American Graffiti
AMERICAN GRAFFITI was released in 1973 without much fanfare, but it quickly touched a nerve with movie audiences everywhere. There was something about this look back to a summer night in a small California town in 1962 that made moviegoers nostalgic for a time of innocence, of romance, and of uncharted possibilities.
There was something for everyone in that film - whether it was a character you identified with, or the cars and the music - that wonderful music! - brought back so many memories.
The story by Lucas is based upon his own experiences growing up and cruisin' the streets while listening to Wolfman Jack spin his vinyl discs on the radio.
This autobiographical touch, and the documentary style gives the film an emotional focus and depth that never goes out of style - and that is why the film still touches audiences today.
Many people have commented on the ingenious use of top rock-n-roll hits that Lucas incorporated into the fabric of the film. But did you know that the reason this was done was because the budget on the film was so small that the filmmakers literally could not afford an original score?
The film's cast is nothing short of amazing - Richard Dreyfus, Cindy Williams, Ron Howard, Candy Clark, Mackenzie Phillips, Charles Martin Smith, Paul Le Mat, Kathleen Quinlan, Suzanne Sommers, and another young actor named Harrison Ford. The film caught these young performers right on the cusp of stardom, and this was the film that truly established their careers. Their youth and vitality give AMERICAN GRAFFITI a raw energy that simply ignites the screen.
AMERICAN GRAFFITI was more than just a box office hit - it was a critical hit as well. The film went on to earn five Academy Award nominations: Best Picture, Best Director, Best Supporting Actress, Best Story & Screenplay (based on Factual Material or Material Not Previously Published) and Best Editing. Candy Clark, by the way, did win the award for Best Supporting Actress for her role as Debbie.
Just recently, the American Film Institute selected AMERICAN GRAFFITI as one of the best 100 films ever made.
Other notable awards include a Golden Globe Award for Best Picture and Most Promising Newcomer (male) for Paul Le Mat; a Bronze Leopard awarded by the Locarno International Film Festival to George Lucas; the National Society of Film Critics gave Williard Huyck, Gloria Katz and George Lucas their award for best screenplay; and the National Film Preservation Board added AMERICAN GRAFFITI to the National Film Registry in 1995.
Dazed and Confused is a film that follows a plethora of characters on the last day of school before summer vacation. Although lacking in tangible plot, it makes a bold attempt to encompass and present the zeitgeist of the 1970s. In my opinion it is as if Dazed and Confused was produced in hopes of making those viewers who lived through the 1970s feel a sense of nostalgia. The film’s trajectory, harnessing of zeitgeist, and soundtrack are all very similar to George Lucas’s American Graffiti—a film that also successfully rooted in nostalgia. Dazed and Confused was released in 1993 and, like American Graffiti, was able to look over its shoulder to determine what music stood the test of time. The film attempts to epitomize what it meant for someone to grow up in the 1970s. Its success depends on its ability to recreate the spirit present in that era. In this paper I will talk about how the use of the popular soundtrack functions with the overall narrative, show ways in which characters actually interact with the music, how the soundtrack functions in a specific scene, explain my personal relationship to the soundtrack, and touch briefly on how the meaning of the film has changed over the course of time.
The audience for this text is for a wide range a people and family. This movie is a great family movie as it shows determination and the will to move beyond the past. Especially for those that perceive they don’t belong or are passively rejected. The director has used a inspiring film to persuade humans to move beyond there past. To forgive and forget.
I have been a fan of martial arts movies since the late Bruce Lee so I figured Crouching Tiger Hidden Dragon, even though it was the winner of four academy awards, would just be another attempt to make a poor example of a kung fu movie that lacked culture and poor acting. Acting, scenery, choreography, and story line made this an incredibly good movie.
The hairstyle and dull work suits of the extras, the telephone and TV in Chris’ apartment, the popularity and fascination of the Rubik’s Cube, the payphone and cars on the streets, and the part where Chris met a broker who owned a red Ferrari 308 convertible are some of the obvious bits to show this era. The soundtracks used in this movie are also really well-suited. Most of them are instrumentals which I think is simple but effective in expressing joy or sadness in contrast with the respective scenes in this movie. The music also helped in predicting the scenes; whether is it moving towards a positive or negative outcome, or for when Chris is running or the scene is in a fast pace, the soundtrack is fast too.
With the help of superb editing, sound, mise en scene, and cinematography, this film cannot be topped. The fist scene of the movie creates an atmosphere that helps the viewer know that he/she will enjoy this wonderful classic. Throughout the movie there are surprises and fun that makes this a movie that people will want to watch again and again. Gene Kelly said it best when he said, "Dignity, always dignity. " That is what this movie has from beginning to end, dignity.
Many independent films have given women and minorities a fair representation on camera, explored other cultures with an objective view and attempted to fairly portray the American experience. The 2009 film the visitor told the story of a widowed college professor who befriends a Syrian immigrant and his Senegalese girlfriend who live in a small apartment next to him in Manhattan. This film in particular is significant given that it was still nominated for an oscar, but more importantly was filmed independently, “Mr. McCarthy also noted, his was also a low-budget, character-driven indie film, which gave him the freedom to take his story where he wanted, without having to worry about high-concept pitches, marketing strategies or focus groups.” (New York Times). Another film titled 3 and ½ minutes is a documentary which tells the story of a black teenage shot in Jackson Florida and analyzes the current relationship between races in America. This is a highly relevant film however it was not widely popular. Advantageous is among many films given the 2015 sundance film festival award that focused on life for women in a constantly shifting society, These movies show that there American Cinema does exist that gives a voice to people and cultures that are unrepresented however hollywood still has a long way to
Lucas was in a car crash in 1962, which ended his racing career before it even started. He missed his graduation ceremony at his high school, but joked that the only reason he got a diploma was because his teachers felt sorry for him. As a result, Lucas looked for other options to fill his void in life. Since his grades were not good enough for a four-year college, he decided to go to junior college. For the first time in his life, he hit the books. He fell asleep trying to earn the highest grades he could in order to have a future for himself.
The film revolves around a man named Lucas Jackson, portrayed by the legendary actor Paul Newman, who is sentenced to two years in a small suburban jail. He is convicted for destroying public property, and being intoxicated while doing so. Before his conviction, Luke was in the Army and attained the rank of Sergeant. However, he was demoted when his service was up, and is seemingly running into trouble no matter where he goes. At the jail, the warden asks him about his carelessness and impulsive actions, to which Luke replies “…it’s something to pass the time”.
When I was in middle school I watched the graffiti film “Style Wars”. The film documented young artists and adults in the graffiti and hip-hop scene in during the 1980s who were painting the New York
Ryan Uytdewilligen argues in his book 101 Most Influential Coming of Age Movies that “Superbad might be to the millennial teens what American Graffiti was to the baby boomer generation: a wild and crazy night spent trying to get girls and beer.” (170) This quote is a good summarization of the two films and how they relate to one another. Both films have many common themes that are in the teen coming of age genre and are enjoyable for anyone who views them. Yet they each are a representation of the time they were released. American Graffiti is a representation of the optimism, innocence and the culture of the 1960’s while Superbad shows the 21st-century obsession with parties, girls, sex and being accepted by society’s expectations. The genre has changed and developed over time, though. American Graffiti is innocent while Superbad is raunchy and leaves no provocative topic left untouched. The genre has developed with society’s ideals; people are most accepting and open when it comes to themes of sex, drugs, alcohol etc. and this can be seen in the change from American Graffiti and
As the fascinating artist that inspired the story, the film has a provocative plot and sentimental ending, which lead us to admire, even more, the enigmatic figure of Edgar Allan
Baz Luhrmann has done this film in a unique and brilliant way, with help of the above, and of course a great loved story as a base.
The Academy Awards has been recognizing prominent films in the industry since the first award show held in 1929. The first show consisted of only twelve categories with thirty-three nominees, but as the industry progressed in size and talent the Academy accommodated appropriately. The most recent awards marked the eighty-sixth anniversary of the Academy and its composure of twenty-four categories and over a hundred nominees, some being repeats, spoke for the industry itself in terms of its volume and value. With each category containing such self-proclaimed actors, directors, or production teams, it is no question that to receive an award, or even recognition by Academy is an honor, however, there is one category that bears the greatest honor possible; the category of Best Picture. The category is a goal sought out by an entire production and to win the award establishes the high quality of the film. At the 2014 Academy Awards, nine films, including The Wolf of Wall Street and 12 Years a Slave, were put up against each other in the Best Picture category. Each film different in its story, but not greatness, yet 12 Years a Slave swept the award from its eight contenders. Undoubtedly all nine films are nothing short of excellence, so what separates one great film, such as The Wolf of Wall Street, from another great film like 12 Years a Slave?
...movie that I fell in love with. But most of all I love how the story line is a great overlap into the cinematically engaging movie. There is a great use of camera, timing, shots and story line that are portrayed in this movie without being too overwhelming. This allows the audience to relax during the movie and just take in the scenes as a story from reality. To this day, and even still doing this paper I still come to find different aspects of the movie that I missed the previous times I have watched it.