Why The Blair Witch Project is Still Scary

Eighteen years have passed and The Blair Witch Project still manages to scare audiences.  It's considered a classic now, having popularized the found footage style for horror films, making $250 million against a $60,000 budget when it was released, spawning two sequels and plenty of parodies, and releasing tons of merchandise including novels and comic books.  I never saw the movie when it came out because I was a wee child but I certainly knew growing up that it was a famous horror movie.  I actually didn't see it until this year but one of the main things that made me want to finally watch it was learning about both how the movie was made and how it was marketed.  I read about it and watched some videos and I found it fascinating.  This is going to be probably one of the most expansive blog posts I've done, exploring both the making and marketing of Blair Witch and why the found footage technique works so well for horror films.

Now I feel the need to preface this by saying that horror is not my favorite movie genre.  I am very picky about my horror movies.  I tend to like Troll 2, Killer Klowns B-movie level of horror that's so bad it's good or psychological thrillers like Psycho or The Sixth Sense.  For the most part I'm rarely in the mood for a horror film so when one really strikes me it's pretty significant.  The Blair Witch Project kept me up all night after I saw it (because I am a weenie) and I kept thinking about it for days after.  It was a good concept for a film and barely anything happens; it was simple yet effective.  The premise of Blair Witch is basically what's written on the movie poster.  In 1994 three filmmakers go into the woods to shoot a documentary on a local legend called the Blair Witch.  They are never found but their footage is a year later and what we are watching is the film that was discovered.  While shooting the documentary, the young adults talk to locals and visit sites and cemeteries that are connected to the Blair Witch.  For much of the film, they are lost in the woods and experiencing creepy things that start to convince them that the Blair Witch is real and after them.

So what makes this movie stand out?  There are several elements of the film that make it scary, in my opinion, and separate it from a lot of horror movies today.  One is the lack of jump scares.  This film is pretty slow-paced and that's what makes it so tense.  All the scary sounds the characters hear or creepy things they find aren't thrown at us all of a sudden with a loud sound effect.  Because this is supposed to be "real" footage, there is no soundtrack at all until the amazingly creepy music during the credits.  The slow pace never drags and even when there isn't something scary happening on screen at one moment, we still have that eerie sensation the characters are experiencing of feeling like they're being watched.  Another aspect of Blair Witch that really messes with you is the vagueness of the villain.  We never see the Blair Witch.  We hear various descriptions of her from some of the locals that are interviewed but we never see her for ourselves, not even at the end during one of the film's most famous scenes, the exploration of the "abandoned" house.  Not letting us see the villain makes it scarier than if we actually saw some hideous, ghostly creature.  The audience is left to use their imaginations and conjure up the worst.

Before I move on to the found footage technique, which I think is the film's best weapon for terror, we need to talk about the making and marketing for this movie, which is almost as legendary as the Blair Witch herself.  I kind of wish I was old enough back in '99 to have experienced it all myself.  Part of what makes The Blair Witch Project so scary isn't even what's in the actual movie; it's how they made it and then sold it.  The movie was directed, written, and edited by Daniel Myrick and Eduardo Sanchez, who were film students themselves when they conceived of the idea back in 1993.  Along with a few others, they began their own film company called Haxan Productions, named after a film about witchcraft from the 1920's.  Inspired by documentaries on the paranormal they created the legend of the Blair Witch and wanted to combine the elements of horror films and documentaries to make a movie they thought would be truly scary.  Their script for the film was only 35 pages in length with the dialogue to be improvised by the actors. After an open casting call the three leads were cast.  Heather Donahue, Joshua Leonard, and Michael C. Williams played fictionalized versions of themselves in The Blair Witch Project, their real names also being the names of their characters.  In a television segment about the making of the movie, the actors recall filming for about a week in the woods, finding clues about what their day was going to be like and where to travel, and being scared by Haxan Productions crew members at night to film their authentic reactions.  The directors and the crew tried to make the movie just as real for the cast as well as the audience.

The marketing of The Blair Witch Project was unprecedented at the time of its release, especially for an independent film.  First, directors Myrick and Sanchez created the legend of the Blair Witch and tried to sell it as a true story.  Several inspirations were used for the Blair Witch, most stemming from the Salem Witch Trials and other historical figures.  In fact the names of some of the characters in the film are near anagrams of real people.  The Blair Witch's name Elly Kedward is derived from Edward Kelley,  a 16th century mystic and alchemist who claimed he could communicate with the dead and knew how to make the Philosopher's Stone.  Another character from the film, Rustin Parr, the hermit who kidnapped and murdered several children in the 1940's, is a near anagram of Rasputin.  The legend of the Blair Witch states that in 1785 Elly Kedward was banished from Blair, Maryland for witchcraft (Blair is the fictional colonial name for the real town of Burkittsville.)  It was believed that Kedward died in the woods into which she was banished but a year later her adult accusers and half the town's children disappeared.  Since that time any strange disturbances in the small town have been attributed to the Blair Witch, including the attacks by Rustin Parr.

Myrick and Sanchez used several outlets to promote this legend as true.  At screenings of the film, they handed out flyers to the audience that were basically "Missing" posters of the three lead actors.  Even IMDb participated, listing on the website that the actors were "missing, presumed dead"  for up to a year after the film's release.  During the same year Blair Witch was released SciFi Channel released a special documentary called Curse of the Blair Witch, which you can you watch on YouTube.  This documentary presents the fabricated legend of the Blair Witch and includes fake news stories about the students who went missing and their footage that was found.  It also includes actors portraying the students' siblings, friends, girlfriends, and professors talking about how they knew each student.  It completely plays as real and was a very interesting marketing ploy.  I highly recommend you watch it.  Probably the best marketing tool by Myrick and Sanchez was the creation of the Blair Witch website.  Because of this site, it is believed that The Blair Witch Project is one of the first movies to be marketed using the internet and even one of the first movies to go viral, before that term was used as we use it today.  You can still go to the original website today and it is a real treat.  I've included it here so you can check it out for yourselves.  It includes a timeline of the Blair Witch legend, photos of the "missing students," the aftermath of their disappearance including the photos of their car that was "discovered," the sheriff investigating the case, and the film itself that was found.  There's also so much more, again everyone and everything being presented as real.  It caused quite a controversy at the time and had people debating about whether this was a regular horror film or a true story.

A word I've used a lot while writing this is "real."  The production of the film, the marketing, and the movie itself feels real and thus makes it more scary.  Horror films, especially those based on the supernatural, depend on plausibility to an extent.  We have to believe these characters are experiencing what they're really experiencing, put ourselves in their shoes to really get a good scare.  This is probably the main reason why The Blair Witch Project was so scary at the time and is still scary today: the found footage technique allows us to literally be in the character's shoes and experience what he or she is experiencing.  It becomes so palpable that things we would scoff at normally like ghosts or two-hundred-year-old witches can scare the pants off you.  Of course, you're not the one really holding the camera.  You're watching all of this on a screen in the comfort and safety of your home or a movie theater.  Found footage works because it feels real, but we know it really isn't.  Horror and sci-fi directors years after Blair Witch really took advantage of this medium, even though The Blair Witch Project wasn't the first film to use the found footage technique; it only popularized it.  Found footage allows a viewer to experience something scary that's realistic but doesn't have to be near it.  Of course the directors went above and beyond by trying to market this movie as a real thing, just like Orson Welles did so many years ago with "War of the Worlds," but for the most part, audiences know that although something might be creepy it might not necessarily be dangerous.

Living vicariously through others to be creeped out or explore paranormal phenomena didn't start with the Blair Witch and has only increased since the film's release.  To an extent exploring the world of UFO footage allows a regular person to see through somebody else's eyes something strange or scary they have discovered.  That might be more enjoyable than seeing the "real" thing for ourselves.  Or how about ghost hunting?  Book after book, TV show after TV show has been produced that show professional ghost hunters or even just the average person capturing "evidence" of phantoms or ghouls terrorizing someone's property.  These shows and books can be interesting or downright goofy but there's usually a little voice inside our heads that says, "Man, I'm so glad that's not me."

Because of the internet, especially blogs and video sites like YouTube, we have so many more options for experiencing creepy things that are actually happening to somebody else.  One activity that can be found on multiple websites and mediums is exploring abandoned houses, theme parks, what-have-you.  Abandoned places are usually dirty, messy, and, we think, have the potential to be haunted.  They're both creepy and exciting and you can watch tons of videos or see pictures or read blog posts of people exploring all kinds of abandoned places.  We find what they find and yet we're in no real danger of either being caught by the police or an angry ghost.  Some of my favorite internet photographers, like Dani Rose have blogs dedicated to photos they've taken exploring abandoned houses in rural areas.  The pictures are fascinating but unsettling, always leaving me with two contradicting thoughts, "I would love to do that" and "I'm glad I'm not really there because that's so creepy."  Some of these abandoned places are so famous that blog posts and videos dedicated to them have tens of thousands of views.  One such place is Nara Dreamland, a Japanese theme park sadly now under demolition.  The park was a blatant rip-off of Disneyland.  It opened in 1961 and closed in 2006.  For ten years, the place was a hot spot for exploration and thanks to the internet we can watch footage of it since most of us, especially those who live anywhere other than Japan, wouldn't have been able to visit it.  One blog post by Paul Jones has tons of photos and details about the park, including cool finds like castles and roller coasters as well as unsettling discoveries such as clown wigs and headless mannequins.

YouTube is a goldmine of video footage of Nara Dreamland as well as other explorations.  It's known for its vast amount of vloggers, some who have gained specific audiences drawn to their stories about personal experiences with the paranormal.  One of my favorite YouTubers is grav3yardgirl or Bunny Meyer.  Although she's known to her over eight million subscribers as a vlogger who enjoys fashion, makeup, antiques, and trying out As Seen on TV products, she got her start on YouTube by making paranormal videos.  She recently went back to her roots by sharing her experience with a doll she owned that she believed to be haunted.  Even though I'm not one to believe in ghosts I enjoy Bunny's videos on the paranormal because I like her.  YouTubers with likable personalities tend to do really well on the site and Bunny is no exception; she has a very dedicated fan base.  Although she rarely makes paranormal videos anymore, they are highly requested by her audience and they do well because it can be exciting to hear about someone else's spooky experiences, especially, as in Bunny's case, from someone we feel like we know.  The spookiness is behind a screen and once the video is over we're back in the real world.  All these examples are ways that we can go beyond the cinematic and scripted horror film to get a good scare.  It's why the found footage technique works so well.  We want to be scared.  That's why we go to see a scary movie or watch someone's video on something frightening they experienced.  But we want distance.  I don't think most of us really want to be haunted by a ghost, or see some creepy art at an abandoned house, or come across the stick sculptures of the Blair Witch in the middle of the woods.  Found footage makes what we're watching seem so real it's tangible, and yet we know we are separated by a screen.  And even if it's marketed extremely well, we know, thank goodness, that it's fake.

The Blair Witch Project was released almost twenty years ago and it still has an impact on its audience.  It used unique marketing ploys to present the film as real and took advantage of a smaller budget to make a horror film that was scary based on the feeling it gives you, not on a thousand jump scares and CGI ghosts. It's a movie that could teach a lot of current horror movies a thing or two.  Half the fun of watching Blair Witch is learning how it came about, watching the fake documentaries and exploring the old promotion website.  What makes The Blair Witch Project still so terrifying is not the fact that it's fake but seems real; it's the feeling we have throughout the film that tells us, "This could be real."  And that's a horror movie that has done its job well.

Soderbergh Heists: Parallels between Ocean's Eleven and Logan Lucky

As a fan of 2001's Ocean's Eleven, I was more than stoked for Steven Soderbergh's return to the big screen with a new star-studded and comedy-driven heist film Logan Lucky.  It did not disappoint.  It was well-written, well-acted, and it was a ton of fun.  Soderbergh has directed three films for his Ocean's series; heist movies are kind of his thing.  And I think a lot of people who love the Ocean's films left Logan Lucky catching little similarities between Ocean's and Logan.  I want to explore the connections between the two films and if you haven't seen either of them, I highly recommend you do so.

Ocean's Eleven is a remake of the 1960 Rat Pack film.  It stars George Clooney as Danny Ocean, an ex-convict who gathers a group of ten lawless but lovable criminals to help pull off the biggest job of his career: robbing three Las Vegas casinos, the Bellagio, The Mirage, and the MGM Grand, in one night.  All three casinos are owned by brutal businessman Tony Benedict, a man who also happens to be dating Danny's ex-wife Tess.  With young Linus trying to prove himself in the robbery and Danny's right-hand man Rusty trying to keep Danny focused on the prize, Danny and his gang pull through in the end with a nine-figure sum split eleven ways.

Logan Lucky is a heist film as well but with a very different vibe and a very different ending.  Instead of the swanky and fast-paced world of high-end Las Vegas casinos,  Logan is a slower-paced film taking place in West Virginia.  Almost everyone has a Southern accent and the main character Jimmy Logan drives a pick-up truck; it's like Ocean's Eleven meets King of the Hill.  After being fired, Jimmy needs money to afford a good lawyer so he can more easily visit his daughter after she moves with his ex-wife and her new husband.  With the help of his brother and sister as well as a jailbird Joe Bang and his two dim-witted brothers, Jimmy robs the Charlotte Motor Speedway.  Instead of keeping all the money like the gang in Ocean's Eleven does, Jimmy keeps the money he needs, gives some to those who helped him along the way, and gives the rest of the money back to the Speedway.

As mentioned before, there are differences between the two films in both pacing, setting, and motives for the main characters to get involved in such big heists, but there are still similarities in plots.  Both heists are initiated by men who have ulterior motives to doing such a big robbery other than just getting rich quick.  In fact both films involve ex-wives to some extent as the real reason behind the robbery.  And even though they are in charge, both Danny and Jimmy have their right-hand man; Danny has his good friend Rusty and Jimmy recruits his brother Clyde.  Both men, Danny Ocean and Jimmy Logan, also gather together a group of fellow robbers who each have a specific skill set, people with technical savvy, knowledge about bombs, or acting chops, just to name a few.  And interestingly Ocean's Eleven and Logan's group each contain a set of brothers (in Logan Lucky there are actually two sets of brothers).  Virgil and Turk Malloy, the Mormon twins and getaway drivers in Oceans' gang, are similar to Sam and Fish, the hillbilly brothers of Joe Bang, the convict who gets recruited by Jimmy and his brother Clyde.  The Malloy twins and Sam and Fish are alike in a lot of ways.  They often are the ones wearing disguises and setting things up before the big heist and are also the getaway drivers.  Both sets of brothers are also responsible for a lot of the comic relief in both movies.   Another similarity is the heist occurs during a major sporting event in each film.  In Ocean's Eleven, Danny uses a big boxing match as a major part of his plan as it will be a good distraction while he and his gang make for the vault.  For Jimmy Logan's heist, he tries to avoid doing the robbery during the Coca Cola 600, the longest NASCAR race held at the Charlotte Motor Speedway, because there will be far more people and higher security.  But after some complications Logan and his group have to do the heist that day, which adds to the tension.

You can often find parallels in various movies due to a director's certain style, like a Danny Elfman score played over gothic scenery in a Tim Burton movie or how almost every John Hughes film is set in Chicago.  Soderbergh's heist movies in particular have some fun connections or similarities.  For example both films feature an ensemble cast, major actors who come together in a way you maybe wouldn't have expected.  The writing is very similar in both films and includes a lot of witty humor.  Both film's scores, which are great, are composed by David Holmes.  The scores are similar except Ocean's has more of a jazzy sound to fit the tone and Logan uses more of a soundtrack filled with country rock songs and makes very good use of John Denver, one of my favorite musicians.  Another similarity which I really enjoy and makes these kinds of movies so fun is having a montage at the end that shows how they really did it.  Towards the end of both heists you think it went one way or you're not really sure how it went and then the film takes you back, and with some good Mission Impossible-esque music, gives us a montage of how the robbery really happened, perhaps changing what you really thought or giving you new insight into a character.  Both films include incredible cinematography done by Soderbergh under the pseudonym Peter Andrews.  The costuming also really stands out in both Ocean's and Logan.  Rusty's suits in Ocean's are so distinctive and telling of the character.  The same goes for both Jimmy and his sister Mellie.  These characters have great costumes that tell us about the kinds of jobs they have, the the town they live in, and what they're like.  Another tidbit I really enjoy is how Soderbergh utilizes both his arguably biggest actors in the end credits.  The credits of Ocean's Eleven include the line "Introducing Julia Roberts as Tess Ocean."  He does the same at the end of Logan Lucky: "Introducing Daniel Craig as Joe Bang."  It's a funny addition to the film that could go under the radar but adds another layer to the Soderbergh style.

Seeing the connections between these great movies only makes them more enjoyable.  Soderbergh's heist movies are interesting because at the end of the day they're all about antiheroes, thieves and even convicted criminals who steal a ton of money.  And you root for them because they're layered and interesting and likable.  These aren't films that go out promoting crime but they are perfect movies in that we can live vicariously through them.  You want escapism?  You want fantasy when you're tired of reality?  You want far-fetched plots with crazy characters?  Ocean's Eleven and Logan Lucky are movies that aren't there to preach or make you feel guilty or depressed; they're simply there to entertain.  And, really, that's all a movie has to do.

Now Playing: Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 (2017)

A superhero movie that dares utilize the term "turd blossom" is something really special and that's what Guardians of the Galaxy is.  Yes, it's Marvel but it was a loose cannon of a movie when it came out; no one really knew what to expect.  It was an MCU film about relatively unknown superheroes set in space starring the goofy guy from Parks and Recreation and written and directed by the brother of the man who played Kirk on Gilmore Girls.  Oh, and one of the main characters is a talking raccoon.  With all this weirdness came the surprise hit of 2014, Guardians of the Galaxy.  It had hilarious dialogue, exceptional characters, and amazing music.  Its sequel certainly had big shoes to fill.  I'm happy to say that at least for me Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 rose to the level of its predecessor, meeting, and even exceeding, my expectations as both a great addition to the Marvel world of superheroes and an exciting sci-fi adventure in its own right.

The Guardians are back and protecting the universe when they meet Ego, a Celestial and Peter's father.  Peter becomes fascinated with the powers his father has and wants to learn more, although his father has ulterior, more evil motives.  The Guardians must fight him alongside old companions and new before Ego can take over other planets with his power.

The first Guardians of the Galaxy was so good because the Guardians themselves were such interesting, diverse, and hilarious characters.  But what the sequel does is not only make you love those main characters more but fall in love with side characters that were just alright in the first movie.  Two characters who fit this description are Yondu, the Ravager who abducted Peter and raised him, and Nebula, the cybernetic sister of Gamora who is still bent on revenge.  These were two characters that I cared a lot more about and found more interesting in the sequel as opposed to the first film.  If you didn't get teary-eyed learning more about Yondu, especially towards the end, I can't connect with you.  Nebula is also given more backstory as we learn more about how Thanos treated her and her relationship with Gamora.  It actually turned into a sweet sister story towards the end of this film (not quite Little Women, but still).  We also get introduced to some new characters that really added to the movie and I can't wait to see more of them the future.  First, of course, there's Ego.  Casting Kurt Russell was such a smart choice; he really fits the character and makes sense as Peter Quill's dad.  He also turned out to be a fascinating villain.  His servant Mantis practically stole the show, however.  A humanoid alien with insect-like features, Mantis is an empath, someone who can feel other people's feelings.  She was raised by Ego on his planet and, with having little to no social skills, is mesmerized by the Guardians and wants to learn more from them about the universe.  Pom Klementieff played the role wonderfully; Mantis was funny and likable and a great addition to the Guardians.  We are also introduced to a race of people called Sovereigns, spray-painted gold and obsessed with perfection, who are just one of the many groups that are after the Guardians.  Their High Priestess Ayesha, was very funny and reminded me of a Disney villain. There are also cameos by Sylvester Stallone and David Hasselhoff that are just the cherry on top of this movie sundae.

Guardians of the Galaxy is famous for its off-brand-for-a-superhero-movie humor and I was excited to see how funny the sequel would be.  Dare I say, I laughed harder at Vol. 2.  I watched the first film right before seeing the second so I could really compare and I think the sequel was even funnier, which is quite a feat.  Drax and Rocket were especially hilarious this time around and there are a ton of one-liners that are already resonating with fans and taking over social media.  Vol. 2 was impressive because it had darker moments and themes compared to the first one but it was also really funny.  James Gunn achieved a great balancing act with the script in terms of storytelling and character development.  One element of the film I was a bit worried about before I went and saw it was Baby Groot.  I loved Groot in the first film and when I saw Baby Groot in the trailers I was a tad concerned that this could be a Disney sort of annoying small sidekick kind of situation.  I'm happy to say that wasn't the case at all.  Baby Groot had just the right amount of screen time and he was funny and cute without being overbearing or obnoxious.  Again, Gunn shows that he really knows and cares about these characters and can position them perfectly within the film.

Guardians is also known for its excellent soundtracks.  For the sequel we get to experience the Awesome Mix Volume Two which has some great tunes on it, including songs by Fleetwood Mac, Sweet, Cat Stevens, and George Harrison, just to name a few.  One of my favorite moments was the opening credits scene where we see the first battle of the movie with the Guardians versus a horrific tentacled alien creature.  Except we don't really see the battle.  The battle plays out in the background to Baby Groot dancing to one of my favorite songs "Mr. Blue Sky" by Electric Light Orchestra.  It's such a cleverly shot sequence that almost compares to the airport battle in Civil War as far as being a superhero fight done in a way we haven't really seen before - we barely see the fight!  It's such a great part.  During the ending credits we also get to hear an amazing song called "Guardians Inferno," which features David Hasselhoff.

It's really difficult to say, at least for me, if this one is better than the first.  The first Guardians of the Galaxy was so weird and so different for the genre that I think it just blew everybody's minds and we're still having trouble getting over it.  But looking at both films through a wider lens I think that the sequel may be better than the first, just by a hair.  In fact, I would even compare it to The Empire Strikes Back in terms of  the quality of writing and character development in a sequel.  Especially now that a Vol. 3 has been announced it may very well be the Empire of this trilogy! Stylistically it's also more fun and retro, especially the end credits with the characters dancing and posing for yearbook-esque photos (by the way there are, like, five end credit scenes which might be a Marvel record and I doubt I'm the only one now super excited for Teen Groot).  Guardians of the Galaxy Vol. 2 is going to be one of the better summer blockbusters coming out this year and it really does match its predecessor in terms of writing, humor, and music.  And now I'm even more pumped for Infinity War because we desperately need to see these weirdos with the Avengers.  It's going to be something else.

Movies for Springtime!

It's been way too long; it's almost embarrassing.  But here I am again and I am hoping to get back in the swing of things!

Now I have written about Halloween movies, summer movies, Christmas movies, and everything in between.  But I have neglected one season, one time of year.  Spring movies, you may ask, isn't that a bit of a stretch?  Yes, it is.  I'm making it up but you know what?  As much as I'm a cold weather gal, I love springtime.  Rain, flowers, pastels, Easter, all the beautiful changes in nature.  And there are some films out there that really capture the calm and pretty feeling of spring.

So here's what constitutes a springtime movie for me.  A movie set during the spring, of course, but also films that deal with nature, particularly gardens or flowers.  And colors are important!  If the "palette" of the film so to speak includes those baby blues, light yellows, and dusty pinks we all associate with spring then it's perfect for the season.  So here are just a few movies, in no particular order, that you can watch for springtime if you're really in the mood to soak up the drizzly days and golden afternoons!

The Secret Garden (1993) 

Okay, I lied about the whole no order thing.  I'm saving the best one for first.  The most perfect movie to watch during springtime is without a doubt The Secret Garden.  This is one of my personal favorite movies and books.  It's no surprise that a movie about a garden should be on this list.  And this is one heck of a garden!  The garden is found by Mary Lennox when she moves from India to England to live with her mysterious uncle after her parents die.  It's a garden that's been locked away and forgotten until Mary and her friends decide to bring it back to life.  It's more than a movie about planting flowers and pulling weeds; it's about appreciating life and finding beauty in even the most dire of situations.  A great quote from the film explains it really well and it is one I try to live by: "If you look the right way, you can see that the whole world is a garden."  The Secret Garden has great acting and beautiful music and costume design.  What makes this movie great for springtime is that it makes you want to live outside.  I don't think anybody can watch this movie and not want to start their own garden.  The Secret Garden has flowers, trees, rain, and every cute wild animal you can think of from deer to red foxes.  If you haven't seen The Secret Garden yet do it as soon as possible!  There's no better time to watch it than during spring (or any time really!)  It's just that good.

Spirited Away (2001)

Now this might seem like a weird one but hear me out.  First of all a Miyazaki movie has to be on this list because nature is often a theme in his movies, sometimes being  a main part of the plot.  So why didn't I pick My Neighbor Totoro, Princess Monoke, or Castle in the Sky?  Spirited Away arguably has the least to do with nature than Miyazaki's other movies and it's not necessarily set during spring.  This movie is on this list almost strictly for how it looks and how that makes you feel.  It's all about colors, man.  So for the few who don't know Spirited Away is about a young girl named Chihiro who suddenly finds herself in a spirit world where there are witches, talking frogs, and dragons and she must save her parents from Yubaba, the owner of a bathhouse for spirits.  The animation and color choice express the magic in the movie visually.  A few scenes really stick out to me because of how simple and yet beautiful they are.  The part shown above where Chihoro and Haku run through the flowers is so short and yet such a memorable scene in the movie.  The train ride is also one of my favorites, where we see the train travel through light blue water against a faded pink sky.  It's hard to describe colors well through writing but the palette of this film, even though its content may not, exemplifies springtime.  That's why I chose my favorite Miyazaki film over the others to put on this list although, let's be honest, everyone should watch all Miyazaki movies throughout the year forever and for always.

Big Fish (2003)

This is another film that just feels like spring.  In Big Fish, Tim Burton's visual style really shines even though it isn't at all like his other movies.  The film goes forward and back through time as a son tries to figure out if all the tall tales his dying father told him over the years are true or not.  Whenever they go back in time to the young Edward Bloom there's a haziness in the cinematography that reminds you of a film from the seventies.  This coupled with the stark scenes of Spectre, the greenest and cutest small town ever, the giant field of daffodils Edward used to woo his future wife and the dusky lights of the circus at night just gives the whole movie a very spring feel.   Big Fish makes you daydream about being a kid in the country, enjoying the happy, carefree days on the cusp of summer.

Alice in Wonderland (1951)

Disney's first (and best) version of Alice in Wonderland has some of the most wonderful springtime imagery in any movie.  In the beginning of the movie Alice is making flower crowns for her kitten and laying in a field of daisies under a big blue sky.  Later she sings the song "All in the Golden Afternoon" with a group of flowers that includes roses, irises, tulips, blue bonnets, chrysanthemums, and sunflowers, just to name a few.  (And yes they mention the month of June in the song but that's just a minor detail).  I don't know why but spring means magic to me and Alice's journey through pink houses and brightly colored woods, having delicious-looking cookies and wacky tea parties all come together to make a movie that's perfect for springtime.  

Bambi (1942)

Bambi explores all the seasons as we watch the little deer grow up but spring is most important in the movie.  It is during spring that Bambi is born and revered by the other animals as the next Great Prince of the Forest.  The adorable young deer learns through his mother and friends Thumper and Flower about the world around him, how it can be very beautiful but also terribly cruel.  Bambi's character development is represented visually through the changing seasons.  During his first spring he is curious and innocent and then during the winter he has to mature very suddenly when his mother is killed by a hunter in one of the most traumatic scenes in any kid's movie (in fact "Man" is the number 20 villain of AFI's list of Heroes and Villains).  The next spring we find Bambi grown up, brave and strong and starting a family of his own.  Bambi teaches the circle of life for animals out in the wild long before The Lion King did and the changing of the seasons plays a huge part in this.  Plus this movie features one of the cutest spring songs in Disney, "Little April Showers."

Charlotte's Web (1973)

Yeah, we're still talking about animated movies.  I will talk about animation forever.  The 1973 Hanna-Barbera adaptation received positive reviews from many critics (except E.B. White himself) but I think it's an underrated animated musical today.  Charlotte's Web is about Wilbur, a piglet who befriends a clever and friendly spider named Charlotte.  Charlotte helps Wilbur impress his farmer and eventually the entire town so that he isn't turned into supper.  Like Bambi, Charlotte's Web showcases springtime for animals, except this time it's on a farm.  Spring plays an important role in the very beginning of the film and the very end.  Wilbur is born in the spring and because he's "a spring pig" he must be given away when he reaches a certain age.  It's sad to leave his home farm but of course he meets Charlotte and other animal friends on the Zuckerman farm.  At the end of the movie we see a grown Wilbur take care of three of Charlotte's 514 children during another eventful spring.  Bright animation and happy music also add to this springtime movie, including a beautiful song about the changing seasons called "Mother Earth and Father Time" sung by Debbie Reynolds, the voice of Charlotte.

Fairy Tale: A True Story (1997)

Like I said before, spring means magic to me and Fairy Tale: A True Story does a wonderful job of bringing magic into the real world.  This movie tells the true (?) story of the Cottingley fairies.  The Cottingley fairies were discovered by two young cousins in Cottingley, England.  They took photographs with the fairies in 1917.  The photographs gained the attention of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, creator of Sherlock Holmes, who wrote an article about fairies a few years later.  They also sparked the imagination of the public: were the photographs real or fake?  Fairy Tale focuses on the two cousins, Elsie and Frances, who both believe in fairies and determine to keep believing, no matter what anyone says.  Spring is a celebration of nature and it is present in the setting of the beautiful English woods where the girls encounter the fairies.  The incredible fairy house the girls build is also one of my favorite aspects of the movie.  Fairy Tale is a really underrated movie in my opinion but it's charming, similar to films like The Indian in the Cupboard and Hook, and its enchanted elements and nature scenes make it a perfect movie for springtime.

James and the Giant Peach (1996)

James and the Giant Peach is another movie that feels like spring to me simply based on the colors.  Henry Selick masterfully directs this half live-action, half stop-motion animated movie based on one of my favorite books by Roald Dahl.  James is an orphan who lives with two abusive aunts when a giant, magical peach grows in their yard.  After taking a bite of the peach, James turns into an animated character and befriends insects living in the peach.  When the peach detaches from the tree the new friends are off on a grand adventure.  Firstly, peach flavored and/or scented things are very springy; don't tell me I'm wrong.  Secondly, the stop-motion sequences, whether the peach is sailing through the ocean or flying through the sky, are portrayed with very bright or pastel colors.  From the clearly pastel goth aunts and the sequence where the peach floats in front of a very peachy-colored sunset, James and the Giant Peach is a superbly animated movie with a palette that screams spring.

Legend (1985)

Legend is an eighties treasure that is often forgotten or overlooked.  But I refuse to forget it.  Directed by Ridley Scott, starring a young Tom Cruise and Mia Sara as well as Tim Curry dressed as a demon creature, and with music by Tangerine Dream, this movie itself is a legend.  Legend has all the elements of a fantasy story: a princess, a hero, magical creatures, a battle between good and evil.  It also has all the elements of a springtime movie: beautiful scenes of nature, a plot that focuses on the dichotomy of lightness and dark (when the world falls into evil everything turns to winter; at the end of the movie the world has turned to spring), and glitter.  So much glitter.  On everything.  This movie is in competition with another L-named eighties fantasy movie, Labyrinth, for most glitter in a film.  But, hey, princesses need that highlight for that dewy, all-natural glow.  The look of this movie as well as the music could be enough to make Legend a great watch for the season but spring also plays a pivotal role in this film, as the heroes work to change their world of a seemingly endless winter into a green and sunny spring.  

Thumbelina (1994)

Thumbelina is one of the many Don Bluth classics I grew up watching.  And with songs by Barry Manilow, you know it's a gem.  Thumbelina is a girl no bigger than your thumb, who lives with a kindly adoptive human mother and farm animals, but still feels like she doesn't fit in.  She befriends a hunky fairy lad named Cornelius (who has one of the dumbest haircuts for an animated prince in film history) and starts to fall in love.  But soon after she is kidnapped and spends the winter trying to find her way home through a series of misadventures.  Like Legend, springtime signals the happily ever after of Thumbelina.  As the world defrosts and flowers begin to bloom, Thumbelina is rescued and realizes she does belong with Cornelius and the rest of the fairies.  And did I mention that Thumbelina was born in a flower?  That's the most magical springtime thing ever. 

The Wizard of Oz (1939)

The last movie on this list is one that I'm sure everyone has seen.  The Wizard of Oz is based on the novel The Wonderful Wizard of Oz by L. Frank Baum.  It's got performances, writing, music, and visuals that are embedded into American pop culture.  It's one of the most popular and beloved movies of all time and it also fits all of my "categories" for a perfect springtime movie: bright color palette full of pinks and yellows, magic, and lots of nature imagery including enchanted woods and dangerous but lovely flowers.  The poppy scene alone is such a beautiful and springy part.  And Glenda the Good Witch is so happy and bright and pink she could be Mother Nature herself, helping the flowers bloom and waking up the animals for spring.  For a movie that just simply feels like springtime, The Wizard of Oz is a classic that fits the bill. 

TV Favorites: A Series of Unfortunate Events (Season One)

On January 13th, a televised adaptation of A Series of Unfortunate Events was released through Netflix. It was highly anticipated, a word which here means "fans of the beloved book series by Lemony Snicket have been waiting for a long time to see all 13 books brought to life onscreen."  Now I actually really liked the movie. I can forgive major differences because the filmmakers weren't trying to make a franchise; they just wanted to adapt the first three books. The music and the casting were great and the look of the film was nice as well. But I am also a fan of the books. I read them all growing up, except for the last two. (Don't judge me. It took me four years to read Deathly Hallows. I have a hard time saying goodbye.) I think everyone who loved the books were very much excited at the prospect of a television show of A Series of Unfortunate Events, a format that could go more thoroughly into the stories and include more details. This series, already a favorite of both critics and audiences, is doing just that.

For those of you who have been living under a rock, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a book series written by Lemony Snicket, the pen name for author and musician Daniel Handler. The story focuses on the Baudelaire children - Violet, Klaus, and baby Sunny - who become orphans after their parents die in a mysterious fire that also destroyed their home. In the first book, they go to live with Count Olaf, a nefarious man who is destined to steal their fortune. Each book focuses on a new guardian that cares for the Baudelaires, a new scheme hatched by Olaf to steal the fortune, and new clues as to who really started that fire.

Season One of A Series of Unfortunate Events adapts the first four books in the series. There are eight episodes, giving each book two episodes each. According to Wikipedia, Season Two will include books five through nine and the third and final season will cover books ten through thirteen. The first two episodes on The Bad Beginning introduce the Baudelaire children and Count Olaf as the children go to live with their new odious guardian after their parents die. The next two episodes cover The Reptile Room. After the Baudelaires escape the clutches of Count Olaf, they go to live with Dr. Montgomery, a herpetologist. The Wide Window is the next book explored in episodes five and six. The Baudelaires must live with their Aunt Josephine at Lake Lachrymose. The last two episodes are based on the fourth book in the series, and one that we have yet to see on screen, The Miserable Mill. The guardians of the children now are owners of the Lucky Smells Lumbermill and they force the children to work there.

Like the film, the television series has an incredible cast. I love Jim Carrey as Count Olaf in the movie so I was skeptical at first about Neil Patrick Harris taking over the role for the series. But he was excellent. He was just the right amount of slimy, hilarious, and overdramatic. I also like that the children cast as the Baudelaires are much closer to the correct ages than the teens cast for the film. I am looking forward to see how they grow throughout the series. K. Todd Freeman made a hilarious Mr. Poe and all of the side characters and guardians that we love (or hate) throughout the books are cast wonderfully as well. The biggest surprise was Patrick Warburton being cast as Lemony Snicket. I thought it would be difficult to look past Puddy or Kronk, but he kills it. It's great to have a lot of narration throughout the series because the writing style is what we love from the books. We get that with Lemony Snicket actually being in the show to tell the story.

That's another thing that A Series of Unfortunate Events has done really well. It uses a lot of the same dialogue from the book. I'm reading the books right now so the lines from them were really fresh in my mind while I watched the series. It was fun being able to recognize certain lines from the books. The hilarious writing style and absurd humor is what made the books stand out and become so popular. The television show captured that style really well through the writing. 

Now, I actually prefer the score from the film to the show, but holy wow, the songs in the series were amazing! The theme song "Look Away" is very clever and captures the spirit of the show perfectly. The last song in the series, "That's Not the How the Story Goes" was so wonderful and hilarious. I can't wait for more songs from the next seasons.

A Series of Unfortunate Events had a beautiful visual style. I love the books for their ambiguous time and setting. Are they in America or Europe? Is it Victorian times or the turn-of-the-century or present day? The costumes and set designs represented the tone of the books well. It was dark and gothic or pastel and bright at all the right moments. It was a mix of old-fashioned and totally modern. Everything was set and filmed so beautifully. It's just really nice to look at. 

Overall, A Series of Unfortunate Events achieved its goal, in my opinion. In many ways, it was so clearly made for fans of the books. It includes secrets and hidden messages that loyal readers will recognize. There's also lots of foreshadowing, moments where those who read the books can yell, "Hey, I see what you did there!" But it's also a great series for people who haven't read the books. It was already an interesting story and the television series brought it to life in a beautiful and fun way. And there are plenty of differences from the books, but it doesn't worry me too much because I know Daniel Handler was more involved in the series than the film. (He even composed the music for the theme song). Whether you've read the books or not, A Series of Unfortunate Events is a clever and gorgeous black comedy. If Beatrice were alive today, even she would appreciate it.

Now Playing: Hidden Figures (2017)

I heard about Hidden Figures months ago and I knew I would want to see it. After starting 2017 reading a collection of classic science fiction stories, a book on space, and starting Cosmos by Carl Sagan, I was definitely in the mindset to see this film. I love learning about the Cold War, the space race, Civil Rights, women's rights, and astronomy. All these subjects came together in the most beautiful way in Hidden Figures. 

Hidden Figures tells the true story of three African-American women who were working for NASA during the space race. Taraji P. Henson plays Katherine Goble, a mathematician who finds herself working with the men who are calculating trajectories, launch windows, and back-up plans for space flights. Octavia Spencer is Dorothy Vaughan, a leader and computer genius who studies the new IBM systems at NASA. Mary Jackson, portrayed by Janelle Monae, is an engineer. All three women are mothers, wives, and best friends. This film shows their journey through the ranks of NASA as they deal with sexism and racism, all the while helping put men like Alan Shepard, Gus Grissom, and John Glenn into space. 

There are so many great things to talk about. First, the acting was phenomenal. Everyone did wonderfully, but the three leads really shone. Henson, Spencer, and Monae played three really different characters but they were each inspiring, funny, kind, and also relatable in their own ways. In supporting roles, Kevin Costner, Jim Parsons, and Kirsten Dunst also did really well.

This movie made me feel DUMB. I mean, I've never been great at math or science, but man! It made me want to learn though. I hope that kids can come away from this movie wanting to learn math or engineering or astronomy. That would be amazing! I also love that this movie is for the family. I think it's important for younger people to see Hidden Figures, not only to see how far we've come as a country but also to see what can be possible, even when everything is set against you.

The writing was also fantastic. I didn't realize, even through all the drama and scientific jargon, how funny this movie would be. There are so many great lines. The cinematography is also very beautiful. The outdoor scenes when we first see the friends together going to work to interior shots of the NASA buildings were all gorgeous and really got you into the time period.

Ultimately there were two huge reasons why I loved Hidden Figures so much. First, it was a historical film about a story that most people are not familiar with. I have a degree in History and I remember sitting in my Capstone class my last year of college and talking about the kinds of historical books we read. That semester we had to read a book on one of the first diaries we have written by a woman. Sarah Osborn was not famous or important in any way; she was just a regular person. And I remember many students in the class remarking that they would not have chosen to read the book themselves and didn't particularly enjoy it because she wasn't well-known and hadn't done anything real special. And I thought that was so dumb. We don't need more biographies on George Washington or Napoleon. We have plenty. If you really want to understand a certain time in history, you don't strictly learn about the leaders and "important" people of the time. You read about the regular people. And that's why I loved this movie. We've had plenty of movies about Kennedy, the leaders of NASA, and especially the astronauts. But we don't have too many films about the people behind the scenes at NASA, particularly black women. And they made such important contributions to the space program, it's high time we learned about them. I appreciate historical films that dare to tell a story that we haven't heard a million times before.

The second reason I really enjoyed this film was the overall positive message. A lot films that get recognized at the Oscars or in the film community, whether they are historical films or not, tend to be the more pessimistic ones. It was refreshing to see an inspiring film in the theaters. Again, I'm so glad that younger audiences can watch this movie. Anyone, young or old, can gain something from this film. In some ways, Hidden Figures  feels like a Right Stuff for our day. Through real change and hard work, amazing things can happen. Intelligence and talent can come from anyone. Do yourselves a favor: learn something new and feel inspired. Go watch Hidden Figures.

Resolutions for 2017

Last year I posted ten of my new year's resolutions. I think sharing goals with people is helpful for you and can maybe be inspiring to others so I'd like to do it again! Looking back at how I did on my resolutions last year, I kept up with some and did terribly with others. This year, I hope to do the best I can with all of them!

My goals for 2017 are:

1. Make grad school a reality. Research, plan, and apply.

2. Serve more and with a good attitude.

3. Dedicate more time to hobbies - writing, music, art - and less time to the Internet.

4. Spend more time outside.

5. Be nicer to people. This includes thoughts. Give more compliments rather than think about flaws.

6. Take pictures. Use a real camera.

7. Eat healthier and cook more.

8. Get better at driving.

9. Have a better work ethic.

10. Budget.

I hope by sharing my goals here I can hold myself more accountable! I really do wish everyone a happy new year. I hope that 2017 will be a great year for everyone and that you all can accomplish the things you want and have fun while doing it!