Griffin, Bienvenu "Run Margot Run"

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Nolley- Easy A

The movie I saw over fall break was Easy A starring Emma Stone and Amanda Bynes. Now I know what you guys are thinking, “why would anyone want to willingly see that movie”? And I’ll tell you something, it was pretty entertaining. It definitely had those cheesy moment where you feel awkward that you’re actually watching this movie, but all in all it made me laugh and connect with characters which is the basic aim of any film (well not always laughing; sometimes crying, screaming, etc. but you get the point). The way it was edited together made for an interesting film, because every once in a while Olive (Emma Stone) would interrupt in order to give more input into the scene at hand which gave a more personal feel to the movie overall. It was funny to see the return of Amanda Bynes considering the character she played was a super Christian, which she brought to life very well. All of the actors seemed to complement one another very well, which helped achieve movement through the film and put the audience in a comfortable position with the characters. Now like I said, the movie did have a few parts where it was overly cheesy, but that is to be expected in a teen flick no matter what year it is. Sixteen candles, Pretty in Pink, practically any Molly Ringwald movie you’ve seen, has this certain comedic, cheesy charm that can not be passed up. It is a classic aspect of any teenage film you are ever gonna see, and that’s what makes them so fun to watch.

Thomas-The Wolfman

“What am I watching?” That’s all I could think while watching both versions of The Wolfman. This movie isn’t about the acting. For both versions, it’s apparent that the director wanted to experiment with special effects. The effects in both movies are used in different way.

The special effects (if you even want to call it that) in the earlier version are significantly different than the special effects in the later one. The most apparent difference is when Lawrence Talbot changes from a man into a wolf. In the early version, they use several different shots of his feet to show his transformation and it’s obvious. Each shot has more hair on them and his feet slowly turn into wolf feet.

In the later, yet equally terrible, version, there’s a use of digital special effects. The audience is able to see the entire transformation of Lawrence.

Both movies have significantly different endings. I thought it was interesting that the later one took has a completely different ending. Sir John and Lawrence have an epic battle where they’re both werewolves in a mansion that’s on fire. Sir John is killed by Lawrence. In the older one, Sir John is still a man and he kills werewolf Lawrence to save Gwen in the forrest at the end of the movie.

In the first one, Gwen Conliffe plays more of a “damsel in distress role” instead of a heroine that we see her as in the later version. Gwen kills Lawrence on her own at the end of the movie and saves herself.

Nolley Demonstration Blog

Malibu's Most Wanted (Jamie Kennedy, Taye Diggs, Anthony Anderson)


This is one of my all time favorite movies, because personally I think it's hilarious. This particular scene is quite comical and by analyzing it using mise en scene one can understand the elements that make it so funny. The dominant in this scene is obviously Jamie Kennedy. He is placed right in the center and he is the brightest and most in focus person (not to mention the only white person in the theater). There is also no one seated in front or directly behind him which helps to make him the most obvious object in the frame. The lighting key seems to be high key directly on Jamie Kennedy and lower around the rest of the audience. The light appears to be coming from the projector above them and possibly from the screen itself. It looks to be a little too bright for a theater in order to be natural lighting. The camera proxemic range is social at about ten or so feet. The character proxemics however are intimate. This creates an awkward and uncomfortable feeling for Jamie Kennedy a.k.a. B-rad G. The character proxemics re-affirm the problems B-rad is having throughout the film. He has been kidnapped and his whole way of life is being invaded and turned upside down. 'Bloodbath' (Anthony Anderson) and 'Tre' (Taye Diggs) are invading his personal space just as they have invaded his personal life.
This frame helps to complement the large scene because it brings about the feel of awkwardness and the impending outburst. In this scene Brad is being forced to "act white" so that he won't be shot. In order to test if he has really changed Bloodbath and Tre take him to a scary movie. This is the frame right before he can no longer handle the movie and throws his popcorn, making a huge scene. The calmness of the frame helps make the outburst even more intense. It creates a sort of suspense of whether he'll be able to control his urges to "act black". I love this movie simply because it's a funny commentary on how you can't change who a person is and the color of someone's skin has nothing to do with who they are inside.