If only a big number of young kids and adults today would be willing to participate in charitable events like this one to raise awareness for serious kinds of situations that are going on in the world and help to fix the world, as a whole, in doing so.
Works Cited
Cosentino, Judee. Teens get dose of cold reality. Attleboro - North Attleboro, Mass: The Sun Chronicle, November 11, 2012. Print.
By: Cam Hall
During this last weekend, over 100 area teenagers from several area churches found out what it was like to be homeless. The teenagers were able to accomplish what they set out to do by setting up a youth camp at Mason Fielld, in North Attleboro, MA. In addition, the teenagers used assorted cardboard boxes of different sizes and wore several layers of clothes to prevent getting cold. The event took place during a weekend on November 10 and 11 of this year, with the sole purpose of raising awareness for the homeless and what they have to endure in their everyday lives.
All of the participants in the organization went into it with the determination and will to obtain $10,000 to help better the Attleboro Area of Council of Churches' Food 'n' Friends program, which gives to nearby food storage units. On the plus side, additional food storage units and organizations would also gain profits from the event, such as the Homes with Heart program, a number of nearby soup kitchens, and homeless shelters.
A number of the participants in this event were willing to share how they felt about the kind of experience they were going through during the event. One participant, a 16-year-old girl by the name of Catie Silva, a resident in Barrington, RI, said in her own words, "I think it was colder in the box than it was outside." Besides this statement, Miss Silva also said, "I woke up (during the night), and my face and feet were freezing." Silva, who has partcipated in this organization for three years, was accompanied by novice Abby Bushnell, a 15-year-old girl from the town of Rhehoboth, MA. Miss Bushnell explained about her present thoughts and feelings about what she was going through by stating that, "I never realized how much I needed until now. A mirror, money, running water...". Abby Bushnell also commented during the organization, stating that, "I've definately learned that even though someone doesn't look homeless, you don't know someone's life story until you experience it." These comments help to indicate how old and new arrivals in this organization might have felt about experiencing this kind of organization in their lives.
A number of people were appreciative of the youngsters' drive to help shine a light on homeless people and what they have to go through in their daily lives. The head organizer of this charitable happening, Don McClain, stated that, "The teens are so excited to be here. It's something that effects their lives, and how they view homelessness and hunger." In addition, Original Congregational Church's youth leader Heather MacAskill had great acknowledgement of the youngsters' determination in the organization whe she said, "They're a really amazing group of kids to give up the comforts of their home and spent two nights in a cardboard box." It is easy to think that a great number of people responded in similar ways to the youngsters' drive in this organization like the way in which McClain and MacAskill did, based on what the youngsters did during the organization.
Despite having to make it through cold evening temperatures - which decreased to a mere 34 degrees at 1 in the morning - and resting in multiple-sized cardboard boxes, the participants made it through this organization with flying colors, and were more than happy to take part in this happening. If only a big number of young kids and adults today would be willing to participate in charitable events like this one to raise awareness for serious kinds of situations that are going on in the world and help to fix the world, as a whole, in doing so.
Works Cited
Cosentino, Judee. Teens get dose of cold reality. Attleboro - North Attleboro, Mass: The Sun Chronicle, November 11, 2012. Print.
Sunday, November 4, 2012
Writing a Short Article
A Significant Material Girl: Originality in the Pop Music Industry and What it Inspired in Others that Followed
By: Cam Hall
Most people in the younger generation have heard the name of the legendary "Queen of Pop" herself: Madonna, at some point in their lives. The majority of these people are familiar only with a few of Madonna's most recognized songs; including "Like A Virgin," "Material Girl," and "Vogue." In addition, while Madonna in retrospect as put out a number of popular tracks and albums, the most of which have gained huge success over the years, and has lasted for about 30 years as a music artist, still the younger generation go about listening to likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and other such music artists that fall into the same category of music as Madonna. Even though while some people in the younger generation may have heard about about the comparisions made between Madonna and more recent female pop stars, especially based on their image, they still go about thinking that current female pop music acts are completely original and have great talent unlike any other music artists in existance, when this is really not the case. The younger generation is definately unaware of how significant Madonna is the pop music industry, especially since she paved the way for a certain number of popluar female pop music artists of today. Madonna inspired a number of current female music artists to foloow in her footsteps thtough the ways in which she promoted herself in the music industry, especially through her songs and music videos.
Madonna was a female pop music star who early on talked about very standout topics through the lyrics of her songs, such as acceptance and sexual activity. One of Madonna's popular songs during the 1980s, "Express Yourself," tells people to show themselves to the world for who they really are and that they can only be able to respect themselves by doing so. Similar and/or related messages came out through Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way" and Christina Aguilera's song "Beautiful," in the 21st century, with both songs basically giving out the idea that no matter how different you are to just be yourself in order to feel truly happy and not insecure with yourself. Another one of Madonna's songs that sparked a following from more current female music artists was "Erotica," a song that basically makes sexual activity and promiscuity an okay thing have fun with and explore to certain extents. A similar king of idea followed on Rihanna's song called "S&M," which bascially makes sexual desires and fantasies seem like not completely bad things at all. Madonna definately shows originality through her songs in these kind of cases.
Madonna was a female pop music star who early made a very significant and controversial image for herself in the music industry, especiallt through her music videos. One of Madonna's music videos in her early carreer that touched the nerves of a lot of people was the video for her song "Like A Prayer," which showed her standing in a field of burning crosses and kissing a black Jesus Christ, and this video was ultimatley slammed by the Vatican for its content. A similar kind of controversy followed in Lady Gaga's music video for her song, "Alejandro," which showed religious imagery annd the singer swallowing a neacklace that had a miniature cross attached to it, and obviously certain religious groups didn't like this at all, either. A few of Madonna's music videos in her early career that inspired others to floow in her steps were the ones for "Justify My Love," "Erotica," and "Human Nature," two of which showed her as a dominatrix and in one of these videos she was wearing black leather clothing while carrying a whip used for sexual activites. A similar approach followed in Christina Aguilera's music video for her song "Not Myself Tonight," in which she had the exact same kind of dominatrix image that Madonna had in her own music videos. Another example is through Madonna's music video for her song "Justify My Love," which showed her touching upon and/or exploring what different kind of sexualities were like. This kind of exploration followed with Katy Perry's music video for her song "I Kissed A Girl," which involved her having a dream of what it would be like to experience a same-sex kind of realtionship while still preferring heterosexual relationships at the same time. Madonna definately shows originaltiy through her music videos in these kinds of cases.
Whether or not the younger generation will recognize Madonna for her contributions to making a number of female pop music artists what they are today, she will still be recognized by others who still appreciate her creativity and boldness to do what she did, especially during a time in America when her image and other aspects to her music career were considerd extreme and over the top for a woman to be doing. Madonna's originality has earned her a great deal of respect from many people in the world, still to this day. In addition, Madonna has been able to obtain something that no other younger generation female pop music acts have, except for the likes of Britney Spears who really didn't deserve to get one, a lifetime achievement award. The so-called "Queen of Pop" has denfinately earned her title through all of her hard work as a music artist. Madonna will always remain a significant figure in the pop music industry, no matter whether or not she is recognized for how meaningful she is in the world of music.
By: Cam Hall
Most people in the younger generation have heard the name of the legendary "Queen of Pop" herself: Madonna, at some point in their lives. The majority of these people are familiar only with a few of Madonna's most recognized songs; including "Like A Virgin," "Material Girl," and "Vogue." In addition, while Madonna in retrospect as put out a number of popular tracks and albums, the most of which have gained huge success over the years, and has lasted for about 30 years as a music artist, still the younger generation go about listening to likes of Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Rihanna, and other such music artists that fall into the same category of music as Madonna. Even though while some people in the younger generation may have heard about about the comparisions made between Madonna and more recent female pop stars, especially based on their image, they still go about thinking that current female pop music acts are completely original and have great talent unlike any other music artists in existance, when this is really not the case. The younger generation is definately unaware of how significant Madonna is the pop music industry, especially since she paved the way for a certain number of popluar female pop music artists of today. Madonna inspired a number of current female music artists to foloow in her footsteps thtough the ways in which she promoted herself in the music industry, especially through her songs and music videos.
Madonna was a female pop music star who early on talked about very standout topics through the lyrics of her songs, such as acceptance and sexual activity. One of Madonna's popular songs during the 1980s, "Express Yourself," tells people to show themselves to the world for who they really are and that they can only be able to respect themselves by doing so. Similar and/or related messages came out through Lady Gaga's song "Born This Way" and Christina Aguilera's song "Beautiful," in the 21st century, with both songs basically giving out the idea that no matter how different you are to just be yourself in order to feel truly happy and not insecure with yourself. Another one of Madonna's songs that sparked a following from more current female music artists was "Erotica," a song that basically makes sexual activity and promiscuity an okay thing have fun with and explore to certain extents. A similar king of idea followed on Rihanna's song called "S&M," which bascially makes sexual desires and fantasies seem like not completely bad things at all. Madonna definately shows originality through her songs in these kind of cases.
Madonna was a female pop music star who early made a very significant and controversial image for herself in the music industry, especiallt through her music videos. One of Madonna's music videos in her early carreer that touched the nerves of a lot of people was the video for her song "Like A Prayer," which showed her standing in a field of burning crosses and kissing a black Jesus Christ, and this video was ultimatley slammed by the Vatican for its content. A similar kind of controversy followed in Lady Gaga's music video for her song, "Alejandro," which showed religious imagery annd the singer swallowing a neacklace that had a miniature cross attached to it, and obviously certain religious groups didn't like this at all, either. A few of Madonna's music videos in her early career that inspired others to floow in her steps were the ones for "Justify My Love," "Erotica," and "Human Nature," two of which showed her as a dominatrix and in one of these videos she was wearing black leather clothing while carrying a whip used for sexual activites. A similar approach followed in Christina Aguilera's music video for her song "Not Myself Tonight," in which she had the exact same kind of dominatrix image that Madonna had in her own music videos. Another example is through Madonna's music video for her song "Justify My Love," which showed her touching upon and/or exploring what different kind of sexualities were like. This kind of exploration followed with Katy Perry's music video for her song "I Kissed A Girl," which involved her having a dream of what it would be like to experience a same-sex kind of realtionship while still preferring heterosexual relationships at the same time. Madonna definately shows originaltiy through her music videos in these kinds of cases.
Whether or not the younger generation will recognize Madonna for her contributions to making a number of female pop music artists what they are today, she will still be recognized by others who still appreciate her creativity and boldness to do what she did, especially during a time in America when her image and other aspects to her music career were considerd extreme and over the top for a woman to be doing. Madonna's originality has earned her a great deal of respect from many people in the world, still to this day. In addition, Madonna has been able to obtain something that no other younger generation female pop music acts have, except for the likes of Britney Spears who really didn't deserve to get one, a lifetime achievement award. The so-called "Queen of Pop" has denfinately earned her title through all of her hard work as a music artist. Madonna will always remain a significant figure in the pop music industry, no matter whether or not she is recognized for how meaningful she is in the world of music.
Sunday, October 28, 2012
Writing a Profile
Burton of Fame
By: Cam Hall
Widely-acclaimed and well-known director Tim Burton is one of the most popular film directors in modern American popular culture. He has made many enchanting and lovable films over the course of a few decades. Tim Burton likes to create many gothic style movies, filled with frightening and yet friendly characters that reach out to an audience in certain ways. In addition, Tim Burton has collaborated with certain actors and actresses in his films, with a number of them appearing more than once over the course of his entire movie career. Popular actors and actresses to work with Tim Burtom have been Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Winona Ryder. What makes Tim Burton stand out from other film makers is his ability to create movies with dark themes, yet have them appeal to both old and young audiences alike. Tim Burton is able to do this by having his films connect with audiences on a personal level and in the case of wanting people to have fun.
Tim Burton has been able to connect to audiences on a personal level in a number of his films in certain ways. One example is in a film that Tim Burton has just released this year called Frankenweenie, which tells the story of a boy who brings his pet dog back to life, in a way similar to Dr. Frankenstein in the film Frankenstein, after it is accidentally hit by a car. This film touches people at an emotional level by allowing them to feel sadness in the case when a loved one passes away due to some horrible situation that caused it to happen. In addition, this film allowes people to recall pets that they had at some point in their lives that they cherished with all of their hearts that eventually passed on due to some kind of event. This film also makes people wish that they could bring their pets back to life, even it means that they would look like mutated and messed up lab experiments as a result of doing so.
Another example is in Tim Burton's greatly-acclaimed 1990 film Edward Scissorhands. The film tells the story of a very unique and unusual man by the name of Edward, greatly portrayed by Johnny Depp, who has scissors for hands and was one of many creations by an inventor, who never completed him, due to his passing, since he was a very old man. As a result of this, Edward is left alone for a long time until a friendly suburban housewife takes him into her home to live there and eventually he becomes popular with everybody in the neighborhood due to his great talent(s). However, he is eventually shunned by the people in the neighborhood, who consider him a freak, especially after he gets himself into some sticky situations. In the middle of all of this turmoil, Edward really doesn't know right from wrong, which plays into the film very significantly. This film touches people at an emotional level by allowing them to feel bad and symapthetic for Edward, especially since they can tell that he really has a good heart and doesn't mean to do anything wrong. In addition, this film is able to connect with people who feel like outcasts in society who might have been born with physical deformities or who just stand out from others in an unusual way. This film also allows people who fall into these categories that no matter hoe different they are from others around them that there will always be somebody who loves them for who they really are, which is evident in the film when the suburban housewife's daughter, portrayed by Winona Ryder, falls in love with Edward and is able to see the true beauty that exists inside of him, despite his unsual exterior-self. Tim Burton succeeds in doing this with other films that he has made over the years, as well.
Tim Burton is able to allow audiences to have fun through his films by taking them to strange and bizarre places filled with adventure and excitement and introducing them to crazy characters that have crazy personalities to themselves. One case where Tim Burton uses setting to allow his audience to have a good time is in film adaption of the classic novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. The inside setting of the Willy Wonka's (Johnney Depp's) factory, combined with the plot of the film, makes for a good combination to keep both young and old looking at the screen. Audiences feel interesed to see the characters in the film riding in a big, pink seahorse-looking boat down a big, chocolate river at lighting speed through dark tunnels, and riding in a clear-glass elevator past a moutain made out of fudge and a room where pink sheep are getting all of the wool shaved of of their bodies. In addition, one case where Tim Burton uses characters to make his films interesting and enjoyable to audiences is in his film Alice in Wonderland. In the film, he allows viewers to laugh at the Red Queen due to her unsually big head, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for their awkward personalities and appearances, in the film.
Tim Burton has achieved great success throughout his film career and will not stop making unique and stand-out movies as long as he lives. He will continue to capture audiences with his great stories as told through his films, from generation to generation. Overall and finally, Tim Burton proves to the people of today that just because a person has strange aspects to him or herself and that these aspects are reflected in his or her personal work, it doesn't mean that that person will not achieve great recognition from the other around him or her.
By: Cam Hall
Widely-acclaimed and well-known director Tim Burton is one of the most popular film directors in modern American popular culture. He has made many enchanting and lovable films over the course of a few decades. Tim Burton likes to create many gothic style movies, filled with frightening and yet friendly characters that reach out to an audience in certain ways. In addition, Tim Burton has collaborated with certain actors and actresses in his films, with a number of them appearing more than once over the course of his entire movie career. Popular actors and actresses to work with Tim Burtom have been Johnny Depp, Helena Bonham Carter, and Winona Ryder. What makes Tim Burton stand out from other film makers is his ability to create movies with dark themes, yet have them appeal to both old and young audiences alike. Tim Burton is able to do this by having his films connect with audiences on a personal level and in the case of wanting people to have fun.
Tim Burton has been able to connect to audiences on a personal level in a number of his films in certain ways. One example is in a film that Tim Burton has just released this year called Frankenweenie, which tells the story of a boy who brings his pet dog back to life, in a way similar to Dr. Frankenstein in the film Frankenstein, after it is accidentally hit by a car. This film touches people at an emotional level by allowing them to feel sadness in the case when a loved one passes away due to some horrible situation that caused it to happen. In addition, this film allowes people to recall pets that they had at some point in their lives that they cherished with all of their hearts that eventually passed on due to some kind of event. This film also makes people wish that they could bring their pets back to life, even it means that they would look like mutated and messed up lab experiments as a result of doing so.
Another example is in Tim Burton's greatly-acclaimed 1990 film Edward Scissorhands. The film tells the story of a very unique and unusual man by the name of Edward, greatly portrayed by Johnny Depp, who has scissors for hands and was one of many creations by an inventor, who never completed him, due to his passing, since he was a very old man. As a result of this, Edward is left alone for a long time until a friendly suburban housewife takes him into her home to live there and eventually he becomes popular with everybody in the neighborhood due to his great talent(s). However, he is eventually shunned by the people in the neighborhood, who consider him a freak, especially after he gets himself into some sticky situations. In the middle of all of this turmoil, Edward really doesn't know right from wrong, which plays into the film very significantly. This film touches people at an emotional level by allowing them to feel bad and symapthetic for Edward, especially since they can tell that he really has a good heart and doesn't mean to do anything wrong. In addition, this film is able to connect with people who feel like outcasts in society who might have been born with physical deformities or who just stand out from others in an unusual way. This film also allows people who fall into these categories that no matter hoe different they are from others around them that there will always be somebody who loves them for who they really are, which is evident in the film when the suburban housewife's daughter, portrayed by Winona Ryder, falls in love with Edward and is able to see the true beauty that exists inside of him, despite his unsual exterior-self. Tim Burton succeeds in doing this with other films that he has made over the years, as well.
Tim Burton is able to allow audiences to have fun through his films by taking them to strange and bizarre places filled with adventure and excitement and introducing them to crazy characters that have crazy personalities to themselves. One case where Tim Burton uses setting to allow his audience to have a good time is in film adaption of the classic novel Charlie and the Chocolate Factory by Roald Dahl. The inside setting of the Willy Wonka's (Johnney Depp's) factory, combined with the plot of the film, makes for a good combination to keep both young and old looking at the screen. Audiences feel interesed to see the characters in the film riding in a big, pink seahorse-looking boat down a big, chocolate river at lighting speed through dark tunnels, and riding in a clear-glass elevator past a moutain made out of fudge and a room where pink sheep are getting all of the wool shaved of of their bodies. In addition, one case where Tim Burton uses characters to make his films interesting and enjoyable to audiences is in his film Alice in Wonderland. In the film, he allows viewers to laugh at the Red Queen due to her unsually big head, and Tweedle Dee and Tweedle Dum for their awkward personalities and appearances, in the film.
Tim Burton has achieved great success throughout his film career and will not stop making unique and stand-out movies as long as he lives. He will continue to capture audiences with his great stories as told through his films, from generation to generation. Overall and finally, Tim Burton proves to the people of today that just because a person has strange aspects to him or herself and that these aspects are reflected in his or her personal work, it doesn't mean that that person will not achieve great recognition from the other around him or her.
Saturday, October 20, 2012
Writing a Memoir
My Academic Transition
By: Cam Hall
Before I took normal level classes in school, I was in special needs classes during all of my elementary and early middle school educational life. I was placed in these classes because of my learning disabilities and my unusual behavior. One of my learning disabilities was not being able to process and understand information right away. In addition, one aspect of my unusual behavior was strange bodily movements, such as rocking back and forth. In these classes, I did a lot of simple assigments, took not too challenging quizzes and tests, and overall performed well in them. I enjoyed being in these classes and didn't want to be placed out of them at all. However, in the future, I would face a nerving event that I felt, at the time that it happened, that I wasn't prepared for. This event was that I was going to be taken out of the special needs classes and put into regular academic classes. This was something I had earned due to my outstanding performance in my special needs academic classes, during the sixth grade.
During the first half of my first year in middle school, I was placed in special needs classes as I usually had been in elementary school. In these classes, I performed very well academically and stood out from the majority of the other students. Once the middle of the school year came about, my special needs teacher, Mrs. Ludwig, spoke to one or both of my parents about how well I was performing in her classes. In addition, she said that she felt as though I had the skills and the potential to do well in and be put in the normal level academic classes in the school. Both of my parents felt happy with what she said and they both agreed with her thoughts. My parents felt at this time that moving into the regular level academic classes would be a great step for me to take while I was still in grade school. When I eventually heard about what my teacher and my parents wanted to happen to me, I felt very unsure and doubtful as to if this transition would actually be a good for me in the big scheme of things. I was worried that I might not be able to handle what was expected of me in the normal level classes. No matter whether I wanted to go through with the transition or not at the time, I still had to go through with what was required of me.
Once I finally was in and had all normal level classes, I was thinking about what might be expected of me and how much of a difference these classes would be from the special needs classes. I hoped that what I was going to face in these classes wouldn't overwhelm me and make me get stresses out easily. Eventually, I realized that the normal classes included similar learning concepts like from my other classes, with some differences, that I could easily understand and I applied all of the same basic that I carried with me back in the other classes to do well in the normal level classes. In addition, I was able to perform well on the quizzes and tests that were handed out to me in my new classes. As I moved along in these classes, I also became more familiar with what was constantly expected of me as a student and I felt confident that I had what it took to do well in these normal level classes. After I got through the transition, I kept up my hard work all throughout the rest of middle school and high school. Due to my great academic skills and undertanding of important educational concepts, I was able to graduate from high school with flying colors and end up in college at Bridgewater State University, which was my primary choice over all of the other places that I had applied to go to.
Finally, since the beginning of my freshman year of college, I have been able to do well on a number of assignments in my classes and understand certain things that my professors have taught me, which is all due to my great academic abilities and determination to do well in college. In addition, I don't think that I would be in the position that I am in right now if I didn't make the transition back in the sixth grade. This is something that I now fell grateful towards for happening to me in my life.
By: Cam Hall
Before I took normal level classes in school, I was in special needs classes during all of my elementary and early middle school educational life. I was placed in these classes because of my learning disabilities and my unusual behavior. One of my learning disabilities was not being able to process and understand information right away. In addition, one aspect of my unusual behavior was strange bodily movements, such as rocking back and forth. In these classes, I did a lot of simple assigments, took not too challenging quizzes and tests, and overall performed well in them. I enjoyed being in these classes and didn't want to be placed out of them at all. However, in the future, I would face a nerving event that I felt, at the time that it happened, that I wasn't prepared for. This event was that I was going to be taken out of the special needs classes and put into regular academic classes. This was something I had earned due to my outstanding performance in my special needs academic classes, during the sixth grade.
During the first half of my first year in middle school, I was placed in special needs classes as I usually had been in elementary school. In these classes, I performed very well academically and stood out from the majority of the other students. Once the middle of the school year came about, my special needs teacher, Mrs. Ludwig, spoke to one or both of my parents about how well I was performing in her classes. In addition, she said that she felt as though I had the skills and the potential to do well in and be put in the normal level academic classes in the school. Both of my parents felt happy with what she said and they both agreed with her thoughts. My parents felt at this time that moving into the regular level academic classes would be a great step for me to take while I was still in grade school. When I eventually heard about what my teacher and my parents wanted to happen to me, I felt very unsure and doubtful as to if this transition would actually be a good for me in the big scheme of things. I was worried that I might not be able to handle what was expected of me in the normal level classes. No matter whether I wanted to go through with the transition or not at the time, I still had to go through with what was required of me.
Once I finally was in and had all normal level classes, I was thinking about what might be expected of me and how much of a difference these classes would be from the special needs classes. I hoped that what I was going to face in these classes wouldn't overwhelm me and make me get stresses out easily. Eventually, I realized that the normal classes included similar learning concepts like from my other classes, with some differences, that I could easily understand and I applied all of the same basic that I carried with me back in the other classes to do well in the normal level classes. In addition, I was able to perform well on the quizzes and tests that were handed out to me in my new classes. As I moved along in these classes, I also became more familiar with what was constantly expected of me as a student and I felt confident that I had what it took to do well in these normal level classes. After I got through the transition, I kept up my hard work all throughout the rest of middle school and high school. Due to my great academic skills and undertanding of important educational concepts, I was able to graduate from high school with flying colors and end up in college at Bridgewater State University, which was my primary choice over all of the other places that I had applied to go to.
Finally, since the beginning of my freshman year of college, I have been able to do well on a number of assignments in my classes and understand certain things that my professors have taught me, which is all due to my great academic abilities and determination to do well in college. In addition, I don't think that I would be in the position that I am in right now if I didn't make the transition back in the sixth grade. This is something that I now fell grateful towards for happening to me in my life.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Writng an Application Essay
What personal characteristics do you possess that make you a good candidate for working as a tour guide in a history museum and why are interested in this kind of job?
By: Cam Hall
Dear Mrs. Salt:
I am writng to apply for the job of a tour guide at the 20th Century American History Museum. Nate Cooper recommended that I reply to you.
I first heard of the 20th Century American History Museum when Nate Cooper met with the head of Springfield High School's history department, Mary Richards, last winter, looking for student applicants. I was very excited when Ms. Richards said that I should consider doing this job. I am hoping that you will accept me into the work staff at the 20th Century American History Museum.
Mary Richards picked me as a candidate because she has seen my expertise and great personality in my history class at Springfield High. I have been able to memorize important dates and facts in history, and explain about the significance of key events in history. I have been able to recognize key people, places, and events in pictures when they are displayed in front of me. I have done well with writing assigned papers on a number of topics in my history class. I have performed well on a number of quizzes and tests that have been handed out to me in my history class. I have been able to accept others' opinions as well as voice my own on key events in history in my class. I have been ranked as one of the top students in my history class as far as having a good grade point average. Lastly, I have received a faculty award from my high school for my dedication to doing my work and for being well-behaved, not just in my history class, but for all of my classes.
My interest in the 20th Century American History Museum comes from my interests in current American history and history museums. This is evident based on the fact that during my time in high school, I read books on the many decades of America during the 1900s. Each book was given a title as to what was going on in America at the time, for example The Jazz Age: The 20s and The Digital Decade: The 90s. In addition, I have also been to a number of interesting history museums in America during my lifetime. These include some of the Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C., the JFK memorial museum close to or within Boston, MA, and two Madame Tussauds wax musuems, one in Washington D.C., and one in New York City, NY. I have found the many different ways that history has been portrayed in these museums to be fascinating; from important quotations from key people posted on the walls to three-dimensional wax figures portraying inportant people in American history, everybody from important political figures to notable people in American pop culture (films, television, sports, music).
I would like the chance to get to talk to you at some point about my objectives and to show you my resume which I can bring with me to an interview. I am looking forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Cam Hall
By: Cam Hall
Dear Mrs. Salt:
I am writng to apply for the job of a tour guide at the 20th Century American History Museum. Nate Cooper recommended that I reply to you.
I first heard of the 20th Century American History Museum when Nate Cooper met with the head of Springfield High School's history department, Mary Richards, last winter, looking for student applicants. I was very excited when Ms. Richards said that I should consider doing this job. I am hoping that you will accept me into the work staff at the 20th Century American History Museum.
Mary Richards picked me as a candidate because she has seen my expertise and great personality in my history class at Springfield High. I have been able to memorize important dates and facts in history, and explain about the significance of key events in history. I have been able to recognize key people, places, and events in pictures when they are displayed in front of me. I have done well with writing assigned papers on a number of topics in my history class. I have performed well on a number of quizzes and tests that have been handed out to me in my history class. I have been able to accept others' opinions as well as voice my own on key events in history in my class. I have been ranked as one of the top students in my history class as far as having a good grade point average. Lastly, I have received a faculty award from my high school for my dedication to doing my work and for being well-behaved, not just in my history class, but for all of my classes.
My interest in the 20th Century American History Museum comes from my interests in current American history and history museums. This is evident based on the fact that during my time in high school, I read books on the many decades of America during the 1900s. Each book was given a title as to what was going on in America at the time, for example The Jazz Age: The 20s and The Digital Decade: The 90s. In addition, I have also been to a number of interesting history museums in America during my lifetime. These include some of the Smithsonian museums in Washington D.C., the JFK memorial museum close to or within Boston, MA, and two Madame Tussauds wax musuems, one in Washington D.C., and one in New York City, NY. I have found the many different ways that history has been portrayed in these museums to be fascinating; from important quotations from key people posted on the walls to three-dimensional wax figures portraying inportant people in American history, everybody from important political figures to notable people in American pop culture (films, television, sports, music).
I would like the chance to get to talk to you at some point about my objectives and to show you my resume which I can bring with me to an interview. I am looking forward to meeting you.
Sincerely,
Cam Hall
Sunday, October 7, 2012
Writing a Rhetorical Analysis
Let it Snow: A Short Story by David Sedaris (Rhetorical Analysis)
By: Cam Hall
From the first couple of sentences of his short story, you assume that the author, David Sedaris is going to talk mainly about how little the snowfall was every winter in North Carolina in the area where he lived, when he was a child, and then how one winter he was much happier when the amount of snow that hit the ground increased by a tremendous amount. It's not difficult to figure out how joyous he was during this one significant winter, especially since, "School was cancelled, and two days later we got lucky again. There were eight inches on the ground, and rather than melting, it froze."
But what he writes to his audience is not another story about a young child feeling grateful that a large snowfall has allowed min or her to miss school and that child enjoying the day off. In actuality, David Sedaris's main concern, especially for his audience, is of the relationship that exists between his mother and himself, plus his sisters, who are in the exact same position as he is, during a specific point in hsi life. He mainly focuses on an event that occurs during the time that he and his sisters were off from school which starts off with Sedaris stating that, "Our presence has disrupted the secret life she led while we were at school, and when she could no longer take it she threw us out. It wasn't a gentle request but something closer to an eviction." Based on this quote from the text, the audience can predict that his mother probably did not act like a witch around him and his sisters on a regular basis, since they usually were not home as often as they were during this time, when they were children. David Sedaris uses a lot of explainatory details to show how the battle between his mother and himself, plus his sisters results in a number of significant events all in the course of one day and how the feelings of himself and his sisters towards their mother change from the beginning of the battle to the end of the battle. In addition, the writer gives descriptive detail about the many significant parts of the battle to keep the audience interested and to get an emotional reaction from it, as well.
At the beginning of the situation, the writer's mother kicks him and his sisters out of their house. The audience is quick to get an impression of how the mother is interacting with her children during this situation and how she establishes authority and superiority over them. The point in the story when the mother says, "Get the hell out of my house," and what it is followed by gives the audience this impression. This verbal statement is followed by the author's writing in which he states,"We reminded her that it was our house, too, and she opened the front door and shoved us into the carport. 'And stay out!' she shouted." This excerpt from the story gives readers a negative impression of the writer's mother and allow them to view her as abusive towards her children and feel simpathetic towards the writer and his sisters.
The situation goes on with him and his sisters trying to find another way into the house and them yelling at their mother to let them back in, but to no avail. At one point, the audience is given a description of the mother in the house when her children are looking in on her from the outside when the writer states, "I rang the bell, and when no one answered we went to the window and saw our mother in the kitchen, watching television. Normally she waited until five o'clock to have a drink, but for the past few days she'd been making an exception." This statement can give readers the idea that the mother is definately not acting like her usual self and that she is rejecting her children to an extreme degree at this point due to her apparently unusual consumage of alcoholic beverages during this time. Eventually, their mother goes out of the room. At this point, the writer and his sisters are annoyed and frustrated with their mother, and they basically hate her guts. This is evident when one of the sisters calls their mother a swear word, which shows how angry and hateful she is towards her mother.
After these events, the children try tossing snowballs at the house to get their mother's attention, but this also does not get them into the house any faster. Shortly after this, the writer makes up his own assumption about selfish mothers who abandoned their children like his own when he says, "Selfish mothers wanted the house to themselves and their children were discovered years later, frozen like mastodons in blocks of ice." It is possible that the writer does this purposely to make his mother out to be a horrible tyrant who deserves nothing but the worst for what she has done to her kids.
Once the kids realize that they can't get back into their own house, the writer comes up with the idea that himself or one of his sisters should get run over by a car, as a means of making their mother regret having kicked them out of their house. Next, the siblings argue back and forth with each other over who should be the one to get hit by a car. Eventually, one of the writer's sisters, Tiffany, ends up being the one that lies out on a road in a certain location waiting for a car to come and hit her. The writer describes the event when he states that, "We chose a quiet dip between two hills, a spot where drivers were almost required to skid out of control. She took her place, this six-year-old in a butter-colored coat, and we gathered on the curb to watch." This excerpt from the text shows the audience that he is purposely using imagery to get an emotional reaction from his readers, wanting them to feel bad and sympathetic for his sister who might lose her life due to a cold-hearted mother. Luckily for Tiffany, a car comes across her lying in the road, and the driver happens to be a neighbor of the kids and he stops close to her location on the road. He gets out of the car and wonders what is going on.
Next, Lisa, another one of the writer's sisters, explains to the man about their mother throwing them out of their own house, and he understands the whole situation. Then, a bit later on, the kids see their mother walking towards them while walking around the crest of a hill, and because of this, they assume that their neighbor told their mother of what was going on with her kids trying to see if one of them could get hit by a car with the purpose of making her regret having kicked them all out of their house. The description of the mother, as told by the writer himself, is very interesting and gives her kids and the audience a different attitude towards her. The writer states that, "She did not own a pair of pants, and her legs were buried to the calf in the snow. We wanted to send her home, to kick her out of nature just as she had kicked us out of the house, but it was hard to stay angry at someone so pitiful-looking." This statement allows the audience to feel more sympathetic towards the mother, with the impression that she probably does not have the greatest life and that she feels stressed out a lot of the time, having to take care of and support her many children all of the time. This can also imply that the mother drinks to relieve the stress that she feels having to take care of the many children that she has.
When the mother approaches them, Lisa asks her if she is wearing her special kind of shoes, to which the mother responds by raising up a foot with no shoe on it and saying that she was wearing one on each foot not too long ago from the present moment. The writer concludes the story by stating that,"This was how things went. One moment she was locking us out of her own house and the next we were rooting around in the snow, looking for her left shoe. 'Oh, forget about it.' she said. 'It'll turn up in a few days." Gretchen fitted her cap over my mother's foot. Lisa secured it with her scarf, and, surrounding her tightly on all sides, we made our way home." This concluding statement explains to the readers how the writer and his sisters were able to forgive their mother for what she did to them and that they still love her and care for her and basically how their attitudes and feelings towards their mother completly changed. The ending also shows how the mother changed her attitude and feelings towards her kids, since she cared enough about them to go out on her own and search for them out in the cold weather, especially with little clothing for her to wear. The audience is able to have a more positive feeling for the mother at the end of the story, since she basically risked her health in order to retrieve her kids, who apparently she really did care about. In conclusion, because David Sedarus uses a lot of explainatory detail about the struggle between the writer, his siblings, and his mother, he is able to keep the audience interested in the overall plot of the story, plus allow the audience to connect to the different characters, as well as feel the same emotions that all of the characters go through in the story.
By: Cam Hall
From the first couple of sentences of his short story, you assume that the author, David Sedaris is going to talk mainly about how little the snowfall was every winter in North Carolina in the area where he lived, when he was a child, and then how one winter he was much happier when the amount of snow that hit the ground increased by a tremendous amount. It's not difficult to figure out how joyous he was during this one significant winter, especially since, "School was cancelled, and two days later we got lucky again. There were eight inches on the ground, and rather than melting, it froze."
But what he writes to his audience is not another story about a young child feeling grateful that a large snowfall has allowed min or her to miss school and that child enjoying the day off. In actuality, David Sedaris's main concern, especially for his audience, is of the relationship that exists between his mother and himself, plus his sisters, who are in the exact same position as he is, during a specific point in hsi life. He mainly focuses on an event that occurs during the time that he and his sisters were off from school which starts off with Sedaris stating that, "Our presence has disrupted the secret life she led while we were at school, and when she could no longer take it she threw us out. It wasn't a gentle request but something closer to an eviction." Based on this quote from the text, the audience can predict that his mother probably did not act like a witch around him and his sisters on a regular basis, since they usually were not home as often as they were during this time, when they were children. David Sedaris uses a lot of explainatory details to show how the battle between his mother and himself, plus his sisters results in a number of significant events all in the course of one day and how the feelings of himself and his sisters towards their mother change from the beginning of the battle to the end of the battle. In addition, the writer gives descriptive detail about the many significant parts of the battle to keep the audience interested and to get an emotional reaction from it, as well.
At the beginning of the situation, the writer's mother kicks him and his sisters out of their house. The audience is quick to get an impression of how the mother is interacting with her children during this situation and how she establishes authority and superiority over them. The point in the story when the mother says, "Get the hell out of my house," and what it is followed by gives the audience this impression. This verbal statement is followed by the author's writing in which he states,"We reminded her that it was our house, too, and she opened the front door and shoved us into the carport. 'And stay out!' she shouted." This excerpt from the story gives readers a negative impression of the writer's mother and allow them to view her as abusive towards her children and feel simpathetic towards the writer and his sisters.
The situation goes on with him and his sisters trying to find another way into the house and them yelling at their mother to let them back in, but to no avail. At one point, the audience is given a description of the mother in the house when her children are looking in on her from the outside when the writer states, "I rang the bell, and when no one answered we went to the window and saw our mother in the kitchen, watching television. Normally she waited until five o'clock to have a drink, but for the past few days she'd been making an exception." This statement can give readers the idea that the mother is definately not acting like her usual self and that she is rejecting her children to an extreme degree at this point due to her apparently unusual consumage of alcoholic beverages during this time. Eventually, their mother goes out of the room. At this point, the writer and his sisters are annoyed and frustrated with their mother, and they basically hate her guts. This is evident when one of the sisters calls their mother a swear word, which shows how angry and hateful she is towards her mother.
After these events, the children try tossing snowballs at the house to get their mother's attention, but this also does not get them into the house any faster. Shortly after this, the writer makes up his own assumption about selfish mothers who abandoned their children like his own when he says, "Selfish mothers wanted the house to themselves and their children were discovered years later, frozen like mastodons in blocks of ice." It is possible that the writer does this purposely to make his mother out to be a horrible tyrant who deserves nothing but the worst for what she has done to her kids.
Once the kids realize that they can't get back into their own house, the writer comes up with the idea that himself or one of his sisters should get run over by a car, as a means of making their mother regret having kicked them out of their house. Next, the siblings argue back and forth with each other over who should be the one to get hit by a car. Eventually, one of the writer's sisters, Tiffany, ends up being the one that lies out on a road in a certain location waiting for a car to come and hit her. The writer describes the event when he states that, "We chose a quiet dip between two hills, a spot where drivers were almost required to skid out of control. She took her place, this six-year-old in a butter-colored coat, and we gathered on the curb to watch." This excerpt from the text shows the audience that he is purposely using imagery to get an emotional reaction from his readers, wanting them to feel bad and sympathetic for his sister who might lose her life due to a cold-hearted mother. Luckily for Tiffany, a car comes across her lying in the road, and the driver happens to be a neighbor of the kids and he stops close to her location on the road. He gets out of the car and wonders what is going on.
Next, Lisa, another one of the writer's sisters, explains to the man about their mother throwing them out of their own house, and he understands the whole situation. Then, a bit later on, the kids see their mother walking towards them while walking around the crest of a hill, and because of this, they assume that their neighbor told their mother of what was going on with her kids trying to see if one of them could get hit by a car with the purpose of making her regret having kicked them all out of their house. The description of the mother, as told by the writer himself, is very interesting and gives her kids and the audience a different attitude towards her. The writer states that, "She did not own a pair of pants, and her legs were buried to the calf in the snow. We wanted to send her home, to kick her out of nature just as she had kicked us out of the house, but it was hard to stay angry at someone so pitiful-looking." This statement allows the audience to feel more sympathetic towards the mother, with the impression that she probably does not have the greatest life and that she feels stressed out a lot of the time, having to take care of and support her many children all of the time. This can also imply that the mother drinks to relieve the stress that she feels having to take care of the many children that she has.
When the mother approaches them, Lisa asks her if she is wearing her special kind of shoes, to which the mother responds by raising up a foot with no shoe on it and saying that she was wearing one on each foot not too long ago from the present moment. The writer concludes the story by stating that,"This was how things went. One moment she was locking us out of her own house and the next we were rooting around in the snow, looking for her left shoe. 'Oh, forget about it.' she said. 'It'll turn up in a few days." Gretchen fitted her cap over my mother's foot. Lisa secured it with her scarf, and, surrounding her tightly on all sides, we made our way home." This concluding statement explains to the readers how the writer and his sisters were able to forgive their mother for what she did to them and that they still love her and care for her and basically how their attitudes and feelings towards their mother completly changed. The ending also shows how the mother changed her attitude and feelings towards her kids, since she cared enough about them to go out on her own and search for them out in the cold weather, especially with little clothing for her to wear. The audience is able to have a more positive feeling for the mother at the end of the story, since she basically risked her health in order to retrieve her kids, who apparently she really did care about. In conclusion, because David Sedarus uses a lot of explainatory detail about the struggle between the writer, his siblings, and his mother, he is able to keep the audience interested in the overall plot of the story, plus allow the audience to connect to the different characters, as well as feel the same emotions that all of the characters go through in the story.
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