Sergei Rachmaninoff in movies

Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini, Op. 43: 18th variation is known as one of Rachmaninoff's most famous pieces. This piece is the theme song in the famous movie, "Somewhere in Time". It was released on October 3, 1980 in the US only. The movie starred Christopher Reeve, Jane Seymour, and Christopher Plummer. The part where Rhapsody on a Theme of Paganini played was a beautiful scene where Christopher and Jane reunited. Ironically this scene was shot on Mackinaw Island in the summer on the beach. Later in the movie you see the famous Grand Hotel. The song fits the scene perfectly, because it is soft and mellow but not boring. It expresses the emotions of the two actors towards each other. This is only one example of Sergei Rachmaninoff's music in movies and i'm sure there are many more.             

                     Somewhere in Time trailer                            

          Clip of song being played in movie( youtube)

Are Video Games Art?

                                        Video Games are Not Art         Kellee Santiago's video

Kellee Santiago state’s “video games are art”. However, I do not agree with her statement. This essay will look at my reasons why I do not believe video games can be called art.

Items that are considered art take on a different meaning to different people. Art is subjective. “What you see is what you get” with video games. They are very black and white. There is no room for subjectivity. In video games it looks the same to everyone because it does the same thing and has the same stuff there is no room for personal inflection. Video games also have a plot, or objective, that can be all consuming. They can be something you have to do, not something you want to do. Art, on the other hand, is something you can enjoy and take in your own way without having to accomplish something.

Most items that are referred to as art are stationary and can be looked at leisurely. Taking time to reflect on the art and what it means to person viewing it. Video games are constantly moving causing your attention to be diverted to something different every second. Just because video games have graphics, regardless of how advanced the graphics are it does not constitute art because the images don’t conjure up the imagination like art can. The next image you see is generated from the last thing you did.

Aristotle writes, “The aim of art is to represent not the outward appearance of things, but their inward significance”. With a video game all you see is the outward appearance. You have no time to do any inward reflection. The game is moving too fast.  This is why people don’t have emotions in video games. For instance, if someone dies in a story mode, the gamer usually doesn’t cry. That can never be called art.

Kellee Santiago is a video game designer and producer, and the co-founder and president of ThatGameCompany. So why wouldn’t she want to argue Robert Ebert’s statement about videogames never being art. Kellee just wants to change the minds of the video game non believers to get even more people into the life sucking habits, called video games.

Art can be free, video games cost money and when you pay for something you are compelled to use it or play it. Kellee may be good at making video games and convincing people that video games are art, but she is definitely not an artist in my eyes. Video games are NOT art.

Source cited- "Kellee Santiago." Wikipedia, the Free Encyclopedia. Web. 06 Dec. 2011. <http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kellee_Santiago>.

Art.

 I believe this picture is considered art. This picture shows nature kind of interacting with the civilized world. Also this picture I think is saying that if dogs were as smart as us they too might live life’s like we do. You can also say about this artwork that people spend too much time playing poker! Art to me is the idea of something that you put down or express in your own way.

 I believe this is art, although this may not be a painting or someone’s idea. This picture shows the image of an idea and of a characteristic that a lot of people have. It also gets people thinking and motivated.

http://www.art.com/asp/default.asp?ui=E94BE207F32D46D2A040D5A8FFAB5853

Cambells Monomyth for "Fast Five"

Monomyth for Fast Five

Motion Pictures have been a part of our culture for many years. To the un-trained eye they are surprising and unpredictable, but according to Joseph Campbell’s monomyth, movies follow a set of certain stages, and it is almost guaranteed that every movie will follow these guidelines. To examine Joseph’s theory I watched the movie Fast Five, an action packed car racing film which followed the main character Dominic on his quest for freedom.

In the beginning of a movie, the hero must be given signs of an adventure; this is the call to adventure. In the first few scenes of Fast Five you see the main character Dominic hearing word that his sister is in great danger and also that the police are looking for him because of his recent illegal activity. These scenes foreshadow the coming of a new experience which sets the stage for the rest of the film. This new knowledge triggers adventure, which was the call to adventure.

Supernatural Aid: when a hero receives something that will help him on his journey. You can see supernatural aid take place when Dominic obtains a super fast car that will not only help him escape from being captured and it will also get him to his sister who needs his help. If Dominic did not receive this car there would be no way for him to reach his goal and therefore the story would end there.

In Joseph’s second stage, he discusses the Road of Trials, which is a series of quests the character must go through. In the movie Dominic goes through many things before reaching his actual goal. Physically Dominic must defend himself in many battles with the police force that is trying to arrest him. These battles tested his endurance and strength. His absence of money required him to formulate plans to obtain the things he needed throughout his journey, these plans tested his mental strength and led him through many obstacles on his road to success, such as putting himself in life threatening situations like stealing from powerful drug leaders who then wanted to hurt him. These trials of his determination even though they were extremely hard led him to ultimate success on his quest.

According to Joseph’s Monomyth there is always a woman who tries to lead the hero away from his quest called the temptress. Throughout the entire film Dominic seems to always be concerned with what the female police officer assigned to capture him is thinking. In one specific scene, he breaks into her apartment and the woman officer tries to seduce him and make him surrender, this is like the definition of a temptress. Once the woman realizes she can not control Dominic or her sexual urges, she joins him in his quest to save his sister and find his freedom.

In the end of the film, Dominic reached his goal of saving his sister and he finally became free from the law, he visits his sister and wishes her well before he walks off into the free world and lives his life alone and in peace. This can be related to Joseph’s Freedom to live stage and Master of the Two Worlds where the hero removes all that ever held him back and even though he will never forget his experiences he is free to live the life he always wanted.

The movie Fast Five is just one example of how most motion picture films use Joseph Campbell’s Monomyth. Throughout the whole film Dominic’s journey to freedom and the road he took to get there gives examples of every stage in Joseph’s monomyth. Every popular blockbuster somehow follows this myth, and anyone who tries to break these rules will not have much success in the movie making industry.

             The 17 Stages of the Monomyth

Sergei Rachmaninoff -2nd Time A Charm

Rachmaninoff, a Russian composer, pianist and conductor was born in the late 1800s. His Symphony No. 2 was created by Rachmaninoff after he suffered a mental breakdown due. in part, to the reaction his 1st symphony received from the critics. Rachmaninoff was in treatment when he wrote No. 2. The reaction to his 2nd symphony was much better and helped to increase the composer's confidence. Parts of the long 60 minute + symphony have been made into smaller works -- some used in movies (My mom didn't realize that some of the parts she is familiar with were from this symphony).


You can tell that the piano is the main star in this symphony. There are times when other instruments make an appearance, however, the piano is still easy to hear throughout the symphony. Most of the symphony is something that can easily be listened to when trying to sleep or at a time when you just want to relax and listen to someone play the piano really, really, well. There are different parts to this symphony where the music completely stops and then starts up again, nothing like the previous part. There is a really intense part when notes are hit for effect, sometimes hard, sometimes soft. I think this part would be great in a suspenseful movie, when you don't know what is lurking behind a door or corner.

Not having been exposed to classical music... I admit I struggled to listen to it in its entirety. I did though and now I feel that I have an appreciation for music other than what I listen to. It is understandable that with so many different people in this world, not every one is going to like only your taste in music. When I was younger, I liked rock, then rap, now I'm into Country. I listen to my Mom's easy listening channel when I'm doing homework sometimes... and now I might even turn to the classical music channel. Who knows! So, my suggestion is to get out of your box, take a listen to classical music and Rachmaninoff Symphony No. 2 is a good place to start.

“Music is enough for a lifetime, but a lifetime is not enough for music.”

- RACHMANINOFF
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sergei_Rachmaninoff#Setbacks_and_recovery

Wouldn't it be Great to Hear a President say This!

BEST E-MAIL EVER!!

WOULDN'T IT BE GREAT TO TURN ON THE TV AND HEAR ANY U.S. PRESIDENT, DEMOCRAT OR REPUBLICAN, GIVE THE FOLLOWING SPEECH?

http://www.google.com/

'My Fellow Americans: As you all know, the defeat of the Iraqregime has been completed.Since Congress does not want to spend any more money on this war, our mission in Iraqis complete.

This morning I gave the order for a complete removal of all American forces from Iraq. This action will be complete within 30 days. It is now time to begin the reckoning. Before me, I have two lists. One list contains the names of countries which have stood by our side during the Iraq conflict. This list is short. The United Kingdom, Spain, Bulgaria,Australia   and Poland are some of 

the countries listed there.

The other list contains every one not on the first list. Most of the world's nations are on that list. My press secretary will be distributing copies of both lists later this evening.

Let me start by saying that effective immediately, foreign aid to those nations on List 2 ceases indefinitely. The money saved during the first year alone will pretty much pay for the costs of the Iraqi war.

THEN EVERY YEAR THEREAFTER It'll GO TO OUR SOCIAL SECURITY SYSTEM SO IT WONT GO BROKE IN 20 YEARS. The American people are no longer going to pour money into third world Hell holes and watch those government leaders grow fat on corruption.

Need help with a famine? Wrestling with an epidemic? Call France.

In the future, together with Congress, I will work to redirect this money toward solving the vexing social problems we still have at home. On that note, a word to terrorist organizations. Screw with us and we will hunt you down and eliminate you and all your friends from the face of the earth. Thirsting for a gutsy country to terrorize? TryFrance or maybe China. I am ordering the immediate severing of diplomatic relations with France  and Russia. Thanks for all your help, comrades. We are retiring from NATO as well. 

I have instructed the Mayor of New York Cityto begin towing the many UN diplomatic vehicles located in Manhattan with more than two unpaid parking tickets to sites where those vehicles will be stripped, shredded and crushed. I don't care about whatever treaty pertains to this. You creeps have tens of thousands of unpaid tickets. Pay those tickets tomorrow or watch your precious Benzes, Beamers and limos be turned over to some of the finest chop shops in  the  world. I love New York. A special note to our neighbors: Canada is on List 2. Since we are likely to be seeing a lot more of each other, you folks might want to try not ticking us off for a change.

Mexico is also on List 2. Its president and his entire corrupt government really need an attitude adjustment.

I will have a couple thousand extra tanks and infantry divisions sitting around. Guess where I am going to

Put 'em? Yep, border security.Oh, by the way, the United States is abrogating the NAFTA treaty -    starting now. We are tired of the one-way highway. Immediately, we'll be drilling for oil in Alaska-   which will take care of this country's oil needs for decades to come. If you're an environmentalist who opposes this decision, I refer you to List 2 above: pick a country and move there. 
It is time for America to focus on its own welfare and its own citizens. Some will accuse us of isolationism. I answer them by saying, 'darn tootin.' Nearly a century of trying to help folks live a decent life around the world has only earned us the undying enmity of just about everyone on the planet. It is time to eliminate hunger inAmerica.

It is time to eliminate homelessness

In America. To the nations on List 1,

A final thought. Thank you guys.

We owe you and we won't forget. http://www.google.com/To the nations on List 2, a final thought: You might want to learn to speak Arabic.

God bless America!!!! 

Thank you and good night.' 
If you can read this in English,

Thank a soldier.