Drugstore Cowboy Chronicles the Life of an Addict

Drugstore Cowboy is a movie that seems to go unnoticed when it shouldn’t be. With a mood that is reminiscent to that of Easy Rider, the film chronicles Bob Hughes(played by Matt Dillon) and his group of fellow drug addicts as they go from city to city pulling heists at drugstores and getting high in the motels in which they reside. As legendary film critic Roger Ebert points out in his review of the movie in 1989, he states  “This is not a movie about bad people, but about sick people.” No statement can be truer than how it applies to the character of Bob.

Taking place in 1971, Bob and his comrades partake in robberies to feed their addictions. Bob’s high school sweetheart and now wife is as much, if not more deeply involved into drugs than Bob. Bob’s consort and his dimwitted girlfriend blindly follow Bob on his endeavors for the ultimate high. Every time he shoots up, a part of him dies. He’s become distant from every joyful necessity a human life embraces: family, companionship and a zest for improvement. When visiting his mother, she simply critiques him of his lifestyle out of heartbreak, seeing him ruin his life one needle at a time. He finds immense satisfaction loafing around in a less than desirable motel room high as a kite. Lastly, he has forgotten what love he had with his wife. When she tries to initiate intercourse in the early part of the feature, Bob has no interest whatsoever, as he daydreams of the next heist they will pull off. It seems has though Bob is already dead.

As the film progresses, however, Bob has a revelation. His sidekick’s girlfriend overdoses, and Bob is barley able to put the corpse in the car while police are around the motel where he is residing. It is discovered later that while he was dragging the body into the woods to hide her, he told God if he would get him out of this mess, he would give up a life of drugs. This doesn’t sit well with his wife, as she labels him as crazy, and leaves him to continue her drug infested journey on the open road. Bob, residing in an apartment living a clean lifestyle, is shot by burglars and is taken to the paramedics by the hospital. This leads to the greatest quote of the film

“The irony was fucking brilliant. The chickenshit cops were giving me an escort to the fattest pharmacy in town… I was still alive. I bet he’ll keep me alive.”

The irony truly is brilliant, for it shows once you’re an addict you’re always an addict. However, this isn’t to say second chances don’t exist. When I was coming up in school, teachers would constantly say “there are no make ups in life.” While it may be impossible to physically go back and prevent something from happening, it is never impossible to correct your mistakes. How often do we hear stories of people coming out of jail and reestablishing their place in society or of individuals who left their loved ones far behind only to come back and reconcile with them. Personally, I’ve seen first hand what addiction can do to a person. Restraning orders have been signed, marriages have crumbled, families become depleted and lives have been lost, which to this point is the only resolution I’ve witnessed in terms of ending an addiction. But this isn’t to say an addict can come along and realize what and whom they’ve harmed in their life. At times it may be too late, while other times the addict catches a break and turn their life around. We see it all the time with Hollywood stars going into rehab and coming back better than ever.

For Bob Hughes showed us in Drugstore Cowboy that if we are willing to put the time and effort to better ourselves, nothing will break our will to do so.

Photo Blog Post

As a mass communications student, you learn about different mediums in which information will be conveyed. Photojournalism is truly an art that if mastered can tell a story better than any wordsmith. Because this is a film based blog, I chose to capture photos of individuals watching my personal favorite film, Pulp Fiction. Being that the film has different elements of shock, humor and cliffhangers, it made for a variety of emotion and debate. Seeing as this is my first time attempting photojournalism, I tried to get some close up shots, shots in action and mid range shots from my cell phone. I hope you enjoy.

With Jungle Boogie playing in the opening credits to balance the intensity of the film with some charismatic comic-relief, Sophia Liotine, right, sits next to Luciano Laratelli awaiting the the next scene. Photo by Aron Harris.

The casual dialogue between Vince and Jules keeps Sophia Liotine and Luciano Laratelli at a calm state, until they walk into an apartment and kill three men who screwed over their boss, Marcellus Wallace. Photo by Aron Harris.

As expected, the mood of the film changed in a matter of seconds as Luciano Laratelli is surprised by the sudden executions after such a casual setting. Photo by Aron Harris.

As Mia Wallace, wife of Marcellus Wallace, is over dosing, Vincent and his drug dealer engage in a Sienfeld-like argument about getting the adrenaline shot to save her life. A perfect example of dark humor that Sophia Liotine doesn’t feel bad laughing about. Photo by Aron Harris.

Luciano Laratelli and Sophia Liotine debate what was in the briefcase. Luciano believes it to be gold, but Sophia argues that whats in the case is beyond our comprehension. Photo by Aron Harris.

What Film Means to Them

Luciano Laratelli: “Film is a way of looking at life in a way thats really impossible for us. You get a third party perspective that you don’t usually see. To me, Pulp Fiction is successful because of the variety of film techniques meshed into one coherent film that turned out to be very well done.”

Sophia Liotine: “Film allows me to become something that lies in my fantasy. With Pulp Fiction, however, I get a dose of what reality is like. Crime is always happening, and Tarantino presents it in a way that blends in perfectly with everyday life” They always say a picture is worth a thousand words. When people see something as opposed to hearing, they are more likely to empathize with what they saw. In essence, visuals, such as film and photos, will always be the best mediums for telling a story.

Rebel Without a Cause Critiques Parenthood

In James Dean’s short acting career, he showed us what it was like for such a young actor to put raw emotion on the screen. Every tear he shed, every smile he made and every punch he threw, you felt as if he wasn’t acting, but rather carrying the role of a liaison for the young people of his generation. Rebel Without a Cause was the perfect movie to portray teenage frustration in such an angry fashion that it’s almost impossible to articulate. Having James Dean play the role of Jim Stark, a young teenager who is frustrated with his family dynamics, was a match made in heaven. Jim longs to live in a normal family and not have to move away every time he gets in trouble. He longs for the traditional household that is portrayed in the media at the time, such as Father Knows Best.When I watch the film, however, I can’t help but feel the internal struggle in Jimmy is a result of the frustration he has towards his father.

The film opens up with an intoxicated Jim Stark being escorted to the local police station, where he is in custody awaiting his parents arrival. When they arrive, Jim’s father tries to defend Jimmy, but he is quickly put in his place by his wife. Arguing continues and Jimmy shouts in agony “You’re tearing me apart!” He is surrounded by constant bickering 24/7, none of which ends in any type of conflict resolution. He then goes to his new high school, where he meets an uncanny friend name Plato. At a field trip, they watch an astronomy video that details how the universe will end, which may serve as a metaphor for Jim’s universe is ending, and perhaps the universe of several young people of that time. After winning a knife fight against Buzz, a bully at his school, he is challenged by Buzz to a game of chicken(two people drive a car of a cliff, whoever jumps out first is the chicken). They race the next night, but Buzz was unable to jump out in time and dies in the car wreck. It is the upcoming scene that defines the underlying theme of the film.

When Jim gets home, he confesses to his parents what happened. He wants to go the police and tell them of his involvement, but his parents don’t agree. His mother immediately suggest moving again, to which Jim looks to his father for support. His father puts his head in his hands, wishing everything would stop. Jim becomes infuriated with his father’s lack of manhood, and proceeds to throw him to the ground. He takes off to an abandoned mansion, where he, Plato and Jim’s love interest Judy begin to play “house.” Jim is the father, Judy is the mother and Plato is the child. It is this instance we see these characters in their most vulnerable state. The only rules they abide by are the ones they create. Jim is acting as the father he so desires to have. One who talks to children, not tell them what to do, how to act or how to think. After Plato has a mental breakdown, he starts shooting at police officers with his mom’s gun he stole, resulting in Plato’s death. In the closing scene, Jim introduces Judy to his parent as his friend.

Jim throughout the film feels isolated. He feels he has no place in the world, made evident when he says “I never thought I’d live to see eighteen. Isn’t that dumb? Every day I look in the mirror and say “What? You still here?” The genesis of his feelings may come from a sense of cerebral abandonment from his parents, specifically his father. As mentioned above, Jim’s father never takes a stand as the man of the household. He constantly gets emasculated verbally by his wife and never takes the initative to connect with Jim. Sure, he wants what best for his kid, but hopes everything will work itself out. Jim feels that his father has failed in raising him to be a man, which is why he feels the frustration is having to teach himself how to be one. He approaches this by getting into fights and rebelling against the parents who betrayed him. When Jim says to his father, “What do you do when you have to be a man,” he means it in both a question to his father and himself. How can I be a man when when my own father isn’t?

If there’s anything to be gained from reading this, it’s the initiative parents much take to reach out to their kids. Most kids in rebellion are in that state of mind because they lacked attention when they needed it most. They feel their parents didn’t raise them the right way, or simply gave up on them. From a father to a son, there’s a bond thats established once a boy becomes a man. If you can look into your father’s eye as an adult and recollect the time he put in that made you who you are, you have become a man of great fortune. James Stark shows the internal struggle for kids in abandonment, and shows the consequences that come with it unless something is done.

Good Will Hunting is Therapeutic for Everyone

When you have a brilliant young man that conceals his anger towards himself and the world as the basis for a film plot, what can go wrong? This unlikely Boston street-tough, Will Hunting, reflects how so many of us are  when it comes to our emotions: hesitant to show them. Very few people in today’s world can look at their life and be 100 percent content with their experiences. How often do we hear about peole’s regrets and agony over what they could’ve done differently or the flaws we have with our own self image or even self worth? In many ways, there’s a Will Hunting in all of us, both intellectually and emotionally.

Will never knew what it was like to truly be wanted by someone. Sure, he has his group of buddies that he bar hops with, but never any connection that rendered his spirit to blossom into any real unearthly emotion. His parents put him up for adoption at an early age, dealing with abusive foster parents on his grueling journey through foster care system. He doesn’t date much because he is insecure of his past and upbringing. He detaches himself with nearly every person he meets in fear they will simply pass him off as a nutcase. What comforts will in these times are the books that inhabit his run-down home. Edgar Allen Poe, Oliver Twist and Robert Frost are just few of the names he turns to for comfort. How Will feels, they express in their writings. But even then, words can’t replace human touch. After Will angers his new therapist Sean with remarks about his deceased wife, Sean takes him to the park the next day for a discussion. It’s there where Will begins to feel a slight sense of attachment. Sean gives a beautiful soliloquy on how experience will far outweigh any textbook you will ever read. Sean goes on to state:

“If I asked you about love, you’d probably quote me a sonnet, but you’ve never looked at a woman and been totally vulnerable. Known someone that could level you with her eyes. Feelin’ like God put an angel on Earth just for you, who could rescue you from the depths of hell. And you wouldn’t know what it’s like to be her angel, to have that love for her be there forever. Through anything. Through cancer. And you wouldn’t know about sleepin’ sittin’ up in a hospital room… for two months, holding her hand, because the doctors could see in your eyes… that the terms “visiting hours” don’t apply to you.”

Will’s life begins to change, as he begins unmask his hard exterior, and show genuine emotion.

After embarrassing a Harvard hack with intellect at a bar, Will meets a Harvard girl named Skyler who shows interest in Will. While hesitant to get to know her at first, Will begins to date her, and for the first time knows what it’s like to have worth to a woman. She truly cares about him, doesn’t care about where he came from or his financial standing. Will becomes irate after she says she loves him, for she doesn’t truly know him. In reality, while is trying to abandon her before she abandons him when she’s off at Stanford Medical School.

Things become less than pleasant after she leaves. Will angers Sean again after seeing Will not mature at all, declining several job offers that could greatly improve Will’s life. But in the final tear-jerking scene of the film, Sean tells Will over and over again that his agonizing past is not his fault. Will breaks down in tears as he leans on Sean’s shoulder, finally allowing himself to be vulnerable. From here, Will embarks on a road trip to California, to be with Skyler on his pursuit of happiness.

How do we all connect to this movie? For one, our intellect provides us with some security when all else fails. When you are knowledgeable on a subject that others are not, they are fascinated by you. They desire to be around you to learn more from you. Will’s intellect was the only thing he felt secure about. No on excluding Sean could match him, but it didn’t bring him happiness.I was only a shield from the rest of the world. An excuse to not become close with others.

As mentioned earlier, people often are hesitant to show their emotions. They don’t want to feel vulnerable because then they feel embarrassed. Why does it have to be this way? Why are we afraid of the unforeseen? Why do we limit ourselves in a comfort zone that can be expanded yet we allow it to remain stagnant in fear that people leaner more about us than we’re willing to give on? Life only lasts a short time. Why deprive yourself of something you deserve? Everyone deserves happiness. Everyone deserves to be looked in the eye and told how much they mean to someone else. Everyone deserves a soulmate that they can go through life with and never have to fear being alone. But no one can get to know you if you don’t open yourself up. Never again should this be the case. When it’s all said and done, no amount of money, drugs, or materials can fill the void we all long for as human beings.

After all, the greatest drug that exist for a human is another human being.

A Day in the Life of a Program Director

Hi everyone. I figured I would add a little special to this blog and interview a professional in the media, specifically someone who analyzes creative content for a living and tries to reach a certain audience through said content, like most film and television shows do.

This past week, I was fortunate enough to interview Susan Geiger, program director of WUSF, a local public television station in Tampa, Fla. While public television may have separate guidelines than commercial television, the critical analysis a program director must have about each program to increase ratings is similar to a blogger giving his or her critical analysis of a film, like I am now. I was fascinated by her insights on how the programming industry is now, and also where it is going.

Can you give me an overview of your audience, and how you reach out to them? Both in your writing style and your strategic planning.

 Being a public television station, our audience will differ from that of a commercial station. Our programs generally typically fall into four genres and demographics: veterans, environment, education, and news. As a public station, your job is not only to entertain, but also to serve your community. You want to make your community a better place to live, in which you want to have a balance in the programs you air. The viewers know this as well. Much of the writing I do in my position is responding to viewer emails, both positive and negative. Other writing includes writing scripts to be produced, emailing syndicators that provide us with programs, such as PBS or AP Television, or writing a memo for my coworkers.

Do you ever use social media?

Not as much as I should. I mainly use Twitter for promotional bits in collaboration with WUSF AM, as well as posting broadcast times for each channel. It would be beneficial to use social media to reach a demographic that we may not get often, such as young adults, seeing as our biggest audience are children and the elderly.

How fast-paced is your environment?

Even though we do not have as big of a staff as a commercial broadcast station, it still gets very busy. It can vary, however. Some days, my schedule will consist of meetings with our web designer or FM Director, setting the schedule for the month, meeting with independent producers, screen programs to purchase, and responding to viewer’s emails.

Any traveling?

Not an awful lot. I make an effort to attend at least on meeting a year. It’s a great opportunity for networking.

Who would you say is your biggest competitor in the area?

I would say WEDU. Being that Tampa is one of the largest markets in the U.S., you will obviously have competitors. But it is a healthy competition. for it isn’t about money, but rather increment. In essence, we are competitors, but we compliment each other through our programming.

Do regulations ever interfere with your desired schedule?

 Not too often. One of our channels is a packaged channel, meaning it’s from a satellite and not manufactured locally. Some conflict arises with writing spots, which is not an ad but a call to action. It’s more of a PR campaign. Since children are one of our main audiences, you must make sure to maintain trust in the community.

Would you say ratings have any authority over what your content for the programs are?

Content isn’t directed by ratings. If a program isn’t successful, it will be adjusted to the way the audience wants to see it or simply cancelled. Ratings aren’t the end-all be-all for evaluating a program. What matters is providing meaningful content for the audience, especially is public television.

How do you think your occupation will change in the next decade or so?

 With the rise of online streaming and DVR, the position will drastically change. This is seen now as Nielsen is adjusting how they rate programs because of these different platforms. Live programs such as news and sports games will always have programs schedulers, but major network will soon find little need for them. It may get to the point where the producers decide how the content will air. After all, content is king. If you can create content, you can identify content.

What is your biggest regret in the industry, as well as proudest moment?

 My biggest regret would probably be not being as good at social media as I should, or rather not do it enough. In today’s world, it is crucial to have a dominant presence on social media. My proudest moment would be winning Program Director of the Year from the Public Television Programmers Association (http://ptpa.tv).

Would you have done anything differently in college?

I might have pursued an English degree as opposed to public relations. Public relations was useful, but didn’t provide me with enough opportunities to write. History was another degree I thought I should have pursued. After all, history repeats itself.

Any advice for someone like me that is curious about the industry?

Hone you writing skills. Writing is key for communication not only in your professional life, but in you personal life as well. Also, get experience at a network or station and work in different departments so you get a clear idea of what you want to do.

The Ultimate Price of Pure Adrenaline

“You can do what you want, and make up your own rules. Why be a servant to the law, when you can be its master?”

These are the words of the Bohdisattva, better known as Bohdi, portrayed by late and great Patrick Swayze in the 1991 cult classic Point Break. Many look at Point Break as an action flick with a surfing mentality, but I view it as so much more. It’s a story about discovering who you really are and getting lost in doing what you love.

The movie opens up simultaneously with FBI agent Johnny Utah(played by Keanu Reeves) training in an obstacle course and a group of bank robbers pulling a heist in suits and mask of former presidents, hence the name “Ex-Presidents.” As the movie progresses, Johnny is told he will go undercover as a surfer after his partner Angelo Papas discovers evidence that point to the Ex-Presidents being surfers. Utah then forms a relationship with Tyler, a surfer with a tough exterior that falls into a vulnerable state of love as she teaches Johnny to surf while he’s undercover(unbeknownst to her). Johnny then meets Bohdi, and begins to live the life of an “adrenaline junkie,” constantly surfing and even skydiving. Not only this, but he also learns Bohdi’s philosophy of the human spirit and becoming one with your surroundings. When Bohdi finds out about Utah being undercover, he forces him into a heist that went bad and lives are lost. The movie’s ending is set nine months later, with Johnny holding Bohdi captive on a beach in Australia, where the 50-year-storm that Bohdi so desperately desires to ride is present. Bohdi convinces Jonny to let him ride the “ultimate ride,” presumably losing his life while riding in the wave and Johnny throwing is FBI badge into the ocean, leaving his line of work. While Reeves provide an admirable performance, Swayze is what makes the movie. Not only in his acting style, but in his words and philosophy.

In many ways, Bohdi is similar to infamous Tyler Durden, the devil-may-care anarchist from the 1999 cult classic, Fight Club. Both have detached themselves from societies standard of living, they have liberated themselves from materialistic values that damage the human spirt and both participate in life threatening acts as a form of radical psycho-enlightenment. Their words are powerful enough to convince even the most mentally rugged man to give up a life of conformity and follow them in their quest for mankind’s emancipation from false veneration. He explicitly states this by saying “What’s the matter with you guys? This was never about the money, this was about us against the system. That system that kills the human spirit. We stand for something. We are here to show those guys that are inching their way on the freeways in their metal coffins that the human sprit is still alive.” Bohdi gives several more quotes that stick out to the viewers. However, there are a couple quotes that I believe sum up not only the film’s theme of spiritual epiphanies, but sum up the human experience.

“If you want the ultimate, you have to be willing to pay the ultimate price.”

Everybody at some point in their lives will come across something they desire to have, achieve or experience. But it won’t come without giving something up. For some, this scenario may happen all too often. However, it shouldn’t always be seen in a negative connotation. How many times have we heard stories of our contemporaries and elders, both close to us and those in the media, that have made sacrifices in their lives for something they desire and it worked out remarkably for them in the end. Look at people who have everything financially, yet sacrifice it on their pursuit of happiness. Look at parents who unexpectedly have children, yet they feel more complete then ever before once they become parents, We may give up parts of our lifestyles, fame, fortune and even those close to us, but the outcome can be even better than we imagines. Sacrifice can be painful, but it can also be precious.

“Fear causes hesitation. Hesitation will cause your worst fears to comes true.”

Let’s take a moment and examine the fear that dictates our lives. Some of us aren’t outgoing or courageous as we should be because we fear rejection. We don’t take as many risks because we fear failure. We don’t get to know people because we fear attachment. The list goes on. Rather than letting fear control us, we need to channel that fear into motivation to overcome ourselves. For the greatest adversary you will ever face in this life is yourself. Once you have overcome your fears, insecurities and anxieties, you have won the greatest battle known to man. Once you liberate yourself of these demons, you’ll achieve what Bohdi would call “100 percent pure adrenaline.”

Pulp Fiction: An Examination of Morality

Arguably the most quoted film in American Cinema, Pulp Fiction set the stage for indie film makers who set out to challenge the normal attributes of American society and broadcast their beliefs in a postmodern fashion. While the film’s elements stays true to any Tarantino blood-bath feature, it has several underlying themes on the  topic of our own morality in the ever lasting struggles of establishing a common ground between a religious and secular viewpoint on the merits of human life’s sacredness in society. This struggle is most explicitly between the film’s two protagonist, Vincent Vega and Jules Winnfield.

The character of Jules Winnfield is truly a complex one. He comes off as a man that performs his duties, but still is very critical in his own way of how he views people, the world and eventually his own actions. Vincent Vega, however, is a man that takes no issue with his actions or the actions of his boss, Marcellus Wallace, who plays the personification of the devil. This is not to say Vince is a malicious individual, but isn’t hesitant to pull the trigger on those who cross him or Marcellus. Jules for a short while fit this description, until he witnessed what he believed to be a miracle.

This is where skepticism confronts a newfound disciple of the divine. After a gunman misses Vince and Jules five time, Jules believes God came down and deflected the bullets that should’ve hit them. Jules get aggravated with Vince when he tries to pass it off as a freak occurrence, which reflects the Judaeo-Christan and Secularist battle we see often today. As we move to the Diner scene, the conversation between the two exemplifies the debate even further. While Jules comes to grips with his life and decides to wonder the earth as God’s disciple, Vincent seems to take a nihilist response to his words, telling Jules the people who take a life of a wonderer are the “scum of the world” and are “pieces of shit.” Jules examines himself even further when he is pointing a gun to Ringo, the thief. When he recites Ezekiel 25:17 at the beginning of the film, he does it in an intimating way. When reciting the passage to Ringo, he recites it in a self reflective tone, describing himself as the “tyranny of evil men,” and referring to Ringo as the weak. But Jules expressing his desire to become the Shepard, who is the finder of lost children. This shows the complete transformation of Jules morality, giving up a life of violence for a life of God. Unfortunately, Vincent’s arguably nihilist perspective on life keeps him in his line of work, and leads to his death by the hands of another character undergoing a similar transformation.

When we first are introduced to Butch Coolidge, he is in a bar with Marcellus Wallace accepting money to throw a boxing match. Marcellus believes Butch is washed up, and tells him pride will be the fall of him. Butch ultimately crossed Wallace, and plans to go to Knoxville with his girlfriend. Like Vincent, Butch carries a nihilistic attitude, which is made evident when he shows no remorse for killing his opponent in the ring. However, Butch begins to take on existential approach to life as his day commences. When looking at the film form a critical standpoint, Butch has free will but isn’t free. His soul metaphorically belongs to the devil, he’s tied to a chair with a gag ball in his mouth about to be sexually assaulted and his life is dictated around the gold watch that has been in his family for years. As the film progresses, he takes control of his own life and even values the lives of others. When he escapes from captivity, he decides to save Marcellus, who wants Butch dead for not throwing the fight. As Marcellus lets Butch leaves town for saving his life, he rides off on a chopper with his girlfriend, fully in control of his destiny.

In essence, Pulp Fiction is a successful film due to its perfect blend of philosophical oracles that each character realizes in their own bizarre journey. The transformation of Jules and Butch reflect their realization that life is precious, seeing as both of them had near death experiences, as did Marcellus Wallace by letting Butch flee. The value of human life is the most predominate theme of film. Those who figured it out survived. Those who didn’t suffered the ultimate consequence of death. In the end, regardless of religious or secular affiliation, no one can deny the value of human experience in this life.

Saturday Night Fever Reflects the Era of its Time

While many regard the film Saturday Night Fever as the best movie soundtrack of all time, I consider it one of the most underrated films in the history of the American Cinema. John Travolta’s performance as Tony Manero was so realistic and passionate, you felt as if he truly was the king of disco. You can point out many features of the film to pinpoint its greatness: Travolta’s masculine appeal, the clothing, the sex, the drugs, and the rawness we saw in a film that had seldom been done before. Saturday Night Fever is more than just a dance flick with a great soundtrack. This is because Tony Manero isn’t just a stereotypical Italian living in Brooklyn. He represents a generation of young adults disillusioned by his surrounding, as his priorities become more misconstrued, and goes through the agony of acceptance in this coming of age film. This speaks to the generation of the late 70s as they were on a quest of individuality. At some point in every young adults life, they will have an epiphany that what they’re doing at a young age will not last. School will become work, games will become tasks, and you will become and adult. Tony doesn’t seem to understand this line of thinking until the movie progresses. Yet at the same time, the film can be seen as a reminder that we all have our sanctuary in which no one can hurt us, and where we are the ruler of our own universe.

In essence, Saturday Night Fever reflects the society of that time, and today, to find our own identity.

Many would say the 1970s are a generation without a face, while some would argue the 1970s isn’t remembered by an identity but by events such as Watergate. The Vietnam War was coming to a close, the counterculture movement of the 1960s was in massive decline, and the beginning of the tech age of the 1980s had yet to come. Essentially, the 1970s was the middle child of American History. But what made it distinct from any other era was the pop culture, especially in music and dance, specifically disco. Tony Manero personifies the era to perfection. Coming from a working class family that is struggling to make ends meet, Tony works at a paint store to help provide for the family. He goes home and receives never ending criticism from his family, and stays in constant frustration as he lives in the shadow of his brother Frank, who is on his way to becoming a priest. But on Saturday Night, Tony Manero separates himself as the king of the dance floor, with everyone in awe as he dances. Women wanted him and men wanted to be him. We see this as he walks in to the club 2001 Space Odyssey, where everyone greets Tony with high regard. It’s easy to see why Tony is trapped in time; in this instance, he is the center of attention. No one can touch him. That is until he meets Stephanie Mangano, the women who will inspire Tony to branch out from his inner circle and make something of himself.

As the 1970’s progressed, there became a lack of identity crisis, but one that was still prevalent. Many students pursued business degrees, women had progressed in the workforce but were still not taken seriously, and socio-economic status within the economy had changed thanks to the stagflation. Pop culture, however, polarized the 1970s. The glamor of clothing, drugs and hair gel captivated those at the disco. To Tony, this is what his life centered around. But when he has lunch with Stephanie at the coffee shop, she opens his eyes about where he is going. Up until this point, Tony never thought about his future. Never considered college or furthering his education of any sort. Earlier in the film this is made evident when Tony says, “Fuck the future!” to which his boss replies, “No Tony! You can’t fuck the future, the future fucks you!” But Tony seems to have a revelation on where is life is heading. Stephanie says to him “You’re nowhere, on your way to no place.” As their friendship progresses, he begins to notice the immature lifestyle he lives, full of violence, misogynistic tendencies, and perverse language. Stephanie, on the other hand, is taking college courses at night, and works at a public relations firm and just bought an apartment in Manhattan. Tony’s frustration is made known as he tears up as the stares at the Brooklyn Bridge, as he comes to the realization that his life is going down the drain. To many young adults of the 70s, who struggled to separate themselves form decades past, needed these tears as an awakening.

In the turning point of the film, Tony’s brother Frank comes home, confessing to his family that he doesn’t want to be a priest anymore. While the parents are in shock and disappointed, Tony seems to be unaffected. However, it isn’t explicit to see why Tony isn’t disappointed. Maybe he is happy he is no longer the black sheep in the family, or perhaps he is joyful for Frank for doing what make him happy as opposed to making their parents happy. This is the advice Frank passes on to Tony right before he leaves. He tells Tony to pursue a career in dance after seeing him dominate the dance floor. This sticks with Tony, but he then faces an internal conflict after he and Stephanie win the dance contest at 2001 Space Odyssey. Tony feels they weren’t the best, and only won because of his status at the club. In this instance he sees he is nothing more than a VIP at a disco club. Infuriated, he tries to rape Stephanie, and allows his group of friends, The Faces, to have sex with a clearly intoxicated Annette, and embark on their reckless stunts along the Brooklyn Bridge. Bobby C, a member of the Faces, begins to perform these stunts for attention, but unfortunately falls and loses his life. As the cop asks if it was suicide, Tony replies, “There’s ways of killing yourself without killing yourself.”

This is the single most important line of the film because if how it defines the movie. Tony Manero has been killing himself without actually pulling the trigger. As he drifts on the New York subway, he reconciles with Stephanie, saying he is moving to Manhattan and will no longer attend the disco.

The last scene shows Tony’s transition into manhood. He exposes his individuality by breaking the mold of his surrounding and decides to pursue a life of hard work, while still doing what he loves. It is this type of mindset that reflected the sociological aspect of the 1970s, more specifically the late 70s. As the time period moved on, more advancements were in the social, political, and professional spectrum. In my opinion, we have an inner Tony Manero. We all are captivated and consumed with what we do and the surrounding that go with to the point we lose sight of what is really important in our lives. This is why coming of age films speaks volumes to a generation of young adults with questions conveyed through masterful cinematic technique that relates to the human struggles as well as the epitome of enlightenment. As John Travolta showed us in Saturday Night Fever, individuality isn’t found in hair gel or a disco ball. It’s found in our motivation to become better than who we are now.

 

Aron and Film

Welcome everyone, I’m Aron Harris. I’m glad you stopped to read the page, for film fanatics and mass communication student alike may gain insight and learn something beneficial.

As a sophomore mass communications student planning on specializing in public relations, I’m beginning to learn how  the public receives information through various mediums and how they react to it as well. Seeing that film is one of the most popular mediums through which the public receives information, it has the ability to alter a person’s beliefs and even their decisions.

I love these types of film. They ignite thought and may even spark a controversy. To be able to critically analyze a film or television program is very much a rewarding trait. For instance, my goal one day is to become a Programming Director for a network, in which I would screen and schedule a program based off its genre and appeals to the targeted demographic. Having said that, being an analytical thinker about what I am viewing is a great trait that can benefit not only me but my employer as well.

While I am not the most active user of social media, I believe it plays an integral part in maintaing a blog’s popularity and following. Through links and status updates, the followers and friends will know when to check the blog for new posts, so social media should go hand in hand with blogging. For this blog, I will give an analyses of my five favorite films, detailing why they are my favorites, such as character development, plot twist and hidden meanings in the feature. I’m doing this not to only give my opinion, but to gain insights from other film enthusiast alike. So sit back and enjoy the show.