Magnum, P.I.

The life of the private investigator has always been one that has interested me. Being hired to personally investigate a person’s background or find a missing person is dangerously fascinating. Filmmakers have exploited people’s interest with the thrilling occupation and created several hit shows about the private investigator.

One of the most popular shows in the detective sub-genre is the 1980’s hit, Magnum P.I. The show follows a young private investigator and former Navy SEAL, Thomas Magnum, who conducts his investigations from the guest house of the luxurious mansion of Mr. Robin Masters, an elusive author. Despite the extravagant estate set on the beach of Hawaii and his Ferrari 308 GTB, Magnum is a down-to-earth, blue collar kind of guy.

Being a laid back and charming character helped male viewers connect to him easier than some of the more uppity detectives portrayed on other TV shows.

Another way people were able to connect to Magnum easily is because the show didn’t try to portray him as the perfect man. Many times episodes would be centered around one of his flaws and how he manages to overcome those flaws. This makes a character more believable. We see that he isn’t a god walking the earth, but just a human being like the rest of us.

However, Magnum didn’t overcome his flaws and figure out his hardest cases by himself. He was joined by his best friends, T.C. and Rick, on many of his most harrowing jobs, and constantly nagged on by Jonathan Higgins, Robin Master’s British majordomo, and Magnum’s close friend although he may be slow to admit it. These three characters were crucial to the series as they brought a unique comedic factor to the show. Being a show about mysteries and crimes, it had a darker subject matter but was cleverly lightened by the banter between the characters.

One of my favorite episodes, Paper War, had a comedic tone. This episode was mainly about Magnum and Higgins’ back and forth prank war that all began when Higgins chopped the head off of Magnum’s precious rubber chicken.

Although the comedy is a great addition to the series, the main focus is still the mystery. The series is fast paced as many times Magnum is running from the bad guys or rescuing the person who is being held captive. The storylines of each episode are intriguing and will keep the audience guessing until the end.

Of all the detective shows that I have seen, I have to say Magnum P.I. is one of my favorites. It was one of the first detective shows that I ever came in contact with, and I have loved it ever since. It is a beautiful blend of mystery, action, drama, and comedy. Every aspect of the series was thought out and added to fulfill the viewer’s expectations and desires. No wonder it ranked in the top twenty shows in the U.S. for five straight years.

Advertisements Through The Decades

Recently, my media class had a guest speaker, Mr. Don Schneider. He is well versed in the world of advertisement. He shared with us many great insights into how to create successful ads. He has created several successful ads himself as he has made seven of the top ten Super Bowl ads ever created.

Being in the business for several decades, he knows the ins and outs of every advertising technique. One of the facts he shared that struck me the most was that appealing advertisements change with every generation. Therefore, commercials must adapt to our ever changing society. One technique will not work forever. I did some more research on this and realized that he was exactly right. The types of advertisements that we have now are completely different from the advertisements that existed in the 50’s and even not as long ago in the early 2000’s.

Since Coca Cola has been around for many decades and has always been a leader in the advertisement industry, I decided to contrast the Coca Cola ads as they changed over time and reflected the society that they were made in.

Television first came around in the 1950’s, creating a whole new playing field for advertisers. All new possibilities came around with visual broadcasting, and Coca Cola jumped on board.

This commercial definitely embodied American culture in the 1950’s. The women of this decade were personified as stay-at-home mothers whose main goal (and many times only goal) was to provide for her family. This meant indulging in “women” activities like cooking, cleaning, and like the commercial highlights, shopping. Basically the whole commercial is directed towards these hard shopping women, and encourages them to drink Coca Cola while taking a break.

I tried to imagine how this commercial would be received if it was shown today. My guess would be not very well. Women nowadays are independent and can no longer be put under one category. Women today would have a very hard time relating to this one.

Jumping twenty or so years later, this 1970’s Coca Cola commercial has changed quite a bit from the commercial in the 1950’s.

 

Rather than directing the commercial at one specific type of person, Coca Cola changed to advertising for everyone. The feeling that I get from this advertisement is that of unity. Everyone from all different ages and races are standing together in the field and drinking Coca Cola. The 70’s were very much a time of peace and unity. In the aftermath of the Civil Rights Movement and the Vietnam War, peace was the main goal for most everyone. Coca Cola honed in on this public feeling and created a commercial that advocated harmony.

A decade later in the 1980’s, yet again the Coca Cola commercial has changed drastically.

This advertisement was high paced and high energy. Long gone from the slow-paced hippie love days of the 60’s and 70’s, the 1980’s was all about the party and having a good time. The commercial shows people dancing and smiling and really enjoying themselves while drinking Coca Cola. Coca Cola is very good at trying to sell the experience rather than only trying to sell the product itself. This gives the illusion that if I drink Coca Cola, I’ll be so happy that I’ll be dancing and singing in the streets like the people in the commercial. It’s so good that you “can’t beat the feeling”.

After looking at several commercials from different decades, I can see how Coca Cola commercials today are different from those in the past.

We love special effects not only in our movies but also in our commercials. Coca Cola adapted to this by creating a visually stunning advertisement with polar bears drinking the soft drink. In the past, they didn’t have the kind of technology to make a commercial like this, and it’s amazing that we can now.

One thing that does unite all of these commercials is the feeling of happiness and a warm heart. In all of these commercials, you can see people smiling and enjoying the taste of their Coca Cola. This company was able to keep those universal qualities while also changing with the audience.

In summation, Mr. Don Schneider was very correct in his statement that advertisements change throughout time. I am more informed now of the role of advertisements and will take this information with me as I continue my career in the film industry.

What Happened to 2D Animation?

I know I can’t be the only one who misses 2D animation. 2D animation used to rule the cartoon world before computerized animation. Most of the cartoons I grew up on were 2D drawings like The Lion King, El Dorado, and The Prince of Egypt. I found these films and others like them to have good story lines and also be aesthetically pleasing.

When Pixar began producing computer animated films, I thought they were really neat because they were something new and technological, but I found myself not liking and connecting to them as much as I would with the 2D cartoons. I don’t really have an explanation as to why that was the case for me. I suppose it all depends on your preference and what is most aesthetically pleasing to you, and for me, it was 2D animation. I was lucky enough to grow up in a time where there was a mixture of animation types, and I was able to choose between them. Now it seems as though the computer animated type of cartoons have almost completely taken over and have just about eliminated 2D.

Even though Pixar and other computerized films have made some great contributions lately, I feel like viewers should have some sort of option on what style they want to watch. Both kinds of animation are different types of art forms and translate their stories in different ways which is why I feel there should be screen space for both.

Just a few days ago, I was talking to my friend who is an animation major at my school, and she completely agreed with me that the cartoon industry should bring back 2D. She also said that she prefers 2D over computerized animation. Although 2D takes much longer to do, with it mostly being hand drawn, I feel like the outcome is that much more impressive and everyone will take notice.

I know for a fact that I took notice when Disney brought back 2D in 2009 for the film Princess and the Frog. Right before its release, I had almost given up hope on 2D returning to the screen. When I saw Princess and the Frog was going to be 2D, I was ecstatic, and I could tell most people were happy as well that Disney went back to its roots for the film. Being that it was 2D made it feel much more like the classic Disney films that are hailed as some of the best cartoons of all time. I really enjoyed Princess and the Frog and found it to be a top notch animated Disney film.

My favorite cartoon of all time is Balto, a film about an outcast dog/wolf hybrid who saves the town of Nome, Alaska by retrieving the much needed medicine that was lost in the wilderness. I absolutely loved the animation style in this film as the artists tried to make it look real but also still kept the cartoon feel. Every time I watch that film, I’m amazed by how intricate the drawings are and how much effort the artists put into bringing the film to the viewers. Not only is the animation stunning, but the story is truly inspirational.

There are so many great 2D animations that have been drowned out by computerized animations. I feel as though 2D animation is not dead yet and still has the potential to go far. As viewers, I say we need to fight for 2D to come back. There’s so much more we can do with 2D. It’s not time for it to go away.

You Are One Of Us, Michael

Since I love the 80’s, I have seen several films from that decade. So many great movies came out of the 80’s and continue to be super popular today, even with my generation. While I love The Breakfast Club, Ferris Bueller’s Day Off, and even Pee Wee’s Big Adventure, my favorite is Joel Schumacher’s The Lost Boys.

As I mentioned in my previous blog post, I love films that involve monsters and mystery. The Lost Boys involves a classic monster, the vampire. Basically, it’s the story of a family that moves to a new town, the kids get mixed up in a strange biker gang who turn out to be a group of vampires, one of the boys gets turned into a vampire, and the brother has to figure out a way to turn him back into a normal human….so just a regular routine for the new kid, right?

I think one of the reasons why I love this movie so much, besides the vampires, is because of how 80’s it really is. I mean, it’s got the hair-dos, the fashion, the music, and some iconic 80’s actors including Corey Haim, Corey Feldman, and Keifer Sutherland….what else could you want?

From a filmmakers perspective, not only do I appreciate the 80’s-ness (if that’s a word), but I also enjoy how stylized the film is. It’s got a very contrasting image with the dark subject matter, the dark clothing, and many scenes that take place at night, but all of that is combined with light and things normally associated to happy things.

For example, the town they live in is the beach town of Santa Carla, and beaches are normally associated with happy memories. When I think of the beach, I do not normally think of vampires. I usually imagine vampires living in the woods or in a castle, not in a beach town where there is tons of sun. But in this film, the vampires roam the beautiful beaches looking for their next prey.

One scene in particular that I really love for the stylistic aspect is when the vampire biker gang makes their first appearance at the amusement park on the boardwalk. I loved how the director had the vampires riding the carousel. Again, this is an example of the contrast of the film. Something considered evil is having “fun” on the carousel. This also gives the audience a new spin on the vampire. Normally they’re portrayed as a creature of the night with long fangs and bat wings. Schumacher was able to create his own version of the vampire.

The Lost Boys is often overlooked as a great 80’s film, but I think it deserves to be near the top of the list. If you haven’t seen The Lost Boys I highly suggest checking it out! Thanks for reading!

Readers Beware, You’re In For A Scare

Undead neighbors, an amusement park run by monsters, and a camera the predicts a disturbing future are all examples from the super popular children’s book and TV series from the 90’s called Goosebumps. Although Goosebumps hasn’t had as much of an impact as some of the other shows I’ve covered in my blog posts, it is the show that has had the most impact on me, personally.

I’m very fond of the Goosebumps book and TV series because it made up a lot of my childhood. When I think back on the nights I used to watch the show alone at night, curled up in my blanket to protect me from the monsters, it brings back a special kind of nostalgia that always makes me smile.

Even though I would get scared while watching the show, there was something about the adrenaline rush that would always keep me wanting more. I think that is why the show was so popular in the 90’s. Kids were addicted to spine-chilling stories and the mystery of the monsters. Never before had there been a scary TV show made specifically for children. Usually television companies and parents would try to keep children away from any and all things scary, but Goosebumps made a change to the status quo. R.L. Stine, the creator of the series, was able to perfectly blend the scare-factor with some lighthearted comedy and banter, keeping the show thrilling but making sure it wasn’t too scary for children.

For me, Goosebumps was the start to my fascination with ghosts, monsters, and the horror genre. The series even inspired me to begin writing short horror stories of my own, with one of my stories entailing an evil snowman who stalked a young girl (It was basically a rip off of the Goosebumps book, Beware, The Snowman, but hey, I was in fourth grade and knew nothing about plagiarism).

When I first discovered my love for filmmaking, my friends and I would make short horror films. I was usually the one who ended up writing them and running the camera, and as I look back on them now, I can see how my plots and even some of my camera shots linked back to Goosebumps. R.L. Stine was the master at building suspense, so I would set out to create the same kind of tension in my films. I even used many dutch angled shots like the TV series would use to get the effect of distortion and oddity.

I’m happy that the Goosebumps franchise is still going today! R.L. Stine continues to publish new installments to the book series which encourages kids to enjoy reading. There is also a spin-off TV series by R.L. Stine called The Haunting Hour and a Goosebumps major motion picture was produced last year starring Jack Black. Of course, I have seen all of the spin-offs and went to the theatre to see the movie. Both were great, and I’m glad that kids now have the opportunity to experience Goosebumps the same way I did.

Even though, I have now outgrown the Goosebumps series, I still hold it very dear to my heart and even still get a small chill when I hear the haunting piano theme song. I have R.L. Stine to thank for getting my creativity flowing and inspiring me to bring my creations to life.

Bond, James Bond.

Some movies have such an impact that they set the bar for an entire genre, and many films that follow try to copycat it. The James Bond franchise is one of the biggest (and arguably the one and only) series to set today’s standard for the “spy/action” genre.

I know when I think of spy movies, my mind immediately goes to James Bond. There were plenty of spy movies before, but as soon as the first James Bond film, Dr. No, premiered, audiences never saw spies in the same way. This new spy overflowed with charisma and charm but also wasn’t afraid to get dirty. Being one of the top agents from England’s MI6, James Bond attended lavish parties where his martini was “shaken, not stirred” and hung around beautiful women while simultaneously infiltrating secret headquarters to gather information on the enemies of MI6.

So, it’s obvious everyone wanted to be James Bond. He lived the life of the wealthy and embarked on exciting adventures that most of us can only dream about….not to mention his unlimited supply of spy gadgets and cars.

But you may wonder how the James Bond series has lasted as long as it has, being that it started in 1962 and is still continuing today. I think one of the reasons why is that the public has always had a fascination with lives that are different than their’s. The life of a spy is filled with mystery and when the rich and famous are thrown into the mix, it makes the concept that much more intriguing.

Another reason I believe James Bond has remained so popular all of these years is because the actor who portrays Bond changes out every few movies. This keeps the franchise in the headlines because it is a big deal when a new actor takes the face of James Bond. I remember when Daniel Craig was cast as the new James Bond in 2005 and how big of a deal it was. Instantly the new actor becomes a household name and everyone is anxious to see whether or not he will live up to the James Bond standard.

Some of the best known actors of James Bond are Sean Connery, Roger Moore, and more recently, Daniel Craig. Everyone has their own opinion of who played the character best. My favorite is Roger Moore but Daniel Craig is in a close second. (Let me know who your favorite James Bond actor is in the comments!)

Resulting in the popularity of the franchise, many series tried to follow in its footsteps. We have many spy films now like Jason Bourne, the Ocean’s Trilogy, and Mission Impossible who have been immensely successful but none has quite reached the popularity and following of James Bond.

Entertaining many different generations, James Bond has stood the test of time. It has served as the touchstone for spy films and increased the interest in the world of MI6 and other spy organizations. James Bond continues to go strong and influence the realm of entertainment, one martini at a time.

Say Hello To My Little Friend

I’m a huge fan of gangster/mobster films, from The Godfather to Black Mass. These kinds of films are fairly common with stories about an Italian mafia family or a group of Irish gangsters who have a stronghold over a city. It’s something about the life of the bad guys that sparks our curiosity. It’s the fact that these kinds of organized crimes actually exist that keeps us wanting more.

One of the biggest and most influential mobster films yet to be made is Brian De Palma’s Scarface. It isn’t based off of a true story, but it was inspired by the intense drug wars that were happening in Miami in the 80’s, when the film was made.

Tensions were high in Miami during the 80’s as cocaine smuggling was bigger and more dangerous than ever. Many people saw this as an opportunity to get rich from the public’s demand for drugs. Out of this came the fictional life of “Scarface” himself, Tony Montana. Starting out as a poor Cuban refugee, he quickly becomes involved in Miami’s drug scene and murders his way to the top.

One of the main aspects that Scarface brought to the cinema world was that of violence. Never before had audiences seen so much blood and ruthlessness in one movie. The first cut of the film was said to be so graphic that the MPAA originally gave it an X rating. The producers and director cut out a few of the more graphic scenes and sent it back to the MPAA, hoping for a better rating, but it was still given an X. Knowing that would keep viewers away, the producers begged the MPAA to give them an R. After much debate, the R rating was finally given to them, and they were allowed to show the film in public theaters.

Having seen the film, I know the movie is excessively violent, even for today’s standards. I’m sure Scarface had that much more of an impact on audiences in the 80’s who were not used to seeing gritty violence like that at all. Originally, the film didn’t do very well at the box office and was graded harshly by critics, mainly because of all of the violence. However, audiences began to catch onto it and it has gained a massive following. Now the movie is seen as one of the best films of all time.

(Warning: There’s a bit of violence in this scene, but it is by far not the most graphic one in the film)

One of the main reasons for the enormous following the movie has gained is that it is seen by some as inspirational. Of course, the killing isn’t inspirational but the “rags to riches” story is. Tony is a guy who came to America with nothing but ended up becoming rich. Most people would say the way he became rich was not morally correct, but the film is still a twist on the “American dream”. Audiences can’t help but root for the underdog and Tony is exactly that among the drug cartels.

Personally, Scarface ranks as one of my top favorite films as well. Like I said earlier, I think the fact that this kind of stuff actually exists is what fascinates me. Yeah, the movie could do without some of the violence and the cussing but that is how their world really is. Movies are a mirror of the real world and that’s what the creators of Scarface sought out to do, to expose the atrocities that were going on in Miami.

You Just Gotta Keep Livin’, Man

Recently I introduced some of my friends to a cult classic from the 90’s called Dazed and Confused. The movie is set in the 1970’s and follows a group of high school students on their last day of high school and some upcoming freshman as they endure the annual hazing.

Like I said in my introduction blog, I think older movies give a unique insight into what life was like in decades before. Even though this film was made in the 90’s, I think the filmmakers did an awesome job making it resemble the 70’s. From what I’ve seen and heard about that decade, Dazed and Confused seems to get everything right from the clothes to the slang to the cars.

I’ve always said that if I could go back in time and live in a decade it would be the 1980’s. Although, Dazed and Confused makes me want to also live the 1970’s. It was such a carefree time where people enjoyed the simple things in life. People used to go about their day without the gadgets that we have convinced ourselves we can’t live without. Dazed and Confused highlights the life of teenagers who were able to have just as much fun as teenagers nowadays.

I think it’s neat that the popular thing to do back then was go cruising. The film has many scenes of the kids cruising around in cars like the 1972 Plymouth Duster and 1969 Ford Bronco. It’s something so simple, but I think it’s a great way to hang out and have fun by just riding around town. Many people would probably say that’s boring, but I’m still hoping the trend comes back someday.

However, the kids had some other ideas of fun which usually involved drugs….Disclaimer: don’t do drugs. We aren’t in the 70’s anymore and trust me, it’s not cool.

Even though society in the 70’s and society today is different, I believe the teenagers have remained pretty similar. We may have different technology and trends but the way we act, for the most part, is the same. High schools still have their cliques just like they showed in Dazed and Confused. The popular football jocks are still around and the preppy girls who think they run the school. We still have the nerdy crew and even the pot heads.

I like that most people can recognize themselves in the movie whether you’re currently in high school or thinking back on the days that you were there. A wide array of characters are represented in the movie and everyone can find their place. When I introduced my friends to the film, one of the first things they wanted to do was figure out which character each person in our friend group was most like. In my friend group we have the quiet kind of guy who is like Mitch Kramer, the jock like Fred O’Bannion, the one who tries to be cool like Kevin Pickford (even including this guy’s girlfriend who is quiet like Michelle Burroughs), the popular blonde like Shavonne Wright, and it was decided that I was most like Jodi Kramer, Mitch’s older sister who tries to look out for the freshmen during the hazing process.

So even though, Dazed and Confused represented kids from the 70’s, I think the movie has a reach to people growing up in different time periods. It’s a movie that expands beyond the decade and unites all of us with a little adolescent tomfoolery.