Blog 25(What a experience)

This semester has been an incredible journey with its ups and downs. There’s a lot that can be said about this media cluster. It was filled with a lot of memorable moment. I have grown as a person and student this semester.
First of all let me start off with the professors. They are educators that install us with the knowledge they once learned. This group is composed of three individuals: Dr. Smith, Dr. Joyce Reuben, and Professor Lucca commonly known as Lou. All of whom that have very different methods of teaching. Dr. Smith taught us how to blog. He taught us that we can found ourselves through writing. He showed us how to copyright our work. We watched movies that allowed us to view society differently. He allowed us to explore different learning environments other than our college; he did this by taking us on trips. We went to the museum of movable images, which was crazy fun. We also went to the library for the performing art. He made the semester so much fun, could not even feel the time passing. Now Dr. Reuben, the woman that you don’t want to be late for. She’s an educator that likes to keep the class busy. She is a woman that cares deeply about the art of film. She’s views film a little differently from the outside world. Her deepest desire is us to love film, and find the meaning of the film. She wants us to open our eyes and to explore what a director may have thought when he made a certain film. Dr. Reuben is a professor that cares about her student succeeding in film and in college. Even through me as an individual did not quality understand the elements of film, doesn’t take away from the excellent educator she is. Last but surely not least, Professor Lucca. He is real. He is tactless. He made a early Monday class easy to attend. This man made me think and question my views on society. He gave us homework every week that made us think. He does take shit off of any one. He allowed me to argue with Jarvis, which I love. He allowed me to express my point of view in class. He’s the reason that I wrote my first ten page paper. He showed me being old is not too bad, lol. Don’t tell him that, he’ll fail my ass. He educated me on the fact that we as society have all become watchers. He taught me that the message is controlled. He showed us the power of the religion groups. Lou allowed us to talk about uncomfortable like Sex.
Secondly I want to discuss the cluster, also known as a learning community. We had an interest group of individuals. Old, young, Gay, Straight, lazy, Go getter, Black to Korean, you name it we had it, that what I loved about it. However there are things I disliked about it. We had every class together, so I felt there should have been more teamwork. Even in classes that students are not together the entire time form study group. A lot of times I feel that people were out for themselves. But there were a few people that work together, and at the end I believe it will pay off. Some of my class mates help me through my journey through technology. One of my friends in class showed me how to put a picture on my BBM. My class mate woke me up when I fell asleep in film class. We laugh together. I’m glad to say most us made it to the end of the semester. My class mate helped me view college in a whole different way.
Over all my experience in the media cluster has been a good one, and I will never forget the people I came to know along the way. I also believe that I have obtain more knowledge than I had at the begin of the twelve weeks

Blog 20

The Matrix movie is about a story about a man named Neo who is the chosen one,who is there to save everyone from the take over of the machines. This story is like the story of the "Allegory of the cave". The fact that we are prisoners of the mind and we are unaware of the truth. However when we come into the light, then we are able to determine the true person we really are. Then we go back and try to inform the others of what we discovered. When Neo found the answer to the question what is the Matrix then he dicovered the true him and the person he is inside. Just like the prisoner who broke free Neo was affraid at first and struggled with his discovery. One of the first things he did was throw up,because to find out thatyour entire world is a lye. The character in the movie named Morpheus was the one to help Neo to determine the true him. He helped train his mind in the battle of the machines.He always believed that Neo was the chosen one.

Blog 24

In my opinion the science fiction movie the "Sleep Dealing" is a more relatable film to today’s reality than "The Matrix" film. Both film made around the same year. The "Sleep Dealer", is a story about a young, poor Mexican boy named Memo Cruz. His main goal is to escape from his harsh reality so the only way to do that is by plunging in. By plunging in meaning entering a whole entire new digtal world. Plugs are inserted to the body which connects these indiviuals to this mysterious world. In the movie "the matrix" the character Neo was not faced with this option. Neo had a choice unlike this poor boy that had no choice.

The "Sleep Dealer" movie is a great depiction of the American dream. Memo was on a search for a better life. On this journey he was faced with several obstacles. The main obstacle being the murder of his father. The one individual that taught and lead him. After this tragic event Memo still persuade his quest to get pulled in. I feel that this movie has a greater meaning to what is taking place in society today. For example, one scene in the movie a Spanish guy told Memo that he can plug him in at a discount price, and then he ended up robbing him, however this did not stop the fight in him. No matter what happen he kept going. He was faced with a different choice than Neo. Memo choices were about if he ate or shaved. Neo had a 9 to 5 job. He even had a little hustle on the side which was hacking computers. Also Neo had people to help guide him through his journey discovering that he’s the one. He had Morpheus, Trinity, and the Oracle. This poor boy Memo had no one. When he finally found someone to help him, she was out for herself, and she was trying to take his memories away. By doing this she's able to gain more power, and maybe evenually stay plugged in.

Both films demonstrates how the computers are taking over, and how we all have to be plugged in constantly. They both require plugs that are inserted from the body to a computer port. Being plugged in the such as in the movie “sleep dealer”, it was the only escape from the destruction of the world. Also in the Matrix it was stated , that humans destroyed the world, that how the machines were able to take over.Today in our society the internet has been many people escape from the reality of their life. For example another movie we saw in class “existentz”, was about this flesh made video game system. The character uses the video game as escape then they have difficulties tell reality from the eloution. And many times in the movie it is hard for the audience to follow along with what is real or not. In the matrix the director makes it very clear when Neo is in the matrix and when he is in it. When Neo and the others are about to enter "The Matrix", there is a plug that is connect to the back of their brainstems,and computer software is being used. Once they are in "The Matrix", all of the plugs then disappear,and they are dressed up into sexy leather clothing. They also have carry guns, and they are extreme strong. Their main connection back to their reality is any phone line. But if they get kill in The Matrix", then they are also killed in the real world. In "Sleep Dealer" the primary goal is to stay pulled in. When the characters are plugged in they are safe. They desire that sense of connect like the people in the movie "Existentz" did.

Matrix and sleep dealer both have similar characteristics, for example that in the matrix film they had the agents and in Sleep dealer the terrorists. These agents and terrorists are one in the same to me. They are both are developed by the machines to keep the human population docile in their captivity. Morpheus and his crew belong to a group of free humans who "unplug" others from the Matrix and recruit them to their resistance against the machines. In the "Sleep Dealer" the terrorist are set in place for that the Mexicans can be destroyed before they reach the border. So they are blocking the truth and they feel that if the immigrants don’t deserve the American dream. In the matrix they feel that by being unplug you can deserve the truth, but in “Sleep Dealer” all the answer are when you are pulled in.

In conclusion both movie are great, however I believe that the sleep dealer is a better depiction of today’s reality.

Blog 22

The Matrix movie is a better depiction of reality than the Existenz movie, even through they are made the same year they are totally different movies. One uses human flesh and the other uses machines. The matrix movie is what is going on in society today. The fact that machines are taking over the world todaY. The fact that we are unaware of reality from fiction and that we are using devices and computer to control our lives. It is evident that this movie is a better example of real life. A prime reason for this is the way they show that we are controlled by machines.

In the book "The Matrix and Philosophy",chapter 17 a woman named Cynthia Freeland claims that eXistentz is abetter film,however I disagree with her. I feel that the Matrix a better film, because it gives us examples of the modern day age. It shows us that we all have choices in life. An example of this would be the blue pill and the red pill. Also the movie demonstrates the difference between good and evil. An example of that is Neo trying to save everyone from the agents that want to use the machine to take over the world and do evil.

The matrix film has the ability to attract more diversity audience because of all the different ways the movie can be interrupted. This movie can be viewed in a religion way, scientific way, and it can even be seen as a action fIlm. I did not gather that same feedback from the eXistentz movie. I felt disgusted by a lot of parts of that movie, and so many of the parts were very difficult to follow. Existentz movie to me feels like a horny,lonely woman is seeking a young man to take advantage of and use a setting of a gosh game to get her rocks off. The end of the movie was so stupid, most of the movie they were inside the game,unlike the matrix where the people navigated in and out.

In the matrix movie they use real weapons other then fake weapons. Existentz had weapons that was made from human flesh, the bullet were actually people teeth,which was extremely nasty. You were able to create this gun with a lunch special from the chinese restaurant ,which was part of the game. This fake gun that was use both to kill the chinese man and to shot Allegra Geeler. It was strange that the bullet did not affect her however this same bullet blow his head off.

Blog 21

Today in class I will reasearch more video on youtube about my late aunt and try to narrow the clips down. Last week I barrowed a book from the library called the Raw Pearl. It is one of her autobiographies based on her life. I did not know her to well so I wanted to get alittle background information about her. It was very interesting to see that our school library had it there, because when I went to Barnes and Nobles they told me it was out of print.
Secondly I'm going to google some museums that I may have to visit to gather more information about her. I decide to discuss in my project the struggle of black entertainers in the 1950' and 1960's especially since the recent death of another legendary performer Ms. Lina Horne.

What i actually did?
I found video of my aunt. I found one scene I want to use for my project for Joyce class,which is from the movie Under the Cherry moon

Blog 20

The reading in the book entitled "penetrating Keanu: New Holes, but the same old shit,written by Cynthia Freeland she is basely expressing how she dislike the Matrix movie and she believes that another movie that was made the same year called Existentz was a better film. She feels that the films have one main similarities which is the computer effects otherwise the film are very different. I am opposed to the way she views the Martix one main reason why I feel this way is because the other film I never even heard of before.

Granddaddy doing moonwalk

moonwalk at the end.

From: You Tube