Earthlings

Speciesism: Being Biased In The Interest of Ones Own Species.

Earthling: Inhabitant Of The Planet Earth. The Term Earthling Does not include Sexism,Racism or Speciesism.

Earthlings is an Multi award winning Feature length documentary Directed by Shaun Monson and Narrated By Academy Award Nominee Joaquin Phoenix.

The Documentary starts of by explaining The Three Stages of Truth.

1)Ridicule

2)Violent Opposition

3)Acceptance

We As Human beings are not the only inhabitants of Planet earth. Every Human is considered as somebody and not something. The tendency of the powerful is to treat the less powerful as mere objects.

Human’s and animals although do not have all the same desires. But they do share common desires among each other.    The Desires for Food,water,shelter and companionship,freedom of movement and avoidance of pain is shared by all. Despite The Differences there is a unique sense of sameness among Humans and Non Humans.

The Documentary Is Divided into Five Parts

1)Pets

2)Food

3)Clothing

4)Entertainment

5)Science

Part 1

Pets

One of the most obvious ways in which animals serve Humans are as their companions.

This segment explains the sources from where people get their pets and the pathetic life of animals living there. Most of the pets obtained are from puppy mills. although an easy profession to get into , Most breeders are not qualified for the job. The pathetic conditions in which the animals are kept affects not only their physical health but also their mental health.

Neutering a pet somehow makes their owners feel emasculated. Resulting in overpopulation and 25 million animals becoming homeless every year (US alone). Inability to cope to the growing population of pet’s results in Animal shelters and even pet owners resorting to euthanasia killing over 60,000 animals a day.

Part 2

Food
It is a known fact that if slaughter houses had glass walls Every one would be Vegetarians.  Slaughter houses are houses of mass torture where animals  before reaching their final moments on an automated assembly line are treated in the most inhumane way as possible. Acts such as De horning of Cattle,De beaking of chicken and De feathering of Birds. Even in their final moments the animals are treated with no compassion what so ever.

Also commercial fishers are covered in this segment where the life of the ocean’s are literally drained out.  whaling despite being declared illegal by the international commission  is still being practiced in many countries due to the high demand for the exotic whale meat and oils.

Part 3

Clothing

Most of the Leather around the world comes from India and China. Poor Indian farmers are forced to sell their cattle due to unavailability of resources to take care of the cattle.   The cattle are sold on the false promise that they will be used on agricultural farms. Again emphasis has been laid on the torture that these animals undergo before meeting their gruesome end. The Harmful chemicals such as chromium which are used to stop decomposition is  extremely harmful and Toxic to People.

Part 4

Entertainment

This section Gives us an Idea about the Torture  that animals undergo in the entertainment industry. We Believe what we can see is the concept that most people believe in.   Be it the American rodeos ,The Spanish bull fighting or the ever so common animal shows/circuses .People do not know how animals are treated behind closed doors.  Zoos are valued to be educational to the common folk. But they are educational in teaching of disregard of other living things. No living creature desires to live behind caged doors, doing so is taking away its natural right.

Part 5

Science

Animals are tortured massively in the name of science ever day. Although it is a fact that despite any given product being tested on an animal ,it has to undergo testing on an actual human being before its release.  Animals are used for testing in various fields such as cosmetics ,Vehicle crash testing,Testing for cures and so on.

 

Earthling: One Who inhabits Planet Earth

 

“Talking about slaughter houses and animal cruelty will make me loose my appetite” is the general attitude towards the above subject. Ignorance is not always bliss. We as responsible people must know where we get our food and clothing from.

The Documentary is very well directed. The various scenes are put finely together ,Not to mention the numerous hidden footage which has been featured in the above.  Joaquin Phoenix does a commendable job as a Narrator. Personally i could see the pain and remorse passively passed on by the narrator in his voice.  Another notable mention has to be given to Moby , The music director for his brilliant background score.

We as Earthlings  must display compassion and responsibility while treating animals and should continue to do so in the future in an ethical manner.

9/10

Toy Story

Toy Story :Every Child’s Dream!

What would you do if you learned that the toys that you play with every day are full of life when you are not around?

Toy Story is the first feature film from the Pixar stable. 22 Academy awards,4 golden globe’s and Thee Grammy’s later we can now understand why Toy Story was such an important film for them. Toy Story was released in 1995 and Directed by John Allan Lasseter , At the time was the First CGI feature-length animation to hit the screens. So naturally there was a lot of expectations to be met when the movie was to be released. When It did release,It blew everyone’s mind with the quality and precision of the CG that was put into the movie.

Toy story is a story about Toys(duh!) who are alive and live with the sole purpose to please their master. The story begins off with Andy’s favorite Toy Woody( Tom hanks)  running his daily routine as the head of the Toys . He suddenly realizes that it’s Andy’s Birthday, .Immediately there is utter chaos among the toys. Because birthday’s means gifts and gifts mean new toys which means fear of replacement for the existing toys.   Then Comes in our new Hero ,Buzz Lightyear (Tim Allen) who instantly gains the attention of the Toys , Sparking a bit of jealousy into Woody.

This all adds up to an Adventure of Epic Toy like proportions! There is Enough action,comedy and Drama in the Movie to satisfy almost everyone. The Characters are well chosen and fit their respective role perfectly. The Voice overs by Tom Hanks and Tim allen perfectly suit their characters. Special appreciation must be given to Tom Hanks for making Woody seem as “Human as Possible”. Not to mention Tim allen’s effort to make the goofy space ranger loved by everyone for his courageous and selfless nature.

Despite The Comic Nature of the Film , Toys are portrayed with emotions and feelings which are portrayed throughout the film Which makes the Characters even more believable.

Every Child's Dream

Wish I could Go Back in Time and give my Toys the Love they Deserved.

9.1/10

American Beauty

Living The Superficial Dream, This is the Theme that the movie revolves around.

American Beauty , The Directorial debut of Sam Mendes Stars Kevin Spacey in the lead role as Lester Burnham who plays his part as an underpaid and under appreciated father of a family who is going through a midlife crisis.  The Movie Starts off with the Lead Lester Burnham played by Kevin spacey Masturbating in the bathroom expressing that this would be the Highlight of his day.

“Keeping up with appearances” is what Lester Burnham has been doing all life.  He is  Completely Neglected by his wife(Played by Annette Bening) and daughter. The Frustration that has been buliding up within him is primarily due to the neglect and lack of sexual attention between each other. All this frustration and Neglect forces Lester Burnham to Lust over his teenage daughters Friend. The Lack of sexual attention not only affects Lester Burnham ,It also has a large impact on His wife too. She lusts after success,power and fortune. All These events act as a major catalyst in the movie as it progresses.

Another Important character(s) in the movie are Lester’s new neighbors. The family of 3 whose  Father is a war veteran. His character has been portrayed as the epitome of discipline who doesn’t shy away from using brute force from disciplining his family. The tension between the family is such that it leads the son(played by wes bentley) to break loose.

The American Dream???

“The American Dream is “that dream of a land in which life should be better and richer and fuller for everyone, with opportunity for each according to ability or achievement

-James Truslow Adams(The Epic Of America)

This movie in ways condemns “The American Dream” for forcing people into living the “Superficial dream”.
Kevin Spacey for the first time being portrayed as a loser(who is brilliant by the way) is absolutely hilarious through the movie and certain scenes in the movie will make you laugh out loud! like the scene where he is caught masturbating in the Bed behind his wife’s back! or when he is living his teenage dream again where all he does is “flip burgers” and smoke pot all day! or the part where he threatens his boss by falsely accusing that he sexually harassed him!

One line To Describe the movie, “Living the superficial Dream”

8.8/10

The Bridge On The River Kwai

The Battle of Singapore was fought in the South East Asian Theater of World War II. South East Asian Theater was the name given to the war Campaigns fought in the pacific,Which included the countries Burma,India,Thailand and Singapore.The Empire Of Japan attacked the allied stronghold of Singapore which was a major British Military base. The Surrender of the British to the Empire of Japan led close to 130,000 allied soldiers becoming prisoners of war.

The Bridge On River Kwai is a based on the novel by Pierre Boulle which is part fictional. It is Based on the construction of the Burma Railway.  Directed By Sir David Lean Who also bought us classics like Lawrence of Arabia and A Passage To India.

The Movie Starts of with a Unit of British Soldiers led By Colonel Nicholson(played By Alec Guinness) who are Prisoners of war heading towards a Japanese prison camp.The commander of the camp is Colonel Saito ,he immediately sets off his ground rules and sets the agenda for the inmates of the camp. The Prisoners of the Camp are to Build a railway Bridge over the River Kwai. Colonel Nicholson intervenes and reminds Saito Regarding the Geneva Conventions which exempt officers from manual labor. Which infuriates the Japanese Colonel and Demands the British officer to be punished.  The Second lead of the movie,Major Shears who plays the role of a United States Navy Commander plays his part as an Inmate whose primary goal is escaping from the camp.

Building the Bridge on the River Kwai was a tough affair as it was technically challenging to build a bridge due to difficulties on the terrain. The Burmese Railway holds a Lot of significance because of the Connectivity it offers to other Strategic locations which is of Importance to the Empire of Japan. Hence Colonel Saito Is on A Strict Deadline to Finish The Bridge. Failing to do so in time will lead  The Colonel to Commit Seppuku(ritualistic suicide) because of the Dishonor he would bring to the Empire. At the Prisoner Camp the Men are united To join forces with the Japanese workers and work hand in hand to finish the bridge on time, In return for ethical treatment of the Inmates in the camp.

In My Opinion , This a Movie which greatly praises the British military for the Courage, Ingenuity and their Dedication. Hence a little Patriotism passively has been shown by the David Lean while Directing the movie.

The Bridge On River Kwai

Overall a very Moving Film which will lift up your spirits.

One word to Describe the Movie, Magnificent !

8.6/10

2001: A Space Odyssey

Stanley Kubrick stands high on my list of greatest directors to have ever graced the silver screen. The amazing thing about most Kubrick movies is that he allows his audience to interpret his work rather than revealing his visions bluntly on screen.This sort of effort on part of the director is extremely difficult to achieve ,No wonder he was referred to as a perfectionist.

2001: A Space Odyssey is a movie which will bombard you beautiful visuals and cinematography .Keep in mind that this film was released in 1968 at which period CG was practically non existent or not as developed as today’s technology.   So most of the special effects produced onscreen were brilliantly thought off and painstakingly executed.

Something for which Kubrick should be immensely applauded for is the Interpretation of the Future.(Although space Habitation by humans is a distant affair) The Concepts being used such as the zero gravity toilets,Video Conferencing which may seem very common in today’s world , was rather unknown or unique 60 years ago.

The Movie Starts off with a scene pictured somewhere in Africa at around 4 Million years BC. A Monolith has been laid by  extraterrestrials close to a colony of apes.

The Monolith in my opinion acts as a symbolic figure which is meant to stand the tests of time. The group of apes encounter a tool which is portrayed by the director as an Instrument of creation.

The Scene progresses showing the transition from a mere instrument in the crude hands of an primate evolving into space age technology.This shows the advancements that man has been through over the ages.

The Next part of the movie which i immensely enjoyed was the interaction between the HAL 9000 (which is a Unique computer with a Brain and a Central Nervous system , Capable of taking decision by itself.) and the astronauts.  He portrays machines which believe in the concept of life and with a primary goal of sustaining itself.

The Final part of the Movie is the Journey of man through Death And beyond still accompanied by the monolith which acts a witness to Man’s Transitions.

The Monolith Standing The Tests of Time

The Background score has been perfectly selected and calibrated into the respective scenes.

As mentioned before regarding Kubrick’s style of letting people self interpret his movies will make you think regarding the possibility of the concepts being portrayed here.

One word to describe the movie , Perfect!

10/10

Harakiri

Seppuku /Harakiri is a Japanese ritual suicide by disembowelment. It is the “Honorable” way to die.

Being my first actual entry into this blog. I was in a dilemma regarding which movie would be my first review.
Myself being an outsider to the Japanese culture who is ignorant to most of their practices. Prior to watching the film. I was rather intrigued with the concept of Harakiri and what significance it holds in the Japanese culture.

When anyone mentions Japanese movies to the outside world(sans Japan). People Think Kurosawa .
Harakiri is directed by Masaki Kobayashi another prodigy from the Japanese Film scene.

In The Late 17th Century The message of peace was spread across Japan leading to the Breaking of The Numerous warrior Clans in Japan.

The Samurai  were members of the Japanese military class who were warriors.When peace broke out in Japan . The Samurai were not needed anymore as there were no more battles for them to fight.
The Samurai lives with the principle “Honor Before everything” .
so any other profession apart from fighting was degrading to the Samurai class. They rather would Die honorably than live as a peasant.

The Movie Starts off with The Protagonist Hanshiro Tsugomo played By Tatsuya Nakadai making an appearance to a Clan House Requesting to perform seppuku within the Premises.
The Lord of the clan Being Notorious for keeping his word warns Hanshrio regarding the consequences of not coming seppuku once committed to do so By Narrating an incident which occurred before.
The Movie is packed with Tense closeups and Brilliant action scenes which keep you wanting for more.

Tatsuya Nakadai who has been cast in Numerous Kuroswava movies does a commendable job in Playing the role.

Hanshiro Tsugumo playing his part as a Father a Grandfather and an Honorable Samurai.

One of my favorite part of the Film was the scene involving Hanshiro’s scion being forced into dismembering himself by the clansmen. Although this seems a bit gory , It speaks a lot about the Directors vision and his understanding of the Samurai Culture.

Not to mention the fantastic climax which will put you through the nail biting experience of your life.

One word to describe the Movie after watching it, “Underrated”.

9/10

70mm The Premiere!

What is 70mm ?
Everything Feature Films.
Watching Feature Films Has been a Passion Which i thoroughly Enjoy and will continue to do so.

What To Expect From 70mm ?
This being My first attempt at actually creating a blog. The Various Entries into the Blog will be rather informal.