My Thoughts on Titanic

For what it's worth, there will be spoilers in this entry, though I'm sure everyone knows how the film ends.

I felt compelled to write this after seeing that Titanic was airing on Peachtree TV. I am sitting in my living room watching the last hour right now, at this moment, Cal is about to use a crying child to secure his spot on a lifeboat. "Please, I'm all she has in the world." Clever, yet despicable. I actually own the movie on DVD, so I'm not entirely sure why I have an edited version, with extensive commercial breaks no less, on, but I do have a tendency to do that.

I was obsessed with this movie when I was seven years old. By that time, everyone seemed to have "Titanic-fever", and I just HAD to see it. I read everything I could about the ship itself, the passengers, the iceberg-I was a real Titanic expert as a kid. It seemed like I was one of the last people to actually see the movie, but my Mom took me to see it in theatres, and it was the best movie I'd ever seen. Even as a kid, I knew Jack would die, but I was mesmerized by the love story, the ship, the sinking, the dead bodies...everything! Plus it was the first movie I'd ever seen that showed kissing and nudity (eww...they're kissing! This was in the midst of my 'I'll hug my husband on our wedding day' phase.). It was my favourite movie for years.

I've grown up a lot since then. I've decided that I can probably manage kissing my husband should I ever decide to get married. I've also come to realize that Titanic is a rather silly movie. I still enjoy it, and I'll probably even cry at the end tonight when Jack dies...but I recognize that it is a bit ridiculous. I consider myself a romantic. But this movie stretches my romantic limit. They knew each other for 5 freaking days. I'm sure 3-4 of those days were pretty cool. Yes, having sex in a car must have also been a pretty nice way to pass the time as well. But would you jump out of a life boat onto a sinking ship for a man you knew for five days?

It is established in the film that they loved each other. I haven't decided how I feel about the notion of love at first sight. Sometimes I believe in it, most times I don't. But they loved each other on some level, and it would be hard to leave on a lifeboat, knowing that the person you loved was on the sinking ship. But after five days...would you potentially condemn yourself to death because you didn't want to leave without them? Plus, when you really, truly love someone, you want them to be safe, even if you aren't. Yeah, Jack told Rose she was stupid for jumping out of the boat, but I'd think if the man I loved did something like that, I'd be rather pissed off at them. If I can't be saved, but they can, I'd want them to go without me. Even if they feel guilty, even if they want to stay with me, I'd place their safety and well being first. Plus, I think I'd die of guilt if someone I loved jumped out of a lifeboat after I told them to go to safety, just because they didn't want to go without me.

I've been thinking a lot these past few minutes about the movie. It's about young love. And I think the story is told with a bit of nostalgia to it. We all have that love story that ended for some reason, that we look back on with a hint of nostalgia. In Rose's case, they didn't have the time to argue or break up or go through the "rough patches", because all they had were five days, and Jack died. But Rose moved on, and she had a great life. She told this big love story at the very end of her life, and that seems to make it clear that she didn't dwell on it. I like that, because it showed that she didn't spend the rest of her life thinking about five great days she had with some guy on a ship that sunk.

But despite all the silliness...James Cameron sure knows how to make them. Titanic's special effects were amazing for its time, and Avatar's special effects are revolutionary today. At this point, I'm thinking Cameron will probably win the best director Oscar, and I think he deserves it based on the amazing technology in the film alone. Say what you will about Cameron, but when he makes a movie, he knocks it out of the park. They're epic, and they get the crowds into the seats. So kudos to James Cameron.

Lost Discussion

Note, as always, this entry contains spoilers for last night's episode. If you haven't watched it and intend on watching it, wait on reading this!

Since the beginning, one of the major themes of Lost has been light versus dark. During this season, that theme has shown up in a much more literal way: Jacob versus the mysterious Man in Black, who is currently taking the form of Locke. We learned last night that there are six characters "vying" for the role of protector of the island-Jacob's role before he was killed by Ben. They are:

4. Locke (deceased)
8. Hurley
15. Sawyer
16. Sayid
23. Jack
42. Either Sun or Jin

Notice the numbers? We may have gotten as much explanation of the significance of the numbers as we'll get. I'm hoping to learn more, but am not expecting it.

Sawyer is currently with the Man in Black-in what capacity, we don't yet know. But the blonde boy warned the Man in Black is not to kill any of them. Will Sawyer be talked into murdering the other "possibilities"? That would be an interesting turn of events. Since the beginning, people have theorized that the Losties would end up splitting, and a "war" would be declared between the two groups. There have been times when there has threatened to be a split among them, but they've always managed to get along, despite differences in opinion. Is this going to create the "war" fans always speculated about? Sawyer and the Man in Black versus the rest of the Losties and the Temple people? Maybe. I'm interested in where Sawyer is going as a character. He's developed so much since season one, where he was the lovable, cantankerous jerk. Last season he was a leader, and a family man. But since the bomb went off and he lost Juliet, he's undergone another shift. He's reverted to something closer to what he was in season one, but...darker.

I have a feeling Jack may take on the role of the next Jacob. People have been wanting a Jack/Sawyer showdown for awhile. I think that would be a little cliche though. I don't know who I'm rooting for, but I think it'd be kind of nice if one of the characters that's not as spotlighted got it. Like Hurley. I was originally going to say Sun or Jin-I've always had soft spots for them, but I'd really just like to see them find each other again, and go off into the sunset together. Or maybe it is meant to be Sawyer, and he's going to have to come back to the light side?

I'm glad Kate isn't on that list. She has always really annoyed me. Was she even in the episode last night? I can't remember her making an appearance, which doesn't bother me one bit.

I'm not sure how I feel about the flash-sideways' yet. I always get really confused, and assume that that would have been their lives had the plane not crashed. I was reminded yesterday that what they're showing is in an alternate universe. I guess I am having difficulty getting my head wrapped around it. I liked the one last night because I always thought Helen and Locke made a great couple. Hurley, Ben and Rose made appearances as well, which goes to show that the Losties are still connected, even in this alternate universe. Ben showed up as a schoolteacher! Now imagine him teaching CreComm. Go on, take a moment and do it. I'll wait.

***

Amusing, eh?

Another point of interest was seeing Richard in the jungle. I'm curious to know why he's so scared of the Man in Black. Also curious about Richard's history. I kind of think that he was probably some sort of slave on the Black Rock, escaped and became immortal by bathing in the fountain. Was he involved in Jacob's "rise to power" and the Man in Black's oppression? I am starting to think so. Did we ever get the Richard-centric episode we were promised? I can't quite remember, which means I'll need to revisit last season again.

Batman 3 Plot Rumours

I heard this on the radio yesterday, but I didn't get around to looking it up until just a few moments ago. This link includes some information--it is unverified, and therefore may not be true, but it is still interesting nonetheless.

I am pretty happy that there will likely be another Batman movie. Christopher Nolan and Christian Bale have done such great things for the franchise, and Batman Begins, and The Dark Knight are my two favourite comic book movies. I'm a sucker for comic book movies; they're generally good fun, but Nolan really took a leap and set a high standard for the other comic book franchises out there. Plus, The Dark Knight ended on such a downer note (at least for me, the first time I saw it in theatres I was crying at the end, and as the lights came up everyone turned to stare at me) that I want to see what happens next. Maybe this next one will end on a slightly happier note? One can hope.

It's just such a shame Heath Ledger died in early 2008. From all that I've heard, Nolan had planned to include the Joker in Batman 3. Ledger was fantastic in the role-at times he genuinely terrified me, and it would have been amazing to see him reprise it. He was one of my favourite actors, and if you haven't seen Brokeback Mountain, check it out immediately.

According to the article linked, it sounds as if they'll be getting Nolan involved in a Superman reboot as well. I don't know how I feel about this. I really liked the last Superman movie, but I'll admit to having never seen the Christopher Reeve Superman movies. I guess most people weren't impressed with it, if they're talking about rebooting the franchise only three and a half years after the original reboot came out. That being said, I strongly prefer Batman to Superman, and that seems to be a common trend among people I speak with. Is there anyone out there who disagrees with me? I love a good discussion on stuff like that. It's similar in vein to my favourite movie discussion question: Han Solo or Indiana Jones? I always say Indiana Jones, but most go with Han Solo.

I'll be interested in what Nolan does with the franchise though, and will definitely check it out in theatres if or when it comes out.

Reading Week!

The long awaited Reading week has arrived. I am looking forward to a week of rest and relaxation before returning to the grindstone.

Which means...

Movies! Lately I've felt like I have been neglecting to watch as many as I really should be. I've just been so busy, and now that Lost has returned, I have another hour of television to watch every week. Several people have been kind enough to lend movies to me, and I'll be trying to get through them all this week. I find that when faced with leisure time, I give myself goals, but tend to get so wrapped up in "doing nothing", that I don't do as much as I always want to. I am also hoping to get to the theatre at least once or twice, since I have not had the time to do so on any real sort of level since last semester.

Of course, the Winter Olympics are on TV as well. My mom is miffed that so many shows are airing new episodes during this time, since she likes to watch all of the events, particularly the skating, curling and the hockey. I like the Winter Olympics more than the Summer Olympics, but I still do enjoy watching some of the events. Particularly the bobsled, downhill skiing and the luge. Therefore, hearing of the death of Georgian athlete Nodar Kumaritashvili left me shaken up. To me, it sounds like that track is too fast, and too dangerous, at least for the luge and skeleton competitors. I saw the footage on the news, and that shook me up further. It is true that they did warn viewers of the content, but I probably could have gone through life without seeing that. I just hope his family was not there to witness the accident, and does not ever see the footage of it.

Since I don't watch much of the Olympics, I can't say I mind that many of my shows are airing new episodes during this time. I do wonder whether it is a good move on the part of the networks though. The Olympics are a pretty big deal, especially since they only come around once every two years, so there will be a huge ratings drop. Why not air reruns for two weeks?

The Opening Ceremonies were the most watched television event in Canadian history. I didn't watch it myself, save for a few seconds here and there when I was upstairs. I think the games will be good for Canada, and I do like to see people feeling Canadian pride. Though I do wonder, why do the Olympics need to come here for us to feel so patriotic? Why can't we feel this sort of pride all of the time?

But here's a question: Will the record the Opening Ceremonies set be broken during the span of the Winter Olympics? I think it probably will be. Canadians are suckers for hockey, so the gold medal games will bring in huge numbers of viewers. I may even tune in for a couple of minutes during the third period!

Happy Reading week everyone!

Facebook Versus Twitter: A Look at Two Very Different Social Networks

I use both Facebook and Twitter. A lot. I have noticed that my use of these websites is very different, and most individuals I know who use both use them in very different ways.

I have been on Facebook for about two and a half years now, which I find interesting, since I swore I would never, ever get it while I was in high school. By a couple months into my first year of University, I took the plunge, and have never looked back. I use it to keep in touch with friends I may otherwise never hear anything from. There is a significant downside however: there is a serious lack of privacy. Unless you change your settings, your entire friend list sees every photo you post, every time your relationship status changes and every status update. Therefore, while I am a fairly open person, I definitely do not use Facebook as a place to air out my dirty laundry most of the time. It is one thing to say you’re having a bad day, it’s entirely another to make thinly veiled attacks at individuals who scorn you.

I rarely go on Facebook for news or interesting links. Occasionally I will get a link to a song someone likes, or a blog entry someone wrote, but for the most part, the news I receive pertains directly to the person who posts it. I’ve also noticed that it is a great place to share photos. Have a new baby? Excellent, post photos for all of your friends to see! For me, a good person to “friend” is someone that I know, and am interested in hearing from or about. I do not “friend” strangers, since I do not want someone I do not know reading about my life, even a censored version of it.

Twitter is very different. It is much less complex than Facebook, in the sense that it does a lot less. You can post the equivalent of “status updates” to your followers, direct messages, and retweet interesting comments. I’ve said it before, but I use Twitter a lot to get my news, from the Winnipeg Free Press, and other news sources. Twitter is my “business” social network. I try to keep things fairly school appropriate, and communicate with fellow CreComms on it. Twitter is really good for keeping in touch with CreComm students and instructors: if I have a question, I’ll tweet it and usually I’ll get a timely response. Twitter is what I use to promote my blog much of the time, because my profile is open (meaning anyone can read my tweets if they want), and I figure my followers on Twitter are more likely to read it than my Facebook friends.

I never had any reservations about joining Twitter, which is surprising, since many people I know have or had reservations about it. I simply heard about it, and decided to join when I learned that Frank Warren, the creator of PostSecret, had an account on it. I started following more people, and gradually found a reason to start checking it every day, and the rest is history. As for who is a good person to follow on Twitter, it is simple for me: who will provide content that interests me, or amuses me?

As for a strategic use of Twitter and Facebook for PR, I feel the demographics are fairly different. The best way to use Facebook in a PR strategy will be to create a fan page, group, or event, and try to gain members, fans and attendees. You can also post links on your Facebook, but I find that often times, people ignore those postings, so the best way to reach lots of people is to create a group and promote it in hopes of getting a large number of members. Facebook is good for reaching a large number of people, but they have to have joined your group first, which means you often have to send out invites, and hope people join, and that their friends join based on reading it in their news feed.

Twitter is a little different. What you can do is create an account specific to what you are trying to promote, and start tweeting about the event, film, et cetera. Follow individuals that are relevant to what you are trying to promote. For example, if you are trying to promote a local film, follow local actors or directors, and start a dialogue with them. People will see this, may find what you have to say interesting, and start following you. Use hashtags, and words that people will commonly search, such as the word “film” or “independent”. If people happen to be searching those words about the time you post your tweet, they may find it, go to your profile, and decide you are worth following. But to me, the worst thing to do is create a Twitter account merely to advertise a product. Nobody will follow you back if you don’t have anything interesting to say. Post links to relevant news articles, to the official website, post tweets with a neat fact about what you’re trying to promote. And engage your followers in a dialogue—read their tweets and send them one back! We all like to have our tweets acknowledged, and I would be more receptive to someone’s message if they took the time to read what I have to say first.

Repeat Viewings

I see a lot of movies at the theatre, so I rarely have time to see a film more than once. But on occasion, I will go see a movie more than once, especially if I liked it and want to introduce someone to it. On the odd occasion, I've gone to see a movie three times in theatres!

I am writing this because I saw Avatar for the third time yesterday. My friend Dawn hadn't seen it, and I figured she would enjoy it, so we met up after she got off work, did some shopping, and went to the 5:00 pm show. What I like about seeing a movie over again, both in theatres, and on DVD, is that you tend to discover something new every time you watch it. Once, I was watching Pirates of the Caribbean: The Curse of the Black Pearl on DVD for the hundredth time, and noticed that in one of the scenes, Johnny Depp was holding a banana...for no apparent reason. Little things like that amuse me.

In a movie like Avatar, there is always something new to notice. For example, I never noticed that many of the creatures in Avatar have more than two eyes. I also noticed that they seemed to change the trailers that were shown before the film. That excited me, since it meant I didn't have to sit through another Clash of the Titans preview, or a Prince of Persia: Sands of Time preview. I will probably see Avatar at least once more before it leaves theatres, likely when it comes to Imax. The huge screen size, and the amazing sound will add to the experience, and I won't be able to pass up that opportunity when it presents itself. I can understand why it is now the highest grossing film of all time: it holds up very well to repeat viewings, and it is the type of film you want everyone you know to "experience". It may be long, but the time flies by, even when I know what is going to happen.

But alternatively, there are the occasions where watching a film again ruins it for you. Gladiator is my example of this. I saw it many years ago, and loved it. However, I watched it about a year later in school when I was about 13, and found it to be dull, and rather stupid. Since then, I've caught bits of it on TV, and always end up rolling my eyes and changing the channel. To me, Gladiator is one of those movies you can only watch, and enjoy once.

On that note, before Avatar they showed a trailer for Robin Hood, and is it just me, or does it look like a sequel to Gladiator? Here's the trailer. It doesn't help that I dislike Russell Crowe at the best of times.

One movie I have been meaning to watch again is Lost in Translation. I was 14 when I watched it, and did not think much of it, and I realize now that, that is because I could not relate to it. Now, years later, I think I could get a lot out of it. Have you ever watched a film, hated it, but loved it years later? Or watched one, loved it, then hated it years later?

Confessions of a Lost Fan

(Note: There will be spoilers for the sixth season premiere of Lost. If you haven't watched it yet, and don't want to be spoiled, don't read this entry!)

As many of you know, I am a huge Lost fan. I have been since the second episode, which I watched after hearing so many good things about the pilot episode. I was 14 years old, and I'd never encountered a television show that was so complex, and with such intriguing and fascinating characters.

Much has changed in my life in the past six years. But one of the "constants" in my life has been Lost (if you're a fan, you'll see what I did there...). Every night it was on (or the night after, if I was working), I'd sit down, and watch it, and more often than not, I was left confused, but that didn't matter. I knew I'd get the "answers" one day. Slowly, we've been finding out more about the world that has been created.

The final season premiered on Tuesday. It felt very bittersweet for me, because this is the very last one. There are only a handful of episodes in which to reveal the answers we've been desperately looking for. What's with Jacob and the man in black? Is Ben the 'villain' or is Charles Widmore...or are they both 'good' characters with a dark side? What was with Libby being at the mental institution with Hurley, giving the boat to Desmond, and whatever else she did? Will our survivors create the alternate world where the plane never crashed? Why does Richard never age, and just how old is he? These are just a few of the many questions that need to be answered.

I am not expecting everything to be answered, of course. I doubt we'll ever know why Aaron "has" to be raised by Claire...a question that goes as far back as the first season. But it would be nice to know the answers to some of the big questions, especially after so many years of loyal viewing.

What am I going to do after the show ends? I have no idea, really. It has been a rough two years on the television front, since many of the show I watched (ER, Terminator: The Sarah Connor Chronicles, Pushing Daisies) either ended or were cancelled. I don't watch a whole lot of television, and I suppose that is a good thing as a CreComm student, but it would be nice to have a new show to get really invested in. A show like Lost, where the mere thought of missing an episode fills me with anxiety. Before I got into Lost, I was never passionately into a television show. It helps that Lost devotes itself well to discussion. I've spent countless hours online, and in person, throwing around theories, discussing character motivations, and wondering where the show could possibly go next. However, since everything good seems to get cancelled nowadays, I am really careful about what I get invested in.

I figure, we have a good three months of Lost to enjoy before it ends. The episode on Tuesday really left me scratching my head. With so few episodes left, they sure introduced a whole lot of new things to ponder. I trust the writers, and I'm sure they will tie it all together, but I was left wondering at certain parts whether what they were doing was a "good idea". Most notably were the scenes of the "alternate universe". Someone referred to them somewhere as "flash sideways" and I kind of like that. But my big fear is that the world on the island will cease to exist because the bomb did something, and the show will end with the survivors going about their lives as they would have if the plane hadn't crashed. That would upset me, because it would almost render the entire series moot. I don't think that will be what ends up happening, but I have to wonder when I see them all getting off the plane.

We did get an interesting insight into what their lives would be like if the plane hadn't crashed, and I have to say...for many of them, their life on the island was a huge improvement. Some days I think I'd like to live on Lost-island. Running away from the smoke monster (now known to be the man in black), pressing a button every 108 minutes, and good old fashioned time travel seems like it would be an interesting change of pace. Or maybe that's just the heavy work week talking!

I remember sitting down to watch it for the first time, and thinking that it was going to be like "Godzilla, but on an island". I was expecting a horror/thriller type of television show, instead of a character driven science fiction drama. I think we all won when my assumption was proven to be incorrect, because how long could a "Godzilla, but on an island" show last?