Captain Phillips

I liked how the movie'a setting and characters were almost completely accurate.  The film makers did a really good job in creating tention and I was off the edge of my seat when the pirates got involved.  I think Tom Hanks did a respectable job in playing captain phillips but he might have exaggerated a couple of things that might of actually not been true such as getting beat up in the life boat.  The moral of the story to me was that no matter what, the U.S. will never negotiate with terrorist and pirates.  The Navy acted fast and got in position to kill the pirates and they did.  Captain phillips was probably not the smartest captain in terms of staying away from the pirate invested waters.  Looking at it from the pirates prospective I believe the pirates had no other options to make money because most of the workers on the coast were fisherman and because of the polluted water the fish were not good to eat.  The people of Somalia had to turn to piracy in order to make money.      

Argo

Argo @**% yourself.  I thought that was best saying in the movie in my opinion.  Anyway, I really like the movie Argo because it kept me off the edge of my seat at the very end.  I did like how the movie started off with the hostage situation at the Iran U.S embassy.  The middle part of the movie was kind of boring because they were just thinking of plans to get the U.S government officials out of Iran.  I think a film maker has a responsibility to stay as true to the real story as possible.  There are some elements of a true story that can have liberties however there are other elements that have to stay true to the story.  Offending any character in the story could result in law suits and credit issues.  I think the little things can be at liberty when making a film such as clothing and equipment stuff.  The setting and the characters have to be spot on in order to be considered "based on a true story."  Ben Affleck's character kind of confused me because he was a CIA agent who had connections to Hollywood.  I feel like Ben Affleck's character portrayed the roles of more than one person who helped develop this Hollywood plan to get the Americans back home.  The airport scene at the end never really happened in the true story and I think Affleck is at fault for the element of the movie because he also directed it.      

Apollo 13

I liked how the movie was very authentic and showed how Nasa is able to get humans all the way to the moon.  The movie actually made me feel a little  claustrophobic because most of the movie was filmed in their spacecraft.  The crew was very lucky to get back to earth alive despite the coil that sprung open in the oxygen tanks.  The crew and mission control did an excellent job in getting back home safely. 

I think that Nasa should be continually funded because we have so much more to learn about space.  God forbid one day that the earth can't be lived on and need the ability to possibly live on another surface.

The increasing development of unmanned drones and spacecraft will not require any humans to explore space.  The technology is so advanced that we don't need humans to be physically there to witness what drones can.   

Parkland

I thought parkland was very authentic in terms of setting and costume design.  It made me feel like I was there on that day when JFK was assassinated.  The scenes with zapruder were spot on on terms of being accurate.  The hospital scenes I thought were out of text of the real story.  I do like the scene when the nurse puts the cross on JFK because he was catholic.  The intern Dr. And being played by zach Efron kind of took ruined the role of the doctor.  

When JFK was shot my mom was 2 years old and remembers seeing her mom (Grandma). Cry in front of the little TV screen in their home.  My grandma loved JFK and kept a picture of him him her house.  My family is catholic so when JFK was killed it really effected my family.

Pianist

I liked how the pianist showed how the Germans really treated the Jewish people living in the ghettos during that time.  Szpilman really fought his way through hell in order to survive this extermination of his people.  The movie made me feel really sorry for the Jewish people even though they did nothing wrong to deserve this torture.  I thought when Szpilman played the piano silently without  touching the keys was a symbol to me that all the Jews had been silenced and could no longer live peacefully.  When the German officer hofenfeld saw Szpilman play the piano he had some appreciation for him playing.  Hofenfeld also realized that the German war machine was failing and that defeat was inevitable.  Hofenfeld offered the only thing that was keeping  Szpilman alive and that was food.  Szpilman would have spared Hofenfeld's life if their roles were reversed.  

Defiance

1.  I really liked how the setting really made this movie feel real.  During most of the movie the setting was in the forest and it gave the movie a mood of secrecy and isolation.  The winter scenes that were shown made me want to get a blanket or stand near a fireplace because the characters looked like they were freezing to death.  I find it amazing the the Bielski brothers managed to take in all these Jewish refugees and were able to create a small community hidden in the woods.  I've never seen a WWII movie that ever showed Jewish people fighting against the Germans.  I never knew before that there was some kind of organized Jewish resistance force.  These Jews that followed the leadership of the Bielski brothers were Jews that wanted to be free and fight for that freedom.  These Jews would rather die in fighting against the Germans than being executed at a concentration camp.

2.  When Tuvia tells his followers that "our revenge is to live" he is implying that revenge can not be achieved through killing the Germans because it can not bring their lost family members back.  Tuvia says that if they survive it will bring shame upon the Nazis and gratitude to their own people. I believe that Humanity and Revenge can coexist, its just the way that revenge is carried out by those revenging.  Revenge is an act of humanity because at some point in our lives all of us feel the need to have revenge for something.  Revenge is part of humanity because it is felt by everyone who has lost something due to someone else.  In the film, the Bielski group captured a Nazi soldier and they took the soldier and beat him to death.  The Bielski Jews were saying, "this is for my parents", Or "this is for my husband", when they were beating the soldier to his death.  This is an example of how revenge is part of humanity in the movie.            

Godfather

1.  I thought that the Godfather was an excellent representation of early organized crime in the 1950s.  I actually liked how it started out in the beginning when Vito's daughter was getting married.  I like how the men talked business during formal events such as weddings and dinners in the movie.  Vito Corleone could grant his friends wishes because he had so many connections in New York.  If anybody failed or betrayed one of the families then they would be punished.  I learned through this movie that the business side of things have to be separate from personal things.  In the Godfather, both of those aspects got in the way of each other and created violence and hatred.

2.  Vito Corleone is the "moral" center of the story because he is the head of the Corleone family that makes everything fall into place for the family.  He is the one who had organized connections with police and judicial people behind his scheme.  He made things possible for his family.  I thought the way he died was unfortunate; it would have been better if he just died when he got shot.  I guess in the grand scheme of things, the death of Vito would make the world a better place but I believe it does not.  Vito desperately wanted to keep narcotics out of organized crime but other families thought it was an opportunity for bigger money.  Vito claimed that the reason for all this violence was the involvement of narcotics in the business.

3.  The main thing that is different from a "closed world" perspective is the relationships within the family and business partners.  Also, the connections that the families had with police and judicial officials was very clear.  From my perspective the movie isn't really a classic for me because I did not live during that time when organized crime was at its peak.  I might have a different opinion if I experienced hearing things on the news about organized crime and just being exposed to it from the "outside" world.              

Miracle

1.  I really liked how it was presented, particularly with the hockey scenes.  The movie represented the 1980 olympic Games very well.  I noticed that the filmmakers took Al Michaels calling of the "miracle on Ice" and used his recording and implemented it into the movie.  I thought that was brilliant because many people remember seeing that game live when Al Michaels was calling the game.  It really connects the actual game to the movie.  The movie made me feel proud to be an American.  The United States of America has come through extreme adversity since its independence from Britain.  The 1980 U.S Hockey team was made up of college players and they were going up against professional competition.  It's almost like a college football team going up against an NFL team.  The U.S team always looked like the underdog against their opponents which kind of reminded me of how back in 1776; a group of militia men made up of farmers and workers managed to defeat an entire professional army to gain independence.  

2.  The Miracle on Ice was not just a hockey game.  It was a defining moment for the United States of America.  During the years of the cold war many Americans feared that a potential WWIII could break out if tensions continued to rise.  The U.S had adversities such as the arms race, the Iranian hostage crisis, and many other cold war matters.  The "miracle on Ice" gave Americans something to cheer for and be proud of.  

3.  The only event that comes to mind in my lifetime is 9/11.  I was only in kindergarden but I remember my mom crying in front of the TV.  Since I was so young I didn't really understand what was going on that made people really sad.  However, I could sense that people looked after each other more after 9/11.  I could feel that Americans wanted to help the country get through this hard time.  The impact 9/11 has had on the American conscience still is apparent today.     

42

1.  I thought the movie 42 was very inspiring.  Both Jackie Robinson and Branch Ricky took a lot of criticism for breaking the racial barrier in Major league baseball.  Jackie Robinson proved that he was a professional ball player on and off the field.  Jackie Robinson paved the way for many African Americans athletes in professional sports.  Baseball's top players today such as David Ortiz, Jimmy Rollins and many others would have never gotten the chance to prove themselves if it weren't for Jackie Robinson.

2.  I believe that Robinson helped the country in an indirect way.  He showed tremendous sportsmanship and class when he was on the field despite many racial comments towards him.  That showed America that African Americans do not take in violent confrontation to solve their problems with racial issues.  The lesson to take out of Jackie Robinson is to not take violent action to prove a point or to be equal.  Jackie Robinson was frustrated about the way he was being treated but eventually won over many baseball fans and his teammates with his great play.

3.  Jackie's values are very useful to be a successful person.  I use his values all the time.  I tore my meniscus playing football this past fall and I have been very persistent and determined to become healthy for the lacrosse season.  His values play into the role of becoming a healthy person all around.

4.  Jackie's quote means that a person must inspire or make a difference upon other people's lives in their lifetime.  An individual must use their talents and knowledge to give to the world for people to remember them by.  I agree because people have to spread their gifts and talent so the world can be a better place.

Cinderella man

1.  Certain events are described as Cinderella stories is because they are stories that are never meant to happen.  The Cinderella story itself shows that a house maid can become the brightest princess the world has ever seen.  James Braddock was supposed to be done with fighting because he retired but returned and started winning which was never supposed to happen.  The story of James Braddock is very inspiring because he was the people's fighter.  He struggled as much as anybody did during the great depression.  When he was winning fights again he turned his government loans even though he was not required to.  Braddock was a public icon during those hard times.

2.  If my family were starving and there was absolutely no way to get food or help otherwise then stealing is the last resort to survival.  If a member of my family was literally about to die and I had no other way to help them but steal then I would do it.  Braddock's son thought there was no other way to get food or money however, his father worked in the docks to get money for food.  James Braddock understood that stealing wasn't the only way to get food in these hard times.

3.  In Hollywood movies there always has to be some kind of antagonist in the story.  Besides that fact I believe it was very disrespectful for the filmmakers to portray him the way they did in the movie.  The movie makes it seem that James Braddock was the only "good guy" fighter in the entire tri-state area.  Every guy Braddock fought seemed to look mean and very unlikeable.  I think the filmmakers could have portrayed Max Baer fairly and at least should have showed that Max Baer was depressed for killing a man in the ring.

4.  I thought the scene showed that James Braddock was out of all his options and that begging for money was the only way he could keep his kids.  Braddock was very brave to go beg for money and I think most people just felt sorry for him.  I also believe that some people who gave him money believed that he could come back to the ring and still fight.  I find it very admirable that he did this.    

tombstone

Tombstone Blog

1.  I liked that Tombstone really had that old western style cinematography look to it.  I really felt like I was on an adventure in the wild west.  Whyat Earp was by far my favorite character in the movie because of the way he enforced the law in Tombstone.  He eventually fought off the organized crime that was going on in tombstone. The general theme I got out of this movie is that an established law enforcement force is crucial into settling into to new places because a lot of "Cowboys" got away with things that they shouldn't have.  

2.  I believe that an event becomes legendary when it is remembered for a substantial amount of time.  A person becomes a legendary figure by doing something extremely remarkable that has not been done before or what they did will never happen again.  I don't believe that any individual character in Tombstone deserved to be crowned as a legend.  The event as a whole I think is legendary but the characters are not.  The classic gun skirmishes with revolvers and repeaters are really what appeal to me when it comes to the wild west along with the small town aspect of tombstone.     

Glory

1.  I liked how the movie showed how honorable the men felt while marching in the streets and eventually leading the fight against fort Wagner.  Also, I liked when the 54th were able to wear the blue uniforms of the union, which made them feel equal to the other white soldiers.  I didn't like the fact that other union soldiers treated them with disrespect.  When most of the 54th were killed, I was a little upset that the fort was never taken from the confederates.  The amount of effort the the 54th put in into and finally getting their chance to fight almost went to waste because they failed to to take the fort.  I thought that the characters of the 54th came from all backgrounds when they signed up.  Denzel Washington's character showed arrogance towards the beginning but he eventually was able to say that he loved the 54th.  I would recommend this movie to any historians who are interested in African American struggles and triumphs.

2.  I believe that people fight and die for their country because there is an overwhelming sense of pride that comes out of soldiers.  That pride may come from protecting their country or fighting for a reason that they believe in.  The men of the 54th are heroes despite not being able to take over the fort.  They are heroes because they fought for equal passage in this world.  They were also the first African Americans to fight under the flag.  They showed the world that they are willing to die to get equal rights and passage.  Shaw was also a hero because he fought for the order to get the 54th a combat fight.  He lead the 54th into battle and decided to run with them (don't know if historically accurate) instead of mounting his horse.

3.  The significance of this story is that the 54th was made up of volunteers and the 54th volunteered to lead the charge against fort Wagner.  The members of the 54th including Shaw wanted to fight to show the world that they were willing to die for equality.

My Introduction

Aaron S.

• Well-rounded
• I like to be active and play sports.  (Football, Lacrosse).  My goal is to obtain high grades and be the best person that I can be.
• I like learning more about subjects that tag along a story with it, such as History and English.
• I dislike math because I find it very boring and repetitive.
• Favorite teacher would have the qualities of being a attention getter and also have hands-on and interesting teaching styles. 
• I am very interested in History, specifically dealing with wars and imperialism.  WWII is my favorite topic.

Writing sample:   I believe that my feelings on humanity are not proud nor are not disappointing.  My feelings on humanity lies between the two opinions.  There are times where a certain event changes my feelings on humanity.  For example, the recent typhoon that caused severe devastation in the Philippines resulted in many nations giving help to the people who lost everything.  It made me feel proud that many countries gave aid to the philippines when they are considered a third-world country.  Another example that changed my opinion on humanity was the Sandy-Hook shootings that happened in December of 2012.  There are some extremely insane people in this world that would attempt a mass murder of children.  This tragedy made me feel disappointed in humanity.  There will always be those people that are willing to help others and those willing to hurt others.  That is why my belief in humanity is between proud and disappointing.  Throughout the history of humanity, there have been wars, genocide, and slavery that reflect how the human race is flawed.  However, there has also been great things humans have done.  I find it amazing that humans are able to accomplish the impossible.  People in the 1500s thought it was impossible to fly in the air like a bird.  400 years later the wright brothers invented the first airplane.  Human intelligence is constantly increasing over time.  I'm proud of that fact.  Humanity will continue to progress but there might be a few bumps along the way.