Film Study guide

Steadicam notes

- 1970 steadicam increased the abilities of handheld moving shots - is a contraption that stabilizes the camera and sort of separates it or insulates it from the movement of the camera operator. - camera can follow actors without being jerky or unstable

My e-mail about cult films: What are the main points? What is (or probably isn't) a cult film?

- The Big Lebrowski-, the Night of the Hunters, The rocky , pink floyd is a cult Film - wasnt a big box office hit but has developed a very loyalist/enthusiastic group of fans. -it was overlooked and underappreciated -some pretty sucesful filmes become cults - Cult films are not especially deep or meaningful or emotional- sometimes cheesy

—Method acting: What does the term mean? Make sure you can define its elements and give examples of Method actors.

- acting that encourages the actor/actress to connect with the real inner emotions of the character in order to create a powerful, convincing, authentic portrayal of a character. -Living the part (staying in character) is a common element of Method acting. -Note that Marlon Brando (in A Streetcar Named Desire) and Elia Kazan (who directed Streetcar) are both associated with Method acting. Brando and James Dean sometimes mumbled lines. (If you watch Dean in Giant, you'll notice a lot of mumbling.) Among contemporary actors, Robert DeNiro and Daniel Day-Lewis are well known for Method acting. Also see page 276 for more about\ -Method acting is a technique developed from the acting 'system' created in the early 20th century by Konstantin Stanislavski in his work at the Moscow Art Theatre and its studios. The Group Theatre first popularised the Method in the 1930s; it was subsequently advanced and developed in new directions by Stella Adler, Sanford Meisner, Uta Hagen, Lee Strasberg (at the Actors Studio in the 1940s and 50s), and others.[9] In Stanislavski's system', the actor analyzes the character in order to play him or her with psychological realism and emotional authenticity. Using the Method, an actor may recall emotions or reactions from his or her own life and use them to identify with the character being portrayed. Method actors are often characterized as immersing themselves so totally in their characters that they continue to portray them even off-stage or off-camera for the duration of the project. However, this is a popular misconception. While some actors do employ this approach, it is generally not taught as part of the Method. Stella Adler, who was a member of the Group Theatre, along with Strasberg, emphasised a different approach of using creative imagination. Method acting offers a systematic form of actor training in which the actor's sensory, psychological, and emotional abilities are developed; it revolutionized theatre in the United States."

—Differences between film acting and stage/live theater acting.

-In theater [the actor or the actress] tends to dominate the proceedings. - In movies, this is not usually the case. Actress Kim Stanley " - In other words, a film director can control and rearrange particular shots (including camera angles, close-ups, etc.) and scenes in a way a stage director can't. A stage director can't control actors in the same way a film director can.

The Big Lebowski

A tumbleweed rolls up a hillside just outside of Los Angeles as a mysterious man known as The Stranger (Sam Elliott) narrates about a fella he wants to tell us about named Jeffrey Lebowski. With not much use for his given name, however, Jeffrey goes by the name The Dude (Jeff Bridges). The Stranger describes Dude as one of the laziest men in LA, which would place him "high in the running for laziest worldwide", but nevertheless "the man for his place and time." The Dude, wearing a bathrobe and flips flops, buys a carton of cream at Ralph's with a post-dated check for 69 cents. On the TV, President George Bush Sr. is addressing the nation, saying "aggression will not stand" against Kuwait. Dude returns to his apartment where, upon entering and closing the door, he is promptly grabbed by two men who force him into the bathroom and shove his head in the toilet. They demand money owed to Jackie Treehorn, saying that The Dude's wife Bunny claimed he was good for it, before one of the thugs, Woo (Philip Moon), urinates on The Dude's rug saying, "Ever thus to deadbeats, Lebowski!" Bewildered, Dude convinces them that they have the wrong person as he's not married and can't possibly possess the amount of money they're asking. Looking around, the first thug, (Mark Pellegrino), realizes they've made a mistake and must have the wrong Lebowski. Regardless, they break one of his bathroom tiles before leaving. "At least I'm housebroken", Dude calls after them. Dude meets up with his bowling team at the local alley and talks to them about his violent encounter. Walter Sobchak (John Goodman) reacts with anger and vengeance on his mind, often speaking of his time served in Vietnam to relate to the issue. Slow-witted Theodore Donald 'Donny' Kerabatsos (Steve Buscemi), often entering conversations halfway through, pipes in but is promptly told by Walter, "You're out of your element". Walter then tells Dude about a millionaire who shares Dude's name and must be the one the thugs were after. Dude agrees to meet with the Big Lebowski, hoping to get compensation for his rug since it "really tied the room together" and figures that his wife, Bunny, shouldn't be owing money around town. Arriving at Lebowski's mansion, Dude is assisted by Brandt (Philip Seymour Hoffman) who shows him numerous awards and pictures illustrating Lebowski's endeavors in philanthropy before Dude meets the man himself. The elder and wheelchair-bound Lebowski (David Huddleston) brings Dude into his study where he quickly gets to the point and professes that he can't take responsibility for every spoiled rug in the city and accuses Dude of seeking a handout, clearly resentful of his hippie-like demeanor. Dude leaves the room and tells Brandt that Lebowski offered any rug in the house to him. He quickly picks one out and, as it's being loaded into Dude's car, he speaks to a young blonde (Tara Reid) poolside who is painting her toenails green. She asks Dude to blow on her toes, assuring him that Uli (Peter Stormare), the man in the pool, won't mind because he's a nihilist. Brandt appears and introduces her as Bunny Lebowski before she offers Dude fellatio for $1000. Brandt nervously laughs and escorts Dude out. During a league game at the alley, Dude scolds Walter for bringing his ex-wife's small dog in a kennel with him while she is in Hawai'i with her new boyfriend. As they debate, a member of the opposite team, Smokey (Jimmie Dale Gilmore), bowls an 8 and tells the Dude to mark it, but Walter objects, stating Smokey's foot was over the line. When Smokey argues, Walter pulls out a gun and aims it in Smokey's face, forcing him to comply and void the score as a zero. As Walter sits down again, he explains, "It's a league game, Smokey, there are rules". Dude scolds Walter as they leave, trying to act casual as police units arrive and run past them into the alley. Afterwards, relaxing in his apartment and enjoying a White Russian (his favorite cocktail), Dude listens to his phone messages: Smokey calling to talk about the gun incident, Brandt asking Dude to call him, and the bowling league administrator wishing to speak about Walter's belligerence and gun-brandishing on the lanes. Dude's doorbell rings and his landlord, Marty (Jack Kehler), reminds Dude to pay his rent and informs him that he's performing a dance at a local theater and would like Dude to attend to give him notes. The Dude obliges as Brandt rings again, telling Dude that Lebowski needs to see him and that it's not about the rug. At the Lebowski mansion, Brandt solemnly leads Dude into the study where he finds Lebowski crying beside the lit fireplace. He shows Dude a crude note describing Bunny's kidnapping and the demand for $1 million. "This is a bummer, man," the Dude offers as he smokes a joint. Brandt explains that they want Dude to act as courier to deliver the payment when they receive word of a location for the drop off and tells Dude that he might even recognize the kidnappers as the same people who soiled his rug. Back at the bowling alley, a man wearing a hairnet and a purple jumpsuit with 'Jesus' embroidered on the front bowls a perfect strike. A few lanes down, Dude, Donny, and Walter watch him with slight resentment. Dude compliments on Jesus' (John Turturro) skill but Walter criticizes him for being a 'pederast', having served six months for exposing himself to an eight year-old before asking Dude about the Lebowski arrangement. Dude explains that he will receive $20,000 as courier and shows Walter the beeper Brandt gave him. He doesn't worry about the hand off and figures that Bunny kidnapped herself for some extra money. Walter seems to take Bunny's offense personally as Jesus walks over, telling them to watch out for his team and if they flash a piece at the finals "I'll take it away from you, stick it up your ass and pull the ****ing trigger till it goes click." At his apartment, Dude lies happily on his new rug, listening to a taped bowling game through headphones. He opens his eyes and sees a woman and two men standing over him before he is punched in the face and knocked out. He dreams that he is flying over LA, chasing a woman who is riding his rug ahead of him. A bowling ball suddenly appears in his hand and pulls him to the ground where he stands, miniaturized, facing a gigantic bowling ball as it rolls towards him. He tenses and winds up in one of the finger holes of the ball. From his perspective, we see the ball roll down the lane away from its female bowler towards the pins. As the pins scatter, the Dude wakes up to the sound of his beeper going off and finds that his rug has been taken from underneath him. Answering the page, Dude returns to Lebowski's mansion where Brandt explains that the kidnappers want the exchange to happen that very night. He gives Dude a portable phone and a briefcase with the money, instructing him to take it up the highway and wait for the kidnappers to call. Once the exchange is complete, Dude is to call Brandt immediately. Before he leaves, Brandt repeats to Dude that "her life is in your hands". Despite Brandt's instructions to go alone, Dude picks up Walter from his store. Walter gets in the drivers seat and immediately proposes a plan for a switch, holding his own briefcase full of dirty underwear, so that he and Dude can keep the million themselves. Walter also plans to capture one of the kidnappers and beat Bunny's location out of him. Dude is adamantly against the crazy plan but when the kidnappers call, Dude accidentally lets slip that he's not alone. The kidnappers hang up and Dude panics that Bunny is as good as dead, though Walter reminds him of his own suspicions that Bunny kidnapped herself. The kidnappers call again and give a location granted there is no funny 'schtuff'. At the designated location, the kidnappers call and instruct The Dude to throw the suitcase out the car window onto a bridge. As they approach the bridge, Dude tries to throw the real suitcase but, at the last second, Walter tosses the ringer and forces Dude to take the wheel as he arms himself with an Uzi and bails out of the moving car. Despite his seemingly flawless and heroic plan, Walter loses grip of the Uzi and it fires wildly, hitting Dude's tail lights and tires, causing him to panic and crash into a telephone pole. Three men on motorcycles appear just beyond the bridge and, as Dude scrambles out of the car with the briefcase, pick up the ringer and ride off. Walter calmly gets up and says, "**** it, Dude. Lets go bowling". At the alley, the portable phone rings incessantly, no doubt Brandt calling to check on the mission. Dude is miserable, angry at Walter, and certain that Bunny will be killed, though Walter is calm and convinced that Bunny kidnapped herself. He tells Dude not to worry and that Bunny will eventually get bored and return home on her own but becomes dismayed to see that the bowling schedule has him playing on Saturday; something he is forbidden to do since he is Shomer Shabbos and must honor the Jewish day of rest. The Dude wonders why Walter didn't go back to being Catholic since he only converted for his ex-wife. Donny interjects mid-conversation and is, again, told to 'shut the **** up' by Walter. As they leave, Dude discovers his car missing - along with the briefcase. Walter suggests it was towed because they parked in a handicapped spot but Dude is certain that it was stolen. He starts walking home with his phone ringing. Dude resolves to call the police and issue a statement for his stolen car. Two police officers (Richard Gant, Christian Clemenson) arrive at his apartment to take notes and Dude addresses the separate issue of his missing rug just before his home phone rings. The answering machine records a woman introducing herself as Maude Lebowski and saying that she is the one who took his rug and has sent a car to pick Dude up at his apartment. The younger of the two cops is pleased that the missing rug issue is resolved. The Dude is brought to a huge loft studio filled with canvases and minimal illumination. As he walks in, he is startled by the sudden appearance of Maude, swinging in naked on a zip line, screaming and flailing paintbrushes over a large canvas to create an abstract image. She descends to the ground and is robed before addressing The Dude. She explains that she is a professional artist whose work is commended as strongly vaginal, often to the point of making some men uncomfortable. She tells Dude that the rug he took was a gift from her to her late mother and her father, Big Lebowski, had no right giving it away. Maude's flamboyant assistant, Knox Harrington (David Thewlis), watches as Dude fixes himself a White Russian and Maude puts a tape in her VCR. She asks Dude if he enjoys sex as the video rolls, a smut film starring Bunny Lebowski and Uli, the German nihilist, credited as Karl Hungus. Maude surmises that Bunny kidnapped herself, elaborating on the already obvious notion that she gets around and even bangs the producer of the film, Jackie Treehorn. As one of two trustees of Little Lebowski Urban Achievers, one of Lebowski's charity programs, Maude noticed a withdrawal of $1 million from its funds and was told it was for the ransom. Though she is more or less estranged from her father, she doesn't want to involve the police in his embezzlement and offers the Dude ten percent of the million if he retrieves the money from the kidnappers. With a finder's fee she tells him he can buy a new rug. She then apologizes for the crack on the jaw and gives The Dude a number for a doctor who will examine him free of charge. The Dude is given a limo ride back to his apartment where the driver (Dom Irrera) points out a blue Volkswagen Beetle that had been following them. Before The Dude has a chance to do anything about it, he's shoved into another limo waiting for him on the street. Inside, Brandt and Lebowski confront him about the fact that he never called them and yell that the kidnappers never got the money. Lebowski accuses Dude of stealing the million himself as Dude tries to reason that the 'royal we' dropped off the money and that Bunny, since she apparently owes money all over town, most likely kidnapped herself and probably instructed her kidnappers to lie about the hand off. Brandt and Lebowski look skeptical before producing an envelope. Lebowski tells Dude that the kidnappers will be dealing directly with him now and any mishaps will be avenged tenfold on him. Inside the envelope, Dude finds a severed pinky toe wrapped in gauze with green polish on the nail. In a small cafe, The Dude tells Walter about the severed toe who doesn't believe it's Bunny's. Walter calls the kidnappers a bunch of ****ing amateurs for using such an obviously fake ruse but The Dude isn't convinced. Walter tries to convince him by saying that he can get a toe for him in no time at all and with his choice of nail polish color. Despite Walter's unwavering stance, Dude fears for his life; if the kidnappers dont get him, Lebowski will. At home, he tries to relax in the tub, smoking a joint and listening to music. His phone rings and the answering machine records the LAPD telling him that they've recovered his car. Dude is overjoyed for a moment until he hears a loud banging in his living room. He looks up to see three men breaking into his apartment wearing dark clothes. The leader, whom Dude recognizes as Uli/Karl Hungus the nihilist, along with his two cohorts, Franz and Kieffer (Torsten Voges, Flea), enters the bathroom with a ferret on a leash. He dunks the terrified animal in the tub where it thrashes and shrieks as Dude tries to avoid it. Uli takes the ferret out, letting it shake off, and tells Dude that they want their money tomorrow or they'll cut off his johnson. The following morning, the Dude goes to the impound lot to collect his car which turns up badly damaged and reeking with a terrible stench, an apparent victim of a joyride and temporary home to some vagrants. The briefcase is gone. Dude asks the officer at the lot if anyone is following up on who might have taken the car, but the officer (Mike Gomez) chuckles and sarcastically says that their department has them working in shifts on the case. At the bar in the bowling alley, Dude expresses his fears to an unsympathetic Walter and an unhelpful Donny. Unable to cheer him up, they leave Dude at the bar to find an open lane. The Stranger sits down next to Dude and orders a sarsaparilla before chatting briefly with Dude, complimenting him on his style and wondering why he uses so many cuss words. He offers Dude one piece of advice before leaving: "Sometimes you eat the bar, and sometimes the bar, well, he eats you." Gary, the bartender (Peter Siragusa), hands Dude the phone; it's Maude. She's miffed that Dude hasn't seen the doctor yet and instructs him to meet her at her loft. There, Dude informs Maude that he thinks Bunny was really kidnapped, possibly by Uli. Maude disagrees, saying that Bunny knows Uli and kidnappers cannot be acquaintances. She then dismisses Dude to take a call, reminding him to see the doctor. At the clinic the doctor tells Dude to remove his shorts, insisting despite Dude's assurance that he was only hit in the face. Driving home, Dude enjoys a joint while listening to Creedence but soon notices a blue Volkswagen following him. Distracted, he tries to flick his joint out the window but it bounces back and lands in his lap, burning him. He screams and dumps beer on his lap before he swerves and crashes into a dumpster. When he looks out the window, the blue car is gone. Looking down, he notices a piece of paper stuck in the car seat. It's a graded homework sheet with the name Larry Sellers written on it. That night, at Marty's dance quartet, Walter reveals that he's done some research on Larry and discovered where he lives, near the In-N-Out Burger joint. He is also thrilled to report that Larry's father is Arthur Digby Sellers, a famous screenwriter who wrote 156 episodes of the show Branded. Walter is certain that Larry has the briefcase of money and that their troubles are over. They pull up to the house where The Dude is dismayed to see a brand new red Corvette parked on the street outside. A Hispanic housekeeper (Irene Olga López) lets them into the Sellers' home where they see the elderly Arthur Sellers (Harry Bugin) in an iron lung in the living room. Over the hissing of the compressor, Walter calls out that he's a big fan of Arthur's and that his work was a source of inspiration to him before the housekeeper brings in young Larry (Jesse Flanagan), a fifteen year-old with a deadpanned expression. Walter and Dude interrogate Larry about the money and the fact that he stole Dude's car, but get no response. Not even a wavering glance. Walter resolves to go to Plan B; he tells Larry to watch out the window as he and Dude go back out to the car where Donny is waiting. Walter removes a tire iron from Dudes trunk and proceeds to smash the corvette, shouting, "This is what happens when you **** a stranger **********!" However, the car's real owner (Luis Colina) comes out of his house and rips the tire iron from Walter, shouting that he just bought the car last week, before going over to The Dude's car and breaking all the windows. Dude drives silently home, wind blowing in through the broken windows, as Walter and Donny eat In-N-Out burgers. Back home, Dude talks to Walter over the phone as he nails a two-by-four to the floor near the front door. He yells at Walter, telling him to leave him alone and that he wants to handle the situation himself before agreeing to go to their next bowling practice. He hangs up and props a chair against the door, braced by the piece of wood, and turns away as the door opens outwardly and Treehorn's thugs from the beginning of the film walk in. They tell The Dude that Jackie Treehorn wishes to meet with him. The Dude is taken to a large mansion overlooking a beach front where a tribal, orgy-like party is going on. Inside, Dude meets Jackie Treehorn (Ben Gazzara) who appears friendly and agreeable as he mixes the Dude a White Russian and sympathizes for his lost rug. Treehorn asks him where Bunny is to which Dude responds that he thinks Treehorn knows. Treehorn denies knowing and theorizes that Bunny ran off knowing how much money she owed him. Treehorn is then excused for a phone call. He writes something down on a notepad before leaving the room momentarily. Employing the Roger O. Thornhill trick of rubbing a pencil lightly over the pad of paper to see what was written, Dude reveals a doodle of a man with a rather large penis. He rips the paper out of the pad and sticks it in his pocket before returning to the couch as Treehorn comes back. He offers Dude a ten percent finder's fee if he tells them where the money is. Dude tells him that Larry Sellers should have the money, though Treehorn is not convinced. Dude insists he's telling the truth as his words begin to slur and his vision glazes over. He mumbles, "All the Dude ever wanted was his rug back...it really tied the room together," before he passes out. The Dude falls into a deep dream where he sees himself happily starring in a Jackie Treehorn-produced bowling picture entitled 'Gutterballs' with Maude, dressed in a seducing Viking outfit, as his costar. They dance together and throw a bowling ball down the lane. The ball turns into the Dude, floating above the lane floor and passing under ladies' skirts. When he hits the pins at the end, he suddenly sees the three nihilists dressed in tight clothes and snapping super large scissors, chasing him. He runs from them, terrified, as he wakes from his dream, staggering down a street in Malibu while a police car pulls up behind him. The unit picks him up as he slurs the theme song to 'Branded'. At the Malibu police station, the chief of police (Leon Russom) goes through The Dude's wallet before he tells Dude that Jackie Treehorn said he was drunk and disorderly at his 'garden party'. He tells Dude that Treehorn is an important source of income in Malibu and demands that he stay out of the town for good. Dude replies that he wasn't listening which incites the chief to throw his coffee mug at him, hitting him in the head. Dude takes a cab ride home and requests that the driver (Ajgie Kirkland) change the radio station since he had a rough night and hates the Eagles. The driver doesn't take kindly to this and throws The Dude out. As he stands on the street, a red convertible passes by at high speeds; it's Bunny listening to 'Viva Las Vegas' and, as we see, with a complete set of toes on each foot. Dude returns to his apartment to find it completely wrecked. He enters and trips over the two-by-four he nailed into the floor. When he looks up, he finds Maude standing before him dressed in nothing but his robe. She drops it to the floor and tells him to make love to her. Afterwards, they lie in bed together as The Dude smokes a joint and tells her about his past as a student activist and his current hobbies which include bowling and the occasional acid flashback. As he climbs out of bed to make a White Russian, Maude asks about the apartment and Dude explains that Treehorn's thugs most likely vandalized it looking for Lebowski's money. Maude retorts that her father actually has no money; it was all her mother's or else belongs to the Foundation and that Lebowski's only concern is to run the charities. Maude gives him an allowance but his weakness is vanity; "Hence the slut". She tells Dude this as she folds into a yoga position which she claims increases the chances of conception. Dude chokes on his drink but Maude assures him that she has no intention of having Dude be a part of the child-bearing process nor does she want to see him socially. The Dude then figures that's why she wanted him to visit the doctor so badly until an idea suddenly comes to mind about Lebowski. Dude calls Walter to pick him up and take him to Lebowski's mansion right away, despite Walter's protests that he doesn't drive on Shabbos unless it's an emergency. Dude assures him that it's just that. Dude dresses and goes outside where he sees the blue Volkswagen parked just down the street. He walks over and demands that the man within get out. The man introduces himself as Da Fino (Ajgie Kirkland) and explains that he thinks Dude is a fellow private eye who is brilliantly playing two sides against each other; the thugs and Lebowski, and means no harm to him or his girlfriend. Confused, Dude tells Da Fino to stay away from his 'lady friend' and asks if he's working for Lebowski or Treehorn. Da Fino admits that he's employed by the Kneutson's; Bunny's family. Apparently, Bunny's real name is Fawn and she ran away from her Minnesota home a year ago and Da Fino's been investigating since. As Walter pulls up, Dude tells Da Fino to, again, stay away from his lady friend and leaves. At a local restaurant, the three German nihilists and a sallow, blonde woman (Aimee Mann) sit together ordering pancakes. The camera pans down to the womans foot covered in a bandage which, where her pinky toe should be, is soaked in dried blood. Driving out to Lebowski mansion, Dude explains his new theory; why did Lebowski do nothing to him if he knew the payoff never happened? If Lebowski thought that The Dude took the money, why didn't he ask for it back? Because the briefcase given to Dude was never full of money: "You threw a ringer out for a ringer!" He also figures that Lebowski chose him, an otherwise '****-up', to get Bunny back because he never wanted her back; he wanted her dead while he embezzled money from the foundation as a ransom. Walter agrees with the theory but still believes he shouldn't have been bothered on the Shabbos. As they pull up to the mansion, they see Bunny's red convertible crashed into some shrubbery near the front fountain. Bunny is running around the grounds naked while, inside, Brandt attempts to pick up her discarded clothes. He tells them that Bunny went to visit friends in Palm Springs without telling anyone. Despite his protests, Walter and Dude walk past him into the study where a stern-looking Lebowski sits. Dude demands an answer; he accuses Lebowski of keeping the million for himself while he used The Dude as a scapegoat to cover up for the missing money. Lebowski says that it's his word against Dude's and no one would believe a 'deadbeat' over him. This angers Walter who figures Lebowski to be a fake handicap besides a phony millionaire and lifts Lebowski out of his chair, dropping him to the floor. However, Lebowski lies still on the floor, whimpering, and Dude tells Walter to help him back in his chair. At the bowling alley, Donny misses a strike for the first time and puzzles over this as Walter drones about Vietnam to Dude who doesn't seem to be paying attention as he paints over his fingernails with clear polish. Jesus walks over, criticizing the change in schedule from Saturday to Wednesday before issuing sexual threats. The Dude, Walter, and Donny sit unfazed. As they leave the alley and head into the parking lot, they are faced by the three nihilists who stand in front of The Dude's flaming car. "Well, they finally did it," he despairs. "They killed my ****ing car." The nihilists demand the money or they will kill the girl but Dude tells them that he knows they never had the girl in the first place. The nihilists reply that they don't care and still want the money but Dude tries to explain that Lebowski's money was never valid; he never intended to pay them off and Walter shouts that without a hostage, there is no ransom. Franz complains that his girlfriend had to give up her pinky toe because she thought she was getting $1 million but they'll settle for whatever Walter, Donny, and Dude have in their pockets. Donny, in the back, asks if the men are going to hurt them and Walter assures him that they're nihilists and cowards as Dude pulls out his wallet. When Walter refuses to take his own out, Uli pulls out a sword and Walter engages in a fight with them, throwing his bowling ball into Franz's stomach. Dude hits Kieffer over the head with his own radio while Walter attacks Uli and bites off his ear, spitting it into the air. He turns around and sees Donny on the ground, clutching his chest from having a heart attack. Walter comforts him as Dude runs into the alley to call for an ambulance. The Dude and Walter are then seen at a funeral parlor speaking with the curator. Donny, having passed away, was cremated and they negotiate how his remains will be handled. Walter is outraged at the high price of the urn. The curator tells them that the urn is their most "modestly-priced receptacle" and that the ashes must be given over in a container of some sort. Walter asks if there's a Ralph's store nearby and he & The Dude resolve to receive Donny's ashes in a Folger's coffee can. They travel together to a windy cliffside overlooking the ocean where Walter gives a heartfelt speech about Donny along with a seemingly unrelated reference to Vietnam before opening the can and shaking out the ashes. The wind blows them back into Dude's face, coating his clothes, beard, and sunglasses. Walter apologizes and attempts to brush the ashes off but the Dude yells at him for always making everything a '****ing travesty' and scolds him for yet another needless Vietnam rant. Walter hugs him and tells him to "**** it, man; let's go bowling." The Dude eases down. At the bowling alley, the Stranger sits at the bar as the Dude orders two beers. They greet each other and the Stranger asks how he's been doing. "Oh, you know, strikes and gutters, ups and downs," answers The Dude as he collects his beers and goes to leave. The Stranger tells him to take it easy and The Dude turns to reply, "Yeah, well, The Dude abides." The Stranger finds comfort in those words and rambles about how things seem to have turned out fine for Dude and Walter. He was sad to see Donny go but happens to know that there's a little Lebowski on the way. He assures us that The Dude is always out there taking it easy for 'all us sinners' and orders another sarsaparilla.

The Departed

In voiceover, Irish-American mobster Frank Costello (Jack Nicholson) explains that he doesn't want to be the product of his environment, he wants his environment to be a product of him. Grainy historical film depicts violent riots in Boston during earlier generations. Costello, proudly Irish, unapologetically racist, explains that what annoys him about African Americans is their refusal to realize that they won't be given anything. Costello's belief is you have to do whatever possible to take what you want. Costello is in a small convenience store and collects protection money from the shop owner, who is visibly unnerved by Costello. Costello warns him to have more money next time. Costello asks the shop owner's young teenage daughter behind the counter if she's got her period yet. His attitude is nonchalant and all the more threatening for it. The daughter is both affronted and compelled by the powerful Costello and answers his rhetorical question. The shop owner doesn't show any emotion. A small boy, a young Colin Sullivan (Conor Donovan), is at the counter and witnesses Costello's interaction with the shop owner. Costello notices him and asks him if he's the son of a man Costello knows. He tells the store owner to give the boy two full bags of groceries and then presses some coins into the boy's hand. He tells the boy to remember he can get more money from Costello when he gets older. As Sullivan grows, Costello grooms him and steers him into a job as a police officer, where he can keep Costello informed. Sullivan completes the Police Academy and is immediately transferred to the State Police force. He is accepted into the Special Investigations Unit led by Ellerby (Alec Baldwin) which focuses on organized crime. The primary target of the unit is Costello. Sullivan (Matt Damon) is warmly welcomed onto the State Police force by Captain Queenan (Sheen) and Staff Sergeant Dignam (Wahlberg). Billy Costigan (DiCaprio), whose extended family has considerable ties to organized crime, also attends the police academy. Before he graduates, he is summoned to a meeting with Queenan and Dignam who intimidate, bully, and verbally harass him. They pressure him to disqualify himself as an officer because he's too smart to be a cop and because of his family's ties to crime. When Costigan stands up to their hazing, they change tactics: they offer him a job as a police officer on one condition: that he quit the academy, serve serious time in jail on a trumped-up assault charge, and infiltrate Costello's organization. Only Queenan and Dignam will know that Costigan is working undercover. They promise him a bonus when he completes the assignment. When Costigan gets out of prison, he contacts his cousin and tries to finance a drug deal. Costigan and his cousin meet Mr. French (Ray Winstone) at a local bar, where Costigan orders a cranberry juice. The guy on the bar stool next to him asks Costigan if he is having his period. Costigan smashes a beer mug over the man's head and is halted in his assault by Mr. French. Mr. French warns Costigan that he is not allowed to beat up certain men, and he's lucky the guy at the bar is not one of them. Eating at the counter of a store like that in which Sullivan originally met Costello, Costigan confronts two Italian mobsters from Providence extorting protection money from the store owner. He beats the two men up badly, breaking his hand when he hits one of them. Costello learns of Costigan's actions and summons him to a meeting. He offers to protect Costigan from the Mafia, who, he promises, will return with reinforcements to kill Costigan. He invites Costigan into a back room where he instructs Mr. French, a senior member of Costello's crew, to check Costigan for weapons or a wire. Mr. French breaks Costigan's cast open and Costello beats Costigan's broken hand with a shoe, trying to get him to confess being a cop. Costigan withstands their beating and is accepted as a legitimate crook by Costello. Both Sullivan and Costigan gain credibility within their respective organizations. Sullivan visits a crime scene where the two Mafia men from Providence are found. Sullivan contacts Costello, who directs him to influence the investigators away from Costello. Sullivan begins dating psychiatrist Madolyn Madden (Vera Farmiga). Costigan also sees her but as a client, required under the terms of his probation. He also develops an attraction to her. During a deal to sell stolen missile guidance microchips to Chinese government agents, Sullivan warns Costello of the police operation and everyone avoids police detection by boarding boats waiting at the back of the warehouse. It becomes evident to both Sullivan and Costigan that there is a mole in each other's organization, though not their identities. Costigan talks to Dignam and threatens to leave but Dignam tells him to come up with evidence so they can find the mole. Extremely agitated, Costigan relents. He has coffee with Madden who is moving in to live with Sullivan. Costello tells Sullivan to find the "rat" among his crew. Sullivan asks for his crew members' social security numbers and other ID so he can track them down. Costigan searches for the informant and learns from a member of Costello's crew that Costello is an FBI informant, explaining why federal prosecutors repeatedly fail to indict and arrest Costello. Costigan visits Queenan at home late at night and tells him that Costello is an FBI informant. Mr. French collects everyone's social security numbers and other ID. Costigan corrects Fitzgibbons's (David O'Hara) misspelling of 'citizens' on the envelope containing their information and then leaves. He visits Madden at her apartment, where she is finishing moving out. She tells him she is moving in with Sullivan. They talk and then have sex. Ellerby puts Sullivan in charge of the investigation to find the mole in the Special Investigations Unit, citing his "immaculate record." Costigan follows Costello to a porn theater, where he sees Costello meet with and give a dark figure--unknown to him, Sullivan--the envelope containing Costello's crew members' personal information. Costigan chases Sullivan out the emergency exit of the theater and through Chinatown but neither man learns the other's identity. Sullivan tells Costello to trail Queenan to a meeting with Costigan. Costigan gets away before Costello's men throw Queenan off the roof, landing at Costigan's feet. As Costello's crew leaves, Costigan joins them, pretending he's just arrived to join them in the assassination. Delahunt (Mark Rolston) is mortally wounded. Back at their bar, Delahunt fingers Costigan as the mole but dies before he can tell anyone else. A news report reveals that Delahunt, a crew member, was an undercover cop. Dignam is forced to step down from the police force as a result. Using Queenan's phone, Sullivan reaches Costigan, and fails to persuade him to quit his work as a mole. Sullivan learns from Queenan's diary that Costello was an informant for the Federal Bureau of Investigation. He worries that his identity as a mole for Costello may be revealed. With Costigan's help, Costello is traced by the police to a cocaine pick-up, where a gunfight erupts between his crew and police, during which most of Costello's crew is killed. Sullivan confronts the wounded Costello, who admits he is an occasional FBI informant. Sullivan shoots him multiple times. Sullivan is applauded the next day for having killed Costello by everyone on the force. In good faith, Costigan comes to see him, seeking to get his civilian identity restored and to collect his back pay. He tells Sullivan he intends to resume his civilian life. Sullivan leaves to look up Costigan's employee record when Costigan notices the envelope from Costello on Sullivan's desk. Costigan finally realizes Sullivan is Costello's mole. Returning to his desk, Sullivan realizes that Costigan has figured out his true identity, so he erases Costigan's employee records from the police computer system. Madolyn tells Sullivan she's pregnant, but doesn't reveal who the father is. A few days later she receives a package in the mail from Costigan addressed to Sullivan. She opens it to find it contains a CD of Costello's recorded conversations with Sullivan. Sullivan walks in as she is listening and tries unsuccessfully to assuage her suspicions. He contacts Costigan, who reveals that Costello recorded every conversation he had with Sullivan. Costello left the recordings with his attorney, who has given them to Costigan. Costigan says he wants his civilian identity back or he will implicate Sullivan. They agree to meet on the roof of the building where Queenan died. When they meet, Costigan catches Sullivan off-guard and handcuffs him. As Costigan had secretly arranged, Officer Brown (Anderson) appears on the roof as well. Shocked to see Sullivan in handcuffs and held at gunpoint by Costigan, Brown draws his gun on Costigan. Costigan explains his actions by revealing that Sullivan is the mole. Costigan asks Brown why Dignam did not accompany him, but Brown doesn't answer. Costigan leads Sullivan to the elevator and Brown takes the stairs to follow them. When the elevator reaches the ground floor and the doors open, Officer Barrigan (Dale) shoots Costigan in the head. When Brown arrives, Barrigan kills him too. Barrigan reveals to Sullivan that Costello had more than one mole in the police and that Costello was going to give both of them up to the FBI. When Barrigan momentarily turns, Sullivan shoots him in the head. At police headquarters, Sullivan concocts a story to protect himself, identifying Barrigan as the mole and recommends Costigan for the Medal of Merit. At Costigan's funeral, Sullivan and Madolyn stand by the grave. Sullivan attempts to talk to her, but she ignores him. As Sullivan enters his apartment, he is met by Dignam, who shoots and kills him.

—The Monkey Business Illusion video: What are the main points?

By daniel J simmions 1. you must count the number of times the players wearing white pass the ball 2. 16 bounces 3. Gorilla walk into the video 4. 1/2 people dont see the gorilla 5. Curtian change in color 6. black shirt player leaving the game. 7. looking for one objet you tend to miss ourside events

Hot Fuzz

Nicholas Angel (Simon Pegg) is undoubtedly London's finest constable. His arrest record far surpasses that of any other officer, and he continues to undergo training to better his skills. This makes his fellow constables look bad, so they have him forcibly promoted and transferred to Sandford, a country village with the lowest crime rate in the country. Sandford is as quiet as it is advertised, which depresses Nick. On his first night in the village, he kicks under-age drinkers out of the local pub, then arresting them for disorderly conduct in the streets. One of his arrestees turns out to be his new partner, Danny Butterman (Nick Frost), a doughy, affable chap whose father, Frank (Jim Broadbent) is the village's chief of police. Nick meets his fellow constables who, with the exception of the smug Andy's (Paddy Considine and Rafe Spall), are affable but neither adept at nor much interested in investigative police work. The only other people who seem interested in law and order are the Neighbourhood Watch Alliance, a group of long-time residents who care deeply about maintaining Sandford's reputation as the nation's best village and are concerned about the arrival of street performers and other riffraff. Danny, however, pesters Nick for details of his career in London, which Danny is certain was filled with the kind of blazing action he has seen in American action films like Point Break and Bad Boys II. For a few days, Nick's most exciting moments are chasing a runaway swan and then a shoplifter, and confiscating the arsenal a local farmer has collected over the years, including a rusty sea mine. He also pulls over for speeding the local solicitor and his much younger girlfriend. The two of them are on their way to perform in their "homage" to Shakespeare, a dreadful updating of Romeo and Juliet. After the performance, the two would-be Thespians are brutally murdered by a dark-cloaked figure with a hatchet. Their bodies are then strewn about in the road where Nick and Danny had pulled them over for speeding and their car wrecked to make their deaths appear to be a gory traffic accident. The other police officers are content with explanation, despite Nick's concerns about the lack of skid marks at the scene. The next day Nicholas and Danny are tipped off to a possession of illegal weapons outside of the city. They go to the farmhouse with the entire crew - and Saxon. But it's not the dog they need. It seems Saxon's trainer is the only one who can understand the guy in charge of the farm, who shows Sgt. Angel the impressive collection of weapons that he's managed to stash. Nicholas is floored at this very dangerous and highly illegal collection. He, Danny and the rest of the officers haul in the collection. To celebrate, Danny invites Nicholas out to an evening at the local pub, where he encourages Nicholas to order more than just his usual cranberry juice. He obliges and after several pints of lager, they escort local businessman George Merchant - who's had several beers, back to his estate. They then head back to Danny's pad, where Danny invites Nicholas inside. There, he shows Nicholas how to switch off and unveils his incredibly impressive DVD collection. While they're watching Point Break and Bad Boys II, another "accident" is being setup involving George Merchant and his rather posh estate, which the NWA doesn't find keeping in with the villages' rustic asthetic. The next day, they're called to the scene of yet another accident - this time it appears that George Merchant is dead and the accident was covered with an application of bacon and beans. But Nicholas knows that George Merchant wasn't killed in an accidental explosion - he once again believes this is murder. The next day at the station he and Danny are putting together the pieces of the accident but so far no one believes Nicholas' theory that George was murdered. The following Saturday it's time for the town fair. Nicholas is unfortunately strapped with working security. Danny wants to see Nick's sharp shooting skills during a game - he does so and wins a cuddly monkey. While a local lottery is being held for some rather nice prizes, Nicholas is greeted by the reporter Tim Messenger. He sees Leslie Tiller telling him something. Messenger tells Nicholas to meet him behind the church at 3:00. While drawing the next name for the lottery - which happens to be Tim Messenger, the church clock strikes 3:00. Nicholas stops what he's doing and quickly runs behind the church - but once again it's too late. It appears that a large part of the church roof has fallen on Messenger and decapitated him. Frank quickly rules it an accident but Nicholas suspects otherwise. Nicholas and Danny are left guarding the crime scene while the rest of the department has gone home for the night. The next day Nicholas is furious at the rest of his department - who are still believing that the deaths are accidents. But Frank reassures him otherwise, and while Nicholas is busy putting the pieces together of these horrific crimes, the rest of the department informs him that it's Danny's birthday. Nick goes to the local flower shop to buy a peace lily for Danny as a birthday present. He is surprised to see the shop's proprietor, renowned for her horticultural skills, leaving town. She tells him that the land she owns was to be bought by the businessman with the assistance of the Thespians. Then, when they were both killed, the reporter informed her that her land was much more valuable than what the businessman offered her, so she has sold her shop to a land developer from the city. She also reveals her connections to Skinner. When Nick briefly goes outside to his car, the dark cloaked figure stabs the woman to death with her garden shears. Nick gives chase but cannot catch up to the villain, who was wounded in the escape. Convinced that Skinner's connection to the property deal and attitude toward those murdered is sufficient evidence against Skinner, Nick takes the police force to confront him. But Skinner has no wound and his store's surveillance tapes establish that he was on the premises all day. Nick is prepared to give up when it occurs to him that instead of a single murderer, several dark-cloaked murderers might be working together. This theory is confirmed when he is attacked in his hotel room by one of Skinner's employees, who is wearing a dark cloak. Nick defeats him and then impersonates him when Skinner radios to see if Nick has been killed. Nick traces Skinner to a castle outside of the village. There he finds the Neighborhood Watch Alliance, clad in the dark cloaks, chanting ritualistically. The NWA reveals that they have all been behind the murders, with their motive simply being civic pride, and had nothing to do with property deal between those who were murdered. Anything that could strip Sandford of its status as the nation's best village is violently opposed: The solicitor and his girlfriend were murdered because their terrible acting brought ill repute to Sandford's theatre company, the businessman was murdered for owning a tacky home, the journalist for poor spelling, and the horticulturalist for even thinking about moving away. Nick tries to arrest them but Frank and Danny appear in support of the NWA. They chase Nick through the grounds of the castle, where he finds the remains of other people the NWA has killed. The NWA surrounds Nick, and Danny steps forward and stabs him. Danny takes Nick's body away in the boot of his car. At a safe distance, he lets the quite-alive Nick go -- they had faked Nick's death using ketchup packets for blood and Nick's notebook to avoid actual skin penetration. Danny refuses to believe his father and the NWA are responsible for murder and persuades Nick to take his car and return to London. In London, Nick sees a collection of action film videos and, inspired, returns to Sandford to put an end to the NWA. He takes the arsenal from the police evidence room and confronts many of the NWA members in the town square. They are equally as well armed as he is, and he vanquishes them only through the timely assistance of Danny. In the local pub (whose owners are also NWA members), Frank and the other constables, in full riot gear, surround Nick and Danny. But Nick is able to persuade the constables that he is in the right. Frustrated, Frank runs away. Nick and the other officers go to the supermarket to apprehend Skinner, but when his employees put up a spirited fight, Skinner is able to escape with Frank. Danny and Nick give pursuit in their police car, and in the process find the runaway swan. Skinner and Frank are forced to abandon their car, and Nick and Danny give chase on foot. Nick and Skinner fight in a scale replica of the village, and Nick wins when Skinner falls and impales his chin on model of the village church, though this doesn't kill him. Frank tries to flee in Nick and Danny's car, but crashes into a tree when the swan attacks him. Nick's former London superiors arrive in Sandford to congratulate him and ask him to return, as London has become crime ridden in his absence. Nick refuses because he has made such good friends and finally learned to enjoy life in Sandford. However, at the station, the last remaining member of the NWA tries to kill him. Danny takes the full brunt of the gun blast, and in the ensuing chase, the sea mine is detonated, destroying the station house. But no one is killed. Danny is promoted to Sargent and Nick becomes the Inspector. Danny and Nick continue to patrol the streets of Sandford together with Marcus and Mike from Bad Boys as their role models.

12 years a slave

The movie opens with a group of slaves receiving instruction on cutting sugar cane. A man sits languidly atop a wagon of the raw cane root, idly looking at the labor of the men. The scene shifts to a group of shacks. The slaves are eating. Solomon Northup notices the dark juice of blackberries and is inspired to create ink and a quill. Unfortunately, the scheme fails. The juice is too thin. Later, in the crowded slave quarters, a female stirs in her sleep and advances on Northup sexually, using his hand for release. Solomon flashes back to happier times with his wife and children and the title card flashes. We see snippets of Solomon's life as a free man. He plays the violin exquisitely and is much in demand as a performer in his home of Saratoga. Later that night, after settling the children in their beds, he talks with his wife, who will shortly take the children with her as she works as a cook. He playfully expresses jealousy at being deprived of her cooking. The following morning he sees them off in a carriage. Later that afternoon, he encounters a friend who introduces him to two travelers (Brown and Hamilton) claiming to work with a circus-like show. They promise him an outrageous sum to accompany them to Washington DC and promise his return before his wife gets back. He agrees to join them. We next see the trio at a restaurant in DC. His patrons plunk down a bag of coins in excess of their promised sum. They share wine and one of them watches closely as Solomon drains his glass. Everyone is having a great time. Suddenly, Solomon awakes in a dank cell, chained to the floor. In a series of flashbacks, we see his "friends" carry him up to his hotel room, excusing his drunken stupor to other patrons. Brown urges Hamilton that time is short, and they need to be done with it. Their departure ends the flashback, and we rejoin Solomon in the cell where he is told that he is a runaway Georgia slave. Despite his protests of being a free man, he has no papers. Solomon is mercilessly beaten and eventually sent into a slave pen with others. He discusses his situation with Clemens, an apparently educated slave who advises him on the dire nature of their situation. Soon a mother (Eliza) and daughter are brought to the pen to join a previously captured son. She tries to keep a brave face while understanding the forthcoming tragedy. Under cover of darkness, they are pulled from their cell, chained and transported to a river boat. They are led to the hold, crammed with other human cargo. Clemens reiterates his advice that Solomon maintain a low profile, denying his ability to read and write. The encounter another slave (Robert) who wants to revolt and take over the ship. They contemplate their odds before opting for caution. Later that night, a slaver visits the hold an awakens Eliza to rape her. Robert attempts to stop the rape is stabbed and killed. Clemens and Solomon are charged with dropping the body in the river, prompting Clemens to remark that Robert is better off in death. Later, they arrive at a dock. Clemens master is waiting for them and immediately demands the return on his stolen property. Clemens gratefully scampers down into the embrace of his master, abandoning all evidence of his previously displayed intellect. Solomon has lost his only friend. After disembarking, a slaver (ironically named Freeman) calls his new property to their feet by announcing their names. He calls Solomon "Platt" which he obviously doesn't recognize. Solomon is slapped for denying the name. The indignity of Freeman's slave operation is displayed as the naked slaves bath in buckets at his offices. Inside, he puts on is sales spiel to eager customers. A genteel plantation owner (Ford), expresses interest in Platt (Solomon) and Eliza. She begs him to take her children as well, but Freeman balks, swiftly selling her son to another buyer. Ford attempts to buy her daughter (clearly of mixed heritage), but again Freeman won't adjust his price. Ford can only afford to pay for the two. Eliza is distraught and wildly screams in her grief, upsetting the sale. Solomon is commanded to play the fiddle to lighten the mood. Ford transports his purchases back to his plantation. Eliza has been sobbing the whole trip. Ford's wife mentions that food and a night's rest will help her forget them. The next morning, the slaves are introduced to Tibeats, a slave handler, and Ford's overseer, Chapin. TIbeats sings a derisive song warning the slaves against escape as they perform their labor. They continue in chopping timber and ultimately encounter a small band of native people with whom they share a brief respite. Solomon notices a stringed instrument and appears to remember his own violin. The next day, Solomon (against Clemens advice) approaches Ford with a novel idea to transport the lumber via the river. Tibeats is extremely patronizing, but Ford is impressed with Solomon's opinions and is persuaded. The scheme succeeds, and Tibeats is embarrassed. Ford offers Solomon a violin to play as a reward. Back at the slave quarters Eliza is moaning in sadness over the loss of her children. Solomon is frustrated by the noise and debates her about surviving under Ford's "decent" treatment. Eliza argues back that Ford must surely realize that Solomon is not a slave, yet does nothing to free him. Solomon is given pause. Eliza is eventually sold off as Ford's wife can't "bear the noise." Over the next few days, Tibeats attempts to wreak petty vengeance on Solomon, leading to a verbal confrontation. Tibeats attempts to beat Solomon who fights back and gets the better of him. Chapin comes upon the scene and sends Tibeats scurrying. He warns him that he cannot protect him if he runs and implies that he will get Ford to straighten it out. Later, we find that Tibeats has gathered some thugs to lynch Solomon for daring to fight him. They have the noose around his neck and are preparing to hang him when Chapin returns, guns drawn. He chases them off, but allows Solomon to hang there, barely able to support his weight, on tip toes (punishment for striking a white man). Gradually, slaves emerge from their cabins and appear to take no notice of his plight. A woman furtively brings him some water, but quickly retreats. In what appears to be hours later, Ford finally returns and slices the rope, saving Solomon. He drags him into the house for protection, but decides that he must be sold. Tibeats will not be denied his vengeance. It is here that we learn Ford has sold Solomon to a notorious plantation owner named Epps, who is known for merciless beatings. Epps reads a Bible passage, slanting the scripture to reinforce his ownership of the slaves. The next day brings a day of picking cotton. At the end of the day, the weight of each worker's bundles are marked. Solomon's yield is less than average. Slaves that picked less than the previous day receive lashes. Meanwhile, Patsey exceeds the best production of any worker by nearly double. Epps lingers around Patsey and offers extensive praise for her. It is clear he is fascinated by her, and his wife is none too pleased. Epps enters the slave quarters and rouses them from sleep, creating an impromptu dance where Patsey is the center of attention. Epps wife throws a heavy crystal decanter at Patsey's face, brutally scarring her. She demands that Epps sell Patsey, but he claims that he would send his wife away before losing Patsey. Mistress Epps sends Solomon on an errand to the store. She hands him a list and notices him reading it. She makes it clear that he should not do it again. On his way to the store, Solomon is inspired to attempt escape, but stumbles into a lynching. Seeing the fate of the two men, his spirit is broken, and he continues to the store. Seeing the paper, he develops the idea to take a spare sheet each time so that he might craft a letter. Some time later, Epps dispatches Solomon to a nearby plantation owned by Shaw. Shaw has married one of his slaves and elevated her status (at least on his plantation). Patsey is there for a visit, enjoying the finery, but apparently Epps is jealous that Shaw might attempt to bed her. After a brief refreshment, Solomon convinces Patsey to join him. As they return to Epps' plantation, he is clearly drunk. Solomon whispers to Patsey that she avoid Epps, which Epps interprets as Solomon making a sexual advance. After a drunken chase around the yard, Mistress Epps intervenes, if only to express her disgust at her husband's obsession with Patsey. Later that night, Epps stumbles to the slave quarters and rapes her. Mistress Epps has had enough of her husband's affair and chastises Patsey before cruelly slashing her face. Later that night, Patsey begs Solomon to strangle her and dispose of her body. She can no longer bear the burden of Epps rapes and his wife's torments. Solomon refuses, despite her entreaties. Some time later, we see that Epps cotton crops have been devastated by insects. Two crops have been lost, and he decides to lend his slaves to a judge who can derive some use of them and pay the mortgage on their purchases. This returns us to the opening scene, where Solomon is cutting sugar cane. The judge notices Solomon's skill and recommends him to a neighbor seeking music for a party. As a bonus, the judges says Solomon may keep whatever wages he earns. The party is a fancy costumed affair, and Solomon clearly sees parallels between his old life as a free man and his forced servitude. The party is over, and it's time to return to Epps farm. As Solomon walks up to the house, Patsey's bloody eye indicates that her torments have continued. The cotton crop is in, and that means it's back to the fields. This time, they are joined by a white laborer (Armsby) who is picking to earn money to get back on his feet. Even though his yield is well below any other worker, he is spared the whipping that all the other slaves receive. In the quarters, he tends to Solomon's wounds and tells his story. He appears to be a decent man and a sympathetic ear. Solomon decides to risk trusting him with sending a letter North, in hopes of securing his freedom. He gives Armsby all his earnings from the party and swears him to secrecy. He will deliver the letter to him in two days. Solomon sets about creating ink and drafts the letter. Just that night, Epps enters the quarters and walks Solomon outside. Armsby has broken his word and told Epps everything. Fortunately, he told his story BEFORE Solomon gave him the letter. Thinking quickly, and playing on Epps low opinion of slaves, he flips the story on Armsby, branding him a liar who is seeking to curry favor in order to get a job. This story persuades Epps and Solomon is spared. Later, Solomon burns the letter and watches as his hopes of freedom are extinguished in the ashes. Some time later, we find a team of workers building a structure with a hired hand, Bass. Bass if from the North and holds strong abolitionist views that fly in the face of Epps strongly pro-slavery leanings. They chatter back and forth in front of Solomon, piquing his interest. Later, Epps is in a lather about Patsey. She's gone missing, and Epps thinks she has runaway. He threatens all the women with violence over her loss; however, she has simply been back to Shaw's plantation to visit her friend. She attempts to convince Epps that she is faithful to him and went there to get some soap, a "luxury" that Epps' wife has denied her. She loudly asserts her worth and insists that she deserves to be clean. Epps is pushed over the edge by his wife's bickering and calls for her to be tied to the whipping post. As he prepares to strike, he finds himself unable to inflict the punishment. Cravenly, he insists that Solomon do it. At first, Solomon attempts to be gentle, But Mistress Epps sees through the deception and nudges her husband to increase the severity. Epps points a gun to Solomon's head and claims he will kill every slave he sees if he doesn't whip Patsey harder. Faced with an unspeakable choice, he whips her harder, a pink mist of blood accompanying every new strike. After he pauses, Epps rushes forward, seething with rage and finally whips Patsey himself. The brutal punishment rends her flesh to shreds, and she collapses. Solomon finds himself alone with Bass, the hired hand. He asks where he's from and when Bass replies, "Canada," Solomon offers convincing knowledge of the country. Bass asks how he's so well travelled, and Solomon explains his dire circumstance. Bass comes to believe Solomon's story and knows the horrible injustice of it. As they continue work, Solomon takes a chance and asks Bass to write letters to his friends in Saratoga. Bass agrees. Then the work is finished, and he leaves. A long shot lingers on Solomon. He has no idea whether Bass has kept his word. We don't know how long Bass has been gone, but the tears in Solomon's eyes indicate that perhaps he's beginning to think that he has been betrayed again. Now we see a group of men tilling the soil and planting seeds. A carriage pulls up to the Epps plantation, and an official looking man calls out for Platt (Solomon). He answers and approaches the man (a sheriff). The man asks him some questions and motions to another man in the carriage. It is Mr. Parker, a shop owner from Saratoga and friend of Solomon's. With little further prompting, the sheriff is convinced, and Solomon rushes to embrace his friend. Epps is enraged and shouts empty threats. The sheriff rebuts the arguments and Parker helps Solomon into the carriage that will take him to safety. Patsey is there and calls out to him. Solomon leaps from the carriage to embrace her one last time before his departure. As he leaves, Patsey collapses in grief. Now Solomon has been carried home. Outside his door, he appears overcome at having been delivered from his nightmare. Upon entering, he sees his family. They are 12 years older, but overwhelmed at seeing him. His daughter has married and named their son, Solomon Northup. Tears flow as they gather around him and welcome him home. A series of title cards explain that he attempted to sue his kidnappers but failed. Northup became an abolitionist and aided many runaways in achieving their freedom.

Deceptive film advertising and some of the ways you can spot it.

a. "quote whor"- A quote whor praises movies indiscriminately in return for access to the stars and free junkets. People that will praise any movie not matter how good or bad. b. Deceptive film advertising- some film companies will have film critics hype up the film before it come out. The critics do this so they can be rewarded. c.Many publications including USA TODAY attend junkets but pay writers' expenses to avoid the appearance of any compromise of objectivity. Some believe that those who can't afford such expenses feel they must praise the films or risk being taken off the junket list. d. in REALLY BIG LETTERS but puts the names of the critics and/or publications inreally small letters. Another common trick in TV ads is to keep the brief quotation onscreen for a very short time so most people will see the words/phrases in very big letters but WON'T be able to read the source of the quotation in tiny letters.

—Acting and the star system in American movies: According to Giannetti, what's the difference between a personality star and an acting star? Make sure you can give examples.

a. An Actor Star- can play roles of a greater range and variety- Nicole kidman- can play anyone. b. Personality Star- Tends to play only those roles fit a preconceived public image, which constitutes his or her persona- Eddie murphy plays funny guy which he is

Auteur theory: What is it? What are some problems with it

a. Auteur: directs movies that display technical competence, a certain visual flair, AND something beyond those elements (often an extra element of intellectual depth and/or moral complexity). It's this additional depth/complexity that leads many critics to regard auteurs' films as works of art. b. Auteur theory emphasizes the DIRECTORS, not individual FILMS. .One problem with this theory is that we usually think of individual FILMS as great c. Theory of film popularized by the critics of the French journal Cahiers du cinema in the 1950. The theory emphasizes the directors as a major creater of film art, stamping the material with his or her won personal vision, style and thematic obsession. d. auteur theory and the limitations of auteur theory (including the way auteur theory tends to overlook the contributions of people other than the director—actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, etc.)

Types According to Auteur Theory" and "The Trouble with Auteur Theory.")

d. auteur theory and the limitations of auteur theory (including the way auteur theory tends to overlook the contributions of people other than the director—actors, screenwriters, cinematographers, etc.)

Brian C. Anderson's "Conservatives in Hollywood?!" article: What are the main points?

i. Iraq war leading toward Hollywood movies of war ii. Decreasing film attendance iii. Raising prices of tickets iv. Politics have a impact. v. Dicusses differnet films and festivals vi. Movies have values.

—The Film/Media Violence handout: What are the main points? What new/surprising claims have researchers recently made about violent media (films, TV programs, and/or video games)?

1. for decades movies have become more violent- increase the risk of violence in society APA say strong influence of telivision violence on aggressive behavior in children/youth 2. recently Stetson univeristy did a study of kid watching their parents fight for a hour or violent telvision for an hour. result- children distigngish between real and fictional violence 3. Patrick Markey- psychologist said no evidence was found to suggest that voilent crimes increase violance in the us. crime rate has fallen 50% over past 20 years. 4. Playing violent video games does not impact prosocial behavior in a normal population 5. violent video game consuption increased nearly eight fold since 1996 and the violence rate of youth among 12-17 year old fell 35 per 1,000 to 6 per 1,000 6. fergunson/elson obsere that media moral panics eventally abate. the kids that grew with new media became adults who are less inclined to identiify it as a source of social ills. 7. some may think it boost the childrens learniing and problem solving and improves anxiety.

Pulp fiction

Late one morning in the Hawthorne Grill, a restaurant on Sunset Boulevard in Los Angeles, a couple of young Brits called Honey Bunny (Amanda Plummer) and Pumpkin (Tim Roth) discuss the pros and cons of robbing banks versus liquor stores. Then they add restaurants to the equation, realizing they can make more by taking customers' wallets than they get out of the till. They stand up in their booth and announce that they're robbing the diner. Earlier in the day, Jules Winnfield (Samuel L. Jackson) and Vincent Vega (John Travolta) arrive at a San Fernando Valley apartment building. They are hit men in the employ of Marsellus Wallace and have come to retrieve a valuable belonging of Wallace's from a group of would-be crooks led by a young and naive guy named Brett (Frank Whaley). They take back the valuable item -- kept in a briefcase, it glows warmly and transfixes whoever looks at it. Jules recites what he claims is a Bible verse, Ezekiel 25:17, before he and Vincent execute Brett. Story #1: Vincent Vega And Marsellus Wallace's Wife At his strip club, Marsellus Wallace (Ving Rhames) pays boxer Butch Coolidge (Bruce Willis) to throw his next fight. Jules and Vincent arrive; though it's only a few hours after their visit to the Valley, the two hit men are sporting gym clothes in place of the suits they wore earlier in the day. While Jules heads to the men's room, Vincent goes to the bar and encounters Butch. The men take an instant dislike to each other. Vincent insults Butch but before Butch can retaliate, Marsellus calls Vincent over and embraces him. Marsellus is leaving town that evening and Vincent is to take Marsellus' wife, Mia (Uma Thurman), out for dinner to keep her entertained. Rumors abound that Marsellus gravely wounded another associate, Antoine, who he believed had been improperly friendly with Mia, so Vincent is nervous. Before picking Mia up, he visits his drug dealer, Lance (Eric Stoltz), and buys some high-quality heroin. Properly sedated, he escorts the cocaine-addicted, chain-smoking Mia to Jack Rabbit Slim's, a West Hollywood 1950s-themed restaurant. After some small talk about European travel, Mia's failed acting career, foot massage, and the rumors about Antoine (which Mia dispels), Mia enters herself and Vincent in a dance contest. They dance the twist and win an award. After dinner, they return to the Wallaces' home. Vincent goes to the bathroom to talk himself out of making a pass at Mia. Meanwhile, she discovers the baggie of heroin in his coat pocket and, assuming it's cocaine, snorts some. She immediately passes out and begins to foam at the mouth. Panicked, Vincent takes the dying Mia to Lance's where they argue about what to do with her. Following Lance's advice, Vincent is able to revive her with a shot of adrenaline administered straight to the heart. Vincent takes Mia home. They agree not to tell Marsellus what happened since both of them would get in trouble for it. Story #2: The Gold Watch The following night, before his fight, Butch dreams of an incident from his childhood: Back at his Tennessee home in 1973, Captain Koons (Christopher Walken) visited Butch to bring him a gold watch. The watch had belonged to Butch's great-grandfather, who took it to World War I with him. Butch's grandfather had taken it to World War II, and Butch's father to Vietnam. Butch's father died as a POW, but gave the watch to Koons to return to Butch. Koons says that he and Butch's father had to hide the watch in their rectums to keep it away from their captors. Butch wakes from the dream. Instead of throwing the match (not shown on-screen), he fights so viciously that he kills his opponent. He took Marsellus' money and bet it on himself; his winnings will amount to a small fortune. Butch makes small talk with Esmarelda (Angela Jones), the driver of the cab he is in, who reveals that she knows he's the boxer who killed his opponent; she seems fascinated with the topic of death. Esmarelda drives Butch to the seedy motel where he and his French girlfriend, Fabienne (Maria de Medeiros), are staying, having abandoned their apartment. In the morning they will travel to Butch's hometown of Knoxville, Tennessee, claim their winnings, and leave the country. While packing the next morning, however, Fabienne reveals that she forgot the gold watch, the belonging Butch cherishes above all others. After a savage outburst in which he wrecks the motel room, Butch takes Fabienne's car to get the watch, parking a few blocks away and walking through a vacant lot to his apartment building as a precaution. He enters without incident and finds his wristwatch in the bedroom. He realizes he's not alone in the apartment when he notices a submachine gun in the kitchen. Catching Vincent off guard as he emerges from the bathroom, Butch kills him with the gun he found. Leaving the apartment with his watch, Butch encounters Marsellus crossing the street. He tries to run Marsellus over with his car but only wounds him and is hit by another car himself. Both are injured and Marsellus chases Butch into a pawn shop. There, the owner, Maynard (Duane Whitaker), overpowers them. Marsellus and Butch wake up in the basement of the pawn shop, bound and gagged. Maynard has called his cousin Zed (Peter Greene), who works as a security guard. Maynard and Zed are apparently a pair of redneck serial killers who kill passersby who happen into their store. While the Gimp (Stephen Hibbert), a huge manchild dressed head to toe in black leather fetish gear, watches Butch, Maynard and Zed take Marsellus into the next room and begin to rape him. Butch escapes and knocks out the Gimp. Rather than leave the pawn shop, he procures a samurai sword and rescues Marsellus; in the process, Maynard is killed and Zed emasculated by a shotgun blast. Marsellus stays behind to oversee the torture-execution of Zed ("I'ma get medieval on your ass," he tells him), but promises that as long as Butch never mentions what happened and never returns to Los Angeles, Marsellus will forget that Butch betrayed him in the boxing ring. Butch agrees. In the final scene, Butch and Fabienne leave town on Zed's chopper-style motorcycle. Story #3: The Bonnie Situation Three days earlier, flashing back in time to just after Vincent and Jules finish killing Brett for stealing Marsellus' prized possession, a gang member they had not known about bursts out of the bathroom and empties his gun point blank at them. However, all of the bullets miss Vincent and Jules, hitting the wall behind them, so they kill the gang member. Jules is certain this is a miracle but Vincent dismisses the idea. They leave with Marvin (Phil LaMarr), Marsellus' inside man in the gang. In the car, Vincent asks Marvin if he believes in miracles, but accidentally shoots him in the head and kills him. The inside of the car is now covered in blood and brain matter. Jules drives to the house of his only friend in the Valley, a former colleague named Jimmie (Quentin Tarantino). Jimmie lets them hide the car but angrily tells them that they have to get rid of the body within an hour -- before his wife Bonnie comes home from her night shift at a hospital. Jules calls Marsellus at his home to explain their predicament. Marsellus then calls Winston Wolf (Harvey Keitel), a suave and professional criminal and gambler who solves problems. Wolf arrives at Jimmie's house and tells Vincent and Jules how to clean up the car and themselves -- they have to strip out of their business suits and wear Jimmie's spare T-shirts and shorts (which explains their appearance at the strip club) -- then helps them dispose of the car and body at a junkyard belonging to a discreet friend named Monster Joe, whose daughter is Mr. Wolf's girlfriend. With the whole situation resolved, Jules and Vincent decide to have breakfast at the Hawthorne Grill, where they continue their discussion about miracles. Jules reveals his plan to leave his criminal life and travel the globe as a mendicant, helping those suffering under tyranny. Vincent mocks him, then goes to the bathroom. Just then Honey Bunny and Pumpkin (from the prologue) begin their robbery of the diner. They collect the cash from the register and the patrons' wallets. Jules gives Pumpkin his wallet, but when Pumpkin tries to take Marsellus' briefcase, Jules pulls his gun and disarms Pumpkin. While Vincent holds Honey Bunny at bay, Jules explains to Pumpkin how, even earlier that morning, he would have killed Pumpkin and Honey Bunny without a second thought. He recites his ersatz version of Ezekiel 25:17 again: "The path of the righteous man is beset on all sides by the iniquities of the selfish and the tyranny of evil men. Blessed is he who in the name of charity and good will shepherds the weak through the valley of darkness, for he is truly his brother's keeper and the finder of lost children. And I will strike down upon thee with great vengeance and furious anger those who attempt to poison and destroy my brothers. And you will know my name is the Lord when I lay my vengeance upon you." Jules explains that while he previously thought it was cool to make such a cold-blooded passage the last thing his victims heard, he now realizes that the "tyranny of evil men" part of the passage refers to him, and he intends to become a better person. He and Vincent allow Honey Bunny and Pumpkin to leave with all the money but not the briefcase. They leave the diner themselves and head to Marsellus' strip club.