So I know this class is over and all...

but I just wanted to have a last word on all the films overall. I'm going to miss this class so much. Every morning started off great, funny, exciting, captivating. I have to say my absolute favorite is Runaway Train. It really stuck with me and I love Manny. It's definitely one of my favorite quotable movies too. After this, every other film kind of just all fall into the second and third spot. I think Dark City and Memento takes second for me. Memento was truly a creative film and Dark City was just wonderfully new. It was original and captivating even if I was forced to stare intensely at the back of the room during certain scenes. This was the one movie that I decided I couldn't wait to see the ending and about two days before the film ended in class, I actually finished it at home.. haha. But even while rewatching in class I was still glued to the screen.
Seventh Seal really caught me for its comedy and cinematography. Although I wasn't quite satisfied with its ending, the film as a whole was entertaining and gave me a lot to think about in life, and in my opinion, those are the best kinds of movies. All Quiet on the Western Front was a depressing movie, I have to say. But it was perfect in showing the negatives of war. I know a lot of my classmates weren't really in favor of this movie, but I actually quite like it. I really think I'm going to spend some time rewatching all of these...
Citizen Kane and the Asphalt Jungle = amazing. Citizen Kane's message was a great reminder that you truly cannot buy happiness. I think Dr. Strangelove and the Atomic Cafe were just brilliant films. They are both quality films in their own ways. The manipulation of Atomic Cafe is genius and the underlying message of how we have no control in Dr. Strangelove never gets old. The one and only film I didn't enjoy quite as much was A Simple Plan, but I can appreciate it as a film, even if I did not like it overall.
All in all, this was an amazing class, and the fact that Mr. Bennett was teaching just made it all the more fun. I remember walking into second period still laughing about a joke that you cracked or something that you said that was really funny and made my day. But, as with everything else in life, this class has come to an end.

- Jen (:

The Atomic Cafe

I've never really been one for documentaries and non-fiction stories but this was manipulated in such a creative way, I almost forgot it was even a documentary. The end of the film really leaves a lasting impact on the viewer. I found it quite funny when the film flipped between the shots of what actually happens when a nuclear bomb goes off compared to the propaganda the government feeds to the public. The house that was shown by the government to the house that was blown apart really made the film's message clear. The shots of the people diving under desks and doing the "turtle" were fascinating to watch. They practiced it so much and did it so well... if only they wouldn't all die if the bomb actually went off...

Dr. Strangelove

Dr. Strangelove was an interesting and funny movie. The character of Dr. Strangelove was odd... the way the director chose to represent how the characters have no control over their bodies or what their doing was rather innovative. The arm trying to strangle the doctor was really a great scene.
The parallels to Runaway Train are everywhere, yet this is not quite on the same level as Runaway Train for me. The Cold War was one of the more fascinating wars because it was not a war in the typical sense. The building of nuclear weapons for mutual destruction was stupidly human. The entire world could have gone up in flames over a single mistake. The phone booth scene was absolutely ridiculous. The whole world is about to be blown up and they are short a quarter.
Dr. Strangelove provided a great prompt for deep thought. It's certainly a movie to watch over a couple of times to really get everything.