This is a piece I did as an English assignment, a looong time ago. I found it while looking for another file, and I remembered how much fun it was to write.
MOVIE REVIEW FOR
PIRATES OF THE CARIBBEAN: CURSE OF THE BLACK PEARL
A pretty girl. A handsome, brooding boy. A pirate who appears to be drunk at least half of the time. A ancient Aztec curse.
Makings of a flop? Not with Johnny Depp at the helm. Along with Keira Knightley, Geoffrey Rush, Orlando Bloom and Jack Davenport, Depp leads (in every sense of the word) the cast of Pirates, one of the most entertaining movies of that summer.
The way Depp trapezes around almost gives you vertigo, although that might just be the residual light headed-ness from laughing at almost everything that comes out of his goateed mouth. While the rest of the cast does their job well (Knightley especially, Bloom questionably), Depp really shines through.
While the movie is long, almost obscenely so, it has comedy, action, romance, and suspense throughout. The story centers around the curse set on the pirates , everyone has a very different view on what to do about it.
William Turner (Bloom), just wants to rescue his true love, Elizabeth Swann(Knightley) from the clutches of the cursed pirates - who think they need her blood to end the curse.
Captain Jack Sparrow (Depp), wants to get his ship back from the pirates that mutinied on him and sailed onward to - unbeknownst to them - the cursed gold.
Captain Barbossa (Rush), the head mutineer and captain of the pirate crew, wants to rid himself of the curse that they have been trying to reverse for the past 10 years.
The problem for Will is that he can only get to Elizabeth through Jack - who is a pirate, the very thing he swears he will never deal with.
Elizabeth has fallen in love with Will and dearly wants to marry him - all she has to do is escape the pirates who want her blood, and even harder, the engagement to Commodore Norrington (Davenport).
Jack knows a secret about Will that could help him get his ship back - but first he needs to "come upon" a ship that can help him get to where Barbossa has laid anchor.
Barbossa needs to lift the curse to regain normal human life - but he needs the last piece of gold and the blood of a former crew member - who happens to be deceased.
All the double crossing, lightening quick deals, and frequent "I thought you were on our side!?" does lose you sometimes, but it all comes together in the end.
The movie is very enjoyable, and it shows that it was thought out. Everything from the score (exquisitely done by Klaus Badlt), cinematography (credit goes to Dariusz Wolski), editing(Stephen Rivkin, Arthur Schmidt, and Craig Wood) and the screenplay ( the amazing Ted Elliott and Terry Rossio) is carefully constructed and plays out in a very satisfying manner.
Overall, the movie is going to be a hit. The audience will be drawn in the the big names (Bloom, Rush, Depp, along with Jonathan Pryce who plays Elizabeths father, Governor Swann), and will stay for the complete entertainment that is Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl. 8.5/10
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Wednesday, September 10, 2008
Story People
On Flickr (the photography website that I frequent), when you post pictures you add a title & description. A lot of the people who's photo streams I follow use quotes with the pictures, which is really cool cause you can find some really beautiful literary extracts that way. That is how I found Story People.
Every once in awhile, quirky and poignant quotes would be with a picture, and it was always credited to "Story People". Thanks to the miracle that is Google, I found the Story People website.
Now, I can't say I fully comprehend what its about, but as best I can figure Brian (and I think his wife helps him) is an artist, and with his drawings he affixes short stories & sayings. He also makes sculptures, paintings ect.
As soon as I found the website, I spent 3 days going through every story, some of which made me life and some made me cry. Then I subscribed to to site, so I get a Story everyday. Which makes me happy. I also wrote some out, so I have them taped to my lap top and stuck on my cork board.
Here are some of my many, many favorites:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.
We lay there & looked up at the night sky & she told me about stars called blue squares & red swirls & I told her I'd never heard of them. Of course not, she said, the really important stuff they never tell you. You have to imagine it on your own
She asked me how I felt about eternal life & I said, would I have the same aches & pains I have now because that would factor heavily into my decision
pretty good friends considering they come from completely different backgrounds
A few said they'd be horses. Most said they'd be some sort of cat. My friend said she'd like to come back as a porcupine. I don't like crowds, she said.
He wore a pot on his head in all kinds of weather. I never learned to cook & I got it after my mother died, he said. I just know it would make her happy that I'm using it
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Eskimo one was the first quote I found, and it is still my absolute favorite.
What is that style of writing called? Poetry? Just short stories?
Whatever it is, I deeply enjoy it.
On a unrelated note, commenting should be much easier. I changed the settings, so feel free to leave a brief hello. When you go to the comment page, click the Name/URL button. It will be the easiest.
Every once in awhile, quirky and poignant quotes would be with a picture, and it was always credited to "Story People". Thanks to the miracle that is Google, I found the Story People website.
Now, I can't say I fully comprehend what its about, but as best I can figure Brian (and I think his wife helps him) is an artist, and with his drawings he affixes short stories & sayings. He also makes sculptures, paintings ect.
As soon as I found the website, I spent 3 days going through every story, some of which made me life and some made me cry. Then I subscribed to to site, so I get a Story everyday. Which makes me happy. I also wrote some out, so I have them taped to my lap top and stuck on my cork board.
Here are some of my many, many favorites:
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
I read once that the ancient Egyptians had fifty words for sand & the Eskimos had a hundred words for snow. I wish I had a thousand words for love, but all that comes to mind is the way you move against me while you sleep & there are no words for that.
We lay there & looked up at the night sky & she told me about stars called blue squares & red swirls & I told her I'd never heard of them. Of course not, she said, the really important stuff they never tell you. You have to imagine it on your own
She asked me how I felt about eternal life & I said, would I have the same aches & pains I have now because that would factor heavily into my decision
pretty good friends considering they come from completely different backgrounds
A few said they'd be horses. Most said they'd be some sort of cat. My friend said she'd like to come back as a porcupine. I don't like crowds, she said.
He wore a pot on his head in all kinds of weather. I never learned to cook & I got it after my mother died, he said. I just know it would make her happy that I'm using it
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
The Eskimo one was the first quote I found, and it is still my absolute favorite.
What is that style of writing called? Poetry? Just short stories?
Whatever it is, I deeply enjoy it.
On a unrelated note, commenting should be much easier. I changed the settings, so feel free to leave a brief hello. When you go to the comment page, click the Name/URL button. It will be the easiest.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
For Sale. Baby Shoes. Never Worn.
In the shower this morning, I heard on the radio those 6 words. I almost cried.
Ernest Hemingway wrote that, supposedly for a bet.
There is something un-nameable about it, something that is just so tragic. Maybe its the simplicity - the bare statement of the fact.
It is possible that he meant not for it to be so full of an aching feeling - he could be trying to say it was a boy instead of a girl, a gift never used because of an excess of such items.
But I (and almost everybody who called into the radio) read it as an unspeakable sorrow.
Which is pretty dang depressing for a Thursday morning, lemme tell ya. Nothing puts a damper on your day like hearing that as you shave your legs.
When I Googled it, I came across a blog in which the woman talked briefly about that. She was using it in relation to a news article, where the paper made a challenge; describe your life in 6 words.
What is your 6 letter story?
Heres mine.
"Who'd of guessed I'd be here?"
And, ladies and gentlemen, your Daily Double -
"But I kind of like it"
:-)
Ernest Hemingway wrote that, supposedly for a bet.
There is something un-nameable about it, something that is just so tragic. Maybe its the simplicity - the bare statement of the fact.
It is possible that he meant not for it to be so full of an aching feeling - he could be trying to say it was a boy instead of a girl, a gift never used because of an excess of such items.
But I (and almost everybody who called into the radio) read it as an unspeakable sorrow.
Which is pretty dang depressing for a Thursday morning, lemme tell ya. Nothing puts a damper on your day like hearing that as you shave your legs.
When I Googled it, I came across a blog in which the woman talked briefly about that. She was using it in relation to a news article, where the paper made a challenge; describe your life in 6 words.
What is your 6 letter story?
Heres mine.
"Who'd of guessed I'd be here?"
And, ladies and gentlemen, your Daily Double -
"But I kind of like it"
:-)
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