Elliot Stein Lit. And Media Studies Blog

Throughout the week, I've read both My Favorite Thing is Monsters by Emil Ferris, and Ghost World by Daniel Clowes. Both are graphic novels about characters lives, and are based on an abstract take on reality. Though Ghost world is more of a narrative novel, and Monsters is a graphic novel like a comic book, both tell stories of human emotion. In Ghost World the story follows two teenage girls Enid, and Rebecca as they graduated high school, and wonder what they will do for the rest of their lives. While pondering their futures, they also take the time to wander their town criticizing pop culture, and the people they meet. While their friendship is big, their bond is testes throughout the novel when Enid plans to move out of town to go to college. My Favorite Thing is Monsters focuses on a young girl named Karen Reyes as she discovers to her dismay that her neighbor was murdered. Conflicted, and curious Karen, and her mother try to cope with their friends, neighbors, and other ch...

Having a voice through filmmaking can be a hard thing to use, especially when you want to tell your stories to a large audience. Wether based on ideals, beliefs, ethnicities, ideologies, or personal senses of thought, telling a story about a topic through a specific tone. Throughout the past week I've watched three movies by filmmaker Paul Thomas Anderson, an American filmmaker best known for abstract takes on life, and how we feel between them. The movies I've watched (in no order specific to the release dates of the movies) were There Will be Blood (2007), The Master (2012), and Boogie Nights (1997). Each of the three movies follows different protagonists, but each also follow similar themes of human emotions, ideals, and all have incredible acting in each of them. In chronological order, each of the movies follow under a timeline I've theorized as "The P-TA Timeline." From the dates, and periods in which these movies play out, it begins with "There Will ...

While reading the screenplay to Boogie Nights (1997) by Paul Thomas Anderson, and I have decided to write a script based on the screenwriters perspective. While writing a script for a movie, I will approach the writing with reasonable, and suitable circumstances for everyone including the director to understand. When writing a story for a movie, especially a coming of age film like Boogie Nights, I want to make it so that the script can relate to not just the viewers, but the characters playing the roles of the teenagers. The film itself focuses on living life during the 70's, and the rise of the porn industry. It follows Eddie as he becomes a porn star, and rises to the top gaining power, and respect in the industry when his family wouldn't respect him. For me when I write the screenplay I want to write it so that everyone on set, acting directing, filming and producing will be acceptable for everyone to work with. I want to write a screenplay that will be acceptable for e...

Throughout the novel "Ready Player One" by Ernest Cline, it takes place in a futuristic Oklahoma, focusing on an 18 year old boy named Wade Watts. A character with a sad life around him with school, and his family, but is able to escape within a digital virtual reality called The Oasis. There, he can be whatever he wants, whenever he wants, and with no limits. Making it a dream come true for a simulation to live in. Throughout the novel, Wade hangs out with his friend Aech discuss about the games they played, while also talking about old movies. While this is occurring, Wade brings up a Steven Spielberg while talking about classic movies. Being that the movie will be directed by Spielberg, I thought of it as an ironic quote, and that gave me an idea for a script for the movie. Maybe when Wade is going into The Oasis, he can work or act in a Spielberg movie, and work directly with Spielberg on his famous movies. Such as E.T., Raiders of the Lost Ark, Jaws, and even his other...

My experience from reading Marriage of A Thousand Lies has been met with feelings of intrigue, sorrow, and emotion. Following the story of Lucky, who is a unemployed Millennial programmer. She tries to live the life her family wants her to have, and always follow her traditions. Though Lucky and her husband are married, they are both homosexual, and want to follow their own paths. This is put to the test when Lucky's childhood friend Nisha comes over, who also was Lucky's first lover. While Nisha is planned to marry a man her parents arranged for her, she still feels affection for Lucky, and will do anything to be with her. The story seems a bit hard to follow at times, though it does follow the themes of sexuality, marriage, and conformity quite admirably. (It's certainly no 50 Shades of Grey ). Throughout the story, we learn more about Lucky and how she feels about love throughout the novel. Even her sisters who asked her to visit their grandmother who is slowly passing ...

Reading the novel Cosmopolis, it discusses the ideas of privilege, fortune, and the dangers of money. Throughout the novel it follows Eric Parker, a young asset manager who takes a limo to get a haircut, but is interrupted when the President of the United States makes a visit in Manhattan, causing an anti-capitalist riot. This is when Parker views the world outside his life with open eyes, as he see's numerous sexual encounters with women he meets, and he loses large amounts of money through betting against the rise of the yen. Being that this is a short novel, it tries to get the message of privilege out, and tells why it shouldn't be taken for granted. While it gets the message out narratively, I feel that it fails in the regard to tell us the viewer as a message. Or at least it tells the message very tangibly, because it doesn't tell much about what Parker thinks of, or is like as an over privileged 28 year old that wants to get a haircut. Yes it's true he takes a l...

My theme park would be based on the history of Wonder Woman. From her small beginnings, to her massive growth as a character over the decades, and as a member to the DC Justice League. The main attraction would be the "Tunnel of Progression" a tunnel similar to Disney World's "It's a Small World" where people ride along the path of the ride, and see how Wonder Woman has progressed over time. It will begin with the ride showing Greek mythology of the Ancient Greek Gods, and Goddesses. Latter turning into Suffragist protests in the world during the 1910's - 30's. After that it would show, and tell about Professor William Marston, and how he came up with the original concept for Wonder Woman during his Harvard Years. After that it will show the first Wonder Woman comics in print, and being shown off to the world. It would also be reasonable to have further suffragist protests during the time into WW2, and how women helped along the war. The more the r...