The Matrix

The Matrix is a 1999 movie. When you think about Matrix (the trilogy whose first part is the movie "The Matrix") the first thing that comes to your mind, or at least to mine, is an image of spectacular paranormal abilities such as scaping from bullets and jumping in slow motion, which actually seems more flying than jumping. Anyway, this movie's innovation does not end in the visual effect's aspect. The plot that guides the whole trilogy and this first part, in a particular way, shows fiction that, ironically, seems to be possible in the future.

That's why, for me, The Matrix is such a great exponent of what science fiction is all about. The viewer knows that in the actual time it is impossible to be controlled by machines, but the inevitable doubt that arises is, if we continue advancing at this same pace, by 2,199 will our technology be so advanced that the machines we created could control, or even destroy us?

This is the question that The Matrix answers in such an ingenious way, placing humanity at the verge of its own destruction, represented by the lack of freedom that the characters face all along in the film.

Therefore, by mixing special effects with a thrilling argument, The Matrix can be considered simply a great movie and one of the best examples of science fiction in modern days.

Metropolis

Metropolis is a 1927 science fiction film that involves elements such as technological machines, robots, complex  industrial mechanisms and structures, which are very creative for the time the film was made.

The movie´s plot is very well organized. It is a blend that perfectly portrays Freder´s fascination for Maria, the worker life´s instability, the central system that "powers" the city of Metropolis thanks to technology, and the way in which everything in the city is intrincately related with a technological component.

Overall, the movie is pretty impressing, depicting very good special effects for its time. Besides, the plot is interesting, coherent and well developed. 

Therefore, Metropolis can easily stand as a science fiction movie classic that captures the viewer´s interest and opens a whole "new world" for the involvement of special effects in movies and the usage of technology as an important factor that enhances the development of the movie´s plot.

The Fifth Element

This movie was basically about Bruce Willis saving the world. Although the plot is really weird, the overall sense of the movie is creative and even interesting to a certain extent. Science fiction is present during the whole movie since it involves several technological elements.

Eventhough, as I said before, the plot can be taken as interesting and innovative, I personally don't enjoy this type of movie. Besides, the special effects were outdated, making the filme quite boring.

Science Fiction

Science Fiction is a literary genre that shows events, which are not real, by involving a significant technological component in the story’s plot. 


Examples of science fiction:
Star Wars
E.T.
Star Trek
Frankenstein
Halo

Dragon Children

Have you ever wondered if people are just crazy when they say that China is taking over the World?
Well, apparently, China's stellar performance isn't limited to the industrial sector. As we can see in the multimedia story, they are now "colonizing" a new "territory": The intellectual one.

Chinese parent's obsession with their children's education is beyond normal levels, and that's why this multimedia story is so interesting. Through a mixture of interviews, testimonies, analysis and simple facts, the author(s) let us underestand why are Chinese people really "taking over the intellectual World".

Common Buenos Aires vs. Bizarre Buenos Aires

http://www.flickr.com/photos/39865255@N02/

Human Costs are built into an IPad

While reading this article, it is evident that the type of jouralism that it shows is far away from the traditional way of investigation and news-reporting. It is the perfect example of New Journalism since it involves elements that go beyond the simple WH Questions.


One of the first things that the reader may notice is that the article starts with Mr. Lai Xiandong's story. Then, it talks about why Apple suppliers are bad places to work in and about Apple's poor response to violations of its security and employment protocols, that frequently happen  at the company's suppliers or at the supplier's suppliers. 

At the end, the criticism merges with the original story which was the one about Mr. Lai, through the "bridge" created by the explanation of the accident at Chengdu plant. 


In that way, the reader is not only attracted by the technical component of the article, the one which emphasizes on statistics and security measures, but also by its human side, which is the one showed through the dramatic case of Mr. Lai.


In my opinion, this is a very good article that influences -to a certain extent- my views about Apple. I was very impressed by the company's continuos negligence regarding working conditions in overseas factories. 

The Complex Journalism

First, look at this: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/in-pictures-17311154
Then, you will realize that looking at just one day in pictures is more valuable than watching news on T.V. or reading a newspaper. I am not saying you will get more information, but I am sure you will really "feel" the news you are watching. You will really feel part of the world´s reality and you will stand closer to the people that appear on these pictures.

That´s why photojournalism is perhaps the most complex type of journalism ever produced. The images have to be so strong to evoke multiple thoughts, feelings and sensations on the viewer´s mind. A good photojournalism project is so powerful that its meaning goes beyond mere wordiness; it can take the viewer to the place where the images were taken. The viewer will be an active part of the news report.

In one sentence: You will really understand what is going on in the world in only a few seconds.

Buenos Aires is...

Frank Sinatra

All the President´s Men

This movie is related to the topics we are seeing in class because the two journalists who exposed the scandal, Woodward and Bernstein didn´t just follow the traditional journalism path of anwerins wh questions. They really got into the story and developed a complex article involving all aspects of the Watergate. From the moment they found the first suspicious money transactions until the moment in which they discovered that very high ranking government officials were involved, they developed an innovative proposal in which deep investigation was involved. In this way, Woodward and Bernstein were two of the precursors of  "investigative journalism", a new type of presenting news in which the journalist isn´t just a "reporter" of what is happening, but a kind of "journalistic Sherlock Holmes".

I think that this film is particularly interesting because it makes the viewer feel constant suspense and intrigue without involving the common elements in commercial movies such as bullets and AK-47s. So, it is a very innovative proposal and it is up to its plot.

Gay Talese

"I believe that if you go deep enough into characters they become so real that their stories feel like make-believe, they feel like fiction. I want to evoke the fictional current that flows beneath the stream of reality."

To find the extraordinary character in every common person.

"Finishing a book is just like you took a child out in the back yard and shot it."

I chose this quote because it is funny and true.

I have experienced this same feeling when I finiish writing short stories or poems. When you start writing, you usually feel a wave of inspiration: You want to express something and you want a whole imaginary world to be part of that message, to highlight it.

Then, while developing the text, you feel that finally what was in your mind is on paper. At last, your message is being kept in a safe and tangible place. In this moment, you could compare the sensation with that of playing with a young child or teaching him something (if you like to teach little kids).

When you are reaching the end of the story, you usually feel satisfied, but when you finally get to know the characters, when you are really immersed into the story's plot and when you have taken that kind of writting as a habit, something happens: You realize that the story has to come to an end. There are no better words to desribe that "murder" of the story than the ones Capote uses.

When you are having fun, you realize that you have already arrived to the ending line. At the end, the whole process must come to an End. Just like that.

Dear Mr. Capote

Mr. Capote,
Reading your novel was a very nice experience for me because you show absolute mastery of the style in which you claim to write, and for me that is essential. A writer has to find his or her own style accordingly to his or her personality: I think you did great and you are really authentic in that respect.

Personally, I am not a great fan of long descriptions, specially in English-written novels. Don't ask me why; I simply do not like it. Taking that into account, there were certain parts of the first chapter where my mind flew away from the novel's sentences. However, I still think it is a great piece of literature.

About the topic of the first chapter: Interesting. Definitely, a murder is always interesting.
I also like other topics such as Mafia or Organized Crime. I think they perfectly suit your way of writting. Do you have any novel talking about Organized Crime?

I will be looking forward to your answer.
Sincerely,
STP.

Traditional News Report

http://www.nytimes.com/2012/02/08/world/middleeast/united-states-planning-to-slash-iraq-embassy-staff-by-half.html?pagewanted=1&_r=1&ref=world

This report talks about the way in which the United State's government is planning to significantly decrease the cost and size of their Embassy in Iraq. We can conclude that it is a very traditional journalistic approach since the way it presents the story is simply based on WH questions. Who did it? The American Government. When? Right now. Where? In Iraq. Why? Because they thought that the political benefit wouldn't be enough to cover the economic cost of the diplomatic mission. And so on. Therefore, this report focuses on WH questions without adding extra aspects to the news it presents.