Here comes the sun!* It's been quite some time since you and I last spoke (assuming that the same person who followed along with me last year is accompanying me on my journey in AICE Media Studies A-Level this year, which I admit is pretty unlikely, so welcome newcomer!), so I thought an update was in order.
Starting with my family, everything's been great! We're all happy and healthy, and really what more is there to ask for from life? My parents are still completely supportive of my decision to further pursue my studies in film (something that I am hoping to do in college because I really feel as though this course sparked a deep passion within me), so I'm glad to be back for what I'm choosing to call "The Sequel to End All Sequels." I'm really glad that I was given the opportunity to take this course in the first place because it genuinely feels like I've finally found my niche. For other people, I always thought that it came so naturally to them, like the fact that someone who's always had a knack for drawing would go on to become a skilled artist, or that someone who's always had a passion for music would become an accomplished performer to share their gift and joy with others. I've never been jealous, but I've always laid in wait for the day when I'd be able to say, "This, this is my thing(.)" and I truly believe that producing relatable, thought-provoking media is the reason why I've finally been able to make that statement.
Now that I've had about a year to feel my way around the convoluted, creative outlet that is media production, I'm ready to perfect my craft and produce something unique and meaningful with my ever-evolving sense of creative identity, as I originally set out to do. Whilst I did get a better understanding of the type of filmmaker and director I want to be after taking the first half of this course last year, like any other prospective artist, there are still those, such as the legendary Jordan Peele, Christopher Nolan, and M. Night Shyamalan, whom I wish to emulate in my work, out of respect, admiration, and just pure awe for all that they have created and accomplished. Believe me when I say that I spent nearly my entire summer daydreaming about ideas for my film this year and I can't wait to bring some of those concepts to life.
Enough of all of that rumination and self-analysis, let me catch you up on some of the major happenings that transpired in the last few months while I was away.
First and foremost, I'd like to begin with what was probably the most significant event of my entire summer break, the end of an era if you will. After two long, arduous years, I can finally return to watching movies the way they were intended to be seen ever since the savory snack entered theaters in the early twentieth century. At long last, I can singlehandedly consume an entire (large) bucket of popcorn before the previews even finish. Joyous was the day I was finally freed from the metal jail in my mouth, more formally known as braces. Gone are the days when I'd have to suffer in starvation and anticipation for a film to take hold of the screen, stomach grumbling as trailers for movies slowly trudged by and my patience waned.
Second on my list of importance (just kidding, this probably takes first place to be honest), I am now the Vice President of the honor society chapter at my high school (exciting, right?). I'm prepared to make a difference in my school this year with my position, as well as to make a difference in the film community by producing an original short film this year.
Taking a step back, I'd like to say that I am still the same person you met a year ago, just with a little more common sense and life experience since I'm officially a junior this year. Crazy how time flies, isn't it? It felt like last year started in a blink and was over in two.
Here's a quick side-by-side comparison of me last year and me this year just so you can see just how little has changed.
Moving on to how summer (and months after my last blog post) went, I've got to say that in terms of films I saw, it was about an even split between good and having to bite my tongue before I go off on a tangent about how disappointed I was. To spare you from that long-winded essay, I'll just highlight some of my favorites and briefly discuss one of my most significant let-downs.
Starting with the good, I'm so grateful for the fact that my local movie theater upgraded and installed 4DX theaters because watching Top Gun: Maverick with two of my closest friends was quite the memorable experience. The rumbling of the seats timed flawlessly with the takeoff of the jets, the sprays of water in the scenes with snow, even the small puffs of air that accompanied the wind and gunfire, it was all absolutely impeccable. Experiences like those are the reasons why I love theatrical releases of films, and although I understand that with the recent increase in streaming platforms, it is only natural for more films to be released for in-home viewing, I can't part with the traditional ambience of a crowded theater on premiere day.
Another film that I was impressed with was Doctor Strange in the Multiverse of Madness. Granted, it was something I'd been looking forward to for a while, but it did not disappoint. Seeing Elizabeth Olsen take on the persona of a broken mother (Wanda Maximoff) driven into madness because she couldn't obtain the one thing any mother would want, to be with her children, resonated with me. It took an intrinsic human value to another level by framing it as the motivation behind the shift from a once heroic member of the Avengers to a cruel antagonist who would stop at nothing to get what she wanted. I also really enjoyed the experimental music battle scene. I thought that it was so beautifully cinematically constructed, despite what many viewers believed to be an out-of-place and "ridiculous" waste of screen time.
It would be of the utmost offense if I didn't take the time to talk about Jordan Peele and the "spectacle" that was Nope. Going in, I wasn't sure of what to expect. Watching the trailer back in February was like eating breadcrumbs, I was hungry for more, and I needed to see what the main course would be. Everything was carefully crafted and as I made connections as the film went on, seeing the foreshadowing come to front was so satisfying when paired with the interlaced societal critiques, small detailing, such as the naming of the characters (OJ for instance), the nail-biting suspense, the gruesome subplot, the reveal at the end, it was all so perfect. Hence why I can't understand the audience members who claimed that they found it to be underwhelming. Of course, it wouldn't be the same as Us or Get Out, that I knew, which is why I wasn't let down at all. If anything, the expansion to new topics and a different kind of execution was refreshing and engaging, leaving so much open to the interpretation and mental digestion of the viewer. I've watched countless theory videos and they all seem to fall short of giving the film the justice and praise it deserves because they only ever capture a small glimpse of all that the film has to offer and say.
Now that I've raved enough about my film favorites this far in the year, I have to express my utter disappointment in what I expected to be a great addition to one of my all-time favorite franchises, Jurassic World: Dominion. It not only failed to do what Spider-Man: No Way Home succeeded at, with its careless reintroduction of old-time favorites, like Jeff Goldblum, but it devolved into a cash-grab, being riddled with rushed plots and underdeveloped characters; for lack of better words, it has become the Fast & Furious of the science fiction fantasy genre, except it isn't even enjoyable in a "watch it because it's bad" way. It has reached the point where I fear that it will go out worse than the dinosaurs did.
The fact that summer is so short really put a lot of things into perspective for me, especially regarding how precious life is and how essential it is for every moment, happy or sad, to be cherished because it's an experience that I'll never be able to relive again. Enough of this reminiscence, this year calls for me to become a more forward-looking and assertive individual, capable of handling any inconvenience thrown her way with poise and presence, to prove naysayers wrong and rise above self-doubt and inhibition. With that being said, I intend to make the most of this year, so look out Cambridge because "I'm making my move(!)" (Tommy Page 1988).
*If you don't get the reference I'd recommend checking back to the end of my final blog last year!
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