Film Review Gran Torino - 1231 Words

The movie Gran Torino, is an American film directed by Clint Eastwood, who also stars as the main character. The movie was set in Highland Park, Michigan which was a nearby suburb of Detroit. In prior years, Highland Park was populated by white families that had come to the area to work in the Ford car factories, but over time, â€Å"the damn chinks† moved into the neighborhood as Walt Kowalski would say. This show was the first American film to show Hmong Americans, which were war refugees that had resettled in the U.S. following the communist takeover of Laos in 1975 (Yuen). The main character, Clint Eastwood is a widowed Korean War veteran who often shows bursts of racism and anger towards people of different race, especially the Asian immigrants in his neighborhood. His neighbor, Thao Vang Lor, a young Hmong teenager becomes a key character in the movie after he gets pressured into stealing Walt’s 1972 Gran Torino in an attempt to be initiated into a Hmong gang in w hich his cousin is involved with. While attempting to steal the car, Walt catches Thao and is sure to prove a point that he is not going to take any slack from him and or the Hmong gang members. While the movie progresses, the minority group shown in the movie intensifies and takes on a larger role in the movie. The two stereotypical views portrayed in this movie are the common ones, such as Asians are weak and smart and or the view that Asians drive around in lowered cars and cast themselves as thugs. One sceneShow MoreRelatedFilm Review : Gran Torino Film Gran Verona 1794 Words   |  8 PagesFor Milestone Two project, I have chosen the film Gran Torino starring Clint Eastwood to analyze, this film is filled with a profusion of cultural diversity, which is met with contention, stereotypical actions, and prejudice by the main character, Walt Kowalski. This film begins in a suburb of Detroit, Michigan where the grumpy widower Walt Kowalski is a Retired auto worker and Korean War veteran full of prejudice despising the many Asian, Latino and black families in his neighborhood. Walt’s wholeRead MoreHollywood: Promoting Stereotypes to Make Easy Money Essay1845 Words   |  8 PagesEvery week numerous Hollywood movies and rereleases open in theaters, video stores, and online movie distributors nationwide: heartwarming films such as The Blind Side; laughter inducing and children captivating classics like Aladdin; movies about overcoming struggles such as, Gattaca. All these new movies and classics alike hold a particular place in our hearts and in our lives. Maybe because of a similarity to our own lives or the main character embraces characteristics we hold dear. WhateverRead MoreThe Effects Of Media On Children And Young People1498 Words   |  6 Pagesadolescents because of suggestive themes that may expose and unload mature topics and situations.Though you may not realize, suggestive themes tend to be everywhere in the media, from seemingly innocent shampoo commercials to the explicit rated-R film, â€Å"Gran Torino†. Hair products company, Herbal Essence, has continued to produce sexually suggestive commercials, which air publicly on many channels. Many programs contain inappropriate, pornographic, and wildly gorey content, such as HBO’s Game of ThronesRead MoreWho Are You Calling Old? Negotiating Old Age Identity in the Elderly Consumption Ensemble Michelle Barnhart Àà º Lisa Penaloza18943 Words   |  76 Pages2003, fewer than 3% of ï ¬ ctional characters depicted on television were over age 65 (Vesperi 2004). It will be interesting to see whether the strong, charismatic characters played by Betty White in Hot in Cleveland and Clint Eastwood in the movie Gran Torino become more common as more baby boomers become senior citizens. Gergen and Gergen (2000) have argued that the â€Å"dark ages† of aging are coming to an end and that America is now entering a new era of â€Å"positive aging,† in which older people are empowered

Nietzsche, Christianity, And The Misunderstanding Of Jesus...

Nietzsche, Christianity, and the Misunderstanding of Jesus In the works of Friedrich Nietzsche, there is perhaps no group of people that is criticized more than Christians and the Christian Church. While Nietzsche shows a great aversion for western philosophy in general, one could certainly make the argument that his critiques against Christianity are just as equally as incisive, if not more. This comes across perhaps most clearly in his work, entitled The Anti-Christ, in which Nietzsche offers us a look into the beliefs of Christianity and its central figure, Jesus Christ, as well as the ways in which he believes Christians fail. It is important to recognize these shortcomings, but it is equally important to investigate the emotional tool they use, termed ressentiment, that rises from their misunderstanding of Jesus. Christians, according to Nietzsche, through their progression in ressentiment misunderstand Jesus through his death and teachings. In order to understand these things, we must first investigate the lens through which Christians understand Christ, namely ressentiment. The process of ressentiment begins with the establishment of a master and slave morality. The development of this concept is best explained by Nietzsche in his Genealogy of Morals: â€Å"everywhere ‘noble’, ‘aristocratic’, in social terms is the basic concept from which, necessarily, ‘good’†¦ developed: a development that always runs parallel with that other one which ultimately transfers ‘common’,Show MoreRelatedNietzsche s On The Genealogy Of Morals1668 Words   |  7 Pageschose to expand my ideas and compare them to Friedrich Nietzsche’s first essay in â€Å"On the Genealogy of Morals.† Nietzsche first debunks the ideas of Nietzsche sees two types of morality at play creating these original definitions of good bad and evil, master morality and slave morality. I will also use Nietzsche’s concept of â€Å"will to power† to evaluate each of these ideas. Nietzsche believes that the will to power is the force that pushes humankind. To clarify for my readers, I’m looking to separate

Human Compter Interaction

Question: Write a report on human computer interaction. Answer: Introduction The provide objective of this report is to provide the detailed information about the tasks executed, and the result of the efforts made. Following are the primary objectives of this task: Develop a high-fidelity prototype of the website (Amant, 2005) This includes enhancing the website developed in Project A, to make it more attractive, and with better design, which brings ease to users while navigating the website. User Acceptance Testing To carry out User Acceptance Testing with some random users Identify features that needs attention Identify one or two features that need attention and recommended to be implemented Recommendation Based on the results of User Acceptance Testing, recommend particular areas of improvement Content This project is based on HCI (Human Computer Interaction) principles. HCIs primary focus is to enable the end users of any age/demography to navigate the website with ease, and effectiveness. Although Human Computer Interaction has come a long way, it is formulating and is being constantly reviewed to come up with better design principles (The modern Web: multi-device Web development with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript, 2013). Based on the user feedback gathered in Project A, GTGS website is modified to adapt better design and, bringing more information of the user. Following changes are made to the website layout and content: The websites header part is modified to show a clean design to the user (logo) The menu has been recreated to display the different products inside each category i.e. Boardgames, Lego Technics and Playing cards (Begy, 2015). Use can click on any product/game directly from the menu, without going the specific Category page Copyright Disclaimer is displayed on every page of the website The Category pages have been modified to showcase better design, and clear information to users New pages have been created for each product to described information of each product in detail The recent prototype of Global Toys, Games and Cards website is developed keeping in mind following HCI principles: Know Thy User Keeping in mind the suggestions provided during the Project As User Analysis, the website is modified to bring the layout and design clean and simple; yet effective (Lee, Hyunjhin, 2010). Consistency This principle suggests keeping a consistency across the website. Keeping this in mind, we have created a common CSS file that is being used to design different elements across the website (Shneiderman, 2011). Shortcuts The navigation on the website (menu) is designed in such a way that user can go to any particular product/game from any page. Note: The website has been tested primarily on Google Chrome 50. User Acceptance Testing To take feedbacks from the customers a set of questionnaire is made, which may help to improve the website in future (Pandit and Tahiliani, 2015). The following questions are asked to the different users How much effective the website you find? Is the website is easy to navigate? How much informative is the website? What improvement should encounter in forthcoming days? USER 1 Name: FIRST LAST Age: 31 Sex: Male Address: Auburn, NSW Occupation: Nursing Answers: The website is very effective The website is very easy to navigate The information on the website is adequate The website needs to have more product/games to make more interesting for user USER 2 Name: FIRST LAST Age: 18 Sex: Male Address: Auburn, NSW Occupation: Student Answers: Very effective The navigation is very easy and clear Website is good information source for the respective games Add a Contact Us page for the store USER 3 Name: FIRST LAST Age: 27 Sex: Female Address: Auburn, NSW Occupation: Teacher Answers: Very effective The navigation is easy and clear Website has enough content and information to the end user A mini navigation menu can be added on each page to ease out the navigation for the end user. Features Global Toys, Games and Card website is designed to provide simple and effective navigation. This enables users can navigate easily and view the required information about the products. This will bring more interest in the website for users, and can boost the stores business. GTGC website has following features for users: The website is designed with HTML5 (Hagino, 2011) and CSS3 (The book of CSS3: a developer's guide to the future of Web design, 2012), keeping the basic layout and contents of the language Users can search Toys/Games based on any keyword from any page on the website (prototype only) Users can look for products in specific categories i.e. Board Games, Lego Technics and Playing Cards Users can directly jump to any specific product/game from any page Users can get the detailed information about the product/game Recommendation The website will be used by a variety of age group/demography. The User Acceptance Testing with some random users went good, but there are few suggestions. More information about the business and shop needs to be added A mini menu needs to be added on the left/right side of the page which shows all the categories For better navigation, relevant products need to be shown on each product/game detail page, so that users can go directly to the relevant page A Contact Us page needs to be added Conclusion The report is focusing on the high fidelity prototype of the project. The main objective of the project is to modify the GTGC website to adhere to HCI principles. It also considered feedback from Project As end-users and modified the website to resolve the concerns. User Acceptance Testing has been done on the changes, and the users are satisfied with the new design and navigation. However, there are some recommendations made on the prototype, which needs changes in the website. References Amant, K. (2005). A Prototype Theory Approach to International Website Analysis and Design.Technical Communication Quarterly, 14(1), pp.73-91. Begy, J. (2015). Board Games and the Construction of Cultural Memory.Games and Culture. Hagino, T. (2011). HTML5.Eizo Joho Media Gakkaishi, 65(4), pp.467-470. Lee, Hyunjhin, (2010). Vision of HCI Design Methodology for the 3rd HCI paradigm within historical context.Journal of Digital Design, 10(1), pp.379-388. Pandit, P. and Tahiliani, S. (2015). AgileUAT: A Framework for User Acceptance Testing based on User Stories and Acceptance Criteria.International Journal of Computer Applications, 120(10), pp.16-21. Shneiderman, B. (2011). Claiming success, charting the future.interactions, 18(5), p.10. The book of CSS3: a developer's guide to the future of Web design. (2012).Choice Reviews Online, 49(06), pp.49-3303-49-3303. The modern Web: multi-device Web development with HTML5, CSS3, and JavaScript. (2013).Choice Reviews Online, 51(02), pp.51-0928-51-0928.

SOCIOLOGY 1301 Chapter 1 2 Final Exam Notes Essay Example

SOCIOLOGY 1301 Chapter 1 2 Final Exam Notes Paper What is Sociology? Sociology is the scientific study of human social life, groups, and societies. What is not an example of sociological imagination? It allows you to use your experiences to view your society as an insider. Early thinkers that is considered the father of sociology? Auguste Comte Early thinkers that advocated for slave emancipation and religious tolerance? Harriet Martineau When people stated to feel disengaged and unable to cope with the changes in their environment, that is an example of Anomie Early thinkers that suggested that behavior must be fully comprehended through the suggestive meaning people attached to their actions Max Weber According to W.E.B. DeBois, knowledge is essential to combating prejudice. TRUE Proletarians are known as the business owners FALSE Survival of the fittest Concept argues that it is NOT natural for some people to be rich. FALSE Early thinker work that suggested that religion reinforces groups solidarity Emile Durkheim If Kevin and Kim met when they were both students at Tarrant County College, and after graduation, they both got married, that would be an example of Latent Functionalism If upon graduation, Kevin and Kim received their associates degrees from Tarrant County College, that would be an example of Manifest Functionalism If American Airlines workers decided to go on strike because of low pay and poor benefits, that would be an example of Conflict perspective Functionalist perspective is a macro-sociology TRUE Conflict perspective assumes that social order is achieved through coercion TRUE Sociological framework in which human beings are viewed as living in a world of meaningful objects. Symbolic Interactionism Perspective that was developed in the United States Interactionist perspective What perspective is most commonly applied to capitalism and economic systems? Conflict perspective In order to understand the societal changes, who applied the concept of evolution of the species? Herbert Spencer Early thinker that conducted research with the intention to combat racial inequality in the United States? W.E.B. DeBois Why is it important to understand the research method All of the above-Plays a major role in society, helps us to be better consumers of information, help avoid us being fooled by misleading statistics. A factor that causes, affects, or produces changes is known as Independent Variable Any Phenomenon that changes such as income, age, and religion is know as Variable After a sociologist reviews the literature, what is the next step in the process? Create a Hypothesis If the relationship between two variables is caused by another variable, this is known as Correlation What best describes the notion that the higher the level of ones education, the higher one;s income level will be? Hypothesis Valid research measures Accurately measure the phenomenon under study A sociologist decides to study the interaction among students in the colleges computers center. When the student realize they are under observation, they become shy and reserved in their interactions. This is an example of Hawthorne Effect The type of research design a researcher selects is based on theories and hypothesis the researcher started with. TRUE Studies designed in the form of an interview or questionnaire is known as Survey The type of research that collects and reports data in numerical form is known as Quantitative When a researcher collects information about a group through direct involvement in inspection this is known as Observation In an experimental research design the group that was not given any treatment by the researcher is known as Control group Data collected from the US census is an example of Participant observation Sometimes cause-and-effect can happen simultaneously False No effect can be its own cause True X cannot be a cause of Y if X precedes Y in time False

The Pedestrian free essay sample

This short story is an example of Dystopian fiction – dealing with a society that embodies a flawed perfection – achieved at a cost. In the story, Ray Bradbury attacks a society which is, in effect, a police state – a totalitarian regime. The sole representative of the regime is, appropriately, the police car. Mead is a non-conformist whose ‘crime’ is to walk for pleasure – a most simple and natural activity. The oppressive nature of the regime is emphasised by the fact that such a basic human activity is prohibited and has been eradicated – as indicated by the disused sidewalks. The nature of this soulless society is emphasised again and again by numerous images connected with death: â€Å"dark windows† â€Å"not unlike walking through a graveyard† â€Å"tomb-like buildings† and â€Å"grey phantoms† By contrast the vivid sensory description of Mead’s walk is conveyed through crisp natural images which evoke the senses and show his delight in simple pleasures and sensations: breathing in the cold November air and its â€Å"crystal frost† makes his â€Å"lungs blaze like a Christmas tree inside† the â€Å"branches filled with invisible snow†. We will write a custom essay sample on The Pedestrian or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page This is a society which (it is implied) is kept docile and uninformed by a diet of poor quality TV programmes (which, we assume from the Police Car’s incredulity when Mead explains that he has no TV, are controlled by the State). The minds of the population have been dulled by the TV they are incessantly and acceptingly fed. Only Mead can see through the banality and predictability of the programmes: †Where are the cowboys rushing? † †A dozen assorted murders† †A comedian falling off the stage† There is nothing to stimulate the intellect of the population here. Despite the (large) number of channels, there is a complete absence of any political programme which might challenge the government. Possibly suggesting brain-washing. If not, it is clear from the way that the population is described that they are not capable intellectually of challenging the government – they are portrayed as automatons – unthinking, unchallenging, uninformed. The suggestion is that the minds of this population are chained and dulled by the government’s actions. Informed, intelligent, alert people would pose a threat and ask awkward questions. Mead is the last of such people and his nightly covert walks are, we presume a way to find like-minded people. His rebellion, if we can call it that, is hardly the most active – he seems to have accepted or resigned himself to the fact that he can no longer pursue his career and seems a broken man at the end of the story. Setting In contrast to the rest of the population, the individuality and free-thinking nature of Mead’s mind is emphasised by natural images. The simile â€Å"only his shadow moving like the shadow of a hawk† conveys both an impression of a hunter and an image of soaring freedom. The fact that â€Å"he could imagine himself upon the centre of a plain, a wintry, windless Arizona desert† highlights his individuality and the sense of emptiness that he feels in a society that is, effectively, dead. The rest of the population and the city itself are portrayed as being dead. The buildings and city are architecturally dead – the â€Å"buckling concrete walk† suggesting decay and â€Å"tomb-like buildings† suggesting that those inside are dead. Even Nature itself seemed outraged by the setting and tried, it seemed, to bury it â€Å"like cement was vanishing under flowers and grass† The Police Car The imagery associated with the police car is harsh, cold, threatening, oppressive, that of hunter and its paralysed prey â€Å"flashed a fierce white cone of light upon him† â€Å"It smelled of riveted steel. It smelled of harsh antiseptic† Images which mirror the nature of the regime which is personified and represented by the car. Frequent use of word-choice linked to metallic, robotic, mechanical ideas. The voice of the police car also sounds robotic: short, sharp peremptory commands contrast with Mead’s fuller more warm and personal replies. The clearest indication of the nature of the regime comes in the interrogation: The lack of recognition of Mead’s profession and the incredulity that he does not have a TV set hint strongly at state control. In this dystopian society, anything connected with the arts: creativity, beauty, the senses†¦ is not recognised. Only that which is manufactured is recognised. Books and writing have no place in this regime. In a similar manner, the police car is unable to comprehend that Mead was simply walking for its own pleasurable sake. â€Å"Walking, just walking, walking? The repetition of walking gives the impression of the car’s brain malfunction. It cannot grasp that anyone would do something simply for the pleasure of it, not without a reason. Only Mead is capable of wry humour (a human quality) Are you married, Mr Mead No Nobody wanted me, said Leonard Mead with a Smile. Irony Mead is to be taken to an asylum – â€Å"To the Psychiatric Centre for Research o n Regressive Tendencies†. Note the use of official sounding language – a euphemism designed to hide the true purpose of such a place – echoing Soviet Asylums in which those who actively opposed the state’s political ideals were sent to an ‘asylum’ to be ‘re-educated’ – brain-washed until they did accept what the state wanted them to believe. The great irony here is that Mead – the only sane man in this insane society is being sent to an asylum. Symbolism. On their way to the asylum through, they pass Mead’s house. It is ablaze with lights in contrast to the dark city. â€Å"electric light brilliantly lit, every window a loud yellow illumination. It is a symbol of hope of vibrant life – light is a universal symbol of hope, but the car is swallowed up once more into the darkness (literally and figuratively). â€Å"The car moved down the empty river-bed streets† natural images of decay and life-lessness. Structure Mead’s capture is represented in stages. Contrast the positive, empowering image of him as a hawk – conveying a sense of freedom with his re action to the car †not unlike a night moth, stunned by the illumination† The short story remains fairly uneventful throughout, therefore the structure reflects this. However, the featurelessness of structure (which in turn reflects the bleakness of the landscape) is broken by the tension created by the interrogation of the police car. The apparent tedium of the walk through the grey town is transformed into a gripping tense episode. Near the end, the short story bursts into another high point of hope with the wonderful climactic symbol of the house ablaze with light – a symbol of hope. Nevertheless, we are again plunged into dark anti-climax as we realise that the house is only one lone point of hope, soon to be submerged within the blanket of darkness everywhere.

Suzy Bishops Books in Wes Andersons Moonrise Kingdom

Suzy Bishop's Books in Wes Anderson's Moonrise Kingdom Wes Andersons  Moonrise Kingdom  is a story about young love that was written by Anderson and Roman Coppola. Filmed in Rhode Island in 2011, the film was released in 2012 to critical acclaim and was nominated for an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay, as well as for the Golden Globe Award for Best Motion Picture - Musical or Comedy.    In the movie, Sam, a Khaki Scout at camp on the island of New Penzance, runs away with a local girl, 12-year-old Suzy Bishop, who shows up at their appointed meeting place with her kitten, her brothers portable record player and a suitcase filled with books. While the books are a creative film prop, they are essential to understanding Suzys character and its fantastic that she reads them to Sam throughout their adventure. Suzy Bishops Books The six fictitious  books that Suzy packed in her suitcase were stolen from her public library and included  Shelly and the Secret Universe, The Francine Odysseys, The Girl from Jupiter, Disappearance of the 6th Grade, The Light of Seven Matchsticks and The Return of Auntie Lorraine. You can learn more about them and listen to Suzy reading from them in this animated short. According to the producer of the film, the animated shorts were originally going to be part of the movie. Artists were hired to design the covers of the books as well, which are prominently displayed in the film. After giving it further thought, Anderson decided to shoot the characters faces as they read excerpts from the  books rather than show the animated shorts. The end result displays more of the character development and leaves some interpretation to the viewers imagination while allowing for snippets of a story within a story.   Although the books are quite charming - both in their creative conception and in the film - they are not real. Anderson wrote only the excerpts that are read aloud in the film. Pertaining to Suzys character development, the titles of the books loosely adhere to the overall plotline of the movie. From Suzy and Sams secret universe that theyve built for themselves, their odysseys, Suzys dark internal world, to returning back home, Suzys books offer an imaginative outlet for their summer adventure. Books in Wes Anderson Movies Books have played a key role in many of Wes Andersons movies. Take for example  The Royal Tenenbaums, which itself was entirely framed as a book. The viewer sees the book checked out of the library at the movies beginning and shots of the chapter pages throughout the movie. No fewer than four characters in The Royal Tenenbaums are professional writers.   Anderson takes great care to create and establish realistic details in his movies, whether it be books, maps or cities. This thorough attention to detail is a key element of the movie-goers experience, allowing viewers to feel as if theyve just stumbled upon an entirely new universe.

Marketing Concepts Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

Marketing Concepts - Essay Example In the UK, 28% of consumers own a smartphone and by 2015 iPhones will make up 11% of all total devices used in the UK.† (Mintel, 2010) The trend in sales has proved that customers are now looking at mobile phone as a device beyond a small instrument that helps to make phone calls. In fact, making calls have become just small of the many functions of mobile phones. Mobile phones are now a total communication and mobility solution. This trend in the industry was driven by the smart phone of iPhone, Nokia, Samsung, Blackberry and other players. This report will discuss the macro and micro environmental changes in the industry and its impacts on the marketing activities of smart phone companies. The report will be discussed with particular reference to Apple iPhone and RIM Blackberry. Mobile phone industry is one of the fastest growing and fastest changing industries in the world. The products become outdated very quickly than in any other domain. Innovation in products, services a nd marketing activities are most common in the industry. Smart phones are the power houses of mobile phone market. Globally, â€Å"Feature phones still represent the majority of mobile phone shipments, even though they are under increasing pressure from smartphones.† (Wauters, 2011) IPhone and Blackberry are among the leading smart phone makers of the world though Blackberry’s market share is slowly being taken over by Samsung. This report will deal primarily with the environmental factors affecting the smart phone industry. The report will also deal with the importance of market segmentation, targeting and positioning in the industry. The later part of the report will discuss the importance of adopting a right marketing mix for the smart phone industry. Environmental Factors and their Impact The major macro environmental factors that affect marketing in the mobile phone market are technology, economic factors, education and employment levels and social factors. (Zain Books, 2011) Technology is the primary factor that drives the handset industry. Recent developments in the market have shown that Apple has come up with the software called ‘siri’ which is expected to take the market by storm. Such developments will force Blackberry to introduce similar technology or any other differentiating factor on its further models and marketing. Economic condition is the next major factor that impacts the marketing. A slowing economy will usually dent the demand for handsets in the market. A slow economy is usually followed by low disposable income in the hands of the consumers. Therefore, the companies will mostly reduce their marketing spending in order to reduce cost and improve margin. Education and employment levels determine whether the consumers will have enough knowledge and disposable income to purchase mobile phones. Companies like Apple and Blackberry will have to decide on the pricing and product features based on the educational and employment level of the customers. The next macro environmental factor that has an impact on the marketing decisions of handset companies are social factors. The social set up and reference groups create a huge impact on the purchasing decisions of consumers. (Tutor2u, 2011) Therefore, the marketing activities of a company in one region are entirely different from that of the other region. For instance, the theme of iPhone advertisement in United States will be different from what it is in India. The main reason is the difference between social