Media Product Review

For this assignment, I have chosen to review a film. I went to my Netflix account home page and searched under the newly released movies. Unfortunately I do not have the funds to go out and see or rent a movie, but I figured the audience would be forgiving and they would support me. Anyways, I clicked on independent films, because they always seem to be more interesting, and the search results brought up several Sun dance Festival winners. Not wanting to be bored out of my mind I chose one that looked interesting and would require moderate attention to review. I chose: "All My Friend Are Funeral Singers"

Based on reviews and summaries of the film's plot, I can tell you that Zel, a fortune teller, lives in a house of the edge of the woods. But she does not live alone, no. She lives with many ghosts, and uses them in her fortune telling practice. The ghosts include spirits from a mute child, a priest, a bride, a band of musicians, and super villains  When the ghosts realize that they are being held at the house, they rebel, and are unhappy. The story lies within how Zel and the ghosts resolve there conflicts.

This film was produced in Marin County, CA and it has won awards at the Sun dance Festival And Mill Valley Film Festival. The film was produced by Better Angels Film company  and INDIEPIX. The film's screenplay writer and director is Tim Rutili. Tim and Glen Sherman own and run Better Angels Film. Tim is primarily a musician, he is involved in many bands, and has made at least 3 films.

My first thoughts after watching this movie:

• The story ended comfortably for all characters although I am not sure what the light symbolizes. or why Zel unplugged it form it's energy source.
• I loved the parts of the film when the ghosts are interviewed, that was fabulous, I wish there had been more interview, and we could have known who was doing the interviewing.
• Why was Nyla the only ghost whose soul was different then their appearance? Nyla is the mute child who actually turns out to be Zel's mother who passed away and her soul was trapped in the house along with the other ghosts.
• The mother was filmed plainly in only a few locations but it was also explicit. It told the story of the psychic family and it's history in that house. 

The movie was clear cut, the characters and plot defined he whole time. I found it interesting that the conflict was not revealed until about a third through the movie. I thought it would be introduced earlier, it seems like the ending was a little abrupt. As soon as Zel found a way to free the trapped ghosts(spirits) she did, without question. I would have liked to see the producers indulge a little more on the emotions Zel was feeling when she watched her family, the people(ghosts) she had grown up with turn away from her and move on to a new existence. 

I am not a follower of Better Angels Film or of INDIEPIX movie producers, so I cannot judge how closely this falls to their other work. However along the lines of Indie film industry, I'd say it was surprising. Many indie films try to tell an underlying story, like treat others as you wish to be treated, conserve natural resources, those sorts of things. Well, I felt that this was one of the singular Indie movies based on fiction and creativity. I loved how it was candidly obscene and plainly spoken.

I believe that Indie films are very important. Because they are essentially local movies. Indie film industry allows anyone with motivation and an idea to create art that audience can view interpret and understand. Big box films are mindless, the story is spelled out for the audience, but and indie film is created for thought. I think Indie film industry has the potential of captivating audiences as large as major box office films. 

The target audience member is me. Really the Indie film market is appealing to young adults seeking to expand their intelligence, provoke thought and enjoy a short story at their leisure. The usual Audience for Indie films is "kids" who want to do something abnormal, but still safe. Viewers are searching for ideas that are not mainstream and haven't been polluted by Hollywood.  The market for Indie film viewers is on the rise. As more and more festivals open like Sun Dance and Mill Valley, Indie films are getting more exposure and attracting more audience members. 

About a week later I am writing this evaluation. Yes, I forgot I watched that movie. However, when reminded I remember the entire movie and I remember recommending to others that they should also watch it.  I enjoyed this movie. I felt like it had a good conflict, which maybe was too easily resolved, developed great characters; they definitely made the movie! I appreciated the art and determination behind this film. I think the producers and directors put a lot of effort and dedication into this film. The actors did a great job of convincing the audience they were ghosts or psychics. I would have liked to see either the story drawn out more and resolved equal to the build up or with less detail in the same amount of time.

Here's a professional review by John Defore for AP:

John Defore AP review

The reviewer essentially feels like this was the bands art project, more than a feature film and it would be hard to market. Which explains why it was on Netflix. I agree with this review, it was interesting, entertaining for awhile, I could understand the characters,but it always seemed like a story without a moral. I don't see myself researchign the producer or his band, Califone. I appreciated his artwork and I'll leave it at that. 

Televison as a Cultural Mirror

Describe

I chose to review a current crime/drama show in it's fifth season: Breaking Bad.  It airs on AMC Sunday nights at 10. I have been watching breaking bad since it's first season back in 2008, and am excited to see the current season finale this Sunday.  Walter White, our main character, is a research scientist who currently works for a public high school.  Walter always seems to have a lingering disappointment in himself and his achievements. Walter is married and has a disabled teenage son, who attends the High School where he teaches.Walter wife, Skyler, is pregnant in season 1 and 2. They have a daughter in season 3, and Walter misses the birth (oops!) When Walter finds out he has terminal cancer, he begins a spontaneous life of crime cooking meth and distributing it in his community. But just like real life, it gets too large too quickly and very dangerous. Walter's cooking partner and accomplice through most of the seasons is Jesse, a high school dropout and small time drug dealer. Jesse attended the high school where Walter now teaches. Through an unlikely alliance the two begin working together cooking up the purest meth anyone in their area has tasted.  Coincidentally, Walter's brother in law is a DEA agent. There are a lot of plot twists thrown in here and there, to make the story a little lighter. The show is well known for it's award winning cinematography, it has already won 6 Emmy awards. With it's endless suspense and climatic story lines, Breaking Bad has become very popular among crime television fans. 

Analyze
I believe that Breaking Bad is popular because it appeals to the Average Joe's dark side. Man cooking meth secretly from his wife, but also in an effort to provide for his family after his death. You've got viewers who go in for the action and come out caring about the plot line. Asking themselves, "Could I do that if I had to? Will they be okay?" Many viewers enjoy the show because of the suspense. Breaking Bad's producers have done something unique in that they have put the climax of the show at the end, so viewers feel like they "have" to watch the next show so they can put all of the facts together. The show is almost as addictive as meth itslef. The story lines perfectly dance together and keep the audience interested.


The show is really unlike any other I have seen. Most Crime/Dramas are shown from the police or investigator's sides. Not from the hard working criminals. It is unlike many Crime shows in that, it delves into the meth cooking process and allows viewers to feel like their an accomplice. Because it's not another crappy crime scene investigator show, you get to watch the activity first hand and see where all of their choices end them up. Instead of starting at corpse and tracking the criminal's activities back to the murder weapon and reason. 


Here are a collaboration of Breaking Bad's reviews

The characters speak in simple English, the explain uses of every chemical or tool Walter and Jesse use to cook. The explain the hierarchy in gangs, and the business of selling meth. The characters guide viewers through the process, just like a drama hospital show would explain a Electrocardiograph,  Breaking Bad explains how acids can dissolve a human body. I believe that brings even more, and younger audiences to the show, because it does not take extreme effort to watch and understand.


They wear inexpensive, ordinary clothing.Well, except for when they're cooking, either they're in haz-mat suits or naked. The characters buy their cookin gproducts at box stores like Lowe's, Home Depot and Walmart. Which is a simple form of product placement. The whole reason Walter began cooking was to prevent his family from future financial troubles after his death. This is an issue many Americans are troubled with, even when all family members are alive. All of these little details helped create an identity that the show is more realistic than other crime dramas. I believe most of the clips are filmed on location in Albuquerque, New Mexico. Giving the show a real, gritty, harsh feeling. The actors started low on the chain, mostly "B" actors and actresses but have developed along with the show. The viewers feel like they can form an emotional relationship with the show because the story and actors both started out small and simple and have developed into an interwoven web.

Interpret
Stereotypes run a muck on this show. You've got the Mexican gnagster and kingpin killing people and moving drugs over the border. The high school dropout who sells drugs, the snooty ex-wife who won't let her ex see their joint children, the handicapped kid who's emotional and upset at the world. Really this show is all about assumption and surface character. 


Each of these characters play their role perfectly on the show. They add just a little more issue, a little more suspense, something that can help build the turmoil. It's quite interesting, I could almost guess what a lot of the characters will do next. But the reason for these characters behavior is also a wonderful psychological assimilation.It helps the audience side with one character, over the other and therefore create an emotional bond wit the show. Very smart producers! A plus!


Some of the corporate sponsors for this show are Nike, and Bing.com. These companies are looking for a specific demographic of viewers. For instance, Nike wants the young, athletic, probably college aged viewers. So they advertise on Breaking bad because it appeals to young individuals who like Action and drama TV shows. Bing.com advertises on this station because the focus groups and proven demographics of this station are people who spend a lot of time online. Bing.com is a search engine that makes its money from how many people click on their search results. So the more viewers see Bing.com and decide to search there instead of YouTube or Google, is good for Bing.com.


I have had a special experience with the USA. I moved her when I was fifteen. When I first moved in with my dad, I didn't know anything about American culture and interests. But my dad, he's a good old boy. So we would sit and watch TV shows over dinner, and discuss them like, "what's going to happen next". Therefore, as a visitor or newbie to the states, when I watched shows like breaking bad, crime/drama shows, I was intrigued. I enjoyed the suspense and detail even the cinematography. But I was also shocked. People were glamorizing drugs, crime, the ugly in the world. I think that most visitors to the US will enjoy Breaking Bad but they will also question why the lifestyles portrayed in the show are attractive to us. Especially if the visitor comes form a third world, or developing nation. Where crime/drama is real life.

Evaluate
Breaking Bad is unique, because crime shows have been in the past from the detective or third party's view, never from the view of the criminal. Breaking Bad is like a lot of shows though that involve twisted plot and webs of characters, everyone is linked together. I can see how this will attract viewers and make for more plot, but i think the show might be better if it were simpler. 
I think many shows will reflect the realism portrayed by producers of breaking bad. This show doesn't attempt to hide any indecencies from the viewers, from drug overdose to death, murder. The actors and producers did a great job of saying "Pay attention, this is not cool" in a glamorous way. I found that very crafty. In the future of a television I see a long line of shows about criminals, from their perspective.


This show is an interesting cultural mirror. I'm sure drug users and distributors will enjoy watching this show. So will businessman and college students. The subject of drug making and distributing is often kept quiet because it's illegal but this show spotlights it and empties all knowledge onto the screen. 


Most professional critics reviewed this as 4-5 stars. They say that this is an unlikely drama that made it and will continue to make it. I thinkt he same, it is an ill-fitting drama that somehow viewers began to adore and will continue for a few more seasons. At least until we get tired of the bullshit.

Linda Stasi's review


I used to religiously watch this show, but since I discovered Hulu and Netflix, I can watch them two or three at a time. or wait a year and watch 20. I was actually turned on to this show by husband, who was told about it by his friends. Coincidentally my dad watches it too. So we like to discuss it's angles. I am not part of any fan club but I enjoy the show, and would support it's making. 

Breaking Bad