Class

Entertainment Journalism MOVIES

Alex Lampert gives his opinion on various topics throughout the movie industry.

December 4, 2015

ENTERTAINMENT JOURNALISM

Author's Statement The content in this magazine is for JOUR 3304 (Entertainment Journalism)

Table of Contents Movie Review Profile Personal Essay Desert Island Playlist The Scene The Pitch (Querying) Feature Story Letter of Transmition

Movie Review

I chose to go see Mission Impossible – Rogue Nation at the iPic theatre at the Domain. It’s definitely a smart move to see an action packed movie at iPic, otherwise you’re likely to fall asleep since there are reclining chairs with a blanket and pillow, in addition to the free popcorn and water. They also have a wine and cocktails lists along with pretty good food.

Back to the movie, I thought this Mission Impossible was the second best in the franchise, trailing only the original. Rogue Nation had a little Bourne­esque feel to it, as opposed to being strictly action with a below average plot.

Rebecca Ferguson, the lead chick, is super hot and not a terrible actress, which is good enough for this type of film. Now that I think of it, she’s probably the best looking girl in the Mission Impossible series, topping Emmanuelle Béart who was the lead in the original.

The action scenes did not disappoint. Of course there was a car chase that basically led to nothing just like in most action movies. Jeremy Renner and Ving Rhames didn’t necessarily have big parts in this film, and Alec Baldwin was just there basically. The guy who played the main bad guy was actually pretty just because he had a creepy voice and I’m not sure if he was trying to do that on purpose.

Overall, I give this film a 7.5 out of 10, but I’m bumping up to an 8 just because iPic is awesome and everyone should go see a movie there at least once.

Profile

Spencer Block was born in Dallas on June 25th in 1994, and attended Highland Park High School. Spencer started acting at the age of 13 in middle school plays and has been enhancing his acting skills ever since.

Block played a small role as the boy in “The Emperor New Clothes,” at The Dallas Children’s Theatre. He continued to perform at The Dallas Children’ Theater acting as Sir Lancelot in “King Arthur” as well as Mr. Tumnis in “The Lion the Witch in the Wardrobe.”

Q: What made you interested in acting? ⎪ I thought it would be fun to be in character and play the role of someone else all while getting paid for it.

Q: How many plays have you performed in? ⎪ I have held roles in 8 different plays.

Q: What has your favorite role been? ⎪ The Boy in the “Emperors New Clothes” Q: How did you prepare for each play? ⎪ Through memorization of lines and long hours spent rehearsing. Some nights leading up to the play, we would be rehearsing until midnight or later.

Q: What was the hardest role to master? ⎪ “Oklahoma” I didn’t know how to sing so I really had to focus hard in order to sing on pitch. I hope to expand on my singing abilities as I continue to pursue my acting career.

Q: How has your acting career helped you in your day­to­day life? ⎪ It has made me a more outgoing person and definitely more comfortable speaking in public and to groups of people. I was a shy kid growing up and without acting; I don’t know how my social life would have played out in high school and college.

Q: Do you plan on continuing your acting career after graduating? ⎪ I intend on traveling back to China to master Chinese so that I can one day audition for a Chinese television show. I previously spent a semester abroad in China and greatly enjoyed my experience there, but who knows.

Personal Essay

How ‘Catch Me if You Can’ Made Me Think I Can Get Away With Things ‘Catch Me if You Can’ is a film directed by Steven Spielberg that is based on a true story about a 19 year old named Frank Abagnale Jr., and how he successfully conned millions of dollars in the most unconventional ways.

Abagnale Jr., played by Leonardo DiCaprio, uses the identities as a Pan Am airline pilot, a doctor and a legal prosecutor all while committing check fraud. He was so good at it that once the FBI caught him after years of searching for him, they cut a deal with him that made him work in the fraud department for the FBI for the duration of his sentence. He helped the FBI catch some of the world’s best money forgers. In the end, Frank lives happily somewhere in the Midwest and remains close friends with the FBI agent who caught him, Carl Hanratty, played by Tom Hanks.

Abagnale Jr. was living the dream at just 19 years old; he had the money, the girls (Amy Adams and Jennifer Garner), and some more money. Excluding the part where his parents had a bad relationship with each other, and the fact that he didn’t really have any friends, the movie made people want to be like Abagnale Jr. Well, at least I wanted to be like him. The movie came out in 2002, so I was young when I first saw and didn’t really understand that much of it until I got older. After about the 15th time I saw the movie a couple years later, I finally understood the movie more and more. Yet, it was too late because the movie already made its impact on me after the first time I saw it.

Hanratty and my mom are similar in the way that Abagnale Jr. and I would always get caught at some point. Obviously, the stuff I did was microscopic compared to Abagnale Jr. In my case I’m just talking about skipping class and cheating on tests, which I don’t do anymore, but it was way more than the average kid. Hanratty was always a step behind Abagnale Jr. and knew that he was getting close to catching him. Abagnale Jr. only knew that Hanratty was on to him when he saw him from a distance; yet he still got away most of the time. I always know when my mom questions things that I do whether it’s photo shopping a grade or something like that, but she’s questioning me all the time ...

and I know I have to plan my next move when I know the day she catches me comes. A quick side note – I don’t do this type of stuff anymore – just beforesophomore year of high school.

In eighth grade a friend and I would skip the second half of school once or twice a week to go to Seven Eleven and get Slurpee’s because Slurpee’s are really, really good. Anyways one day two more friends came along, we got Slurpee’s, went to the park, and played basketball against random older people. On our way back, we saw our friend’s nanny and she saw us walking back into school when the last bell was about to ring. She then decided that she had to go to the principle’s office to tell on us. Two of the kids with us took the bus and got caught because the gym teacher went on the bus and went all psycho on them. I didn’t take the bus and wasn’t caught and the other kid was picked up by his parents earlier because he told them that we were ditching and they didn’t really care.

However, I felt kind of bad because it was somewhat my idea and I was pretty sure that the two kids who got caught were in pretty big trouble. So, I ended up writing a letter to the principle turning myself in later that night. We only got one day of in­school suspension and it wasn’t bad at all. We almost weren’t allowed to go on our school trip, but we ended up going, so all was good.

Abagnale Jr. and I are similar in the fact that we both turned ourselves in.

Abagnale Jr. was somewhat caught as the cops were all hidden outside of the building he was in. I turned myself in in fear of getting caught at some point, and because my plan got two other kids caught. Also, when I told my mom I was going to turn myself in for something I did, she really wasn’t that mad at me, which was a surprise.

Sources ‘Catch Me if You Can.’ IMDB. Retrieved October 8, 2015.

Desert Island Playlist

Top 5 Must­See Movies of 2015 So Far… It’s October, so the Oscar hungry movies are about to come out, and you’ll spend 30 minutes to an hour debating which one to go see with your friends. However there are some quality films that already hit the screens in 2015, so lets check out which movies made the list; well, my list.

5. Straight Outta Compton­ This is one of the best biopic rap/hip hop movies this past decade along with 8 mile, Get Rich or Die Trying and Notorious. The first scene sets the tone for the rest of the film where Eazy­E is making a drug deal and the cops end up crashing the crack house. The three actors who portray E, Dre, and Ice Cube were spot on, specifically Ice Cube, since, it is his son who plays him.

4. American Sniper­ Yes this movie did come out in 2015 even though it felt like it came out two years ago. Bradley Cooper did a great job as Chris Kyle who is credited with the most snipe kills in U.S. history. Iraqi’s put a pricy bounty on whoever killed Kyle because he was basically killing whomever, whenever he wanted. This movie did get some criticism because Kyle is somewhat portrayed as a guy who gets off at killing people and that it wasn’t necessarily a “fair” depiction of him.

3. Kingsman: The Secret Service­ I was surprisingly pleased when I saw this movie, as I didn’t have high expectations prior to watching it. I don’t think this is a better overall film than American Sniper, but I’m placing it higher anyways for no particular reason other than it was pretty awesome. Colin Firth is great, as is Mark Strong. The main kid/teenager in the movie wasn’t bad himself, but the action scenes were what made this movie. It’s very comparable to the fight scenes in Kick Ass, but with a little more serious tone.

2. Inside Out­ It was a Pixar film, so it’s obviously the favorite to win best animated film at the upcoming Oscar’s. A bunch of famous people did the voice­overs, but the storyline and writing made the movie; it’s the most creative animated film I can currently think of while writing this. Go see it. You don’t have to be a kid.

1. Mad Max: Fury Road­ ACTION IN EVERY SCENE. I AM NOT OVER­EXXAGERATIONG. Tom Hardy is the man. Charlize Theron is really hot, and a badass. This is by far my favorite movie of 2015 so far. You don’t get bored when watching this and the fight scenes are top notch. There needs to be a Mad Max 2.

The Scene

Movies about teenagers partying, doing drugs, and other stupid things are what sells in theatres, which is probably why you won’t see films about high school or college students being successful mathletes, scientists, or nerds. Movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Breakfast Club, Superbad, Project X, American Pie and Napoleon Dynamite all have a common theme; it is cool to do drugs, drink excessively, and get with girls or guys depending on who the main character is.

These movies accurately depict what teenage life is like for most people, but where are the films about the nerdy type teens who excel at math or science?

Recently, the movie The Theory of Everything came out and Eddie Redmayne won best actor at the Oscars for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. Before the film turned its attention to Hawking’s disease, he was just a normal college student who happened to be a genius. Yet, this movie was only made because this biopic about Stephen Hawking showed him defying all odds when he was given two years to live after being diagnosed with Lou Gherig’s disease (ALS). The only movie about a genius that does not feature a true story that I can recall of is Good Will Hunting starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams and Ben Affleck. This movie also won two Oscars in 1997, so why don’t filmmakers continue to make movies about students who happen to be geniuses. My guess is because teens now have a short attention span and look at their phones throughout movies; yet, they won’t be looking at their phones when they see teens partying and having sex on screen.

Recent movies that follow a similar storyline compared to Superbad and Project X are now failing to put quality film on screen because they know people are on their phones most of the time throughout movies, therefore the filmmakers think they can just put crap on the screens and be successful, but that’s not the case. The problem is there isn’t really an answer to fix the issue of teens having short attention spans because parents are starting to buy their kids iPads at a very young age, and they become addicted to the technology. So, as I previously mentioned, the only way filmmakers can get teens’ attention is to put something outrageous on screen.

When I said the only movies about college or high school students about geniuses were The Theory of Everything and Good will Hunting, I’m obviously wrong, but...

the fact that those are the only two I could think of (I do have a large capacity of movies in my head), and one being a true story, seems a bit off. There are so many movies about teens drinking and partying, it gives teens this preconceived notion that this is what it is like in high school and college (which it is in most cases, but not to the extent most films display it as). I certainly do enjoy Superbad type movies, but I wouldn’t mind a good film that is not based on true story about a kid genius thrown into movie theatres every once in a while. I don’t think that’s a reach of a request. Lastly, Slumdog Millionaire just popped into my head, but I don’t think there were scenes of the main kid being in school.

The Pitch (Querying)

Rolling Stone 1290 Avenue of the Americas New York, NY 10104 – 0298 Feature Query Comedies about teenagers partying and doing drugs usually do well in theatres, so I decided to write about why I think it is rarity for movies to be about teenage nerds.

The movie The Night Before starring Seth Rogen is about to hit theatres, and while it isn’t about teenagers partying (since they are adults), recent comedies about teens partying attempt to follow similar storylines in the movies that Seth Rogen displays on screen. This is why this topic will be a hit for your magazine and website if published in your next publication because it will be relevant.

The way I went about writing this piece is by giving examples of past comedies about teenagers, followed by examples of movies about teenagers that were nerds, but were critically acclaimed. I wrote a description of why I think production companies don’t make these types of movies any more. Additionally, this piece is in the ballpark of 500 words.

I think I’m the perfect person to write this piece because I am very knowledgeable about movies, and I can easily connect with the audience I am trying to reach. I have multiple published pieces online already, which I have attached in the email.

Please feel free to contact me and I look forward to hearing from you.

Thanks, Alex Lampert

Feature Story

Feature Story Movies about teenagers partying, doing drugs, and other stupid things are what sells in theatres, which is probably why you won’t see films about high school or college students being successful mathletes, scientists, or nerds. Movies like Fast Times at Ridgemont High, The Breakfast Club, Superbad, Project X, American Pie and Napoleon Dynamite all have a common theme; it is cool to do drugs, drink excessively, and get with girls or guys depending on who the main character is. These movies accurately depict what teenage life is like for most people, but where are the films about the nerdy type teens who excel at math or science?

Recently, the movie The Theory of Everything came out and Eddie Redmayne won best actor at the Oscars for his portrayal of Stephen Hawking. Before the film turned its attention to Hawking’s disease, he was just a normal college student who happened to be a genius. Yet, this movie was only made because this biopic about Stephen Hawking showed him defying all odds when he was given two years to live after being diagnosed with Lou Gherig’s disease (ALS). The only movie about a genius that does not feature a true story that I can recall of is Good Will Hunting starring Matt Damon, Robin Williams and Ben Affleck. This movie also won two Oscars in 1997, so why don’t filmmakers continue to make movies about students who happen to be geniuses. My guess is because teens now have a short attention span and look at their phones throughout movies; yet, they won’t be looking at their phones when they see teens partying and having sex on screen.

Recent movies that follow a similar storyline compared to Superbad and Project X are now failing to put quality film on screen because they know people are on their phones most of the time throughout movies, therefore the filmmakers think they can just put crap on the screens and be successful, but that’s not the case.

The problem is there isn’t really an answer to fix the issue of teens having short attention spans because parents are starting to buy their kids iPads at a very young age, and they become addicted to the technology. So, as I previously mentioned, the only way filmmakers can get teens’ attention is to put something outrageous on screen.

When I said the only movies about college or high school students about...

geniuses were The Theory of Everything and Good will Hunting, I’m obviously wrong, but the fact that those are the only two I could think of (I do have a large capacity of movies in my head), and one being a true story, seems a bit off. There are so many movies about teens drinking and partying, it gives teens this preconceived notion that this is what it is like in high school and college (which it is in most cases, but not to the extent most films display it as). I certainly do enjoy Superbad type movies, but I wouldn’t mind a good film that is not based on true story about a kid genius thrown into movie theatres every once in a while. I don’t think that’s a reach of a request. Lastly, Slumdog Millionaire just popped into my head, but I don’t think there were scenes of the main kid being in school.

Letter of Transmittal Alex Lampert December 4, 2015 Entertainment Journalism Beth Eakman Professor Eakmen, Enclosed is my portfolio for my entertainment journalism class. I designed it in a way where it reflects my topic I’ve been covering all semester which is movies.

If you have any questions, please email me at alampert@me.com.

Sincerely, Alex Lampert

Born: Chicago, IL Birth date: 11/22/1993 Senior at St. Edward's University COMM Major Media Arts and Broadcast Journalism specialization