Daybreakers

Daybreakers is another vampire film in a year highlighted by stories of these unkind creatures. Unlike many modern takes on vampires such as the silly sparkly vampire in the Twilight movies, this movie goes back to the roots of what a vampire is. It simply places those creatures on a modern setting.

The film stars Ethan Hawke (Edward Dalton) who plays a leading hematologist at a company that farms human blood for the vampire population. Edward is a vampire who is uncomfortable with being a vampire, and while being assigned the task of finding a blood substitute, he questions whether that is the solution to the problem of violence and scarcity of such supply.One day home he encounters a group of fleeing humans, and is instantly eager to help them escape, but is also captivated by their female leader Audrey (played by Claudia Karvan).

Edward later is contacted by the leaders of the group of remaining humans to help with finding a cure not to substitute the blood but actually reverse vampirity. The key to finding a cure is Lionel (Willem Dafoe) who after a car accident and exposure to ultraviolet radiation was turned from being a vampire to being a human once again. In their search for replicating the accident that cured Lionel they are hunted by Charles Bromley (Sam Neil) who is the owner of the corporation seeking a blood substitute.

I liked this film because once again vampires are vampires, just placed in a futuristic setting (2019 to be exact). They are killed by sunlight, have no reflections, and need human (not animal) blood to survive eternity.

Ethan Hawkes prescence as the lead character is quite enjyable, but he is about the only asset to the acting in this movie. Willem Dafoe who has great potential for any movie falls short as he plays a very one dimensional kind of dick in this movie. He is just not given much to work with.

On the other hand the story is quite entertaining, but nothing too new. Some sequences such as the role of Charles Bromley's daughter (played by Isabel Lucas) are irrelevant to the story as a hole. The special effects also are clearly visible as special effects in some instances.

Either way this film is very enjoyable compared to all the nonsense that has surrounded what a vampire is and should be lately. There is no teenage drama here, just good old fashioned vampire slaying and explosions.

Source Code Trailer 2011 HD

It is great to see such a cast, and quite honest it looks pretty entertaining. Source Code will highlight the movies playing at South By Southwest film festival. Vera Farmiga returns for which I'm really excited to see her after the wonderful movie Up In The Air.

Globalization in Fashion

Globalization is in a way what all nations have in common. It can be a product or a cultural aspect that is shared in all cultures. In other words, it's a connection that trancends borders.

A specific aspect of globalization is cultural imperialism. In global imeperialism a product or cultural trait flows dominates at a global scale. In a way there is an uneven flow, like no competition from other markets accros borders. It can often overshadow traditions or local markets that separate every culture from one another.

A perfect example is the dominance over the fashion industry by a few countries (specifically a few select cities) and fashion designers. The global fashion market is controlled by this few often preventing any competition outside the circle. This also imposes a few cultures over the entire world which overshadows other rich nations with distinct cultural traditions. The huge influence by a few fashion designers has also established a sort of norm that keeps from new upcoming designers to introduce new unique ideas. It has also made it hard for diffussion of ethnicities in the fashion industry in which currently only a few nationalities are represented.

There are four countries that control the fashion global scene: France, Italy, England, and The United States. More specifically the cities of Paris, Milan, London, and New York. Of those Milan and New York being the most powerful in terms of revenue with labels such as Ralph Lauren (NYC), Calvin Klein (NYC), Versace (Milan), and Armani (Milan).

As far as fashionn designers go the most influential are either Italian, American, English, or French. Italian designers include names such as Valentino Garavani, Gianni Versace, Girogio Armani, Miuccia Prada, Domenico Dolce, Stephano Gabbana, and Donatella Versace.

(Domenico Dolce and Stefano Gabbana)

(Valentino Garavani with Gisele)

American designers include Calvin Klein, Roy Halston, Ralph Lauren, Marc Jacobs, and Tom Ford.

(Roy Halston)

(Tom Ford)

British such as Alexander McQueen, John Galliano, Christopher Bailey, Stella McCartney, and Vivienne Westwood.

(Vivienne Westwood)

(Alexander McQueen)

Lastly perhaps the most influential which are the french designers such as Christian Dior, Coco Chanel, Yves Saint Laurent, Louis Vuitton, Christian Lacroix, Jean Paul Gaultier, and Hubert de Givenchy.

(Christian Dior)

(Coco Chanel)

(Yves Saint Laurent)

(Hubert de Givenchy)

Below is a video of some of the most iconic labes in the fashion industry which most are either French, Italian, American, or English. It is Top Ten Fashion Labels.

Top 10 Fashon Labels

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This is a commercial for the very appealing lap top VAIO X Series. Through its use of aesthetic appeal, by which I mean that it uses sort of a subliminal comparison to an instrument of artistry and craftmanship (a sword), it pesuades us to want this product.

The main characteristics of that appeal are that it sort of stimulates one of your senses. In this case by comparing the amazing thinness of the lap top to a sword we are being stimulated by seemless beauty of the sword. Not only its visual beauty, but also its physical aspects of lightness. That lightness is effective for the computer beacause they are mainly about portability.

This add is very subliminal and luxury, which seems to be highlighted by the commercial, is one of the main factors of this product. A sword is something that not everyone has and therfore very exclusive which is what the product is marketed as.

Three Act Structure "The Descent"

When it comes to film narrative structures one of the if not the most common is the Three Act Structure. An example that follows this template faithfully is The Descent, a 2005 film by Neil Marshall. The basic premise of the story follows a group of girlfriends exploring a cave system. They get trapped and realizing that no one knows they are down there the mood turns to a race against time. They further face a problem when discovering a humanoid breed of creatures they realize that they have also become preys. The film is an intense ride of adrenaline and survival.

The story starts out by introducing us to a group of characters and establishing the main character, a young mother who recently lost both her husband and daughter to a car accident. They gather together and are about to embark on a journey through some caverns. About thirty minutes into the film shortly after they descend down the cave we are confronted by a conflict. The cave collapses and they become trapped. The plot point of that act is that they have been tricked by one of the members of the group into thinking that they were exploring certain caverns when in fact the cave system has never been explored before. That ends the first act and we transition into the second act.

The second act is mainly about the conflict of them venturing, and trying to find a way out before the batteries on their lights run out. Soon one of the group memebers falls and breaks her leg, and then trough rising suspense we also come to realize that they might not be alone. In an act of desperation and disorientation as they are trying to find a way out the stumble accross animal reamains. Soon a new problem arises when they are attacked by some creatures. That is the second plot point that transitions us into the third and final act. This second act covers a time of thirty to forty minutes in the film.

In the third act things have become far more complicated than expected which in turn limits their chances for survival. Not only are they trapped with no visible way out, but they are also being hunted by some fiendish creatures. The film has now become a race against time and a fight for survival. The third act reaches the climax when only two of the group members reamain and being close to the way out, they are greeted by numbers of the creatures waiting to stop their exit. Both characters brutally battle the creatures and remain victorious. Then in a twist of revenge one of the girls stabs the other in the leg and leaves her to be attacked by the creatures. This  is the final plot point as the characters become aware of their personal conflicts. One has betrayed the other by having her husband (who is now dead) cheat on the main character. So the movie ends in the succesful escape of our main character. This all happening in the last twenty to twenty five minutes.

Below I have posted the trailer for the film.

The Descent (2005)trailer HD