Movie Review

Galdiator, featuring Russell Crowe, is just about my favorite movie of all time, with Inception as a close runner-up. The movie has great action, as well as an excellent plot. The general is named to become the next emperor of Rome, but the emperor's son isn't having it. He's so angry that he kills his own Father so that he would become the emperor immediately. This shows the viewer that the son is a coward and does not really have the bravery to lead Rome. The general, who should have become the emperor is taken into slavery, which means that he becomes a gladiator. Because he is such an advanced fighter, he gains the attention of the son, who is not yet aware that the excellent gladiator is the former general. I don't quite remember if the emperor finds out that the gladiator is the general before or after the emperor had killed the general's family, but this was another act that showed how cowardly the emperor really was. I suppose I really like this movie because it shows that those who fight with valor and with purpose eventually win the battle. The emperor was able to lead Rome for a short period of time, until the emperor and the gladiator had to face off. Even before the match, the emperor had the gladiator constrained and he stabbed him. The gladiator wins of course, despite being injured prior to the match. By the end of the movie, the Senate and other politicians realize what the son really was and they glorify the gladiator after he has died. They leave the emperor in the middle of the Coliseum and carry the gladiator away to salute the "true emperor of Rome". While it's sad that the gladiator had to die, it is a happy ending because his greatest wish after his family is killed is to join them in the "after-life". Great movie, with excellent action, and an equally tremendous story.

Art review

Just as the street art in the movie, "Exit Through the Gift Shop" was an example of great art, the movie itself was a great piece of art. Therefore, I will review the movie. I loved the style of the movie,  especially how it was like a home video. The travels and "adventures" of Thierry Guetta were exciting and it was very cool to see the best street artists doing their work in the middle of the night. The mysterious encounters with Banksy throughout the movie were both mysterious and comical. The voice change and the mask may have been a bit over the top, but this showed how much Banksy cared about his street art and the message that it was sending. Some of my favorite works by Banksy include his painting of the girl having her crayon house boarded up by a worker. I really enjoy how the detailed drawings of the people contrast with the rudimentary drawings of the house and the flowers. Another piece of street art that follows these lines is the work that shows what appears to be a Vietnamese child with a huge machine gun, with crayons hanging out of it instead of bullets. I also really like the funny tags of the British police officers, mainly the one that displays an officer with a balloon dog on a leash. Again, this is a contrasting picture because of the seriousness of the officer and the lighthearted mood that the balloon animal adds to the scene. Another one of my favorite pieces by Banksy is the vulture in the middle of nowhere with a gas pump nozzle for a head. Here are a few of the pieces that I have talked about.

We Have the Right

We all have the equal right to express ourselves in creative ways. I don't think that we should be able to put our creations anywhere because we must respect each other's individual space. I am still on the fence about whether street artists should be able to put their art in public spaces, but I am leaning towards them being able to. If the artists are actually contributing to the beauty of the city, I believe that they should be able to add their pieces. Pieces that are controversial and tarnish the property of others' (Mickey and Minnie billboard) really shouldn't go up, even though they convey a strong message and raise awareness about certain issues in society. Thierry, on the other hand, really shouldn't be putting up street art anywhere! He is only doing it because he envies the adventures of the street artists who he had followed with a video camera. At the end of the day, this is his main motivation, which means that he isn't really adding any beauty to any of the walls where he puts up his work. Banksy actually plans out his work so that it makes a statement and also looks great. People also have the right to interpret art how they want to see it. At banksy's art show, the reporters say that PETA was worried about the painted elephant, which was ironic because the media missed the big point, which is also known as the "elephant in the room". Not only was the piece extremely creative, but was practically a slap in the face to anybody that didn't really see the point of the art.

Mr. McCarthy's Birthday Weekend

Happy Birthday! I hope you had a good time, whatever you did to celebrate your birthday. Fortunately for you, you got a three-day weekend as a present. Not many people receive something that great for their birthday. By the way, are you still thinking about getting that smoker? Maybe your family should get you that for your birthday. I'm sure you'll put it to good use with your soon-to-come catering duties and all (I think that's what you want to use the smoker for, if I heard right). I'm not quite sure what else to say here...I'm looking forward to watching the film about the best tagging and street art. It's amazing how people can take creativity to an all new level and express that creativity to the rest of the world. Unfortunately, this art is illegal, which can make for some funny getaway scenes, I'm sure. This also means that some of the most artistic and expressive people out there are limited in how much street art they can actually put out there. Does this movie have anything to do with your birthday? My guess is that it doesn't, but you never know! I'm trying to think about this blog in philosophical terms, but it's not really working out right now. Well, I hope you had a great birthday and I look forward to the rest of the year!