New Orleans

New Orleans is known for the food, the French Quarter, and Mardi Gras. Even if we are not out partying all night we still need to sleep. Up all night working on the cities pain. The city is in the process of doing what is just and true. This is a musical city that mixes culture and excitement.

Actions that have happen after Hurricane Katrina are continuously pursued for the truth and the good of the community. Denzel needs his coffee to continue his investigation. With the many shoots of Canal street, New Orleans comes alive. The history is beautiful and unlike other cities there seems to be a real search for the truth.

DEJAVU: This movie is all about knowing people. After the disaster that the city went through, the residents joined forces. They became one to fight for the good of all. Denzel Washington is working on the explosion case that deals with another death of a women. He is trying to find the killer because now it is personal. Denzel talked to the girls father and he gave him some pictures, "to make it persona.l" The father realizes that there are so many cases that only the special will get the chance to be investigated.

In DEJAVU there is a constant peak back at the stress that the city has and still currently endures. Driving through the areas that have not yet been cleaned up from the hurricane, one can see that the city is not done recovering. The people always seem to try. Using a device to see the past happening on a digital system the police department is trying to catch a killer that murdered a girl and a whole ferry full of people on Mardi Gras as a demonstration of his devotion to his country.

Runaway Jury: Taking place before hurricane Katrina, these anti-gun activists finally get the chance to get even for the killing of John Cusack's girlfriends sister and the case that bankrupted their small hometown. Cusack at the end wins in a blackmale battle of the jury coming up with a just and true verdict. Cusack secures the jury from the evil gun company and the same lawyer that tried the case from his childhood shooting.

When the gun companies lawyer asked why they were involved with such a scandal, Cusack responds that without the gun companies lawyer to meddle with the other jury members and force them to vote in favor of the gun company, Cusack could "let justice happen."

Creating Knowledge: People died, New Orleans has a rough history, but the people and noise make everything better. People that have been pushed from New Orleans return to give the city a second try at their future. The people are always trying to create justice. With Cusack's culmination of life work ending with the prosecution of the gun company who willingly handed out fire arms without checking references, he fulfills his life work.

Denzel tells the decided father that he will find the truth, and even after leaps and bounds he continues to push on in his research. "The truth will set you free".

Chicago

Chicago is a busy city. It is a migrant city. The one thing that keeps the city of Chicago is flowing with an age old work ethic. Do people in Chicago live to work or work to live? I believe that the work ethic is so strong, people live to work. I will display this through two movie set in Chicago. The Fugitive is about a man accused of killing his wife, he escapes from the pen and is now on the run. My Big Fat Greek Wedding is about a woman stuck in an everyday routine at the age of thirty and a love story.

Chicago is a melting pot of diversity. Chicago is situated in the railroad and had been a transportation and shipping hub for the last century. During the industrial era city residents worked so hard, this still continues in the city today.

The fugitive: Harrison Ford is on the run. He returns back to the hospital that he works at to investigate and reunite with people he knows. He spends time in the hospital and ends up deviating from a doctors orders and saving a boys life. Although he is in the hospital looking for evidence he can not stop helping and assisting health service workers.

Harrison Ford is invested in his career. His free time is spent with his coworkers at work events. He lives and breathes work.

My Big Fat Greek Wedding: Toula is mot married, she is not really educated, and she still works for the family business. She serves food at Dancing Zorba's, her parents Greek restaurant. Toula gets up early and with her family is devoted to serving, running, cooking, and financing the restaurant.

With all this work Toula is unable to meet any men and is always shunned for being "so old." Toula wants to take classes at the university and along with her mother tricks her father into letting her take computer classes to better the family business.

Toula goes to school and works at the travel agency her family owns because she is good at computers. Toula always thinks about two things, being accepted by her family and working hard for them. Toula rarely does anything for herself.

Creating Knowledge: Chicago is a city of workers. Unemployment is higher then the US average here. Meaning there are plenty of people waiting for jobs. Hard work is necessary to keep a job. Toula and Harrison Ford both represent the ethics that are Chicago.

San Fran

San Francisco as a city, has it all, arts, culture, food, transportation. This city is easily explored on foot, trolly, bus, or even taxi. This hilly city is horrible to drive in. Taxis drive fast and bikers cruise faster. San Fran is expensive. Rent is high but there are many amenities for living there. People in San Fran can never get enough, they are never happy with just one, the city is all about excess.


Most killings that happened in Zodiac are done by a man that arrives in a car. The Zodiac killer is a well known story. The killer approaches his victims while they are relaxing and vulnerable. A car is used to get out. We love the city, but if you have a car one can explore the beauty of northern California. You can leave the chaos and breathe for a minute. This is when the killer strikes.

The killer leaves messages in code on the cars of his victims. He does this a few times. He likes the media which is why he continues to threaten them to air his letters or he will strike again. He seems to never be able to get enough of his own feats.

The word Serial sends goosebumps through my body. To me, Serial means he just cant get enough. He is addicted to killing and addicted to the media coverage.

The Wedding Planner: A romantic comedy about Jennifer Lopez, a woman who loves to organize weddings but can never seem to find happiness. She is a dreamer and an overachiever. She always wants more clients, larger weddings, more happiness.

She is not happy with the one man that is already in love with her. She is looking for more. Matthew McConaughey, already is engaged, but their emotions get the best of them. "Those who cant wed, plan!" Thats her motto, but he sweeps her off her feet.

Creating Knowledge: The Zodiac is in need of more, this keeps him on the run, always dodging the police but getting away. Jennifer Lopez is very trendy, she thrives on success. When her career becomes difficult due to falling in love with the groom, she sticks with her planning because she wants to have success in life. She wants to see herself in the news, just like the Zodiac, and the population of San Fran. This is a public event, the city thrives on media.

Suburbia

Do people wear rose colored glasses in suburbia? Do people invite people into their homes more because they trust their neighbors? These communities are built, some with gates, some without direct through streets, some suburbs you need a map too. Anthropological studies have been done and resulted in to people feeling safer in a suburban community.


Do we feel safer in suburban neighborhoods? The history of Suburbia started with Levittown, the first area of mass construction. Most suburban areas are completely planned before the start of building. The new residents get to pick out of a few styles and colors. Movies that jump to my mind of suburbia are Pleasentville and Stepford Wives. This pristine and perfect area that nothing important happens in. Daily life is so scheduled and everything is on time. Men are at work and women are at home. Kids play safely in their yard or watch porno (as in Disturbia).

Edward Scissor Hands:
The suburbs have started to enclose around Edward's house. For years people have looked up at his mansion and told stories ohttp://www.blogger.com/img/gl.link.giff a strange man that lives there. Edward looks down and like all the other residents spends hours manicuring their lawns. Edward is special because he has hands made from scissors.

The women know everything, they watch and when Edward comes to Joyce's house all the neighborhood ladies want to know whom the mysterious man is. Joyce your friendly Avon representative takes a stranger in. She invites him into her home while the whole family is gone. She feels that he could never hurt anyone. The residents find him interesting. Suburbia is represented as a safe place where everyone knows all the business. This is differently represented then in more recent movies.

Disturbia:
This is a modern flick that is attractive to both young and old. A High school kid that has to live through a family tragedy and fostering inside from house arrest. Shia Labeouf's mother trusts the neighbor that Shia has been spying on for a few weeks.

From his window Shia can peep at the sexy neighbor, watch the kids watching porn, and spy on the man he thinks has murdered many women. He seems to know more then the rest of the community. All are living their 9-5 lifestyles and hiding in their houses. The media has been using suburbs to create a sense of the unknown. The sexy neighbor looks at herself in the mirror every morning and wonders "who am I." This is a lack of identity.

Even after Shia tells his mother all the reasons to stay away from the neighbor, she still thinks there is no way a killer could live next to them in the suburbs. Then when the neighbor gets into the teenage girls car to ask why she has been following him, he acts creepy. But for some reason she thought he acted nice and friendly. Maybe she was blinded by her rose colored glasses.

Creating knowledge: There is temptation in the city so these families have moved to the suburbs to focus on family life. The parent leave their kid of all ages to fend for themselves. They are safe because their surrounding are just more people in the same situation.

Suburbia makes people feel safe, they have their own lawns, the dog, the cars, they are living such a perfect life. In Edward Scissor Hands, the Easter colored houses and the kitchen-aid 2000 take over the womens life. They have everything and nothing new ever happens. There is safety in familiarity. The same cars leave Edwards neighborhood every morning at 8am.

Disturbia plays on this idea,"you never know who your living next too." This creates a fear that historically has not existed. The new transition of the suburbs is from single family detached housing to extravagant. It doesn't matter who you are as long as you have money.

I liked both movies, Edward Scissor Hand is well made and good for a comparison of Disturbia. They both had great music that made the situation more intense. People do move to suburbia to get away from the city in order to feel safer. Safer also comes with seclusion and seclusion can foster the strange.

New York: Where Big Might Not Be Better

The City: New York City is the city that never sleeps. Our economic center that was hit during the day of 911. Big: New York is large, five bouroughs, the statue of liberty, the big apple. All are larger then life. New York oozes living large. There is so much capital that comes in and out of New York. The idea of "big" attracts tourist, investors, immigrants, and employees.

You've Got Mail:
Big, Meg Ryan thinks big is bad, her store around the corner is coming to its demise where Fox Books superstore comes into her neighborhood. Mr. Fox himself (Tom Hanks) and Meg have been chatting over the internet and have been indulging in book and intelectual conversation. Fox Books plans on running "The Little Shop Around The Corner" out of business and crushing them with the cheap prices. The truth is, they do. Wall-Mart displaces many grocery stores every year. Big is cheaper, but is it better?

The suits as Meg refers to Tom Hanks rule the economic centers. These small shops that in Portland Oregon we support so much in new york city often do not survive the New York City lifestyle. Though This movie is a love story, Meg falls for a closeted small business apreciator? Really? How is this possible. There is no way me and Mr. Wal-Mart would ever procreate, I can not stand the coorporation mentality. Big might take you to a spendy dinner, might get you a great manhattan apartment, but big will always think money is more important then you.

Unfaithful: A happily married women commutes from the suburbs to the city everyday for her blue collar job. The suburbs are small, strange yet welcoming. Lane and Gere play a married hardworking couple with a son. The family collects snow globes. The ultimate analogy of perfection. This perfect globe. Like Suburbia.

One windy day, Lane has a colision with Martinez, a young french book dealer. She skins her knee and come up to a random mans apartment for a band-aid. First, he is attractive, second, the big city must be attracting her to come back and see him. The boring suburbs with her planned out life only seem good enough once she repetitively sleeps with the best things about she is about to lose.

Gere finds out (because she can hide it well) and kills the frenchman with a snow globe. He killed the city boy with a pristine ball of suburbia. Big vs. little. Big might be sexier, saucier, but what about your family. The Thriller leaves you hanging.

Creating knowledge: Big vs. Little. A big city sound like a lot of fun, but there are great things about a small town. Lavish parties are great, but Lane created what she always wanted, a loving husband, house, family, friends and job. Meg Knew every costomers name in the little book store she owned. I go to a coffee shop where I am known by my first name. There is something mysterious about a big cities posibilities. Big might be economically profitable but I rather someone knew my name.

I prefer small. Small is personally rewarding.

Washington DC

Does old mean you know better? Does youth understand the world better?
Washington DC is a hub of economic and political happenings. It is home to the World Bank and IMF which has caused much scandal over the years. DC is well known for the White House and numerous scandals. Currently Housing George Bush the White House has been frequented by many. These old men that have ran our country for hundreds of years have been educated at all levels. All high power executives both govermental and military have lots of experiance. Does experiance play a part in making a moral decision? Does age and experiance allow for people to do what they deem morel?

Dick, is a movie the explores The White House Watergate Scandal though two girls eyes. These high school girls on a field trip stumble upon evident. DC in this movie is displayed as a highly organized and supervised city. The President is a puppet that acts smart in private and like a child when interacting with the girls. Everyone seems to be covering everyone Else's back. DC is a family oriented city with large houses and one or two children. Dick revolves around Richard Nixon, the high school and the White House. TV is watched all the time and all news is broad casted. All families fall asleep in front of the tube with their TV Dinners. Sex, Drugs, and music take over the adolescent lives while war drafting is in the minds of all families.

In A Few Good men we see little of the city. There is a focus on monuments and structures in the economic center. The military is regimented and DC is like a courtroom. Busy, faced paced, and always in control. DC seems to always a step ahead and ready for supprises all around the world. Their are rules and regulations. There is a struggle for power and obstacles that are in the way to be overcome. DC is displayed as a residential area with housing that resembles San Francisco. Vertical houses all in a line. The airport is a shown to house an influx of people daily. Governmental officials and the Military are busy and always under the command of someone with more power, which there always is, the President.

Washington DC is displayed in a militaristic regimented way. Both movies are based around the defining features of the landscape and government buildings. DC is like a courtroom and there is a daily court in session about right and wrong. In A Few Good Men, the head of Guantanamo believes he did what was right even though it resulted in death, and Tricky Dick is involved in Watergate.

Creating Knowledge: Most of both movies is spent covering up what the governmental heads have created. Then the young girls in Dick, and the young lawyers right out of law school in a Few Good Men spend time proving the truth. A battle between young vs. old, right vs. wrong, and regiment vs. reality. In both movies the underdog wins.

Las Vegas

Las Vegas was portrayed differently in both films I watched. From Diamonds Are Forever to Ocean's 11, Vegas is America's playground. Backstabbing is a lifestyle and even James Bond falls into this. Women are toys, men are powerful, and stealing is a way of life. Is everything fast in Las Vegas? From Las Vegas statistics this city is growing with single family homes and the suburbs are spreading. But the media seems to only display the fast strip life of gambling and alcohol.

Diamonds are Forever was made in the early 70s and spends a little time on the strip and in the dessert. We see the high rises start to pop up and we see lights and big city hustle. There is a Go-Go mentality that keeps Bond continuosly sought after. A constant noise of change falling into slots. Women work as dancers or waitresses, and the lucky two that are body guards are portrayed as savages while dressed in their bikinis. They attack fast and are controlling, always a step ahead. While the song, diamonds are forever plays sinfully in the background.

Oceans 11 has more glitz and glamour. The rat pack-Esq bad guy and the friendly good guy battle over the love of a women. George Cloony is again attempting a heist. The fast life style is displayed in the casinos. Coins dropping, men sweating, tiny acrobats popping out of smaller boxes and catching that suitcase. It seems only the quick can succeed in this game.

The heist goes down on the strip with the three most fancy hotels. The whole movie is in Vegas so we can get a good look at the message we are trying to see. A playground where the stupid spend their money and the rich take it."What happens in Vegas stays in Vegas" this attitude leads to legal prostitution and endless partying all night.

The picture I have of Vegas is one of spring break, but as our fastest growing city families are flocking to this area. The stereotypes that are displayed it both movies are strong and direct. Las Vegas is a city for the dangerous, and you either play or fall behind. Scandals, money, fame, and harsh danger.

This picture that is painted by both movies is a marketing tool. Why would tourists want to come to Vegas to see a growing community good for raising children. People come for the fast weekend of spending money and having fun.