Courtneypuppi's Weblog

the year of living dangerously

courtneypuppi — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 16:17:45 +0000

When Billy explains that giving $5 to the poor is like giving them millions grabbed my attention because although hamilton said it will not help anyone it can help that one person and put some light into their lives. I agree with Hamilton that giving the poor money is like putting money into fire but then I believe giving one person with money can make myself feel better. It was a good film and it had a lot of meaning behind what goes down in third world countries. The movie also made awareness to how most of the time white men go to these countries and abuse the prostitution and take advantage of the sex violence that is allowed there. Another god example of the “slave” feel you get from the movie is when the general gets mad that his gin and tonic has ice and the bartender just cant assume. I have seen this done in countries that have all inclusive resorts and men or women think that the people working there are their slaves, it is pathetic. Overall this movie hit a lot of points and had a pretty good plot, it definitely ended the semester with another world culture that many people may not be aware of.

Restrepo

courtneypuppi — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:26:59 +0000

When the soldiers explain that they fight in this war and then return home to realize there really isn’t much help for what they just went through is a very true and hard statement for American soldiers today. Although soldiers are sent home from war and given books and appointments with psychiatrists doesn’t necessarily mean that it is helping. I like that there is documentaries being made for this war to show out future generations of what it is like to be in war and how soldiers are and what they’re going through in such a sad and stressful time. One of the soldiers also made a point that America still did not know what to do with the veterans that come home from Vietnam and how dramatically the war had affected them and had gain no support, and hopes that this war is different. This documentary is very relevant to our culture and what our country is going through over seas and I find it very important that everyone should watch this film to get a taste of what it is like to be in a war right now and in the future.

La Bamba

courtneypuppi — Sat, 03 Dec 2011 06:19:20 +0000

La bamba had a lot of good historical music plot and it was interesting to see how a someone famous could die so young and and be famous so quick. I liked that the movie puts the characters in zoot suits because it was very much the trend back in the 40s and 50s. The zoot suits were also a very big deal in the riots that happened and it shoes how the latino population were the ones supporting and wearing these expensive suits. I also found it interesting that “American Pie” the song had a lot to do with “the day the music died” in the movie. Since it is a popular song it is good to know the historical context of it as well. Another twist to the film was how Ritchie was scared to fly because of the past incident were his friend died in a head on army plane crash, and how he ends up dying on the plane too.

Pow Wow Highway

courtneypuppi — Wed, 30 Nov 2011 18:52:39 +0000

The first time I heard about a pow wow was in a music class I took last year. This movie demonstrats how important pow wows are to native americans and from what I have learned about them seems to fit into the picture of this film. The film portrayed how important it is to native americans to know about their history and perceiver their culture. The humor of the film reminded me of simple humor that my family has. My favorite part was when he was buying his ride and it was this amazing beautiful horse in the indian world but a beat up car in todays. My favorite character, Philbert, is an introspective and lovable person in a process of seeking pride and identity through tradtional and mystical means of gathering power. Even when he seeks advice from the older woman on the reservation and is denied because he is not a warrior in her eyes he still believed in being a warrior and traced back to all of his heritages on the road-trip.

Strict Ballroom

courtneypuppi — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 03:04:11 +0000

Strange movie. I guess I’m spoiled with American films because they are some of the best ones in the world. This movie reminded me of a knock off of dirty dancing just a little bit. I have not watched many Australian films but this one is “cheesy.” But what I did like about it was that it shows the 80s and 90s dance theme and costumes. The make-up and costumes were very expressive and fun to look at. Dancing with the stars seems to have copied a few of these outfits! But the underlying theme of this movie is trying to burn away old customs and bring in fresh dance moves so that the individual can express themselves through dance. the film was strange but it shows another countries style or at least where there at with the entertainment world.

Annie Leibovitz

courtneypuppi — Tue, 08 Nov 2011 01:25:12 +0000

I had no idea who she was before this film but I knew almost every picture that was shot by her. I always seem to look pass names and things that may be good to take in when claiming you’ve seen that or know where it comes from. She has captures the best pictures of what America is and was and she is brilliant and lucky to have all those opportunities. The picture of Yoko and Lennon is something that I have recognized ever since I have known who the beatles were, and it was shot by her. And the history behind that picture is new to me as well. For john lennon to have been killed hours later after that photo is shocking because I feel like Yoko was the last part of his life that he wanted to be. That shot captured the lives of rock n’ roll. Rolling Stones are one of my favorite classic rock bands and I have watched documentaries and read a few things about them but never heard the name Leibovitz, which is a bummer because she was a huge influence on capturing the culture of the Rolling Stones and the ideas for other film producers came from her vision.

JR

courtneypuppi — Fri, 28 Oct 2011 19:37:06 +0000

His artwork does send a message to every person in the world. I think his take at it by making photography in a way look like a painting on everyone’s walls, homes, building is a really rad approach and very creative. JR’s opening at the NED was really good because it made me relate to him because he made it a joke and was always very comical about “art” no matter the case. My favorite piece is the women’s eyes of victims from cry looking out at the people in the town to make people realize their hurt and are always watching. This is one of my favorite photographers because he is happy for what he does and makes every piece enjoyable and in a sense comical.

American Me

courtneypuppi — Fri, 21 Oct 2011 22:09:02 +0000

After watching the film I didnt realize how much of the language and usage of “odele” were relevant today. I want to know if this film was the spark of it all and if it made these terms a joke or an offensive slang for spanish speakers. I noticed how the pants were pulled up high and it also made me wonder why they did that in jail? A lot of the characteristics grabbed my attention in the movie cause I look more into minor details. I did not have a relationship to the movie other than gangs and violence are always around and its a matter of noticing it. The presentation that night also made me aware of my future career in teaching and how I may become a safe person to someone in a gang, which made me feel like my job could be more important than I thought.

Infinite Balance Exhibition

courtneypuppi — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 20:12:59 +0000

I went to the MOPA exhibit on Sunday October 16, 2011. I paid the $4 admission along with an entertaining card that I bought at the end in the gift shop. They exhibit smelled like fresh paint because they repost quotes each time a new artist or theme come in. There was two main pictures in the front, which described the theme of the Exhibit, earth, water, and growth. The first two picture were the themes of water and displayed pictures of manufacturing oil companies in the ocean outside of Alabama. I walked to left and the next room had photographs taken by elementary school students. I took a liking in a picture done by a fifth grader that was split into three different pictures to make one picture of a cactus plant. I would totally buy that picture for my house. The rest of the photos seemed to have a lot do with a kids world for instance, photographs of playgrounds, basketball courts, and swimming. The next room was the start of the infinite balance exhibition where a lot of the photos were either blown up for a part of an image or sized to fit the capture of a landscape. The water section of the photos was when I was first confused about the three themes because it thought the images would show how the environment is directly affected by water. But instead it was about what is affecting our water and the same goes for the other two themes growth and earth. My favorite photographer was Sammy Baloji who represented the project from what older industrialization was to what it is now. The history of his country, Katanga, has influenced Sammy’s works. The latter are dedicated to the industrial culture of Congo, which is a country characterized by many mineral sources exploited by Belgian colonizers.Sammy Baloji’s images are not merely glances at that reality, but photomontages that merge ancient black and white photos of mines of Union Minière du Haut Katanga with contemporary colour images of actual mines and devastated landscapes. His pieces were not only cool looking but also makes a point. His captures seem to have appealed to my attention the most and would like to see more in the future

Art Event #2 (Cut Copy)

courtneypuppi — Mon, 17 Oct 2011 18:11:08 +0000

Cut Copy are an Australian electronic band formed in 2001 by Dan Whitford on vocals, keyboard and guitar. Other members are Tim Hoey on guitar and sampler, Ben Browning on bass guitar and Mitchell Scott on drums.n 2005, the trio toured internationally for the first time, visiting London, New York City and Los Angeles. They have toured with international acts Franz Ferdinand, The Presets, Junior Senior, Bloc Party, and Mylo. In December 2007, the group toured Australia with Daft Punk on the Nevereverland tour, the Sydney leg of which attracted a crowd of almost 50,000. The concert I went to was at 4th & B in downtown San Diego on October 14, 2011. They currently released a new album called Bright Like Neon Love, which has a top 3 hit called Zonoscope. The atmosphere of the venue was older but also large. It was a 21+ concert so the crowd was very chill and very fun. There was seating up at top and also general admission, which was standing near the stage. I was GA and I found it to be the best because I was closer to the band. The opening band is also one of my favorite, Washed Out, but they had different band members this time that kind of ruined their style of music. It used to be a 3 band members and now it accumulated to 7, and for their style of music it is way to many to play the key instruments needed. Cut Copy played directly after them and but on a great performance. The opening song was “Lights and Music,”my favorite song along with a spectacular light show and very pumped up band members. Their performance lasted for about one hour and the whole time it was very thrilling and the crowd had a ton of energy.