Captivity, Entertainment and Connectivity

Maybe it's because the weather has been crummy these days, but movie-watching has been our favorite pastime as of late. There are some movies and documentaries that are powerful and cause some type of effect on your life. Then there are other movies and documentaries that are just filler material.

We watched a documentary that had me in tears toward the end. It was definitely the former of the two categories of documentaries. It was so profound, I want to profess how everyone must see it.

If you have ever questioned the integrity and ethical business dealings of Sea World and most zoos, this documentary will affect you. If you love going to Sea World for some good old fashioned barbaric entertainment, this documentary will turn your world around.

Animals on this earth do not have a voice. If one wants to learn about and see the wild up close and personal, take a trip to see them in person! No money or time? You can read about them or watch nature shows that document them in their natural habitat. Do not support these greedy corporate entities that exploit the voiceless animals of our world.

http://blackfishmovie.com/
https://www.facebook.com/BlackfishFilm

Of course, Sea World has plenty of articles and interviews that combat the material presented in Blackfish, stating that they interviewees were "mislead" and that the documentary was one-sided.

http://seaworldparks.com/corporatesites/truth/home/?utm_source=google&utm_medium=PaidSearch&utm_term=text&utm_campaign=SW14Blackfish

If you were separated from your family and held in captivity your whole life, wouldn't you be pretty enraged? We have to realize that many animals have feelings and connections similar to ours. How disconnected from the world have we become where we need to throw wild animals in captivity and pay a fee to see them dance before us?

Watch the documentary and make your own deductions. I'd like to hear what you think.

The Future Tellings of Life and Clothing

We made it out to the movies this weekend and saw "Her." I will spare you from leaving a full cinematic review, however, what mainly caught my attention during the slow-moving plot was the manner in which the characters dressed in this near-future storyline. The characters--both men and women--seemed to have adopted a somewhat blurred line of feminine and masculine. Androgenic, almost. Everyone sported high-waisted bottoms. Most of the women didn't wear any makeup. And no matter what...everyone wore button-down tops that were buttoned all the way up.

It was a very conservative fashion trend for a story set in the future. The contrast had me intrigued. Personally, I've noticed that each year that passes, less and less is left to the imagination with fashion. Was Spike Jonze simply appealing to the younger audience by incorporating the hot fashion trends of recycled 1980s fashion? Or, was he trying to seep in a little irony with the overall tone of the futuristic movie? Perhaps, was he trying to convey that in the age of technology, we have become so closed off to others, and a way of symbolizing this was by closing off the shirt collar, a physical pathway to the heart?

Perhaps I'm reading too much into this, but I very much appreciate the cinematic symbolism that our writers and producers convey in each movie. I began reminiscing about past movies that had futuristic plots. What were they conveying with fashion in tandem with the message of the story?

Clockwork Orange, 1971

Does the full-on white assembly and black bowler hat symbolize and/or accentuate the overall plotline of good and evil, and the ability to make the moral choice between the two?

Blade Runner, 1982

The cinematography is very neo-noir and the fashion is a blend of steampunk and cyberpunk--combining past, present and future styles. Would you say that each character is dressed in a manner that visually communicates the effect that technology plays on the environment and society as a whole? Does it elude to who is human and who is an artificially engineered replicant?

Matrix, 1999

Fighters in a war between humans and machines, do the characters dressed in black blur the lines between the humans the the all-powerful machine they created?

What have you watched lately where fashion seemed to have a profound influence on the plot?

A Big..and Small...Bit of Inspiration

I absolutely love short films. There is nothing like trying to satisfy all five elements of telling an interesting story--plot, character, theme, conflict, and setting--all within a short amount of time. To boot, short films jive with my extremely short attention span!

Another love...stop-motion animation. How creative yet patient must one be to create such a work of art? If you haven't heard of the talented studio Aardman, (Wallace & Grommet, Chicken Run, etc.) then you are in for a new treat. This group has several good ones under their belt.

I had to share with you this bit of creative inspiration during the mid-week slump. Without further adieu, I present to you a team called Sumo Science who have paired up with Aardman Studios to bring to you two challenges: The world's smallest stop-motion short animation and the world's largest stop-motion short animation.

Small bit of inspiration, "Dot"--

The making of "Dot"--

Large bit of inspiration, "Gulp"--

The making of "Gulp"--

ENJOY!