Captain Phillips

LOVED THIS MOVIE!!!! I saw this movie when it first came out and was completely invested in it the entire time. Its so intense and real it's incredible. The actors are all amazing and you really feel like their emotions. The actors that played the pirates were discovered during an open casting call and never had any experience acting. I think that they made the movie. Everything was just so real. It takes a lot for me to cry in a movie, but by the end of the movie I was bawling. I recommend this movie to everyone.

United 93

Fantastic movie. I have always been interested in learning more about the attacks of September 11th, 2001. This movie was heartbreaking to watch, but the movies that make you feel something whether it be happiness or sadness are the most powerful. Seeing the terrified and confused faces of the people aboard that plane made it all feel very real. I could not imagine calling my family from a flight, telling them its been hijacked, then telling them goodbye. As we talked about in class, there is a line between knowing your going to die, and knowing your going to die and trying to save as many other people as you can. There are no words to describe what crossing over that line must feel like, but that is exactly what the people on flight United 93 did.

Apollo 13

I really liked this movie. Personally, I think going to the moon would be the most terrifying trip in the world, even out of the world. There are so many things that could go wrong as shown in the movie. I never understood if even stepping foot on the moon would be worth the risk of getting there and returning in one piece. Yet, the actors in this movie showed the fascination people have with space and the moon. People dream of being astronauts and going up into space to step foot on the moon and this movie showed why. As terrifying as it was, it kept me on edge even. Knowing that these astronauts had a huge chance of dying and only a slight chance of making it back was scary. Overall, I thought it was a great, informative, and powerful movie. 

 

I believe the funding should continue for NASA. The is an endless amount to discover about space and the universe we live in. We are only a tiny speck on the huge canvas. The more we discover about the universe we live in, the better.

I feel like the journey to get there is so incredibly dangerous that until we have a way to ensure there will be no deaths or danger getting up there, then we shouldn't go. I also think the racing other countries to get there is incredibly dangerous. When you rush and race, that is when people make life threatening mistakes. 

Parkland

I loved this movie.  Knowing that this movie was made to represent what really went on that day behind the scenes makes it so much more interesting to watch. Knowing that this is an actual historical event that changed the lives of people across the country intensified this movie. Not only did I think the actors were great (Zac Efron was my favorite), but learning about Zapruder and how his life was effected was also interesting. What shocked me the most was Oswald's mother and how crazy she seemed. Im not sure if the movie just made her seem like that or if she really believed that  her son was a secret spy. Personally, I think she just wanted to get famous whether she realized that being the 'famous' mother of the assassinator of JFK was a good thing or a bad thing.

The Pianist

This movie was very hard to watch for me. Not because it was bad or boring, but because it was so emotional and real. It was filled with many scenes that were almost to hard to watch. Movies about the Holocaust are always hitting home for me because I have family that have survived and lived through it. Hearing horrible stories about what they had to go through is hard, but watching it and seeing what it was like is even harder.

I think that what  Hosenfeld saw in Szpilman was the courage to survive. Among the hundreds that were killed every day he was still alive and maybe he admired that about him. Once Hosenfeld heard him play, I believe he knew right then and there that this man shouldn't be killed or taken. The music transformed him when he heard something so beautiful being played in the middle of destruction. Also, Szpilman must have realized that if Hosenfeld hadn't killed him already then he was not going to. He did not have any other options than to trust him.

Defiance

I loved this movie. For one, Holocaust movies really capture my attention to begin with, but this took it to another level. The story of course was amazing, but the actors really put this movie above others. I loved Daniel Craig who played the role of Tuvia. I liked that he had a romantic side to him, but was so strong and a good fighter. I did make me upset that he left to fight not alongside his brother for a while, but when he came back to help them it made the movie. Another thing I enjoyed was the bonds you could see and feel between all of the people. The scene where all of them didn't know what to do when they got to the river also captured my attention. You could see on all of the characters face how scared they were, but they put that aside to get across the river and live. Working together and helping  people you might not even know was what they did to survive.

I think that the statement, "our revenge is to live" meant that the best revenge that the Jews could have on the Germans was to escape them and have a life somewhere else. To even survive made the Germans mad. Usually getting revenge on someone is trying to hurt them or bring them down in some way, but all that the Jews had to do to get revenge on the Germans was to survive. I do believe that humanity and revenge can coexist and in fact, they have to. I remember reading somewhere that, "A thirst for vengeance is nothing if not timeless." Revenge is something that everyone wants when they are wronged. I don't think the desire to hurt someone who hurt you will ever go away in our society.

The Godfather

This was one of the first movies that we watched in this class that I did not enjoy. I think that in my mind I was expecting it to be some action filled, intense, super good classic movie because that's the reputation it has. In the beginning, the movie was pretty slow and I felt like I was always waiting for something to happen. The only things that happened were shootings and the killing of characters for different reasons, some of which I was confused on. It was hard for me to keep track of what was going on in the movie at all times. I also think some scenes, like the scene of Michael in Italy, were purposeless and added nothing to the movie. The only thing I did like about the movie was that it was told from the inside of the family instead of the outside. It was the one thing that made the movie interesting to me. It's hard to say if I would recommend this movies to others because there is such a mix of people who like it and dislike it. Talking to my family about it, my mom hated it and my dad loved it. It's a very hard thing to say if I would recommend this to others, but personally, I did not enjoy it.

Vito Corleone is the center of the film because he was the head of the family. All decisions were either made or passed by him and he had to approve. He was a family man and did everything for his family including trying to protect them. You could see how deeply upset he was when his son died and he was willing to agree on a decision to stop the family from getting hurt.I had mixed feelings about when Vito died among his tomato plants. I thought that the killings and violence would end when he died, but his son Michael took over and the violence increased and continued on.

This story was told from the inside which made it unique and different from other movies about organized crime. It's different from what many know about organized crime because we see how the people on the inside feel. In this movie, a lot of the killings and shootings were because of personal vendettas that the characters had with each other and told from the inside, we can see why different people were enemies.

Personally, I don't understand why this movie is called a classic. There's so much hype around it then when I actually got around to watching it, I was let down. People may like it because it's one of the few, maybe the only movies that is told from the inside ring of organized crime. For me, I didn't enjoy the bloody shootings and hearing about personal problems between families. If you like complicated movies with blood, shootings, and violence then I can see why so many like it.





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Miracle

In my opinion, Miracle was one of the greatest movies I have ever seen. Before starting this movie, I thought that the movie 42 was one of the best movies and it was my favorite before the start of Miracle. This film completely blew all others out of the water and made a huge impact on me. The characters each made an impression on me which was a hard thing to accomplish because of how many different characters there were. The members of the team, the coaches, and the people cheering them on all had such passion and pride that it really made the movie stand out to me. Personally, Jack O'Callahan stood out among the others. When he was hurt and couldn't play for the team, you could see just how upset and devastated he was when originally he didn't get along with everyone on the team. Also, he made the point that the team was, in fact, a family. The time when we watched this movie could not have been better. It was during when our own Olympic hockey team was playing and after watching Miracle, I cheered on our hockey team because I was so inspired by the movie. I would one hundred percent recommend this movie to everyone including kids, teens, boys, girls, and parents. It is such a powerful and feel good movie that I think everyone would enjoy.

The period in which this movie took place was a bad time in America. As shown by a short scene in the film, gas prices were insanely high which made people unhappy and scared. The terrible economic crisis was not helping. Not to mention the fifty two American US Embassy hostages being held for 444 days in Iran. Americans were down and had nothing to cheer for.. that is until the US Olympic hockey team defeated the "undefinable" soviet team. The "Miracle on Ice" was exactly what people needed, it restored their pride for being Americans. People had something to cheer for, and something to be proud about again. This story is not just about a hockey team beating another team, this story is about how one group of young college kids brought back pride, excitement, and happiness to America.

Even though I was young, I think that the impact of the September 11th, one of the darkest days in history, changed our nation forever. This terrible day brought along the support of the nation to aid those in trouble. Even in our darkest moments, people came together to give all of the support they could to the people lost and hurt by this attack on our nation.

42

This was one of my favorite movies in and outside of class. The movie kept me on my toes and was very inspirational and moving. It really gave you a glimpse into what it was like back then and especially how hard it was for Jackie to be the first African American in major league baseball. The movie actually made me very emotional and I felt connected with a lot of the characters. Also remembering that this is not some made up story, it's a real life historical event made everything that much more powerful.

I believe Jackie had a huge impact on this country by inspiring so many people through his bravery. He inspired many other young black athletes who never believed they could make it into the big leagues. His impact is everlasting and he will never be forgotten. Jackie Robinson day on April 15th every year helps to remember and forever honor him.

I strongly believe in determination. Determination drives you towards your goals and keeps you going on the path even when it might get hard. Remembering that you have to work to get to your goal, and not just getting something easy, makes everything that much more rewarding when you finally reach your goals.


I think the quote that Jackie said, ""A life is not important except in the impact it has on other lives." means that an individuals life is not going to matter unless you make an impact on someone else's. Making an impact on someone else or even thousands of people as Jackie did, can change the world. Jackie's live made an impact on so many other peoples, and that is why he is remembered. I agree with Jackie because the only way to make an impact, is to effect someone else.

Cinderella Man

I think the title of the movie was Cinderella Man because a Cinderella story is one that isn't supposed to happen, or something that is unexpected. It was a "feel good, feel bad, feel good" movie so it kept me on my toes and I never felt like I was getting bored. I loved James Braddock because no matter what was happening, he was also doing it for his family. He tried his hardest to keep his kids with him through the extremely difficult times, and even sacrificed some of his own food for his children. Still, there are families with not enough money to support them and unemployment rates are still high. The Braddock family showed a glimpse into what it must have been like during the extremely difficult times in the past. Today, issues are different because there are more opportunities for jobs and thankfully the unemployment rate is lower than what is was during the Great Depression. Our children will probably deal with issues similar to today's and I feel like there will still be many different equality issues.

If i were a child seeing my family go hungry, I would steal. If my families survival was dependent on finding food, I would try to help my family in whatever way I could. Under normal circumstances, I would never steal, but if my family was going hungry then I would. As a teenager, I know that stealing is not the right thing to do, but children don't understand.

Every story needs a villain and I believe Max's character was portrayed as the villain in this story. The filmmakers definitely made him look like a worse person than he really was. In the movie, he seemed almost proud of his killing of people in the ring. I don't think it's right that they did that to him or his family especially because he made it clear that he was haunted by the death of his opponent that he killed in the boxing ring. I don't believe it took away from the story of James Braddock. Since every story needs a villain, Max just seemed like another character, expect the focus was still on James.

During the scene where Braddock went into Madison Square Garden to beg for money, I was tearing up. It was an extremely powerful scene and I believe it was one of the best in the movie. It was admirable and not at all pathetic. He didn't quit his boxing job, he was fired. He had no other way to support himself and I don't believe it was his fault that he couldn't find money anywhere else. There were thousands of people in the same position as him. This moment helps define Braddock as a Cinderella man because it shoed his true character. This scene showed how much of his pride he was willing to give up to support his family.

Tombstone

I didn't like the movie when it first started because I'm not a fan of wild west movies to start with and I have already watched this movie before so it was hard to watch it again. Although, what made the movie better were the characters and their personal side stories. I think the romance made it a little more interesting and fun to watch. One of my favorite characters was Doc Holliday played by Val Kilmer. He was always very confident, funny, and smug which added to the movie and made it more interesting. I did get really confused between all the characters, there were a few too many 'main' characters that the movie focused on. Between all of the cowboys and all of Wyatt Earp's brothers, I couldn't keep track of who was who even after having already watched the movie once. I would only recommend this movie to others if they have an interest in learning about cowboys and specifically the wild west, otherwise it's a little hard to get though.

What makes an event legendary is something that should be or will be remembered forever. Something or someone so famous and so different that they should be specifically remembered for what they did forever. In my opinion, I think the cowboys are legendary because they're still remembered today and still talked about. Although, they aren't remembered as the bad guys that they really were and are now some made up character today and remembered just as a guy that rode a horse in the wild west. So it could really be debated if they're legendary or not. Wyatt Earp is still a "legendary western lawman" today. He is specifically remembered for what he did and who he was and people know his name. The part of the wild west that somewhat appeals to me is the cowboys. In this movie, they are portrayed as bad guys that kill people for fun. But today, kids think of them as happy, fun, boys that rode horses in the olden days. It's interesting to learn where they really came from and who they really were.

Glory

        I liked that the movie was very intense and emotional. Even though some of the battle scenes were not as graphic and historically correct as others, the actors did a good job of showing how emotionally connected and driven they were to fight. Additionally, it made clear why the men of the 54^th were willing to go through what they did, and how terrible it was that some had to die to be considered men.  Overall, the movie made me feel inspired because the men of the 54^th stood up for what they believed was right, and there was a huge turning point in history because of them. They fought for a nation that didn’t even recognize them fully as soldiers or even men. One of the most interesting, and my favorite, characters of the movie was Pvt. Jupiter Sharts played by Jihmi Kennedy. Because of his boyish looks, stutter, and personality, he made a lasting impression on me. When we were first introduced to him, I thought he would be the one in the movie that dies first, or doesn’t know how to shoot. Shockingly, he is the one that shoots the best out of the men and demonstrates that in the scene when they are shooting bottles and he hits it almost every time. Though, I did not like Matthew Broderick as one of the main characters. He was not very convincing and I felt like there could have been someone who played the part much better. I believe the moral of the movie is to fight for what you believe in and from this movie I learned just how much courage and strength that may take.  I would recommend this film to people outside of the class because it really was a good movie and I think it’s something that all people would benefit from watching. The content in this movie relates to today because everyone should stand up for what they believe in, even if that takes fighting for it.

I believe people are willing to risk their lives to fight for their country because they can see the bigger picture. If they don’t do it, who will? I believe that they answer the question, “Are you willing to save someone else’s live, by sacrificing your own?” with a yes.  Soldiers go to war to protect their country, freedom, rights, and what they believe in. They risk themselves for the greater good each and every day. Shaw should be considered a hero because he had to make a hard decision on whether or not to lead the 54^th. He had faith in his men and only pushed them because he knew they needed to learn the right ways to survive. In the end, he made the ultimate sacrifice and died with his men.

The significance of the story is to show people a little bit of what it may have been like for these men, and just how hard they had to fight. Just because they were black, people said they were not men and not soldiers. This movie clearly shows that, in fact, they were just as much soldiers as any of the white men. The 54^th Massachusetts made a lasting impression on history and should always be remembered.

My Introduction

A word that best describes me would be responsible. Whether it's my grades or other activities outside of school, I think responsibility it an import quality. When I comes to grades, it's no ones responsibility other than our own to do well in school and keep up our grades. My interests range from my volunteer work to doing yoga every day after school. I volunteer at a program called Share What You Wear and work a few hours a week to help collect clothing for inner city children in the Cleveland area. My goals are to succeed in school and attend a good college. I like that in school we have opportunities to take different electives that other schools don't have including History Through Film and Photography. I dislike how we all feel like we live in this "Orange Bubble" and have no idea what things outside of it are like. I also dislike how we have to take mandatory classes that we have no interest in and that now as seniors we have to take six classes. The qualities of my favorite teacher include someone who makes teaching fun and interesting so that I will actually enjoy the class, and not someone who just tells us to read then write an essay. My interest in history is not particularly high, but I wouldn't consider it a class that I hate.

I am disappointed in humanity as of right now because whenever I turn on the news all I see is another school shooting. The fact that my parents are always talking about how this would never have happened when they were in high school makes me think about how and why things took a turn for the worst. No one seems like they have learned from previous mistakes and more and more keep happening. Some of the same problems that we are facing today just seems like a cycle that keeps repeating itself. Additionally, kids are now being taught that violence is the answer to everything at a young age. Violence is everywhere, on the internet, books, video games and TV shows and it's becoming harder to avoid. No one is thinking about the impact this is having on the children watching these things and the long term impacts they could leave. Media violence leaves a devastating impact that teaches kids that aggression will get you what you want.