Before the popularity of I Love Lucy, television shows had been produced in New York rather than California. Up until 1951, (the debut of I Love Lucy) there had been a clear separation between television media and Hollywood's motion picture productions. This great divide existed in part due to the easy accessibility of programs available on television sets. With audiences inclined to stay home for entertainment rather than going to movie houses and purchasing tickets; production companies were beginning to note a decline in their revenue. Consequently television and film productions viewed one another as rivals rather than recognizing the potential for a partnership which would mutually benefit both parties.
I Love Lucy proved that the co existence between television and film media was a successful partnership. The deciding factor in submersing a television program into the traditional Hollywood film environment was solely based on Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz' insistence on remaining in California. Up until 1951 television had modeled itself on radio broadcast formats and had headquartered their productions in New York. Previously television productions were treated similarly to stage productions. Actors performed in front of a live audience while the program was being transmitted. As these transmissions and recording were done live, the television productions lacked the leisure of longer shoot schedules and editing which would have provided a more polished look.
I Love Lucy not only changed the localization of television production, but also introduced a "Hollywood" approach in how television programs were shot and presented. Three cameras had been employed in recording in order to allow for choices between multiple film sets and angles which maximized the quality of the exhibition. Changes influenced by Hollywood presentation greatly benefitted the way programs were produced by integrating the filming techniques employed for features. Modern television shows, although no longer filmed before a live audience, still receive the same post production attention provided to major films. With the exception of distribution methods and budget, today's shows aren't much different from motion pictures. Perhaps none of these changes would have been possible had it not been foe Lucille Ball and Desi Arnaz' insistence in keeping I Love Lucy's production in California which had become a ground breaking move for the show.
Today most film companies such as Disney and Columbia Tri-Star also own broadcast networks in which original shows are produced and distributed. Ball and Arnaz opened the door for television more widely than they may have realized when they broke tradition and chose to keep their show California based.
Mass media has contributed far
more to society than most people are aware. Media can provide for social
outlets as well as providing a means for expression for individuals.
Media has also provided visual and audio entertainment, news on national and
local events, and provide information on products and services by way of
advertisements. Levels of media can not
completely be categorized into standalone units as various components build
upon one another to create a complete experience. as much as the media is
overlooked and taken for granted, society would not be able to function without
some form of media presence in their lives. First thing in the morning
people wake up to their clock radios and immediately they are bombarded by a
combination of useless talk show banter, music, commercials, weather and
traffic reports. One gains so much information while standing in front of
their mirror one-two hours while getting ready for work. Information on
how one should dress for the day can easily be gained from the weather report,
the route one should take when heading out to work can be obtained from the
traffic report, and so on. The subtle effects of
advertising can can also be seen in commercials. Actors may be dressed in
trendy clothing and dependent upon the target audience, the actors may
also speak using slang. Advertizements serve as an educational tool for
new products and services as well as providing the benefits of said
items. In doe cases ads have contributed slightly more to the general media
by providing a catch phrase such as "Where's the beef? or "Time to
make the donuts." At times commercials may be attributed to shopping
frenzies due to the popularity of a product such as the Cabbage patch doll,
Tickle Me Elmo, or Furby. Music has also shaped trends
such as clothing, hair styles, and make up. Fans often try to emulate
their favorite celebrities. The ability to express one's self plays a
huge factor as clothing is rarely regarded as a simple garnet by consumers, but
an extension of who one ir or who one perceives one's self to be. Generally speaking, it would
be very difficult for a person to survive any aspect of their lives without the
media being present. In order to lead a media free life one would
basically have to take up a hermit like existence in order to avoid hearing or
seeing any advertisements. One would also be avoiding exposure to film
and music. Essentially it would be
impossible for society as a whole to survive without mass media because it
makes up a very large part of our daily lives. The important its of media
such as educational shows; just as much as the entertainment are located
everywhere throughout one's daily activities.
Bewitched is a show
from the sixties which is definitely a lot more conservative than most
television shows today. The show cast its two main characters in very
traditional roles. Darren was the breadwinner and worked at a very
stereotypical job for that time period. Darren’s job was in the
advertizing business. Now a day’s the advertizing profession may not be
as highly viewed as it once was. Samantha although far from average
still represented the typical housewife. She didn’t have a job of her
own and was dependent upon Darren for financial security. Samantha was
simply expected to take care of the house, cook the meals, and look
pretty. She herself stated in episode five after having upset her
husband because he assumed that she had used witchcraft to come up with
great ideas for his latest ad campaign; Samantha vowed to clean the home
from top to bottom, have dinner prepared, and wear her most attractive
dress. All of this was done in the form of a peace offering in order to
apologize for upsetting Darren earlier in the episode regardless of the
fact that she had not used magic and had absolutely no reason to make
amends. The Samantha character for the most part comes off a submissive
and more than willing to do what was expected of her rather than defend
the fact that she had not done anything wrong. Treatment like that
wouldn’t even be tolerated today, yet Samantha is very much a “Stepford
Wife”.
It is a breath of
fresh air however to hear people speak as though they had been properly
educated. The vernacular used was pleasant, direct, and formal. Not
once did I notice the use of slang or shortened word structure such as
“can’t” being substituted for the phrase cannot. The show has a very
clean cut presentation and always features well groomed and well dressed
actors. Darren goes to work every day wearing a three piece
suit. Samantha and the other women on the show are always featured in
dresses or gowns depending on the occasion. House dresses although
casual in comparison to the other clothing worn by the actors are
usually up to the collar bone and do not extend below, and the hems of
the dresses were no shorter than knee length. Not once during the five
episodes viewed did I notice any of the adults wearing a tee shirt or
cotton dress.
Bewitched
definitely emphasized a formal attitude and points out the general
values of middle upper class America. The husband was in a professional
and successful position who also gained the admiration of not only his
wife but his peers as well. The wife wasn’t expected to do more than
take care of her husband and the home. A task she seems very pleased
and content with.
Charmed was a series from the 90s which featured three sisters who become “do gooders” once their dormant powers are released. The show is more openly spiritual than Bewitched was. Bewitched was merely a show about a “magical” housewife. The first episode of Charmed opens with a woman at an altar preparing for a ceremony. Bewitched never made any reference to witchcraft or any religious practices. Charmed also works to relieve the stigmas and negative connotations most have about witches and witchcraft.
Episode two deals with Piper adjust to life as a witch and how she over comes the phobia that all witches are bad. She eventually overcomes this by stepping foot in a church. The show makes an effort to break down barriers and remind everyone that people are people regardless of their religious beliefs. Episode one of Bewitched brings up the topic of prejudice when Samantha tells Darren that she is a witch, but Charmed actually makes an effort to dispel the misconceptions and teach the general masses about the Wiccan belief system.
Both Bewitched and Charmed carry strong family values. Samantha played the part of the obedient and adoring wife who strove to work things out with her husband Darren. The three Hallowell sisters also share a strong family bond and look out for the well being of one another. They also had some slight differences that needed to be worked out at first
Charmed may not be as conservative as Bewitched was; granted Samantha was always well dressed and hardly work skin barring clothing. The Hallowell sisters often prance about in spaghetti strap shirts or midriff baring shirts. At times the skirts they wear have slits reaching to their upper thighs. Charmed definitely does have a lot more sex appeal as far as how the women are dressed, but at times there are segments with shirtless men as well. The show also isn’t as prudish as Bewitched either. Episode two of charmed also makes reference to Pru having sex on the first date with an old boyfriend. Although she is skittish on the topic her behavior in generally nonchalant on the topic. Those types of topics may not have been as commonplace on television in the 60s.
Charmed also features the Hallowell sisters as independent women who hold their own jobs as a means of financial security. All three women are within their early to mid twenties and already hold professional careers. Pru, the eldest work at an auction house, Piper is a chef running a restaurant, Phoebe who has recently moved back home is the only sister without a job, but has been searching for one. Regardless of the fact that one sister is jobless; all three are dependent upon themselves for their own financial well being. Unfortunately, Samantha Steven’s was perfectly happy staying home all day and tolerating her husband telling her what to do.
The major writing differences between the two shows is that Bewitched was always a simple straightforward plot which was neatly and easily wrapped up during the course of one episode, whereas Charmed employed the use of subplots and two part episodes sometimes in the form of a cliffhanger. Charmed's characters were far more developed as individuals and it was entirely believable that three women such as the Hallowell sisters could exist as they were presented as easily relatable.
View Log
11/9/12 Bewitched 2:38 P.M. Season One Episode One: I Darrin Take This Witch, Samantha 25 minutes viewed. First 1 ½ minutes narrated and emphasizes how typical Darrin and Samantha both are. After intro Endora, the over protective mother in law is introduced. Also touches on prejudice between witches and mortals. Dinner party segment shows Darrin’s jealous ex girlfriend trying to shame Samantha. Everyone speaks in a very structured and formal vernacular.
11/9/12 Bewitched 3:08 P.M. Season One Episode Two: Be It Ever So Mortgaged. 25 minutes viewed. The episode opens with a narration segment. Shows Samantha struggling to make breakfast as the narrator talks about “average, normal, suburban housewives” and how efficient they are. Endora makes a second appearance and Samantha suggests they meet. Endora sneaks around the house and appears in odd places ie. On a stair banister or on top a book shelf as she spies on Darren and Samantha. Darren suggests buying a house. Sam and Endora make a trip make a trip to check the place out. Episode 2 introduces nosy neighbor Gladys and her indifferent husband Abner. Gladys snoops as Sam and Endora do some light landscaping and house decorating. Continues the running gag with Endora refusing to cal Darren by the correct name.
11/9/12 Bewitched 3:38 P.M. Season One Episode Three: Mother Meets What’s His Name. 25 minutes viewed. Narrator opens with the time and patience needed in growing a garden. Cuts to Samantha reviving her dead flowers. Follows a welcoming committee and as dinner invitation for Samantha’s mother to finally meet Darrin. He still struggles with the idea of having a witch for a mother in law. One scene shows that Abner and Gladys sleep in separate beds. This is revealed as Gladys is spying into the Steven’s home using a pair of binoculars.
11/9/12 Bewitched 3:38 P.M. Season One Episode Four: It Shouldn’t Happen to a Dog. 25 minutes. Episode does not have a narrator to introduce beginning of show. Samantha is hosting a dinner party for one of Darren’s clients; Mr. Barker, who won’t stop bothering Samantha so she turns him into a dog. When Darren finds out what happened- he shows more interest in having Mr. Barker turned back into a man rather than showing concern for his wife who had been disrespected. Decency and morality are emphasized during a scene in which Samantha is out at night in her robe looking for the dog. Two officers encourage her to go home and they will get back to her once the dog is found. Samantha easily forgives Darren after punching Mr. Barker for hitting on his wife.
11/9/12 Bewitched 4:36 P.M. Season One Episode Five: Help, Help, Don’t Save Me. 25 minutes. Darrin scolds Samantha for trying to help him with his latest ad campaign and stubbornly refuses to use any of her ideas when he clearly saw that he was loosing the account. Constantly demanded of her during that evening for refusing to believe she cleaned the house and made dinner without the use of her magic. The argument causes her to leave him. They eventually make peace and she winds up coming up with a campaign that is purchased by the client.
11/9/12 Charmed 7:58 P.M. Season One Episode One: Something Wicca This Way Comes. 40 minutes. Episode opens with a woman conducting a ceremony and being murdered. Features a scene with two sisters playing with a spirit board before the board takes control of itself and spelling attic. One of the sisters finds a book of shadows and recites an incantation. The sisters soon begin exhibiting dormant powers.
11/9/12 Charmed 11:23 P.M. Season One Episode Two: I’ve Got You Under My Skin. 41:52 minutes. Further exploring the sister’s phobias on adjusting to their new lives. Features a demonic creature who steals youth. Also follows Pru on her job search. The show also addresses the struggles against the old connotation that all witches are evil. It also touches on the fact that their abilities cannot be used for personal gain.
11/10/12 Charmed 12:07 A.M. Season One Episode Three: Thank You For Not Morphing. 44:28 minutes. Follows the return of their father and a mysterious figure who keeps showing up at the house in various forms and attempting to take the sisters spell book.
11/10/12 Charmed 12:52 A.M. Season One Episode Four: Dead Man Dating. 44 minutes. Opens with a young man who is murdered on his birthday. He eventually finds Phoebe who is working at a hotel as a psychic. He needs help getting a proper burial before a gatekeeper can take his soul to hell.
1/10/12 Charmed 1:36 A.M. Season One Episode Five: Dream Sorcerer. 42 minutes. Guy invades the dreams of women who reject him. He uses this process to kill them. This man has developed a fixation on Pru and is determined to punish her for turning him down.
Orca also known as Orca: The Killer Whale is the 1977 natural horror film directed by Michael Anderson. The film was poorly received due to its similarity to Jaws which was released two years prior, but later gained a cult following.
A selfish fisherman accidentally kills a pregnant orca, and her male takes up the task of avenging her. The Orca in the film has been highly personified so that the audience may identify with the wronged creature and feel that it's vengeful actions are justified.
The film opens with the music of Ennio Morricone which is both very peaceful and melancholy at once. It is a fitting theme for the movie for the film and properly sets up the emotional aspect which is later presented. The opening greatly focuses on the Orca frolicking, this is also the first and last time that we see the two mates together. The film does feature Nepo as the vengeful Orka, who briefly played alongside his true-life mate Yaka.
The captive whales are easily distinguishable from their life like replicas by the tell-tale "flopped" dorsal fin of captive Orcas. The replicas clearly display perfectly effect fins. The "stunt" whales were so well made that a group of environmentalist gathered to protest the ill transport of the models; mistaking them for actual Orcas.
Early in the film it is established that the intelligence of an Orca is superior to that of a human, and that the fetus resembles that of a human in it's early developmental stages.
The film even goes as far as showing the miscarried fetus fall from the dying female Orca and hit the deck of the ship, only to be callously washed off like garbage. It is a very sad and dramatic scene. The audience witnesses the male Orca's agony over having lost both it's mate and child both in the same day.
From then on the Orca is relentless in his pursuit of Captain Nolan (Richard Harris) and even goes as far as destroying Nolan's home. Eventually deciding that he has been tormented enough, Nolan takes to the sea and follows the Orca up to the Strait of Belle Isle, where the final battle takes place.
Revolver (2005)
Heavy Metal 2000 (2000)
The Last Dragon (1985)
Against All Odds (1984)
Mortal Thoughts (1991)
Passion of the Mind (2000)
Charlie's Angels: Full Throttle (2003)
Half Light (2006)
Escape From L.A. (1996) Repeat
Another Happy Day (2011)
The 90s were a high time for low budget horror infused fairy tales. Horror has always been an expanse and varied genre which can easily blend and utilize multiple elements. Some of these elements are easily displayed in films such as: 'Leprechaun' (1993), 'Rumpelstiltskin' (1996), 'Pinocchio’s Revenge' (1996), and the superbly produced Snow White: A Tale of Terror (1997). All of these films have taken these supposed children’s stories of moral and basically thrown caution to the wind.
Low budget films have always had a broad sense of creativity in that nothing is off limits. This being said one wonders where the recent resurgence in fairy tale themed programs has spawned from. Last year brought us Red Ridinghood and this year alone we have a slew of other tales to look forward to such as:
Mirror, Morror the lighter toned more whimsical version of Snow White which will be released by Relativity Media and stars Julia Roberts as the Queen, and Lily Collins as Snow White
Roughly three months later, yet another version of the same tale will be released. This second version is set to be a darker tale which also focuses on the empowerment of Snow White. The woodsman set to kill her betrays the queen's orders (played by Charlize Theron) and teaches Snow White to defend herself.
Unfortunately, Hansel and Gretel: Witch hunters has been delayed until next year and will presumably remain unreleased, but there will also be a variety of children's film which will also contain fairy tale themes.
I remember watching Piranha Saturday morning when I was eight years old. This was my first experience with Rodger Corman and these little carnivorous fish. The thought of anything other than an alligator or shark attacking a person was intriguing to me, and the opening scene with the boy and girl at the pool was shocking. The thought of tiny little fishies taking out a couple was an entirely new concept for me. Before this film, I didn't even know what a Piranha was.
The film opens with a pair of backpackers coming upon an abandoned facility and taking a dip in their pool, unfortunately they were unaware of the fact that the pool happened to of been filled with a genetic strain of piranha which can withstand fresh water as well as salt water. Maggie, played by Heather Menzies, is then hired to track the missing children, but unwittingly drains the pool to find the bodies and also releases the Piranha into the local water supply. Maggie and her recruited partner Paul, played by Bradford Dillman, who are now in a race to stop the Piranha and save the children at a near by summer camp. The government also becomes involved and proposes poisoning the water supply in an attempt to kill off the impeding danger, but the fish bypass the attempt. Paul then decided to release some submerged waste into the water in a vain attempt to kill off the fish, but some manage to survive and arrive at a beach.
I really appreciate the various aspects of the film despite the fact that this is a B film, it doesn't take itself too seriously and does take the time to poke fun at itself as well. There are also moments of anti-government protests in the film as well as environmental undertones.
Piranha was filmed at the once prosperous Aquarena Springs theme park in San Marcos, Texas; which featured underwater shows and Ralph the swimming pig; the park featured various rides as well. Aquarena Springs was one of Texas' first successful theme parks, but eventually went out of business due to the arrival of Sea World and Fiesta Texas. Texas State University eventually purchased the dying park and turned it into Aquarena Center, which has now become part of their research facility and also does feature a scuba class.
