ZEF BASED RE-RE-RE-RE-REEEEMIX REVIEW. AWWWW YEEEEEAAAAHHH.

Brett Gaylor's documentary RiP! : A Remix Manifesto tackles the big corporations and questions their seemingly unjust laws against remixing, copying, and sampling already owned media. He seems to have a very strong opinion and wants to get it across. I think Gaylor probably made this film as a direct attack against the corporations. Although I agree with the message Gaylor is trying to get across, it is only to a certain extent. I think he takes a very extremist side of the argument and has no concern for the opposing side.

The bias stance taken in the movie is rather obvious, little is shown from the corporation's point of view. However with almost any documentary there will always be a bias stance. When you are trying to promote one thing, you don't want the opposing side to have a say in the matter. Documentaries are suppose to document the real situation, but this is rarely the case in them. Taxi To The Dark Side spoke of none of the good that the American soldiers did in Iraq because the movie was trying to convey a point that they were treating the Iraqis unfairly. Similarly, A Remix Manifesto only tells us about what the big bad corporation is doing to the little man for downloading or remixing a few songs. Although I don't necessarily agree with this method, it's the best way to get the point you are trying to make across, so I can understand why Gaylor made his film that way.

I think that there should be a more definite line between what is considered copyrighting. I don't see anything wrong with taking the main ideas (be them physical like music or mental like an essay) and using them to strengthen something of your own imagination. I feel that most artists themselves have probably no problem with people remixing their ideas, but they no longer own their ideas because they have been sold to corporations who want more and more money from anyone they can get it off of. Remixing something can turn anything into something even more powerful, allowing it to reach even more people. However simply taking a picture, a song, or an essay and claiming it to be the sole property of your mind I still see as something that is maybe not illegal, but immoral. I think that so long as you are acknowledging that these ideas were taken from somewhere else and that you are not taking the privilege for granted, then there is nothing wrong with doing so.



Overall, I think that Brett Gaylor has given a powerful message in his film. He is very secure in his argument and his opinion and does very well expressing it. The parts about the Disney corporation very were compelling. But at the same time, I feel that his views were expressed in a too extreme way. He was basically saying "this is how I think it is, so you have to think this way to." If you can get past the very bias nature of the film (which I think everyone can) it is a very enjoying and thought provoking documentary.

CITIZEN KANE IS A RARE BASED SUCCESS ON THE ZEF SIDE OF JAPAN

Although I missed the first few scenes of the movie, I completely missed the silent films we watched in class. So this was my only option. The movie Citizen Kane was made in 1941, directed by and starred Orson Welles. I thought that the movie was excellent. It had just about everything you could want in a movie: love, money, lust, scandals, symbolism, and a hot headed main character.What made the movie for me was definitely Orson Welles portrayal of Charlie Foster Kane, I feel he did an excellent job. The relationship between himself and his second wife Susan Alexander was one of my favourite aspects of the movie. I could really feel the love that they once shared and how it slowly became corrupted. The way he forced her into a career of music that she was not capable of really showed Kane's true nature and how obsessed he had become with his appearance. My favourite scene would have to be after one of Susan's performances, Charlie claps extremely hard and slow with a very angry face. It made me laugh a lot.



I don't understand why so many people in our class disliked this movie. If it was simply because it was not in colour, I feel bad for them. So many great movies are shot in black and white (Control, Ed Wood, Psycho) and this movie shouldn't be passed up because of its limit in colour. Overall, I can see why this movie is considered one of the greatest of all time, it pioneered many new innovations in film and acting that most people do not notice in it. I understand why people may not like as much though, because feeble minds cannot understand the power of Charlie Foster Kane, and he will destroy them for it. I greatly enjoyed this film, especially Orson Welles' acting. I think that I will always remember the story of Citizen Kane.

RARE BASED MUSIC VIDEO ASSIGNMENT

andymori - Life is Party



Life is Party is a music video from Japanese rock band andymori. This music video presents a world seldom seen in music video;s today. It shows us a reality that I think is trying portray the one which we live in everyday. The video depicts teenagers hanging out, skateboarding, fighting, experimenting, and doing drugs, all the things most teenagers do. It is clear that the band presented the video this way to show a teenager's reality. Which is a carefree life full of ups, downs, and partying.


The video itself presents some things typically seen throughout most videos within the rock genre. As with all music videos, even when a story is being told there is always shots of the the artist(s) singing and playing their instruments. The song as well has a theme seen a lot in rock music about loving life and living for the party.


This video contains many values surrounding teenage life. It makes a statement that "life is party," that we should always be carefree. Going hand in hand with the first value, I think the video also tries to convey that teenagers don't care about anything, or more positively have no fear in life.

Teenagers would probably enjoy this video because it is something that shows them an almost true reality. Unlike many music videos which try to pass off unrealistic ideals and views on teenage life as what it really is, this video tries hard to show how a real teenager acts. I think it could get many watcher's attention because many of the scenes in the video show a scenario that many teenagers have experienced in real life. Teenagers typically only see things in the media that portray them as an extreme of something (nerd, jock, popular, pot head, rebel), but this video shows us a true look at teenagers.



Overall, I would say that I very much like this video. I think that the scenes that were depicted in it helped very well to conceptualize the band's take on life. It is a rare occurrence in media when we can sit down and watch something that has a true sense of reality to it.

RARE BASED MEDIA ASSIGNMENT.

I believe media plays a strong and important role in our lives. Much of the things we learn comes from a form of media. We see, eat, and breathe it everyday. From getting up and checking the weather channel, to watching a good ol' afternoon movie in your jammy jams, to sweating to the oldies right before bed, we participate in the media filled world. We are greatly influenced by what we see and hear in the media, even at a subconscious level. Media has, and always will be a large part of the human existence.

MY TOP THREE:

I am passionate about many forms of media, however one of my top three would have to be music. I enjoy music so much because unlike watching T.V, not everything is straightforward, things can be left up for you to decide like the end of a Stanley Kubrick film. Music conveys a wide array of emotions that if expressed well through the artist really can change your mood to follow their music. Their is music for every type of situation and I don't believe that there is ever a time place music should not be played.

The Internet is probably my most used form of media. I don't think I could go longer than a day without it. It connects me to everything and everyone. I have made friends all around the globe, I can watch T.V shows form other countries or ones that do not air anymore. It keeps me updated on any kind of information I want. In an age where almost media is all turning digital, I think the Internet is a must have.

<------ This is my friendกฤษวัฒน์ คัมภีพันธ์ (Krit). He lives in Thailand.




Another form of media that has been a part of my life since infancy is television. Without a television on, I always feel like I am in the twilight zone, it just seems strange to me because I have spent so much time watching and having it on. Shows like The Simpsons, Dragon Ball Z, and King of the Hill have been embedded into my mind for the rest of my life. Although many people say T.V is bad for you, I think much of what's on it teaches you important lessons in life and is a great family entertainer.
"Let us all bask in television's warm glowing warming glow." - Homer Simpson

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Although popular culture today is not something I person find interesting, I can understand why it is popular. Much of what I don't like about things like music and T.V today is simply because it isn't the stuff I grew up with. I tend to stay rooted in what I have learned from my childhood, and the music, movies and T.V from the now is different from what I remember as a child. Things like mainstream music today (Justin Bieber, Lady Gaga) and popular T.V shows (Jersey Shore, Glee) I j just can't seem to wrap my head around. I see it all over and everyone talking about it, but I just can't find the entertainment in it personally. So from a personal standpoint, I don't find much of the popular culture being released right now to be entertaining in the least. However, many other forms of new media I like, such as the advancements in technology in recent years. I like using social networking sites and Mp3 players. Media is ever growing and becoming more versatile, forever expanding into new forms.

DESERT ISLAND CHOICES:

T.V show - Detroit Metal City: One of the funniest and most outrageous shows I have ever watched. Although it's only 13 episodes long and only 15 minutes each, I could get endless enjoyment out of this show. The show follows a man named Souichi Negishi, a simple farm boy from Oita, Japan who moves to Tokyo to further his education and his music career. Soichi loves Swedish pop music, and hopes to one day play his lovely music for a living. However, Soichi has an alter ego named Johannes Krauser II, lead guitarist and singer of infamous death metal band Detroit Metal City. The show follows Soichi through his completely separate lives, and his desperate and unsuccessful attempts at love, fame, and happiness. The show never gets old to me, I could watch it again and never tire, it's comedy is as black as it's metal.

Video Game: Hong Kong 97': No, not the movie. The Super Famicom (Japanese SNES) only game of the same name. Hong Kong 97' is probably the wackiest game I have ever played, and one of the hardest. You are Chin (potrayed by Jackie Chan), Bruce Lee's cousin, and you must destroy all 1.2 billion people of China. However Chairman Mao has created the ultimate weapon, undead Tong Shau Ping warriors. The game takes a funny and offensive spin on the transfer of sovereignty in Hong Kong. The game has about unlimited playability and a hilarious repetitive soundtrack that never gets old. It is also probably the only SNES game ever to feature a picture of a real dead person!

Film: Tokyo!: Tokyo! is well, about Tokyo. It consists of three 40 minute stories, "Interior Design" "Merde" and "Shaking Tokyo." Each film is separately directed by a non-Japanese film director. The film takes a look at big city life in Tokyo, with thing getting a little weird and crazy in each one. There's women turning into furniture, sewer dwelling, a bomb throwing, flower eating white man, and a giant earthquake. What more could you really want from a film? Tokyo! captured me instantly, you can watch it and laugh, and you can take a deeper look at it and see all the symbolism and creativeness put into each film. Click here to check out Tokyo!'s trailer.