Blog #1

BOWLING FOR COLUMBINE

 I just watched the documentary "Bowling for Columbine" by Michael Moore. This documentary was very interesting and made me realize a lot about firearms and gun control. After thinking that Toronto has had a problem with firearms, I now see that the U.S has a much bigger weight on their shoulders. It was quite shocking to see how different the Wal-Mart chain is in the states, being a licensed firearm and ammunition dealer. Michael Moore has taken a very good approach with this film, his interviews with  families of the victims have really made me sympathize in a way.

His stab at the N.R.A also allows him to really grasp his audience and address the issue of gun control, some people do not realize how much of a problem it really is, until a documentary like this one comes along and exposes the crises.







                                 60 MINUTES: EMINEM

I watched a '60 minutes' piece on American rapper Eminem. Right away I did not agree with the fact that they addressed him as a white male who's education did not exceed the 9th grade. I think that his education level was a completely unnecessary thing to mention. But with that aside, this was a very informative piece and sends a message to everyone about drug abuse and recovery.



They focus on his troubled past and his current life and family. After a life of hardships Eminem (Marshall Mathers) suffered drug addiction and has since sobered up and revived his career as a musician. Some very nice techniques that 60 Minutes approached with, were taking camera crews and a host to the troubled neighborhoods of Detroit, for an interview with Eminem. They intended on bringing the audience closer to the artist on almost a personal level, so that they may sympathize for him even if the viewer may not be a fan of the rapper, or even previously being opposed to him.


           
         
          
            NATIONAL GEOGRAPHIC: 2012 COUNTDOWN

        
This TV documentary aired not too long ago in December 2010. It focuses into the prophecies of the ancient Maya civilizations and their predictions that the world will come to an end on December 21, 2012. After watching this doc I learned that the ancient Mayans were very superstitious and went as far as to sacrifice members of their tribes to the gods, offering the hearts of the deceased in return for mercy. But one can almost think that maybe they over-sacrificed themselves, causing a decay in their population which ultimately lead them to falling off the face of the earth. In my opinion this is just another Y2K type of scare that has caused hysteria in the world.

This doc had some very nice visuals and special effects, however it also made me scratch my head. There is a scene where they are trying to predict New York City on December 21st of 2012, they show the city burning while tourists and locals run for their lives, they are all dressed in summer attire and there is absolutely no snow! Didn't seem like December to me, especially for New York..

Overall there is some very interesting information in this documentary about climate change and cultural traditions. It made me want to read more on the Maya mysteries and history.

This Wikipedia link has updated information on Mayan art, urban design and much more that I found to be very interesting: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Mayans