“Silence of the Lambs” with photos

Prof. Larry Ling-hsuan Tung                                                                                       Tim Philbin

Film Blog entry # 3                                                                                                     Com 104

“Silence of the Lambs”

Screenplay by: Ted Tally

 

            The story of the movie “Silence of the Lambs” begins with the viewer’s seeing the trainees at the FBI Academy in Quantico, Virginia.  We are introduced to Agent in Training, Clarice Starling, along with other trainees.  Clarice is chosen by her boss at the Academy to take on a special assignment for him.  She is delighted to have this opportunity to go on her own to a hospital for the criminally insane and meet the next character in the story, Dr. Hannibal Lector.  Dr. Lector is in jail because something inside him snapped and he began killing and eating his victims.
 

 

Thus, the name Hannibal the Cannibal was given to him.  It is never really explained to us what set Dr. Lector off to begin doing what he did.  Clarice is sent to Dr. Lector in an attempt to get his help to solve a series of murders.  The killer is known as Buffalo Bill because he kills his victims and removes their skin.  The people at the FBI are hoping that by using Clarice to speak to Dr. Lector that he might offer some insight as to whom Buffalo Bill might be.  After the daughter of a United States Senator is kidnapped by Buffalo Bill, Dr. Lector offers a deal to the FBI to help them with the case if he is relocated to a different prison facility.  When this offer is accepted by the FBI, he begins to plot his escape from captivity.  He gives Clarice bits of information about what he thinks of the Buffalo Bill case.  Clarice begins to figure out the clues that Dr. Lector is giving her and she eventually walks into the killer’s house.  After she realizes that she has found Buffalo Bill and the Senators daughter, she confronts him.  After a struggle Clarice kills Buffalo Bill and frees the Senators daughter.  While this is going on, Dr. Lector escapes from the police and FBI after killing several more people and police. 

 

The main theme of this movie is a study of psychology of the criminal minds.  It also shows the dedicated people of the police and FBI who track down these people.  I for one are glad that there are these hard working and driven people who are on our side. 

My reaction to this movie is one of terror.  I am the father of a daughter and worry about the crazy people who could possibly harm her.  This was a movie I enjoyed but it also frightened me about the fact that so many people who are living with untreated mental illness are out there.   We as a society must do more to help these individuals.  

“No Country for Old Men” with photo's

Prof. Larry Ling-hsuan Tung                                                                                       Tim Philbin
Film Blog entry # 2                                                                                                     Com 104

“No Country for Old Men”

By the Coen Brothers

            The movie begins with a hunter in West Texas who stumbles upon a drug deal that has gone awry.  As he walks around the crime scene, he finds the dead bodies of the people involved along with their dogs.  At the end of this search he finds one man badly wounded and asking for water.  He ignores the man’s plea for water or help and takes the money from the crime scene and begins to dream of a new life.  During the overnight he must have had an attack of conscious about the victims he didn’t help.  

Early the next morning he heads back out to the crime scene to see if he can help the last survivor.  He is chased by a group of criminals, who were sent there to recover the drugs and money.  He barley escapes from them with his life.  This begins a few day odyssey of him trying to avoid a group of Mexican criminals and a psychopathic killer who are trying to kill him.  The movie takes the viewers on a wild ride through Texas and Mexico as people are shot and killed repeatedly.  Tommy Lee Jones stars as the sheriff of the County where this crime has been committed.  

  He is attempting to figure out what exactly when on and who is involved.  Throughout the movie he begins to question himself about the world in which we are living and if his is past his prime.  He has thought of retiring but the events of the next few days begin to have a huge effect on him and his decision. 

            The main topic of this film is pointing out the violence associated with drugs and the gangs that operate the sale and distribution of them.  The violence that is so rampant in the inner cities and even in desolate places of west Texas is very troubling for society.  This film also shows the cost in money and human life that the drug trade has cost the government of the United States and its citizen’s. 

            I personally did not care for the film.  To me, it had many subplots that were never totally explained which left me wondering a bit.  I wish that the director had delved into more of the other characters lives and backgrounds.  I believe this would have helped to enhance the movie for me and perhaps others.  Once again this film just glamorized the senseless killing of people for no reason.  Perhaps if the film contained a little less violence and added some more character study, it would have had more appeal to me.  After hearing so much about this film when it came out, I found myself a little disappointed after seeing it. 

“Michael Moore’s Sicko” with photo's and video link

Prof. Larry Ling-hsuan Tung                                                                                       Tim Philbin

Film Blog entry # 1                                                                                                     Com 104

“Michael Moore’s Sicko”

            This film of Michael Moore’s examines the current healthcare system in the United States today.  He points out the many flaws that exist in our system and the effects that it has on people who are covered by it.  He also takes us to Europe, Canada and to Cuba; showing us their system of socialized medicine. 

We are shown all of the advantages of their system with regards to access to medical care and the availability to every one of low cost prescription drugs.  The film questions whey we cannot utilize their system here in the United States as opposed to our current system that leaves so many without some form of healthcare coverage. 

 

            The main theme of Mr. Moore’s movie is to point out the differences in the two types of healthcare systems.  The second theme of the movie shows the effects of this on a society of having total coverage as opposed to having little or no coverage at all.  Throughout the movie, he questions why Americans cannot receive the same healthcare as Europeans.  He states his case and gives us all of his reasons as to why we do not use the European system here in the United States. 

 

After watching this film, I was truly amazed at what a crazy healthcare system we have here in America.  I could not believe that citizens of this country could be forced to sell their homes to pay medical bills.  This was a completely surreal event that I had not ever experienced for myself.  In my life I have been fortunate to always have good medical coverage for myself and my family.  It is truly time for the people of this country to pressure our elected officials to begin to change our healthcare system to benefit more of our citizens.  If we use what is good about our system and add some of the European ideas, I believe we could make a vast improvement to our country.  Healthcare plans should be made available to everyone at reasonable costs so that no one would be left uncovered.  I also understand that Mr. Moore is an extreme left wing person and that his movies reflect this.  In the case of this movie, I feel that he is right on the money with his views. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GOZmvaFfjtk&feature=player_detailpage