Intro IRB #3 - The Unkindest Cut

For the third marking period I will be reading The Unkindest Cut by Joe Queenan. As the cover describes it, Queenan;s work is about "how a hatchet-man critic made his own $7,000 movie and put it all on his credit card". The book was recommended to me by fellow APELC student, Max Benowitz, and I look forward to reading it.

TOW #17 - "Still Alice" (Written)

Typically, reviews of films will give context of a film while providing a clear position on the effectiveness and likability of the movie itself. The review of "Still Alice" written by Peter Debruge fails to establish a clear claim, hardly discussing anything but the plot. While he has implicitly suggested he enjoyed the film, because of his syntax and points chosen to discuss, the reader is left still curious to the question of whether or not to see the movie, which is usually the reason they turned to the article in the first place.

Debruge opens his article by explaining that Still Alice is not like other movies dealing with Alzheimer's, as it is organized through the victim's point of view and not that of family members/friends. While Debruge does explain how this allows the audience to connect better with someone suffering from the disease, he does so so casually that it is almost missed. His diction is weak and undirected, leading to the reader feeling only semi-satisfied.

That being said, Debruge does make it clear that the lead of the movie, Julianne Moore, is impeccable. Her performance is praised, but in a somewhat confusing manner. Debruge utilizes words like "underplaying" which carries a negative connotation, as a way to support his claim that she was powerful and accomplished. Once again, the reader is left with a sense of confusion, unsure whether or not what took place in the film was bad, good, or neither.

Debruge also takes a lot of time to discuss the lives of the directors, without ever mentioning that the names given were the directors at all! While their lives are indeed fascinating, clearly paralleling the essence of the movie, the amount of time and detail attending to their story is inappropriate for the context of the review. DEbruge really missed the mark when it came to providing evidence to support his claim, which is unsurprising as his claim hardly exists.

TOW #16 - The Fervent Years (IRB Post 2)

The Fervent Years is different. It appeals to those who care about the subject matter, but if you are not looking for the information, you don't want it. The book second half delves into the details of the work with group theater. How it operated, how the people worked, and eventually, its end. 

Clurman continues to be wordy in the latter parts of his book. Although at times it is appreciated. When writing, Clurman will never let you feel as though you've missed something. This very strategy parallels the ideas that follow his subject and it does not go unnoticed. As the book went on the seemingly unneeded word on a page turned into stories, and the novel-esque personality that Clurman's writing takes on is appreciated. 

Previously I discussed how the confusion may have been because of Clurman's mixture between the facts and personal anecdotes. However, the two-wonge approach proved to be important by the end. He was discussing more than just an element of theater history, he was revealing history itself in the 1930s. His end purpose, to explain the importance of group theater's rise and fall, was achieved because of his intertwining of his personal growths, as well as those in the field. 

Clurman uses an abundance of examples to support his ideas. While not totally necessary, as he has built in credibility, the use of evidentiary support really adds to his ideas. He constantly name drops, though maybe they are just his friends and colleagues, at times it clear the Clurman uses their credentials to support what he wants the reader to understand. Clurman also references plenty of journals that reviewed shows and plays themselves in order to effectively communicate his message. 

An important part of how Clurman explains his process is how he lays out the entire book. It is written in six parts, each capturing an element of what Clurman wishes the reader to leave with. One pivotal piece was the "Farewell to the Thirties". This portion acted as the "fall" of the plot, as many fictional readers would describe what follows the main ideas. Clurman is sure to cover the time period from start to finish as a way to make his book the one to go to if you are curious about the thirties. 

TOW #15 (Written) I am Not Charlie

Following the shooting in France against the journalists at Charlie Hebdo, the phrase "Je suis Charlie" has been circulating. In english this translates to, "I am Charlie". However, David Brooks, writer for the New York Times, delves into why people should be careful not to utilize the trending saying. Through his arrangement and word choice, Brooks creates an effective argument and voices his unpopular opinion.

Brooks begins with a succinct current state of the situation writing how the journalists, "are now rightly being celebrated as martyrs on behalf of freedom of expression". He is able to separate his opinion from something positive that is seen in the situation. He also recognizes his audience and doesn't go into detail about the current event, he just assumes his reader is aware. Brooks continues to explain that while the journalists were free to speak as they did, it never would've flown in America. Following such a grand claim, Brooks gives countless evidentiary support to the idea that just because someone is in favor of free speech, doesn't mean what they are saying is right. 

Brooks continues very casually writing, "So, this may be a teachable moment." He beings to propose his idea of what needs change, as he has already established that he is indeed in favor of free speech. His casual tone dies, however, when he writes, "When you are 13, it seems daring and provocative to “épater la bourgeoisie,” to stick a finger in the eye of authority, to ridicule other people’s religious beliefs." The indirect comparison between the writers at Charlie Hedbo and young teenagers is not a very kind one. He uses this newly proposed idea to explain that everything has a place and to not simply lionize something simply because it has been attacked. 

Brooks concludes his piece with a  very clear message, "The massacre at Charlie Hebdo should be an occasion to end speech codes. And it should remind us to be legally tolerant toward offensive voices, even as we are socially discriminating." Brooks has made it very clear that he is most definitely not Charlie. 

TOW #13 - Visual- Fish in the dark

On a recent trip into New York City, the train pulled up next to an advertisement that was strangely compelling and even provoked my friend to put a reminder in her phone to see the show. I took a picture of it as a reminder as well. The imagery was strangely captivating, the placement of the ad is clever, and the more detailed version of the show's poster is even more intriguing.

Why was this poster so eye catching? The contrasting coloring of blue and orange definitely added to the initial grabbing of the viewer's eye. The colors usually aren't seen together and make the poster something different than its surroundings. At first glance your eye is pulled to the seemingly glowing lit up bulb that contains a fish. Once again, the poster is striking in its originality. In font just as large and loopy as the title of the new comedy itself is the name Larry David. David wrote the show and plans to star in it, which brings a whole different audience to the theater world. Many would deem Larry David a household name, and to connect the lovable actor to a new show on broadway brings a whole different crowd to the production. Finally, the title itself is captivating. The image of a fish, more specifically the crazy looking fish positioned at the top of the poster sitting in the dark is quite hilarious. This not only makes the poster memorable but the title of the show sticks with you as a comedy.

What was also interesting about the advertisement was its placement. Where better to put the poster for a show that will be in New York City on Broadway, than on the very route to the city itself. Not only will it give city goers an activity idea, but those who are frequently going into the city are constantly reminded of the show's existence. Being at one of the middle stops along the ride, people from Trenton up to NYc may see this show's poster and fall suit to its provoking design.

Finally, when I looked up the show itself online, the poster was more detailed. Surrounding the fish was praise for Larry David that was easy to see on a small screen. The poster on the way to New York cleverly avoided including overwhelming text as it would be distracting and take away from the impact of the title and Larry David's name.

TOW #12- IRB Part 1- The Fervent Years

The Fervent Years is written somewhat dryly, it appeals to those who care about the subject matter. Written by Harold Clurman, the book reveals what it was like during one of the most influential times of American theater. Clurman has directed a plethora of plays including those by Arthur Miller and Eugene O'Neill.

For a gifted member of the theater society, Clurman is absurdly wordy. The man can really stretch out a subject. Despite some exaggerations and hypocritical tendencies, he works to stress what is important and delivers his message efficiently enough. The quality of confusion that ensues following a reading almost reflects what sorting out an approach to theater may have also possessed.

The difficulty in following Clurman's thoughts may also pertain to the reflective aspect of the piece. Yes, there is plenty of historical background information. But there is also the development of his friendship with the Lee Strasberg and Sanford Meisner. Clurman divulges into the process of his career. All of his personal growths, as well as those in the field, are clearly important pieces to his viewpoint of how theater should be.

That viewpoint is that theater should be valuable to people because it connects to them and opens their eyes to new or different things in life. Clurman consistently comes back to this idea. Without a solid purpose for revealing everything about his life, nothing he goes into such detail about would be so fascinating. Even his relationship with his love-interest, another big name, Stella Adler, plays into the development of Group Theater and its influence of a changed perspective.

An important part of how Clurman explains his process is his connection to the relationship between actor and director. In the first chapter, Clurman explains a lesson learned from Strasberg that how a play is portrayed is just as important as what is written in the play. Later, when developing their own shows, each director chose their own actors, in order to be sure they fit the show. So while some ideas may conflict with one another, there are consistencies in Clurman's actions.

TOW #11 - Jack in the Box (Visual)

Every Yom Kippur I realize how frequently food is advertised on television. Yes, because I am so hungry my senses are heightened to the beauty that is nourishment and every year I have have a craving. Unfortunately, it is never the bagel and lox that I end up with. This year it was tacos, and the actual taco I ended up with was not like the ones I saw on TV. 

It makes sense for advertisers to make food look better in their advertisements than what it is actually like. What makes even more sense, is for these faux portrayals to be revealed as such. In the advertisement "Jack in the Box" a simplistic approach to criticizing advertisers is achieved through use of juxtaposition and laconic sentences.

The visual is quite plain. The focus is the taco advertised versus the taco we all know and hate. The clear contrast between the two delivers the message intended without overwhelming the viewer. If the picture contained too much information the viewer could potentially lose sight of the intention. In addition to critiquing the advertisers, the image strives to inform the general consumer. While many people have encountered the scenario, (a lesser taco) they may not have realized the attempt the advertiser has made to manipulate. By juxtapositioning the tacos, the disappointment is made clear and relatable.

The public service announcement-esque image involves a short description above the limpy taco. Describing the actual food, the image writes, "Most attractive ends" and "largest pair of 4 tacos". These simple phrases lend to the emphasis of the horrid nature of the actual tacos. While assisting the creator in critiquing the tacos, they are not distracting and simply attempt to provoke to reader to be bothered by the scenario and relate to it.