PRACTICE 4

Opinion essay
     There are some people who do not care about the environment when they go trekking, sightseeing, are enjoying unspoiled places... I went to Cabo de Gata last weekend and, unfortunately, I could see such kind of environmentally disrecpectul people. Although we should be free to go anywhere, all of us must take care of our commom natural heritage, because there is a notable difference betwen spending your day on a touristic beach and enjoying an untouched one.

To begin with, touristic beaches offer a variaty of services and commodities like "chiringuitos", toilets, showers, first aid points, etc., but such amount of services and people generates huge piles of garbage; whereas a protected beach allows you to experience its unspoiled beauty (unless you find this kind of irresponsible people there), without the need to look for a place to fit your towel in. As for eating there, you can take your own food, and for sure it is healthier -and cheaper- than the food you can buy in a chiringuito

It is true that overcrowded beaches produce more benefits, but only for a few (builders, tourism, companies...even politicians-if they grant licenses to build in natural protected areas-). However, preserving this endangered spots will be beneficial, not only for us, but for the future generations too. Furthermore, economic profits of over-explotation last only for a short period of time.

Therefore, overcrowded beaches are damaging the environment, because of the building industry, rubbish, lack of environmental awareness...For this, we must be responsible and take care of the environment by using the common sense (if there is left any at all), before untouched beaches stop being wild too.

PRACTICE 3

Our current education system is based on a method developed over the 18 th century. That system seems to have reached its end, because it seems to reward those who reproduce better a memorised content. For instance, what is the point in remembering the Gothic Kings list?

One possible solution is that grades should be replaced by feedback and a real continuos assesment instead of just acquiring a qualification at the end of the course, since grades come from an archaic model. Although it is true that grades are used by teachers to categorize students´ knowledge Therefore, this solution could be criticised because it is necessary to know how good or bad stuents´ learning is. Another possible solution could be to encourage students to think by themselves, as each student learns in a different way, that is teachers must support students in discovering what they enjoy and are good  at, and what want to be to earn a living.

Probably, both solutions could be possible, but teachers must encourage and support young people in responding to their different needs; ans instead of learning a list, how about carrying out a research project into the Goth daily life? we need to move towards a new approach which motivates passion, iniciative and creativity and it is not behind de times.

PRACTICE 2

OUTLINE
I. The government should take new measures to reduce air pollution in urban areas, because cars emit gasses which contribute to global warming, air pollution from cars can make it harder for us to live and public transport are too expensive.

II. Cars emit gasses
    A. Cars are the largest contributor to air pollution
        - To restrict the older cars

III. Cars make it harder for us to live
     A. We will have many difficulties
        - Pollution from cars can affect our neurological, immune and reproductive system

IV. Public transport is too expensive
    A. To suggest alternatives
       - Why using a bicycle is better?

V. As this problem is more and more worrying nowadays, because those dangerous emissions increase the Spanish  government must take measures

RESPECT THE NATURE

As it seems that  I´m not only writing about cinema, there goes another eco-post:

There are too many people who lack environmental awareness, however keen they are on admiring breathtaking views. If we do not respect the nature, we will have less and less hair-raising scenery to enjoy.

In order to overcome this problem, governments could increase the control measures in unspoiled or threatened places to make sure that people leave these places the same or better than they found it.  Perhaps it is necessary to create campaigns in order to deter people from dumping rubbish, building anything anywhere, etc. The drawbacks of this is that governments do not mind respecting this kind of places; and it is the government itself who grants licenses to build in natural protected areas.

Another solution is that the thriving tourism companies –presumably concerned about being environmentally conscious- begin to sell real package deals advertising a sustainable tourism. However, tourism industry gives preference to its economic interests rather than ecological interests and finally it does not really care much. For instance, if tourists avoided overcrowded environments ant set off in small groups, it would be easier to preserve particularly endangered spots.

Another remedy is education: Children must be taught from school to be aware of how important is not to damage the environment, because we must keep on preserving it not only for us, but for the future generations too. We must know how to judge our actions and try to be responsible in order to feel good about ourselves.

As it seems that there are little alternatives to solve this problem, the final answer could be to use the common sense (if there is left any at all) together with education.  Thus, we would not feel guilty about visiting untouched regions if we respected them to guarantee in the long term that they can be enjoyed without getting damaged.

How green are you?

       In theory, the whole society –even young people- is concerned with the contamination problems; at least they know these problems exist, although it is true that everybody does not know what some of them -like greenhouse effect- involve exactly.  For instance, the greenhouse effect is based on how air pollution from different items makes the ozone layer´s hole bigger and bigger. If we ignore what the causes of air pollution are (vehicle exhaust fumes, the burning of fossil fuels, sprays, chemical waste, poisonous smoke from power stations...), we will not know what to do to prevent them.  

People around me try to be environmental friendly to avoid polluting our surroundings. At home we recycle the household waste; we switch off the lights and turn off the taps when we do not need them. In addition, we do not abuse air conditioning or heater and do not use the car to go shopping or go somewhere in the town, since Murcia is not a big city. However, some friends of mine seem to be a little selfish. They do not go to the bottle bank, or drive everywhere only for their own convenience. By the same token, they do not take seriously  this matter. As a result, we are harming the environment; that is why we should tackle this issue as soon as possible.

HITCHCOCK

  (I)  Everybody knows Hitchcock and recognize him as a good director nowadays. However, until the nouvelle vague directors vindicated him, he was considered just “an artisan”, not a proper author. Although most of his movies were blockbusters, he never got an Oscar. When I found out about this, I could not believe it. Hitchcock was one of the less recognized filmmakers in his time, although now he is considered as a classic due to his great technique, his mastering of suspense and his well-known use of "macguffin".

(II. Great technique)

In spite of the fact that Hitchcock made two films without almost editing (Rope and Under Capricorn), he believed in the power of montage as a visual medium to create an emotion in the mind of the audience. However, although “films must be cut”, montage is also quite useful to tell a story. The point is in the way images are put together. In fact, Hitchcock said in an interview with Emerson Batdorf: “Let me give you an example…We take a close up of a man and cut to what he sees. And what do we show? A woman nursering a baby. You cut back your face reaction and he smiles. Now what is he? He´s a benevolent nice gentleman. [BUT]. Take away the middle piece of film (the mother and the baby) and substitute a girl in bikini. Now he´s a dirty old man. That´s what I mean by the purity of montage control of film” (1970).

(III. The master of suspense)

Hitchcock’s command of suspense is another characteristic of his films. Suspense consists in giving the public as much information as possible.  Suspense must not be confused with surprise. “Let´s suppose that there is a bomb underneath this table between us”, said Hitchcock. Imagine then there is a sudden explosion. If the public did not have known about the bomb, it would have been an ordinary scene, but if the public is aware the bomb is going to explode, the trivial conversation over the table becomes irritating and the audience feels the necessity of crying to the characters:  “there is a bomb about to explode!”. For instance, The man Who knew too much shows a suspense climax during a concert at Albert Hall, where the female protagonist suddenly realises what is about to occurs, although the spectator already knows.

(IV.Macguffin)

Hitchcock was not the only one to use Macguffin, but it will always be related to him. According to the Oxford dictionary “ macguffin” is  “an object or device in a film or a book which serves merely as a trigger for the plot”.  It is used to make the plot progress, but the object, person or device used as macguffin is not important itself.  The word comes from music-hall (according to F. Truffaut´s Le cinéma selon Hitchcock) : “There are two men in a train and one of them says to the other: `What´s that  packet above your head?’. And the other replays: ‘Ah, that´s a macguffin’. The first one insists: ‘What´s a macguffin?’ And his travel mate replays: ‘A Macguffin is a device for hunting lions in the Adirondacks`. ‘But in the Adirondacks there are no lions, springs the first man’.  ‘Then that isn´t a macguffin`, answer the other’ ” . In North by Northwest the macguffin is a government secret, or in Psicosis it is the 40, 000 $ that Marion Crane steals at the beginning of the film.

(V. )  Thanks to Nouvelle Vague, in spite of not being deservedly recognized for a long time, Alfred Hitchcock was in the end acknowledged. I do not think that Hitchcock not having won an Oscar was due to a lack of talent. In fact, his great mastery is highly appreciated now, and he is among the big ones. Have you ever wondered why some of the greatest (performers, directors, writers…) of all time have never been recognized?

	a					b
	a					b
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	c					d
	e

my great-aunt

My great-aunt Antonina was born in a respectable family and she is the youngest of three children. She grew up in  Valdepeñas, a town in Ciudad Real. Her childhood was hard because of the postwar years. In fact, her father was in jail for a long time due to his political ideology. When he was released in the end, he died soon afterwards of a brain stroke. She and her brothers and mother had to work a lot to move forward. She tells that when somebody wanted to buy something on the black market, as she was the youngest of the three siblings, the older ones make her sell the items –for instance some bread-, since she didn´t realised that was something illegal.  In spite of all that, she is a self-confident person and she studied on his own every night after a workday.

As I see it, she possesses lots of good qualities like always putting others first (she has not a trace of a selfish streak), a good sense of humour, razor-sharp mind (she is highly intelligent), but the most interesting thing about her is that she is a striking storyteller, she has a vivid imagination.  This must run in the family, since my grandpa (her older brother) was a poet and a writer; it seems a quite common streak in my family (my uncle Antonio is a good writer too –he likes writing theatre plays, and he has even won literary awards like his father –my grandpa-; even my mother has always had good qualities and a great imagination to tell us –my sister and me- stories and tales.  As for my great-aunt Antonina, I look on her as a behaviour model and  I´d like to take after  her...  I wish I could follow her footsteps and I love her a lot!

NORTH BY NORTHWEST....

North by Northwest is a late 1950^s film directed by Alfred Hitchcock and starring Cary Grant, Eva Marie Saint and James Mason. This film will be always remembered by its perfect plot and powerful images due to a masterly use of technique.

At the beginning of the film shows one of the most well-made confusion in the history of cinema. While Roger Thornhill (Cary Grant) –an advertising executive- is having lunch in a prestigious restaurant, he has the bad luck to lift his arm to call for a messenger, just as the same time as a telephone call is announced for a certain George Kaplan. From that moment on, Thornill is mistaken for Kaplan –a supposed USA spy- by the bad guys.

Among the techniques used by Hitchcock, the establishing shot is a characteristic recourse in this film. For instance, shots that provides sceneries like United Nation building, the famous cornfield scene or Mount Rushmore scene. This type of shot helps the spectator to know quickly where the action takes place, since the main character changes locations frequently.  However,  it is also used the shot reverse shot, because that one is useful to show a scene where two characters are in a conversation; that is, it is a closer way to watch a conversation and maintain the pace of the scene. For instance, the train scene with Eva Marie Saint and Cary Grant at the restaurant wagon (in this same train happens the famous censored scene whose Spanish version has different voices because it was added later -see below-).

Tell me, why are you so good to me?

Kendall: Shall I climb up and tell you why? I've been thinking...it's not safe for you to roam Chicago

looking for this George Kaplan you've been telling me about. You'll be picked up by the police the moment you show your face. It's such a nice face, too.

Don't you think it'd be a better idea if you stayed in my hotel room while I located him for you and brought him to you?

Thornhill: I can't let you get involved. It's too dangerous.

Kendall: I'm a big girl.

Thornhill: Yeah, and in all the right places, too.

Kendall: You know, this is ridiculous.  You know that, don't you?

Thornhill: Yes.

Kendall: I mean, we've hardly met.

Thornhill: That's right.

Kendall: How do I know you aren't a murderer?

Thornhill: You don't.

Kendall: Maybe you're planning to murder me, right here, tonight.

Thornhill: Shall l?

Kendall: Please do.

Thornhill: Beats flying, doesn't it?

Kendall: We should stop.

Thornhill: Immediately.

Kendall: I ought to know more about you.

Thornhill: What more could you know?

Kendall: You're an advertising man, that's all I know.

Thornhill: That's right. What else do you know?

Kendall: You've got taste in clothes, taste in food....

Thornhill: And taste in women. I like your flavor.

Kendall: You're very clever with words.

Kendall: You can probably make them do anything for you. Sell people things they don't need, make women who don't know you

fall in love with you.

Thornhill: I'm beginning to think I'm underpaid.

HITCHCOCK OUTLINE

I . Hitchcock was one of the less recognized filmmakers in his time, although now he is considered as a classic  due to his great technique, his mastering of suspense and his well-known use of  "macguffin".

II. Great technique
     A.montage
        1.narration

III.  The master of suspense
     A. Pioneer of suspense
         1. Remarked suspense Hitchcock´s films

IV Macguffin
     A. Term´s origins
         1. Examples: Psicosis and North by Northwest

V.In spite of not being deservedly recognized for a long time, Alfred Hitchcock, because of his great mastery is now considered among the big ones.

GUN OWNERSHIP ( thesis stament)

U S A government should forbid  free access to guns, since violence involves more violence,  security could be increased and as a result we wouldn´t feed the thriving gun industry.

The lack of food resources.....

   The lack of natural food is an increasing problem, because the human being is using up the ecological resources of the planet Earth. In fact, this year the ecological footprint – a measure that represents the amount of resources necessary to supply the human population compared with the biosphere´s ability to regenerate itself and provide services- has been exceeded. This means that it is more and more difficult to find natural and healthy products; the raising prices make poor people unable to access them. Therefore, if we do nothing to change this situation, we will run out of our resources, each year there will be more and more people with nothing to eat and in the end we will use up all the food.

In order to solve this problem, many alternatives have been proposed along History. One possible solution is to eat little children (because their meat is more tender) as proposed in 1729 by Jonathan Swift in his  well-known essay A Modest Proposal for Preventing the Children of Poor People From Being a Burthen to Their Parents or Country, and for Making Them Beneficial to the Publick, commonly referred to as A Modest Proposal. However, this remedy was already criticised for not being very ethic even at that time. In spite of being a satirical essay to highline the attitudes toward poor people, there were some who took it seriously.

Another solution could be to produce soylent green as suggested in the film starring Charlton Heston. It is a retro futuristic film about an overcrowded planet Earth and how the population survives on rations produced by the Soylent Corporation, a green cookie that contains "high-energy plankton". However, if you have seen this film, you will know why this remedy is inviable, unless certain prejudices or civilization taboos are dismissed.

Thus, a final answer (since these solutions are not the ideal proposals for everybody, as people may be reluctant to apply them) that involves fewer difficulties would be a more responsible behavior in preventing the lack of resources. For instance, it could be solved educating or making the population aware about it. Therefore, if every one of us acts responsible, we will avoid this urgent issue.

                                                      

FIRST PRACTICE: Living in the countryside

   If I had to choose I would like to live in the countryside. Generally speaking, it is true that living in a big city may be more attractive, but residing in a rural area has always been more comfortable and healthy. In fact, there is less pollution in the countryside than in an urban area, because, for instance, driving is not necessary to go anywhere there. Furthermore, if you looked for a job in the countryside, it would be easier to find one, because there are more opportunities, due to the fact that it less crowded than a large town. In addition, the countryside, or a small village, provides you a more relaxing and contemplative way of life, and its gastronomy is organic and ecologic, unlike city´s gastronomy. Therefore, for these reasons, I prefer residing in a rural area instead of living in a big city, since this way of living is more gratifying than living in a big crowded city.

Disadvantages of watching dubbed films and original language versions.

If you are thinking of watching a film in the near future, both options -dubbed and O V- have disadvantages, unless the original  version is in your mother tongue.  Sometimes dialogs and subtitles are not well synchronized. In addition, subtitles are not always faithful to the original script; this is usually a matter of space, but as a result some expressions or nuances are lost. And if you have to be reading subtitles all the time you can miss images or visual details. On the other hand, watching a dubbed film implies missing the actors´ voices; this means that you cannot appreciate their whole performances. Besides, since a dubbed film doesn´t allow you to listen to the original voices, you do not have the chance to improve your listening skills. Furthermore, dubbed versions may manipulate the original dialogs, as happened with Franco´s censorship. For instance, that happened in Mogambo (as one of the main characters couple is presented as brother and sister instead of husband and wife in order to hide an adultery, but in the end it unintentionally seems an incest) and in several Hitchcock films, etc. 

Bringing up baby vs. What´s up doc?

In  the cinema world, classic movies are often used as the main source, model, reference... for a new film that is called the "remake" of the previous one.

 For instance, in 1972 Peter Bogdanovich directed What´s up doc, which  is a version of Bringing up baby, directed by Howard Hawks in 1938, tough there are more similiraties than differences between them. In general terms, both storylines share some similar basic points, because one film as well as the other are screwball comedies.  In fact, the main female characters are akin to each other; in the more recent film this character is performed by Barbara Streisand and in the earlier one that lead role is played by Catherine Hepburn. Both Catherin and Streisand play a "madcap girl". Furthermore, they fall in love with a charming absent-minded scientist, though in What´s up doc he is a geologist -Ryan O´Neal- and in Bringing up baby  a paleontologist - Cary Grant-. Thus, the big mess in the earlier one is caused by a little dog that hides a dinosaur´s bone, whereas in the remake it is originated by the confusion of several identical suitcases, one of them carrying the professor´s stones. 

      On the other hand, one of the main diferences between these films consists in the 30´s one being black and white in contrast to the 70´s one, which is a colour film. Another difference is the presence of animals; in the first one,  unlike the second one, there is not only a little dog, but also two leopards (which protagonize one of my favourite scenes). Therefore, despite the fact of being two films from different times, there is so much more that connects them. 

By the way, Baby is a leopard!

The conjuring

The conjuring is one of the worst terror films I have ever seen.  It is a film "based" on a true story:  Roger and Carolyn Perron move into a dilapidated farmhouse and paranomal fenomens begin to happen.  Among other things, this is due to the big melting pot created by the scriptwriter.  All the famous terror films are in there, not only films like The Exorcist, Chucky, Poltergeist, It, The sixth sense..., but also tipical terror settings, scenes and images, like "there is something in the basement; I´ll go and see", the rocking cheer or the swing moving alone, the  bed sheets hanging up on the backyard ... In fact, when you think it is imposible  for another trite scene to appear, there goes the solitary ball...Therefore, I can´t understand why it has been so successful, because for me is just another comercial terror film. 

You got: Well-Loved Book

"Your pages are loose and dog-eared, your spine broken many times over. You’re the book someone stays up late with, reading you under the covers over and over again." 

I agree, but the quizz is too anglo-saxon and I don´t know about all the options!!!

IS SCHOOL KILLING CREATIVITY? YES, IT IS.

       We need to change the education system.To begin with, the current  system comes from  the 18 century and was created in order to prepare people -even kids- to work more eficiently,  It sought to prevent  people from thinking then, as it keeps doing now. Since we have a type of sistem too old, where creativity is not contemplated enough, artistic matters are considered at the most an education complement in contrast to Maths or Languages. In fact, studying arts, music or dance is seen as a waste of time, and noboby expects that you find a job if you are keen on that kind of subjects.  For instance, one of my  friends´ gradma is always saying: "When will you start to work properly?", because his grandson works as a painter. Thus, this is a general feeling in the population and we must try to improve our education system as soon as posible.

Describing a dog (homework)

I have realized that I hate my neighbour´s dog. At first I thought it was funny, but then it began to annoy me. It is one of those long-haired, cinnamon-coloured dogs with drooping ears. It doesn´t look aggressive at all, but it is quite nervous and is always barking at everything and everybody. In addition, one day it bit my leg and that was the last straw. I cannot tolerate any more.  I think  this dog is the worst animal I have ever met. 

Is Spain different now?

People still say that Spain is different nowadays, but I do not agree, because the "Spain is different" slogan was coined in the 60´ and reffered to a way of life from the past. The food, the sun and the beaches have changed now. There are not unspoilt beaches any more, Mercadona sells us the food and we have spoiled the ozone layer. In fact, if you try to get a tan now, you will probably get a cancer soon.

My favourite place in the world

There is a place where I can go, when I feel low, when I feel blue….And it is the “Mirador de Carvajales” in Granada.  This charming viewpoint allows you to see the stunning Alhambra from a very short distance. At  sunset it offers you a breathtaking scenery due to the red walls of the ancient palace being highlighted by the rays of sunlight. In fact, “alhambra” means “red palace” in Arabic. The “Mirador de Carvajales”  is less touristic than the better known “Mirador de San Nicolás”, that is always overcrowded. 

It is in the middle of Albaicyn, an historic and lively area in Granada full of narrow and labyrinthine streets whit white houses on a hill in front of the Alhambra and beside the Sacromonte. Carvajales is a small square surrounded by trees that cast a pleasant shadow and there is an arabic fountain in the middle. But what I like about this place is its atmosphere. You can stay there for hours and don´t realize about it, while somebody is playing the guitar or another stops to talk with you… When I remember this peaceful square I feel pretty low and blue, so I must go to Carvajales now.

Fear of...

Fear of a tree falling down.
Fear of the lawyers.
Fear of the city sounds.
Fear of the storm.
Fear of speaking too loud.
Fear of keeping on being quiet.
Fear of driving alone.
Fear of the scenery.
Fear of the morning,
Fear of the sunset.

DALLAS BUYERS CLUB

Mathew McConaughey is becoming one of the best considered actors in Hollywood nowadays.  His renaissance comes from films like Killer Joe, Magic Mike, Mud and even the True detective series. In fact, a new word has emerged to refer to his recent career: “McConnaissance”.  

Yesterday I saw   Matthew Mc Conaughey´s last film, entitled Dallas buyers club, which made him earn an Oscar as best actor.

The film was directed by Jean-Marc Vallée in 2013. It´s based on the real story of Ron Woodroof.   A time reference at the beginning of the film is Rod Hudson´s death, so the action takes place in the 80s.  In order to perform this character he had to lose 40 pounds, because he plays the role of a homophobe man from Texas who was diagnosed with AIDS. 

 Ron tries to find an alternative therapy instead of the AZT medicine used at that time, what involves an explicit critic of the thriving pharmaceutical industry. Not only have the pharmaceutical people a mafia behavior, but also the governmental D.E.A – Drugs Enforcement Administration – members. 

All of this is shown in an aseptic way: there isn´t almost music soundtrack, the film´s rhythm is quite slow; it´s parallel to the character´s development. Mc Conaughey convinces by far as the prejudiced redneck who finally becomes aware of what AIDS implies.

HOMEWORK (24/9/2014)

For my first post to a blog ever, I´ve decided to write about some thougths that came to my mind while watching the film God bless America a few days ago.

The film was directed by Bobcat Goldthwait in 2011. God bless America deals with the American society.  The director tries to display a explicit criticism from which  the ironic title comes;  it refers to a song which became a patriotic  slogan at the begining of the 20th century .

The leading role character has given up believing in the American dream. At the begining of the film a brief review of the American society decline is showed through several T.V programmes, because those programmes mirror the American reality. Some Spanish TV channels look like the American ones, so we must begin to worry.

Do Americans still believe in their own American dream?

Is there a Spanish dream or are Spaniards becoming deformed images of the American dream?