Moon

This was one of my favorite films of the semester. With so many similarities to previous we watched throughout the semester, like 2001 and Another Earth, it was cool to watch and point out things that we have seen before. I enjoy films with very few characters, such as buried. It may not have been the best movie ever, but it really shows how good an actor is. Which is what Sam Rockwell did in this film. I haven't really seen him do his own movie before, and after seeing this i would like to see him do something alone again.

Moon was so creative and scary, especially when both clones meet each other. From that point, I actually guessed the rest of the movie in my head (I was pretty proud), but since I guessed it, it made me think the movie was too expected.

The film was about a man who finds out he is a clone by being saved by another woken up clone. Eventually, the newest clone beats the system and escapes to earth. Knowing they only have about three years to live, they don't want to stay anymore and want to go home to earth.
It gets pretty sad watching this man who really has nothing... then have to watch him die.

Visually it was pleasing. I think it was funny how we didnt really see much of the moon itself, only the inside of the space station. But it was nice to see so much of the space station. It felt spacy and the audience really got to experience most of it.

Final Writing Assignment

Sam Piscopo

December 9, 2013

Final Writing Assignment

Art 441

The Perfect World

It is 2014, and scientist Shannon Mahoney shares her and her crew's latest revolutionary discovery at a press conference. The last 15 years, Mahoney and her co-workers have put diseases in a slower more controlled environment by sending infected subjects into space where time appears to move slower. Mahoney continues to explain that they have been able to slow down the disease progression allowing more time for bodies to react and form a synthetic antibody cure for all diseases that affect the human body.

As the press conference continues, a reporters asks if the allegations that this cure could cause harm to the human reproductive system are true. Mahoney, looking over at the senator, Jeff Casey, explains that their studies have shown there is a diminished chance of natural human reproduction after administering the cure, although the cure itself does not cause impotence.

As cameras flash and hands from reporters shoot up, Jeff Casey stumbles up next to Mahoney to explicate the government's support towards the cure. He guarantees that the United States government health care plan will make it possible for every family that wants children to receive artificial inseminated pregnancy in the near future.

It is now 2015 and people are waiting in line to get their vaccinations for the cure. It became a mandatory requirement that everyone, including the US and European union, be vaccinated with the cure. As some people are outraged, small riots begin to break out. The government makes sure that they are to be controlled by police and other officials. Although there were many fatalities because of the new cure, everyone eventually was vaccinated.

58 years pass.

It’s year 2073, earth's human population is down 35% since the year 2013 due to the cure and lack of procreation. However, the government did not keep it's word about free universal fertility treatment. As a result, people in poor financial situations could not afford to have children slowly diminishing the poverty in the world. Building towards the perfect world where starvation and homelessness are becoming things of the past. But there is always a silver lining.

Low end jobs are losing manpower leaving the government to force a mandatory recruitment on such jobs. Parents must give their children an aptitude test that will place children in a specific class and give them a job that pertains to that class. First class being the best, and fourth class being the worst. This will fix the lack of people working in the low end jobs the country needs to survive.

A middle class family in Sacramento, California, brings home their second child, Derek, from the hospital. Karen and Steve Levy, the parents Derek and Derek's brother, Connor, question their son's eye color. Thinking they should have chosen green or blue instead of brown. Karen laughs and says their choice was perfect and so is their new born son.

About five years pass and Derek is growing up like any normal boy, talking, playing and laughing. While Steve is home from work one weekend, he shuffles through the mail finding the local census letter. Steve opens letter and enclosed in it is a personality and aptitude test given to every child in America used to determine a future career and social class. Steve calls Karen and asks why they would be sending their five-year-old child the test when they got theirs around 15 and Connor got his at age 12.

Steve and Karen are shocked, but tell Derek at dinner time that he has to help them answer a few questions. After dinner, Derek is told to stay at the table as his brother leaves to his room. As Karen reads the questions from the aptitude test, she has to reword them for Derek to understand. Derek stops his mom and shows a picture he drew of himself with blue eyes. She tell him to stop and pay attention. As she asks more and more questions, she gets frustrated by how hard they are for a five-year-old to answer. Karen gets frustrated with the test and tells Derek to go to his room. Karen and Steve agree to fill out the test on their own.

A few weeks pass, and Karen discovers a letter from the government. The letter states that Derek Levy, age 5, scored a 98% on the aptitude test and will be placed in social class 4 working in sewage management.

Shocked, Karen calls down Steve to show him the letter and she begins to call the census bureau. She gets a hold of someone in charge asking why her son was placed is such a low class when he had a high score. The woman on the phone explains that Derek scored much higher on test than most 5-year-olds. Kids his age normally score between 20-40% on the aptitude test. Apparently there was a discrepancy in the test. When our systems noticed the discrepancy, they automatically placed Derek in the lowest class. Karen doesn't respond to the woman and hangs up the phone. Steve grabs her arm and Karen says that it was their fault since she filled out the test themselves.

10 years pass.

Derek is showing amazing skills throughout middle school and high school. Although he is progressing well, his parents know where he will be placed when he turns 18. Still hesitant to tell him the truth, his parent continue to lie to Derek about his class and his upcoming profession.

One day, Karen finds the 10-year-old government letter under a pile of old papers in her closet. She starts tearing up after rereading the mistake she made. As she walks downstairs with the paper, Derek runs from his room to show her pictures of the world before and after artificial insemination. Derek then asks why she and Steve chose brown eyes instead of the more popular green or blue. She explains that no matter what color they chose, he was going to be perfect no matter what. Derek gives his mom a hug.

Karen tears up, and continues to walk downstairs. Derek is confused and asked her to tell him what was wrong. Karen sits him down and shows him the letter. In shock, Derek asks the same questions Karen asked ten years ago. After Derek receives all the answers, he goes up to his room and shuts his door. He hasn't felt such anger towards his parents before and begins to throw things around his room.

Steve and Karen barge in and grab Derek. As he falls to the ground crying, his parents hold them and say, “We're so sorry, Derek.”

Three years pass.

Derek has graduated and is working in sewage treatment. Since Karen and Steve are in class 2, they don't see much of Derek anymore. Holographic screens around Derek's job play a commercial on repeat expressing how important his work is to his country.

Derek is not happy and begins drinking a lot when he is at his apartment. Since the drinking age is now 18, beer and vodka bottles lay around the Derek's home. His home phone lays next to his bed with 13 unheard messages. As Derek continues to drink, he stares at the missed messages shaking his head and decides to fall asleep.

The next few days, Derek goes to work like any other day. Eric, an honest friend and co-worker, informs Derek that someone in their faculty committed suicide. As people mourn, Derek continues to finish his work for the day and go home.

Finally Derek decides to call his parents and talk to them about his life in class 4. They were beginning to worry that there was something wrong since he wasn't answering their calls. Derek then replies, “There is something wrong. I'm not where I'm suppose to be.” He begins to yell and hangs up. As he looks out his apartment window, he stares at a screen on another building across the way that is playing the same commercial from his job. Derek smiles, shuts the curtains and falls asleep.

It is now year 2094. A news report on Derek's television shows that suicide in the United states has risen 28% in the past fifteen years, mostly in the lower classes.

Derek's apartment is looking more torn up than ever. About 17 missed calls are flashing on Derek's phone. Meanwhile, a pounding on Derek's front door starts getting louder and louder. It's Derek's friend Eric, asking why he hasn't shown up for work or answered any calls. He grabs the key from under the mat, opens the door and sees Derek with a rope around his neck.

A week passes and few friends and family come to Derek’s funeral. As his family mourns, the casket is placed in the ground along with the picture Derek drew of himself with blue eyes.

Hunger Games: Catching Fire

Where do i begin.

This was the second installment of the Hunger Games. It was brilliant. Like Harry Potter, I refuse to read the books. I personally think movies are so much better than reading and I don't want to compare these master pieces with anything else.

This is such a powerful film, espeically for women. Like mentioned in class, someone said Katniss was not that powerful. I disagree. I think that she is extremely powerful and proves that for fighting to keep her family alive and safe. The only reason she keeps pushing as hard as she does, is for her family.

I am so fascinated with these movies because I really like powerful female leads and I also like how far out it is. I would have never thought that something like this would be so popular and to teenagers mostly. 

I think this movie did better than the first because it felt a lot more mature. The characters were older and wiser. Johanna, who was played by the wonderful Jena Malone, was probably one of the highlights of this film. She too was a powerful woman in the film who was definitely not happy about going back to the hunger games. She expressed that through curse words and yelling.
The elevator scene was probably one of the best scenes in the film.

When the film ended, both chris and I were in shock. I have not seen such a bigger cliff hanger in a film. I just can not wait until nov. 2014 to watch the third installment. I am sure it will be even better than this one.

Another Earth

This was one of the crazy ending type movies. I was not a fan of how the movie was filmed, but thats kind of expected when watching a movie with such a low budget.
The film was very long and very boring. Although the concept was interesting and different, it really lacked excitement. Again, it could have done without the sex scene. Come on... a good looking girl like that... with a guy like that. Makes me think of  the male fantasy and how real it is in so many damn movies.

This is one of the few female empowered movies we have seen this semester. Side note: I really like how gravity was such an important film with a female as the lead role. Although this was a female movie, it could have done with a male too. I don't think it would have matter who played the lead role in this. Of course, that would have meant a female character who lost her family in the crash.

Anyway, I think the movie lacked environment. It was only really filmed in her room, the school hallways and the mans house. It was a very slow film, but it was necessary for the audience to understand what was going on. Minus the stupid love scene.

I would probably avoid watching low budget sci-fi films because they really lack what sci fi films need... which would be a good set, special effects and other elements to really make a sci fi film work.

Trekkies

This documentary was more interesting than some of the actual films we watched throughout the semester. I enjoyed watching this because it really made me change my mind on how I felt about conventions in general. Although I hate star trek and anime, I respect their conventions, their costumes and whatever else is super lame to me.

I would judge them and see them as these fucking nerdy people, when really I would do the same things but with other movies, tv shows, comics, or video games. I am those people. I just didnt understand that until now.

The film followed a few different people who called themselves 'Trekkies' They collected star trek toys, items from the show/movie, etc. They go to the star trek conventions all around the US. It was interesting how many people would invest so much time into collecting and following this fiction.

What I liked most about these people is that they do not give a shit about what anyone else thinks. They can walk around dressed like any of the characters and they don't even notice if people are laughing or staring. I really liked their commitment and passion towards star trek.

I truly hate star trek, but if there were hunger games conventions, im pretty sure I would be at every single one of them. Im pretty sure i am just like one of these people. 

Fanboys

"What if this movie sucks?"

That is exactly what I asked before watching this film. I was not a fan, but it was funnier than a lot of other movies we watched this semester which was a nice change. I do like watching movies from 2000 up, so that was also a plus.

It's hard watching nerd movies with many other nerd references that I don't actually like. The ending is kind of sad since their friend doesn't live to see the star wars episode one movie, but thats what I really didnt like... how the plot surrounded that movie and how he wouldn't live to see it.

Of course, its called Fanboys and it would lack female roles in this film. I think that Kristen Bell did a good job for being probably one of few females in the film, but I might be a little bias since I think shes amazing.

I would not recommend this movie to anyone since I thought the dialog was terrible and it was a stupid plot.

Yes, it did suck.

Primer

This was a terrifying and confusing movie. After reading some reviews about the film, which helped me understand it a little more, I was interested to understand the movie in a lot more detail. If people actually had this ability, I am pretty sure it would not end up good.

People can not be trusted with this sort of power. When people have to put trust in others, it never ends up well. 'Do not mess with your double.' They are really just asking for us to mess with them. Thats like saying, dont press the only red button in front of you.
Ok...

I really like the concept of time travel. When I first saw this movie and read the reviews, it reminded me of Donnie Darko. It was an confusing film that I had to watch a few times to fully understand. AND it had to do with time travel. Although these two have very different plots, they are similar in the sense of the consequences when it comes to messing with time.

I think I really need to watch the movie again to write a good review on it.