Top 5 Netflix films

Hello! As a college student, Netflix is a cheap and easy way to watch movies and tv shows without having to pay for channels. To help some people who might be new to Netflix or are just looking for something new to watch, here are my top five films on Netflix that I would recommend. Let's get started!

Number 1: Good Will Hunting directed by Gus Van Sant

Will Hunting (Matt Damon) is a gifted math prodigy working as a janitor at MIT. looking for clarity in his life, he seeks the help of a psychologist (Robin Williams) to get his life on track. This film is the most impactful on the list, in my opinion. It cuts you to the core with every viewing, which is only enhanced with Robin William's brilliant performance.

Number 2: American Beauty directed by Sam Mendes

A suburban father (Kevin Spacey) hits his lifetime crisis after becoming infatuated with his teenage daughter's best friend. American Beauty is visually stunning to behold, and shows the audience the depths of the human condition.

Number 3: Fargo directed by Joel and Ethan Coen

A husband's perfectly planned crime falls apart thanks to his dimwitted hit men and the work of a tough as nails and pregnant police officer. The events that take place in the small town of Fargo, North Dakota are shockingly dark and hilarious at the same time.

Number 4: The Graduate directed by Mike Nichols

The Graduate focuses on recent college graduate, Benjamin Braddock (Dustin Hoffman). In his confusion after graduating, he begins to have an affair with the wife of his father's business partner, Mrs. Robinson (Anne Bancroft). Everything changes when he later falls in love with Mrs. Robinson's daughter, Elaine (Katharine Ross). Hilarious and heartfelt, The Graduate revolutionized film and made a star out of a young Dustin Hoffman.

Number 5: Big Fish directed by Tim Burton

While this film didn't pull nearly as many of the awards or award nominations as some of the others on this list, it's story and stunning visuals cannot be overlooked. Big Fish follows a son trying to find some truth in the stories his dying father has told him throughout his life.

These are only five of my favorite films available on Netflix. There are plenty of films, movies, and tv shows that I could watch for hours. I'm sure there will be some more Netflix related posts in the future.

Color Breakdown!

In my last post, I talked about how much I love good uses of color in film. Well today I want to show you some great examples of color and how it can truly change the mood of the film. I have three examples of color to show you. So without further ado, let's begin!

Example 1: The Grand Budapest Hotel directed by Wes Anderson

Photo Credit: http://wesandersonpalettes.tumblr.com/

So before I start talking about this picture, I can't tell you enough how fantastic this film is. This is just one of the many gorgeous stills from this film, as well as Anderson's career. I highly recommend you watch The Grand Budapest Hotel, as well as all of Anderson's films. Now, back to the color. 

Without going into detail, what can we infer from this photo? The first thing that might come to mind are that the characters are in love. We can come to this conclusion from all of the pink boxes in the background, and with the knowledge that pink is a romantic color. Now lets look at the character to our left, Zero. Zero is the protagonist of our film and there are several conclusions we can gather from his outfit. First, we can gather that he's timid and young because blue symbolizes innocence and youth. We can also reach this conclusion seeing that his name is Zero.

For those who are interested, the above Tumblr link is fantastic for any Wes Anderson fans out there as well as color fanatics like myself.

Example 2: Schindler's List directed by Steven Spielberg

Photo Credit: dailymotion.co.uk

Now we move from the use of multiple colors to the use of just one. The picture above is from Steven Spielberg's three hour long World War Two epic, Schindler's List. The red coat is one of the only four instances of color in this entire black and white film. There are several meanings we can take from this photo. The use of color on the little girls coat can represent the last bit of life and innocence in a world crumbling in death and corruption. The little girl is seen wandering abandoned and lost while Nazi soldiers clear out a jewish neighborhood. The little girl can also represent the loss and confusion that all victims of the Nazi regime felt.

Example 3: Psycho directed by Alfred Hitchcock

Photo Credit: thehorificallyhorrifyinghorrorblog.com

We've covered all color, one pop of color, and now we move on to no color at all. All of Psycho is in black and white, which makes the iconic shower scene exactly what it is - iconic. We don't fully see the character in the shower scene being stabbed, all we see is the dark blood circling the drain. We're so used to seeing bright red blood, but the muted dark color can have a chilling effect.

Thank you for sticking around for the color breakdown. I'd like to leave you with this fact about Psycho, one of my favorite movies of all times. 

***Alfred Hitchcock used chocolate syrup for the blood in the famous shower scene because it was dark enough to show up on black and white film.***

What is a film? What makes a film great?

So, before we can talk about a film, we have to talk about what a film is. While we're on that note, what makes a film different from a movie? Well, I'm glad you asked!

Movie: a popular, entertaining film. Usually big, blockbuster action films or comedies. Think Independence Day or 21 Jump Street - popular movies that entertain the masses.

Film: An artistic movie using the elements of filmmaking, sometimes in a foreign language. Think Grand Budapest Hotel or Psycho- films that utilize cinematography, color, lighting, costuming and other techniques. These films are beautifully made, but not necessarily as popular.

So, now that we know what the difference is between a movie and a film, what makes a film so great? There are several elements that go into a great film. I shall list them below.

Color: This is a BIG one for me. I am a visual person and color is something that stands out to me. Have you ever been watching a film and a character was in distress? Thinking back on that specific scene, what color was the character in distress wearing? Also, what color was the room they were in? Color is a great way of setting the mood for a scene. Orange is usually a color that shows caution or danger, yellow shows happiness, red shows love, blue shows tranquility, etc.

Lighting: I'm going to give you a scenario; a character walks into a bar that has a reputation for being full of shady people. The filmmakers made a choice to have all of the lights on, bright as day. Now you have to wonder if anyone would be scared to go into this bar. Lighting can make or break a scene. It can change how the audience perceives a situation and can even throw a storyline off track if not used properly.

Cinematography: This is possibly one of the most crucial elements of a film. Every time I think of the power of good cinematography I think of the Fellowship of the Ring and the rest of the Lord of the Rings trilogy. Peter Jackson utilized cinematography to shape the characters of Middle Earth and bring the world to life. Sir Ian McKellen was made larger than life as Gandalf and Elijah Wood along with the other actors in his band of Hobbits were scaled down. There are many other elements to cinematography, we'll get to those later.

These are just three of the many factors that make a film great. I tried to at least scrape the surface to give an idea of the posts to come. So with these things in mind, go out and see if you can notice any of these elements in some of your favorite films!

Introduction

Hello! My name is Amelia Flores, and I am freshman at Washburn University. When asked to pick a topic for a blog, I was confused to say the least. I was having a hard time finding a topic that I was passionate about that could reach a wide audience. After a week of heavy contemplation, I made the decision to blog about film, a topic that takes up most of my life. I love film. I love talking about the elements that have made film such a big part of our society. So, if you are someone who believes that films aren't just black or white but gray, this blog is for you. If you are someone who sees more than the surface of a film, this blog is for you. If you love film, then this blog is for you. I look forward to posting in the future!