Oblivion (Blog Entry 8)

 I often talk about movies since it is a topic many people can relate to and easily talk about but a piece of media I wish I could gush over more often is the game Oblivion. 

Oblivion is a game that doesn’t get talked about enough and I slightly blame that on Skyrim.

 Skyrim being the following installment of The Elder Scrolls lineage overshadowed its predecessor by reeling in a younger audience by releasing 6 years later. Although a bit dated in videogame standards (2005), many features and qualities of Oblivion still should be praised. The world itself is extremely inviting, offering scenic green fields, snowy mountains, beautiful cities and the ability to explore them all. The soundtrack only adds to the game’s calming atmosphere - which is also the perfect music to listen to while doing homework, I’ve discovered. 

As pretty as the game is, what I appreciate the most from this game are the more horrific details. Hellish creatures begin to emerge from fiery portals, attacking the beautiful world the player comes to love. 

When I first started playing Oblivion, these creatures deeply disturbed me and despite me wanting nothing to do with them, I knew that the only way to play this game was to go inside and close these portals or - as referred to in the game- “the oblivion gates”. My workaround was to create a character with the largest base magic pool so I could summon my own hellish creatures to do the fighting for me. Since then, all of my characters remained rather consistent in build even when playing Skyrim as well as The Elder Scrolls Online. With the game now able to play on current and last gen consoles, I am obligated to recommend for you to play it. I promise if you just put graphics aside, the story and customization alone will immerse you enough to have a great time. 

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The Hashtag (Entry 7)

 

Hashtags have been utilized by users of the internet for years. Social movements, trends and content have been pushed forward because of them. I don’t use hashtags within my own social media pages, but I do find them extremely useful.

The hashtag has been a really convenient tool I use while navigating the internet. Hashtags help me narrow down the results I’m looking for when a broad search on Google or Instagram doesn’t cut it. 

When I was on the hunt for a tattoo artist, I always ran into the same two problems:

• The local artists I found did not match the style I wanted. 

or

• The artist's style I'd like would be located states away.

After getting tired of stalking probably hundreds of artists, I slowly discovered that many local artists used hashtags similar to #Phoenixtattoos. I started using those same hashtags to browse through a ton of artists around me with varying styles and, eventually, I found an artist 30 minutes away who fit the style I was looking for. 

I ended up using this ‘hashtag method’ to find hair stylists, digital artists and events near me. 

Another one of my favorite results of using hashtags as a navigation tool is when I started discovering cafes that weren’t appearing on Google when searching for locations near me.

I’ve been exploring posts under #Arizonacafes to find fun and unique places to get coffee and to use as a study space. 

International Horror (Entry 6)

I think Bong Joon Ho, director of Parasite, said it best, “Once you overcome the 1-inch-tall barrier of subtitles, you will be introduced to so many more amazing films.” 

A lot of my favorite horror movies come from various locations across the globe and I will never pass up the opportunity to recommend these movies.

Argentina -

When Evil Lurks is a recent release that surprised me. It is filled with intense moments, fresh ideas and horrid imagery that almost made me look away. This film forces the audience to witness an unmerciful evil engulf a rural town, possessing the behaviors of even the most innocent souls. This was one of my favorite watches of the last year and I am always sure to recommend it to every horror lover.

Italy-

Suspiria is a timeless classic that never loses its charm. Its set design and usage of colorful lighting makes the entire film unforgettable. The kills are surprising and all deliver a punch. The score provides a disorientating factor that doesn’t deter from its stunning visuals, only adding to the beauty this film possesses.

Japan-

One Cut of the Dead is a recent watch for me, and I regret not watching it sooner. This was the most fun I’ve had watching a horror flick in a while. The eyebrow raising scenes during the start of the film are hilariously justified in a way that heightens my appreciation of the filmmaking process along with the filmmakers. Despite its horror factors only being in the first 30 minutes, the stress and tension afterwards keeps the anxiety high while simultaneously delivering the most comedic and heartfelt moments. 

France -

Raw is a visually intense rollercoaster of events that follow a girl and her journey through veterinary college. Justine, the protagonist, is faced with some disgusting challenges that will make you squirm. It's a shocking body horror that isn’t for the faint of heart.

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Higher education in Arizona (Entry 5)

 

The idea of having a higher educated population in Arizona is exciting. Both articles highlight the benefits of seeking a higher education including higher wages, more jobs, and less poverty. 

Both articles really fail to recognize the barriers many people are up against when planning to attend college. Nearly everyone is aware that attending college and earning a degree will boost your chances to get paid highly yet it’s difficult to remain optimistic while planning an education journey given the cost to make these dreams a reality. 

For students who have to be providers for their homes, finding the resources and finances for their education can be difficult. The time, money and effort in getting a degree can be too large of a sacrifice for these individuals. 

There are peers of mine who have spent tens of thousands of dollars pursuing a degree when at the end of their journey, they have to spend their earnings on their student debt, telling their friends and family how it’s not worth it.

Sometimes students, after spending thousands on their degree, want to change their major yet cannot afford to, leaving them with no choice but to stick to a career they’re not happy with.

For many people, seeking higher education is more than a sacrifice. Although the idea of being paid a higher amount in your career is an enticing benefit, the cost of schooling in the United States deters many from even considering it. I also find it a little silly how we encourage others to continue the education journey yet do not pay our educators accordingly, despite knowing the extreme importance their jobs hold.

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V/H/S (Blog Entry 4)

 

 A horror subgenre I tend to gravitate towards is found footage. What sets this genre apart from others is the only criteria the film needs to meet is the appearance that the entirety of the project is filmed by a character in the movie. This explanation is one giant excuse for me to recommend an underrated series of my favorite found footage horror films. 

    I am talking about the V/H/S series. Other than V/H/S: Viral, all the installments follow a basic formula. A group of people stumble upon multiple tapes containing horrific footage. Each tape is a segment in the film created by multiple directors. Being exposed to so many directors and writers at once is exciting since you get to see the style of multiple filmmakers in the time of one feature length film. This series of movies, composed of multiple different storylines has helped me seek out the filmmakers behind each tape. 

• Ti West, currently known for directing Pearl and X, has also directed a segment in the first V/H/S movie.

• Adam Wingard also did a segment for the first film in the series prior to directing You’re Next and The Blair Witch remake.

What I’m saying is, despite the budget and “quality” of this series of films, you’re opened up to discovering the ideas of these filmmakers, which is really what matters. You’re able to see these artists further develop these ideas as they start to gain access to a wider audience, and a bigger budget, raising the “quality”. It really pays off seeing your favorite “smaller” directors start getting the recognition they deserve. 

My favorite segments from each installment in the series, in order of release, include: 

“Amateur Night” (V/H/S)

“Safe Haven” (V/H/S 2)

“Dreamkill” (V/H/S/85)

“Storm Drain” (V/H/S/94)

And none from either V/H/S: Viral or V/H/S 99 sadly.

Why Do People Love Horror films?

 Why Do People Love Horror films?

Typically, when picking out a movie, audiences want something easily digestible, fun and has a little bit of something everyone watching can enjoy. So, why can’t it be a horror movie? Too scary? Too much blood? Maybe you’re tired of the predictability scary movies all seem to share. Horror is a much broader genre than most people assume. Not every horror film is scary and not every horror film has a mass amount of gore, some have none at all.

One of my favorite horror films is actually rather tame and wouldn’t even be described as ‘horrific’. The Others is a paranormal horror film that uses the element of horror as a vehicle to explore the line separating life and death. Although there are creepy moments throughout the film, it’s main focus isn’t to scare, it's to develop the story these characters are in. Not only is it an easy watch but it’s also a stunning film overall.

I believe, since horror is so broad, there is a film in the genre for everyone. You will often hear horror categorized more neatly under their sub-genres such as slashers, found footage, paranormal, creature features, cosmic, the list goes on.

There are also horror films that are a direct parody of your typical scary movie troupes. Such as Scream, Cabin in the Woods and, the more notorious, Scary Movie franchise. This subgenre of horror is ironically perfect for those who have a disdain for the genre.

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Collecting Physical Media

    

        A hobby I like to partake in is collecting DVDs and other similar forms of physical media. Owning DVDs, over time, has opened me up to discovering different distributors like Criterion or Oscilloscope, therefore giving me the chance to really personalize my collection with special editions of my favorite films.  Unfortunately, for someone who collects DVDs, some movie distributors now refuse to create physical copies of their movies to sell which leaves the viewer with no option other than having to pay a monthly subscription to see what they want and even then, sometimes the viewer will have to purchase the movie to be able to stream it on the platform. 

This is why I believe the preservation of physical media is really important considering how easy it is for streaming services to discard the movies you “own” on their platforms. Even directors of these films themselves have said that the collection of DVDs, this day and age, is a necessary measure needed to be taken in order to keep these movies alive. Regardless of how important collecting DVDs may or may not be, I'm just happy I now have a library of my favorite movies to lend out to friends.

Image source: 57 Free CC0 Dvd collection Stock Photos - StockSnap.io