Tragedy Merch: The Question of the Morality of Selling Merchandise Based on Tragedy

Boston suffered a horrific event when two bombs went off during the Boston Marathon. This event brought the city of Boston and the nation together to share their solidarity, even to this day, for the people injured in the bombings as well as for the few who died.

Pink Moon - Nick Drake

I saw it written and I saw it say.

Pink Moon is on its way.

Nick Drake is an enigmatic figure in music. A very depressive and shy person. He only released three albums. His records did not set tremendously well. He rarely did interviews or shows. He almost faded into obscurity until a steady resurgence of his music occurred in the late 80s. And it was for the better.

The Grieving Young: An Analysis of Powerful Images

            Death has been a part of human culture since the beginning of human civilization, yet it is still heartbreaking to those who were involved with the deceased. It is human nature to miss one who had been so close to use had then, in an instant, was taken away from us. When that metaphoric Grim Reaper rears his ugly head, he breaks away the bonds that were formed together by this deceased person. The events that follow is a sense of grieving and loss, as the people known to the deceased share in their sadness for this human being who does not walk on this Earth. Humans form these said bonds with each other, whether it be between friends, husband and wife, or even father and son. Today, I wanted to discuss the later. What I will be talking about is images, which, like death, has had an impact on human civilization.

Casino Royale (1967)

"Sad that the word secret agent has become synonymous with the word sex maniac," laments David Niven in the movie Casino Royale. Not to be confused with the 2006 reboot, this Casino Royale was actually a comedy sendup of the James Bond series, released during Sean Connery's tenure as the infamous spy. But sadly, this movie turned out less comedic and more over bloated with spectacle that it takes less time to acknowledge that the script is in such a mess.

Disaster Movie (2008)

Disaster Movie is, as they say on the internet, exactly what it says on the tin. The film is a massive collage of movies put together to try to create something funny; putting recognizable characters on screen and saying, "Look, there's [this character]. He/She has had a recent film which is relevant to today's youth and pop culture." The result fails.

Citizen Kane (1941)

*Part of Prana Films' The Great Movies*

Kane. What can I say about Kane that hasn’t already been said? It is a movie the chronicles the basic American dream, the rise of the main protagonist and his eventual fall from grace such in the way of Icarus. It has been proclaimed as the greatest film of all time, having held 1st place on the influential Sight & Sound critics poll for 50 years and 1st on the American Film Institute’s list of greatest American movies.

Sherlock Jr. (1924)

*Part of Prana Films' The Great Movies*

Buster Keaton is one of the kings of silent comedy, on the same level as other comedians such as Charlie Chaplin. But while Chaplin successfully combined pathos with comedy, Buster has mastered the art of the straight face and stunt work. Keaton has had lots a great work (e.g. The General) but I believe that his greatest accomplishment would be his short comedy Sherlock Jr.

Battleship Potemkin (1925)

*Part of Prana Films' The Great Movies*

Sergei Eisenstein's Battleship Potemkin is certainly a movie that stands the test of time. The movie is an exciting step into film editing and other such technology. The movie is simple in story, but rich in cultural history. We begin on the Potemkin, in which the sailor revolt due to poor conditions, such as their food; rotten with maggots.

What Is the History of Documentary Films?

Movies have been entertaining audiences for generations. There are many different types of films and many different genres. One such type of film is the documentary. These documentaries, though not often big box-office successes, have become really popular, popular with critic and most audiences. Some have even been deemed some of the greatest films of all time and have endured for years.

Lincoln (2012)

“Do you think we choose the times into which we are born? Or do we fit the times we are born into?” This is a question that was brought up by one of our greatest presidents in his recent biopic, Lincoln.

The Dark Knight Rises (2012)

Superhero movies have certainly grown in popularity these last few years. They no longer have the campy elements they did in the sixties or seventies and have a darker, more relevant tone to them that makes them a good watch for adults as well as kids. The most popular of the latest comic-book superhero movies is Christopher Nolan’s Batman series.

Boys of Baraka (2005)

Boys of Baraka is a film; a documentary about boys trying to find their way out of social poverty that they grew up in and trying to earn an education they rightfully deserve. The film highlights a couple of boys considered “at-risk” from Baltimore, Maryland who get a special opportunity to go to a two year school in Kenya. 

12 Angry Men (1957)

*Part of Prana Films' Great Movies*

It’s a hot, sweltering day in New York City and these men have someone’s life in their hands. The first on our list is one of the most endeared courtroom dramas of all time, Sidney Lumet’s phenomenal debut 12 Angry Men.

2001: A Space Odyssey (1968)

Apes learn to use the first weapons.

*Part of Prana Film's Great Movies*

A space adventure. A "trip" of a lifetime. An amazement to behold. One of the most awe-inspiring experiences as a film viewer. 2001 is all of these. 2001 is without a doubt Stanley Kubrick's magnum opus, a pinnacle in his amazing career. The movie's storyline seems to float in space as the characters do, set along to some of the greatest pieces in classical music, particular the famous Blue Danube.

The Facebook Ad Bomb: An Opinion On Facebook and the Advertising Formula

This week, Facebook is going public and its value is estimated at around $100 billion dollars. This would be the highest valuation for an initial public offering of a technical company.

An Argument on Film Colorization

Film colorization, though may not be an extremely controversial topic, it has garnered some debate over the years. Film colorization is exactly that, the colorization of black-and-white movies for distribution or to be shown on TV. My argument is against the colorization of classic movies. I am against this because I believe it is ruining the filmmaker’s original intent.

Influence of D.W. Griffith on Modern Cinema

Many films take influence from other films. As John Huston said in Orson Welles’ unfinished film The Other Side of the Wind, “It’s all right if we borrow from each other. What we must never do is borrow from ourselves.” (Welles) By “we”, he was referring to film directors. A film director is the person who controls the production of the film and its visual style. Many filmmakers take inspiration for some of their favorites and many other classics. The earliest influential film director is considered to be D.W. Griffith. Even though the topics of his films covered are not politically correct by today’s standards, D.W. Griffith helped influence modern day cinema by pioneering new cinematic techniques.