Brendon

> Yup, Plan 9 is better.It's nice to know that my feelings about this movie haven't changed in the 5 years since I last watched it. Tim Burton certainly has a vision here, and there are parts of his style that stand out, creating a fun little romp. There are many fantastic elements in this movie. All of the Martian stuff is fantastic and makes the movie worth watching for that alone. The designs, their gadgets, and the gleefully manipulative destruction they exhibit were thoroughly entertaining, and their cute like ACK ACK ACK sounds are truly iconic. Danny Elman's score is one of the best he's written for a Burton film, echoing 50s Sci-Fi with a booming sense of upcoming dread. Some of the characters are fun, with great acting to boot, from performers like Jim Brown, Sarah Jessica Parker, Michael J Fox, and more. There are some fun critiques of the US government that rival the more patriotic approach of Independence Day, which makes it stand apart, too. A movie I would compare this to is Jim Jarmusch's overhated film, The Dead Don't Die. It features a star-studded cast in an unconventional genre mixer, but it always feels like it has a central character to focus on. Here, there doesn't appear to be an anchoring character until we see how Lukas Haas and his grandmother defeat the aliens. This movie is a fun mess that lacks so much focus, but I can't bring myself to hate it. There are so many creative elements going on here, and much of the comedy does land for me. There are some set pieces and moments between two characters (for instance, Martin Short and Lisa Marie) that are so fun to watch. I wish this leaned more into presenting itself as a 1950s B flick than a bigger Hollywood film, but overall it's still a bizarre, sometimes confused, time.

> [Link](https://youtu.be/NAAZXSv4gnU?si=IqaS7warzOIMUKqm) Yes, I gave my own short a 5/5; sue me. I have always been interested in vampires. From an early age, we have been exposed to many different variations of vampiric figures at various stages of our lives. I don’t exactly remember which vampire I had first encountered (it was possibly Count from Sesame Street), but I was always fascinated by them. They are cunning creatures that are often symbolic of sexual desire, given how they often use seductive measures to attain their prey. That mysteriousness has always drawn me to them, and the way they’ve been stylized over the past centuries has been inspiring to watch. From Dracula/Nosferatu, Twilight, Interview with the Vampire, Let the Right One In, and more, I knew I always wanted to make something involving them. And here it is! Earlier this semester, I was taking a course that brought us the basics of Adobe Photoshop and Premiere Pro. One of these assignments was to create a sequence of shots that could be edited together later. The shots had to be stationary, feature fair composition, number between 7 and 8, and serve as a lead-in to an expanding story. First, we had to write a 2-page treatment and a storyboard to be submitted. In all honesty, I hate making storyboards. I understand them, but I think I had most of these shots in my head already. I wanted something that I knew would stand out from my class, and one that uses a good level of subtlety rather than heavy exposition. I struggled briefly before I wrote the treatment, but I had recently watched the Tony Scott film, ‘The Hunger’ starring Catherine Denueve, Davie Bowie, and Susan Sarandon. The look of the immortals in their black sunglasses struck a chord with me, because I could suddenly see everything I needed to do. This may be a bit of a tangent, but I love sharing my inspirations. We should do it more! While writing the treatment, I envisioned a mix of the costumes of‘ The Hunger’, given the look that Jocelyn is donning, the ambiance of David Lynch’s ‘Eraserhead’ with the white noise and stark black-and-white cinematography, and the sinister underbelly of ‘Under the Skin’ with the magnitude of what happens to the student. After writing, I just needed to cast actors, and luckily, I found two who were heavily committed to the project. The first was my friend, Jocelyn. I met Jocelyn earlier that academic year, and I would consider her a great friend with whom I can share my thoughts about Dan Aykroyd. Apparently, she wanted to be a monster actor, so this ended up working out well in her favor. I have to commend her for listening to my weird suggestions and allowing her to explore the creepy physicality of her character. She understood the tone perfectly, and I’m glad she was able to interject any ideas that could help out the production (Jocelyn has a short film coming out soon that y’all should check out). After I got Jocelyn on board, I contacted a few of my theatre classmates and managed to grab Olivia out of the depths. I've known Olivia for almost 2 years now, and she is very nice and always willing to do anything to help someone. She’s come a long way from our hectic acting class and is coming into her own to become a stellar actress. Though she doesn’t say anything in this short, she manages to convey the emotions required of the student for it to work. The three of us went to the basement of our college library and filmed 7 shots over a few hours. Though we shot the shit while waiting for it to get dark, we all managed to get something out of the experience. Over the next few months, I will continue editing and eventually reshoot some sequences to deliver the final product. These reshoots included adding a few camera movements and more dead space to build tension. I do feel some of the reshoots are a little obvious, and I could have worked on the sound a bit more, but I did want to put it out there for feedback. I had a blast making this, and I hope y’all enjoy it.

> Dan Aykroyd's a bad guy?I often have trouble connecting to the high-class costumed period pieces. I appreciate them a bunch, with their costumes, set pieces, and atmosphere being extremely inviting, and "The House of Mirth" is no exception. The director, Terrance Davies, delivers a moody film that feels lived in. The actors do a great job at inhabiting their characters, particularly a fantastic Gillian Anderson, a villainous Dan Aykroyd, and Eric Stoltz. The way they represent the societal expectations during this time and beyond, towards women, and how rumors can spiral someone's reputation. Technically, this movie is fantastic, with incredibly striking cinematography, but I would be lying if I didn't say I was invested the entire time.

> That is, in fact, the main character's name.Even when John Waters delivers a movie that isn't to his normal speed, it still manages to be thoroughly entertaining. There is an autobiographical nature to this movie that serves as a funny reflection of the man himself. A photographer who isn't interested in the pretty landscapes, but instead shoots the everyday lives of Baltimore, even the rat sex, or an extreme close-up of a full bush. John Waters spent years making weird, low-budget films with his friends before going mainstream, and 'Pecker' shows how the mainstream attention of smaller artists can lead to a feeling of alienation from those around you. It's an interesting idea, and it's done quite well. The actors work well with Waters' style, with this being the most I've ever liked Edward Furlong. Lili Taylor and Christina Ricci are welcome additions to the JWCU, and the Dreamlanders all get memorable roles. A part of the reason why I rated this the way I did was that this doesn't feel like it has the bite that something like 'Serial Mom' or 'Polyester' does when it comes to its commentary. It's a solid movie, but it's far from John Waters' best; I'd still recommend it.