Taxonomy of When Animals Attack!!

Follow this link to an interesting taxonomy of movies that feature non-human animals attacking human animals.

Earth from Space Images

Here's a link to a new super-high-resolution satellite image of Earth from space.

And here's the link to a series of largely Nasa-based images of Earth from space.

Even One Scene: Blog due January 19, 10am

For this blog, I want you to write only about a single scene in the film. Choose one scene that moved you, troubled you, raised questions for you...Then, take your time and write about several elements of the scene, aiming at analysis of character, story, and film form. Don't just talk about the plot and dialogue; spend significant parts of your writing on the camera-work, editing, shot composition, etc. This is good practice for your critical essay and for a writing style that enacts the "less is more" philosophy.

350-400 words.
Please post this to your blog by 10am Thursday morning.

For Friday, January 20th: An Experiment in Eco-Thwack

Instead of making this week writing laden, we're going to do a little experiment in class on Friday. Inspired by Mystery Science Theater 3000 and the Rifftrax phenomenon on Youtube, I want you to meet with your video project groups before Friday to prepare an Eco-Thwack on a clip of approximately 4 minutes from The Day After Tomorrow. The entire film is available in sections on Youtube, so together select a particularly juicy 4-minute bit that calls for commentary and come prepared to read out your thwack as we play the clip.

To get you thinking, here's Rifftrax's treatment of a library scene.

Let me know if you have questions.

By Popular Demand: Nortec Collective

Since many of you asked about the music in the Sleep Dealer cantina, here's the most famous song by Nortec Collective. I've seen these guys live at an outdoor show, with 3 musicians on a tuba, an accordion, and a trumpet, and the two lead guys on iPads mixing live.

Why Cybraceros?

Here's the link to the short film called "Why Cybraceros?" that Alex Rivera made in 1997, and which served as the ultimate inspiration for Sleep Dealer.

While you're at his site, you might check out his other short films as several have strong overlaps between immigration and ecology.

Are you an alligator looking back into the abyss of time? Blog for Jan. 13

For this blog, there are two parts to the project.
First, Google around "Werner Herzog albino alligator" and look into the "controversy." Be sure to read or at least skim the Vanity Fair article, which you can easily find by adding "Vanity Fair" to the words in your Google search. Write a little paragraph on your thoughts about this controversy, especially in the context of documentary film.
Second, please consider the potential relationships between the main part of The Cave of Forgotten Dreams and the "Postscript." What are some of the eco-suggestive images and ideas contained in each and how do they fit together (or not)? Write the majority of your blog on these questions for a grand total of 250-300 words.
Due 10am, Friday, January 13.