The Real World (1992) REVIEW

 

MTV’s The Real World (1992)

Season 1, Episode 1, “This Is the True Story…” 

https://www.mtv.com/episodes/o3coeb/the-real-world-this-is-the-true-story-season-1-ep-1

Dir. George Verschoor

Writ. Mary-Ellis Bunim, Jonathan Murray 

    If you’re a reality TV fan, then MTV’s The Real World is a must-see. It is known as the catalyst for what reality TV is today. The first episode follows the interactions between 7 young adult strangers who have all come to live in a NYC loft together. The show’s pilot episode focuses on Julie, who is a small-town Alabama teen who has her sights set on the wonders of the big apple. This aspect of the episode is probably what drew young viewers in. Young adults also yearning to get out of their monotonous lives could almost live vicariously through Julie. The way the episode is formatted leaves the viewers wondering what’s going to happen next. For example, when Rebecca had a gig that required her to learn a new song the day of it put viewers on the edge of their seats. It certainly left me wondering if she was going to pull it off. Aspects like these are what became the staples of a good reality tv show. However, we mustn’t forget the aspect that keeps people wanting more: drama. Being the pilot episode, it really took the opportunity to sprinkle some TV drama for the viewers. Specifically with the dance around taboo subjects like racism, drugs, and sexuality. However, there’s a reason why the first episode didn’t go overboard with the drama. It simply insinuated the drama and leaves the viewers assuming that there will be more in future episodes. 

    Considering that this episode was filmed in the 90s, the themes expressed represent the liberal social climate of New York City. Every cast member was involved in the arts whether it being music, modeling, or dancing. During this time, we saw the rise of the freethinkers especially among the young. By giving them a platform it only popularized this movement of being creative and open-minded. As I mentioned before, the episode depicted taboo subjects for the time, but by putting it out there on TV, it started a movement to normalize talking about such subjects. 

As someone who enjoys a good popcorn and reality TV combo, I thoroughly enjoyed the first episode of The Real World. Being the same age as the cast made it very easy to connect to them, and I’m sure the young viewers at the time could relate to this sentiment. Personally, I can’t wait to see what happens next in these 7 strangers’ lives!

Memento (2000) REVIEW

 

Memento (2000)

Dir. Christopher Nolan

Starr. Guy Pearce, Carrie-Anne Moss, Joe Pantoliano, Mark Boone Junior

Christopher Nolan’s Memento had me second-guessing everything I thought I knew like no other film. Like many of Nolan’s films, it did not follow a linear course and takes a fascinating scientific phenomenon turned cinematic. It was Lenny’s (Guy Pearce) short-term memory loss in this case. From Lenny’s anti-hero character to implementing cinematic methods to depict flashbacks, “The New Hollywood” truly shines in Memento. Even though the main character is committing crimes and pursuing violence, the audience can’t help but root for him. When you discover his story, all you want is for him to successfully catch the guy who raped and killed his wife. Personally, I got excited for him when he got information from Natalie to find “John G”, the killer of his wife. It is also worth noting how time is depicted in this film. Within the first 30 minutes of the film, I was confused as scenes we’d already seen would replay. I soon realized that it is starting at a point, ending, and then restarting but from further back. This gives the viewer context after watching a scene with no context. My favorite implementation of this was when Natalie and Lenny were fighting and Natalie used Lenny’s memory loss to her advantage. However, the viewers don’t know that Natalie is doing this until the rewind. The last 10 minutes of the film, though only 8% of it, was the most mind-blowing part of the film. Those 10 minutes were what made this film peak New Hollywood. (SPOILER ALERT) Nolan’s implementation of a twist that reveals that Lenny has purposefully been putting himself on a chase for John G. makes the viewer rethink the 110 minutes they’ve watched. It’s so mind-boggling, that it makes me want to rewatch the entire film with a new perspective.

Memento (2000) was a head-scratcher of a film in the best possible way. I would recommend this film to anyone who enjoys a good psychological thriller with a new take on Hollywood ideals. If watched, I guarantee you’ll need a second viewing! 

American Graffiti (1973) REVIEW

American Graffiti (1973)

Dir. George Lucas

Starr. Richard Dreyfuss, Ron Howard, Paul Le Mat, Cindy Williams, Harrison Ford

American Graffiti is the quintessential 60s young rebellious/angsty teen film. With John Milner’s character, he’s portrayed as the town’s bad boy who’s always running in with the law. There’s a scene where the police stop him for his car light and threatens him by saying that he can’t wait to catch John in the act so that he can arrest himself on the spot. However, past that tough exterior there’s a caring guy who’s not as bad as the people think. He takes care of Carla, a young girl, when he didn’t have to and certainly did not want to. 

The film also presents a popular 60s sentiment among the young generation which encompasses the idea of taking control of their own life. Before, teens were expected to graduate high school, go to college, and get a job. Curt strays away from this expectation as he doesn’t want to go straight to college like Steve. It causes a lot of internal conflict throughout the film and probably resonated with a lot of young viewers at the time. 

Another interesting aspect about the film was the music. The rock tunes played throughout the film demonstrate the setting in which it takes place: a 60s summer in a small town. The film opens with “We’re Gonna Rock Around the Clock” by Billy Haley and His Comets which was the first rock song to be featured in film. At that time, rock n’ roll was taking a rise, and it was a symbol of rebellion and individuality. This especially scared parents that their kids were going to break away from the mold that they’ve always followed. 

American Graffiti (1973) is an enjoyable, summertime film with deeper meaning beyond the lines. I definitely recommend giving this one a watch! 

Film Talk: Some Like it Hot (1959)

 

Some Like It Hot (1959)

Dir. Billy Wilder

Starring Marilyn Monroe, Tony Curtis and Jack Lemmon

I could never imagine what a crime-comedy film would look like until I watched the hilarious feature film that is Some Like It Hot. Considering the social context of when this film was released, it makes sense that women are not depicted as the typical homemaker/housewife archetype. After World War II, women were joining the workforce and becoming breadwinners. In the film the band is an all-female band, with the exception of “Josephine” (Tony Curtis) and “Daphne” (Jack Lemmon). This made the film attractive for female audiences. Moreover, the leading lady “Sugar Kane” (Marylin Monroe), strays away from the typical gender roles for women. Her promiscuous, “dumb blonde” character makes the film attractive for the male audiences. 

Although the film inserts these 50s’ ideas into a 20s scene, the film does a lot to make it feel like it is taking place in the roaring 20s. For example, its mix of black and white and shining lights, flappers, mafia crimes, and jazz music transports the audience into an old world. What impresses me the most about this film was how it blatantly defied the Hays code. Hays code was a way of censorship in film and worked as a way to keep explicit concepts off the screen. However, Wilder took the most taboo subjects and made them funny and delightful to watch. One of my favorite scenes was when Jerry’s bass had gunshot holes along the side because the mafia boss’s henchman had shot at it. 

The last thing I want to discuss about this film is Curtis and Lemmon’s performance. While crossdressing is not something new in film or theater, Some Like It Hot took it to a new level as it masterfully incorporated the crossdressing into the development of plot. I can tell crossdressing, modern films such as White Chicks (2004) and Madea (2005) took inspiration from Wilder’s work. 

Some Like It Hot (1959) is a timeless film and a golden age classic. If you haven’t already seen it, I definitely recommend giving it a watch. 

Alice Guy-Blaché: An Icon, A Legend

Out of all the 20th century film pioneers, Alice is my favorite by far. Time has hidden her behind the scenes of history, but here I would like to give her some spotlight. Some of her biggest accolades include being the inventor of narrative film and being the first female director. For her time, this was revolutionary. Not only was she breaking the barriers of male and female societal roles, but she was also shaking up the film world. For example, her film "The Cabbage Fairy" (1900) was the first film with plot. 

(link to "The Cabbage Fairy" )

I find it fascinating that the movies and TV that we watch enjoy today will all have remanence of Guy's work. Moreover, her story is an inspiration for anyone who feels like the underdog. Despite being in a male-dominated field, Guy was able to do amazing things. Just to name a couple: she had great importance at Gaumont studios where she got to work with Gaumont's chronophone and she created a motion-picture studio in New York, Solax, with her husband. There made not 100, not 200, but 300 films! 

While I'm not planning to work professionally in the film industry, I can still take some lessons I've learned from Alice. If she were here today, I think she would say that anyone, regardless of gender, can perform well with their knowledge in their passion.