Film analysis Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 750 words - 2

Film analysis - Essay Example Yet sometimes, rarely, like an Aquarius where all the planets form a line, every aspect of a film that could possibly go wrong does, and goes terribly wrong. Such was the case in Plan 9 from Outer Space, a film widely regarded as the worst film ever produced. Nearly every aspect of this film has some kind of problem with it, something that is almost miraculous in film making. I would argue that one of the worst offenders in this film was set design. The fact is, the sets look cheap. This is probably because they were cheap, as the film had a budget of only $60,000, which even in its era was not enough to make a high quality movie. But when dealing with black and white, texture is one of the only things that matter, and nearly every set that was supposed to be something spectacular (like a spaceship or a cockpit) had an incredibly flat look. It made it look like the set was made out of clay, or painted wood, but certainly not metal or any of the materials that would have actually been present. In contrast to the sets, I would argue that the costumes were actually a relative high point in the film. They were far from good, but they were not as obtrusively bad as other elements of the film. Part of this was because many of the costumes were just street clothes or army uniforms and that kind of thing, and are easy to make not distracting. Some of the costumes were terrible, but on the whole, the costumes were better than most other aspects of the film. Lighting was poorly done in an obtrusive way, sometimes being overly dark, other times overly light, and sometimes making it look like a staged play, with several spot lights on each subject. This is simply lazy and unacceptable regardless of budget or era. Acting was not terrible, but it was far from good. It was generally not believable, but in such a campy film believability is not necessary. The acting was over the top, but this was not a massive problem. The dialogue, however, was. From the opening scene through the rest of the movie, it was simply obtrusive and awful, and did not sound in any way natural. Furthermore, there were frequent continuity errors. The narration was one of the worst offenders, oscillating between mind numbing exposition and supposedly shocking reveals, such as â€Å"at the funeral of the old man, unknown to his mourners, his DEAD WIFE was watching!† (Plan 9). In other instances, the speakers fell into a question answer pattern that, while common in high-school screen plays, has no place on the silver screen. This was especially apparent in one exchange between grave diggers in the cemetery. Many of the aspects of the film described so far are simply bad execution. These are poor choices, made again and again. No one of them is absolutely ridiculous, but taken as a whole they certainly make a ridiculous package. Some of the editing done in post, however, was simply foolish. This film contains clips of another film, a vampire film that Wood had been working o n before it was canceled and the star died. While Wood clearly struggled to make them fit this film, even twisting the plot of an outer-space action film to be based heavily in a cemetery, these individual scenes still stand out horribly from the rest of the action. No film maker in their right mind would ever choose to insert unrelated clips into the narrative and try to pass it off as having a

Stem Cell Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 500 words

Stem Cell - Essay Example For millions of others, the time has come to overcome the unfounded religious and political obstacles that have log-jammed this river of hope and proceed with stem cell research and development. The application of stem cell research is an ethical endeavor that could result in the saving of millions of lives, untold misery, and offer hope to millions that suffer from disease and disability. Stem cell research is science. It is no less science than in-vitro fertilization, organ transplants, and blood transfusions. Our scientific tradition compels us to explore new uses for science and craft ways to put it to work to alleviate suffering and premature death. Blocking science for political purposes is unconscionable and as Kinsley reminds us, "Imagine being paralyzed by a spinal cord injury in your teens, watching for decades as medical treatment progresses but not quite fast enough, and knowing that it could have been faster." This concern is also shared by an overwhelming number of Americans. While most Americans favor moving ahead with stem cell research, those that oppose it most often cite religious objections as their reason (Americans Speak Out). Strict conservative Christians have blocked federal funding for increased research as they have mistakenly related it to the abortion issue.

A Quantitative Comparison of Academic Achievement In New York City Dissertation

A Quantitative Comparison of Academic Achievement In New York City Public Schools vs. New York City Charter Schools As Measured By 2009 - 2010 New York State ELA And Math Exams - Dissertation Example The intention of this study are charter schools - the public schools that operate independently of the district board of education, making them a one-school public school district. They have their own charters written by private individuals: parents, educators, community leaders that enumerate their laws, governance structure and principles. This autonomous setup results in bigger accountabilities for the school. Because of this autonomy and â€Å"customized† curricula, many people believe that charter schools are far more beneficial to children, as compared to public schools. People also believe that charter schools provide better services because of the high standards they set for themselves. There are studies that compare the effectiveness of public schools versus charter schools. However, they differ in their findings. The growing appreciation for the potential benefits of quality educational programs has strengthened funding agencies’ and policy makers’ comm itment to ensuring all families have access to programming that can support and enhance children’s development, growth, and learning. These benefits can be realized, however, only in high-quality programs with characteristics linked to positive outcomes for children. However, deciding whether a public or charter school will best suit the needs of the child can be a harrowing and difficult decision for parents to make and requires a method for determining which scholastic institution will provide the best educational experience for the child. The establishment of a stable formula for measuring the academic achievement of the students from public schools and charter schools is needed. According to research conducted by Lubienski and Lubienski (2006

Iranian economy Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2250 words

Iranian economy - Essay Example The performance of the Iranian economy in the early twenty-first century has witnessed a marked deterioration, in absolute terms as well as relative to other countries in the region. The growth of the economy has slackened drastically (Ramin, 2004). The economy, with a rapidly expanding population, has experienced a marked decline in investment, low labor productivity, a widening trade gap, a fast accumulation of debt and, above all, a sharp decline in the standard of living. What are the determinants of economic performance? There is broad agreement among economists that macroeconomics stability – characterized by moderate and predictable inflation, a small budget deficit, and the relative stability of the real exchange rate – is essential for long-term economic growth (Sciolino, 2005). Several empirical studies suggests that stable prices, a sensible exchange rate that does not discourage exports and good fiscal and monetary disciplines are necessary, though not suffi cient, conditions for a sustainable improvement in living standards. Viewed from this perspective the deterioration of in the performance of the Iranian economy since 1980 can be largely explained by the macroeconomic stability that has characterized this post revolutionary period (Sciolino, 2005).The theme of this proposal is centered on the role of the state in the process of economic and social development in the post revolutionary period. The emphasis, however, is on economic performance.... there is general consensus amongst close observers of the Iranian economy about the 'decisive' historical role of the state. Furthermore, a distinctive feature of the current Iranian state is that sizeable oil revenue accrues to the government because of its monopoly right over oil. The rentier nature of the state provides it with economic power and financial independence, although the state plays a central role in distributing this wealth to the population through direct subsidies and the creation of economic activities. 2. Iran's Economy in a Comparative Context There has been a remarkable deterioration in the growth performance of the Iranian economy since the late 1980s, both relative to its past performance and compared to international standards. This is reflected in the below table, which shows comparative per capita GDP trends for Iran and United States. Though the comparison does show a major difference, it is to be noted that here we have compared a lower middle income economy to a higher economy. Table: Comparative Figures of Iran and US Economy for the years 2003 - 2005 Source: World Bank Data Banks. 3. Economic Policy and Industrial Structure The rapid growth of the Iranian economy during the two decades preceding the 1979 Revolution took place in the context of an import substitution industrialization strategy. The paradoxical result of this strategy was to make the economy increasingly dependent on oil export revenues in order to finance the intermediate and capital goods imports needed by Iran's heavily protected industrial sector (Halliday, 1979). In the immediate aftermath of the revolution a considerable portion of large-scale modern industry, and the entire banking and insurance

An issue affecting two or more countries Article

An issue affecting two or more countries - Article Example While CIA provided information from the satellites about abandoned soviet trucks and weapon depots for the Taliban, ISI transferred the information to the men on ground (Coll p. 291) making it possible for the Taliban to conquer Afghanistan with astonishing speed uniting the country for the benefit of Pakistan, United States and Saudi Arabia (Reeve p. 191). After the September 11 attacks, US invaded the Taliban controlled Afghanistan asking all countries to cut off Taliban support. Pakistan ordered the Taliban embassy to be closed in 2001, allied with the US and supported the invasion by providing its forward military bases. The hard war in Afghanistan followed up by a bloody insurgency caused US to lose unprecedented amount of war founds trying to control Afghan territory. Adding to the troubles were lack of understanding of terrain and psyche of the local people. The overwhelming force and technology, while allowed the US to have complete air superiority and highly reinforced milit ary bases in the region, could still not help them achieve actual victory and control over the territory outside their bases. The insurgency caused alot of contention between USA and Pakistan as allies and the US still ended up blaming Pakistan for supporting Afghan Taliban after calling it their top non-NATO ally. This paper compares and contrasts BBC reports and The Washington Post with respect to the US allegations and Pakistani denials. BBC reports Pakistan being accused of playing a double game by the US (Collyns). After interviewing a few prisoners, according to BBC, the US officials concluded that Pakistan was actively supporting Taliban insurgency in Afghanistan for a hidden agenda. This can be seen as a fallacy of composition created from a single point of view being viewed as the resulting aim of country’s net actions. Pakistani ISI has been a powerful element both in the country and in its defense against the enemy powers when it came to proxy wars. The BBC uses th e circumstantial prisoner witnesses to support the accusation by the US officials. While attributing repeated denials to Pakistan in two instances, the report suggests the US accusations overly weighed and further states them as a fact by presenting a BBC documentary to back up the accusations as facts. This strains the neutral point of view of the report which should be there in an international news article fully attributing views to their actual sources and not stating contentions opinions or conflicting truths as facts. Furthermore, in addition to the US accusations, the BBC report itself alleges that Pakistan has helped and harboured Afghan Taliban in its territory stating it as a ‘plain to see’ fact (Collyns). The Washington Post, on the other hand, also attributes accusations to the US and denials to Pakistan but keeps it to that (Leiby). The report can be contrasted with that of BBC’s in a clear cut way. As a clear contrast to the BBC report, this report presents quotations of US accusations in text with conflicting quotations of Pakistani denials making it more balanced and neutral in its point of view. The Washington Post report also uses the BBC report as a reference but puts it in a more neutral way without any presumptions. The BBC excerpts are quoted to tell the US side of the story while the Pakistani foreign minister is clearly attributed to have categorically put

World Religions Report Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 2000 words

World Religions Report - Essay Example Marriage of non-Filipinos to those belonging in Iglesia families is just one of the examples of how those comprising the minority of the Iglesia population have been involved in the religion (Catholic Answers, 2004). Despite the widespread estimate of the number of the constituents (which is between three million and ten million including those outside the Philippines), the Iglesia conceals their real population. It has a larger population than the more known Jehovah’s Witnesses, which also assert their being the genuine Church of Christ (Catholic Answers, 2004). Indeed, unlike most of the other cults which have Western origins, Iglesia ni Kristo (INC) or the Church of Christ has its roots from the Philippines with Encyclopedia Britannica (2007) describing it as indigenous. Historically, it was a small church founded by Felix Manalo in July 27, 1914 (Elesterio, 1988). Thus, he was considered by his followers as the messenger of God. After the fast expansion 1945, the number of members reached the 600,000 mark by the end of the 20th century (â€Å"Iglesia ni Kristo†, 2007). This has also led to the building of chapels throughout the country and to their being a well-heeled federal religious organization. However, the foundation of INC was not an easy task; it was a great struggle for Manalo. Yet, Harper (2001) noted that one thing is certain: preliminary association with the Bible pushed him to impugn what has been taught to him regarding religion and God in the Roman Catholic Church. According to her research, Manalo had joined other religious groups before he finally established INC. At the age of 18, it was found out that he joined the Methodist Episcopal Church where he trained about the Bible and become a lay preacher. At 22, he also studied with the Presbyterians and joined Mision Cristiana, the Christian Mission of the

Statement of purpose Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 250 words - 1

Statement of purpose - Essay Example The fact that one day I lost my best friend after a technical error due to lack of knowledge makes me even want to learn more. In his memory, I will provide basic training to all the unskilled workers in the oil field on safety. My desire to become a petroleum engineer is so that I can offer more than just cleaning and dusting the electric panels. I sincerely dont wish to do that for the rest of my life. The opportunity to join the program will equip me with knowledge to work dynamically constantly applying the latest knowledge and technology. This will ensure that there is a reduction of coast, effectiveness and time management. I fully understand the dedication and efforts that the course demands. I am willing to go the further step of doing my own research on the content learnt in class and their applications. The institution offers the best facilities and professors well experienced in teaching and practice application of engineering principals in the mining field. A chance to study from the best produces great minds. Successful products are not necessarily the first on the market but are the first to appeal to us emotionally. A chance to study at the institution will be highly appreciated and reciprocated by hard work, total cooperation and compliance to instructions and academic excellence in the course work. I am looking forward to be transformed and apply the ingenuity in me to solve problems in the petroleum industry in an ingenious