Rodman Sterling is considered one of the best television writers in American history. Starting from a small city town within Syracuse, New York, the experiences of war and the injustices within the workplace developed Rod’s concern for the state of society. He went forward to get a degree in English literature and drama. As his talent for writing developed, he received several Emmy awards and became one of the best things to happen to television (PBS). Sterling’s playwright ability enabled him to bring quality entertainment to Americans in a media infected with mediocrity. Knowing Sterling’s motivation to use the Twilight Zone as a social commentary enables a more in-depth understanding of his use of ingenuity to sneak in controversial themes into a fantastical world. Sterling’s influence helped writers in television to fight for a place where they could flourish in their creativity. Since its invention, television had been trying to find its home somewhere between the current modes of entertainment, that of radio and movies. Company sponsors, having the power of monetary backing, were the main dictators of what made it to the screen. Writers, on the other hand, had to somehow find a way to be able to creatively express their works in a way that would not end in censorship from the sponsors looming above them. The result was a level of mediocrity that the companies desired, using TV as a mode of advertisement while providing just enough entertainment for the viewers to
The “Sunny Randall” series follows main character Sunny Randall, who is a female detective. She was created by Parker so that Helen Hunt would play her in a movie, but it never happened. He kept the series going because his publisher asked him to. Both Randall and Spenser (another Boston detective that was created by Parker) have things in common, but also things that make them unique. There are six novels to the series.
The film “Murder on a Sunday Morning” is a documentary on the murder of Mary Ann Stephens. This murder took place on May 7, 2000, in Jacksonville, Florida. Mary Anne Stephens was at the Ramada hotel with her husband when a dark male wearing a dark shirt, shorts, and a flat brim hat approached her and demanded for her purse. Within 5 seconds she was shot in the face by the bridge of her nose and killed. It was later that day hat Brenton Butler was stopped by police and identified by husband of Mary Anne Stephens. Brenton Butler was taken into custody where he remained for the next six months facing charges of murder in the first degree and armed robbery. Through evidence such as the clothes Brenton was wearing on the day of the murder, an alibi of going to blockbuster to hand in an application, and lack of forensic testing, Brenton was found not guilty in the case of Florida v. Brenton Leonard Butler after the jury convened for forty-five minutes on the twenty-first of November in 2000. The Jacksonville grand jury also decided not to file criminal charged against the three officers. After the case on March 12, 2001 the forensics department retrieved the purse to process all parts of it to find fingerprints matching to Juan Curtis who admitted to shooting Mary Ann Stephens. The Butler family planed to sue the sheriffs officers in an $8.5 million civil rights lawsuit.
In years before he came out with his own show he had to deal with advertisers and censors opinions that were “difficult and full of disappointing concessions and refusals”(4). Advertisers and censors were always either denying use of his work or almost completely changing his work. One of his more legendary writing struggles is when he wrote a script based on the Emmett Till case, a teenage boy who was murdered for “whistling” at a woman, his script was never made into anything and was only released a few years ago. He touched on such engrossing, controversial, and sometimes strange topics that others were scared to write about, but not all of his writing made it to the screen because of other people's opinions. Serling choose to write science fiction and create his own show because he wanted to make sure his taboo, engrossing stories made their way to the screen. He made his own show so he did not have to deal with advertisers and censors, also with the “intent on making sure his stories made their way to the screen without sacrificing their central message. He wanted his stories to be heard and told in strange ways so he would not be ridiculed because of the real story behind them. With him having his own show he had more space for creativity without his writing always being changed by advertisers and censors. The Twilight Zone
Sabina Berman is a notable and critically acclaimed Mexican playwright. Berman’s notable work includes her first published play, Yankee (1979). In Adam Versényi’s translation of Yankee, Berman explores the relationship between the individual and identity. Through the three main characters—Bill, Alberto, and Rosa—we see the continual conflict they face as they aspire to achieve their respective objectives: to feel nurtured and loved, to have peace and quiet, and to feel loved and acknowledged. But it is Berman’s interjection of juxtapositions that forces us to analyze the relationship between the main characters. More specifically, Berman focuses on the impact Bill has as an intruder, and how he highlights the national identity incompatibilities between North American and Mexican cultures, to expose the serious social and political problems between the nations.
Pariah is an acclaimed drama written and directed by director Dee Rees in 2011. The film tells the story of an adolescent African American teenage girl named Alike who struggles with her identity as a lesbian. The film introduces Alike to the audience in a club, in which she often hangs out with her openly gay friend, Laura. This rambunctious lifestyle is quickly contrasted by the introduction to her notably structured and religious family. Alike’s mother, Audrey, in particular, seems to not only oppose Alike’s friendship with Laura, but also question her sexuality. Although Alike struggles with an oppressive relationship with her mother, she also does not seem to wholly fit in with Laura and her brazen lifestyle, thus making her a true outcast, a pariah. Amidst everything, Alike forges a friendship with a girl named Bina and a complicated and disastrous relationship quickly ensues, ultimately resulting in Alike’s coming out, estrangement from her mother, and her departure to college. Director Dee Rees draws on particular filmmaking techniques and personal experiences to depict Alike’s struggles to embrace her lesbian identity, ultimately in order to fuel a growing gay rights sentiment.
Through the Cold War, America was transitioning in various ways such as the way messages were shared, consumerism, and the constant race against the Soviet Union. During the years 1959-1964, Rod Serling, a New York writer and playwright began using one of the newest inventions, the television, as a way to share his opinion about controversial topics. The rise of the television allowed Serling to access to a larger audience whom he could share his opinion in the form of science fictional episodes in the show The Twilight Zone. Although the show seems ominous and a horror related TV show, it allows us to understand the effects and feeling towards topics such as a possible nuclear war, consumerism, space exploration.
“Inside Man” was released in 2006 and would later become the highest grossing film for the director Spike Lee. The film is a crime-drama, located primarily in a bank in New York City run by multi billionaire Arthur Case. Although the film is a thriller and contains bits of action and suspense, the movie focuses heavily on the difference between good and evil. The movie begins with a shot in medias res of Clive Owen’s character Dalton Russell explaining the difference between being stuck in a tiny cell and being in prison while he moves around a small room
The client is a 26 year old, single, male, African American. He is an active duty ship’s serviceman seaman serving in the United States Navy, aboard the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3). Seaman (SN) Fisher is residing on board the USS Belleau Wood (LHA-3) that is permanently stationed at San Diego Naval Base, 32nd Street in California. SN Fisher was given orders to report to Navy Mental Health Services Department on base as Involuntary Command Referral for diagnosis and treatments, to get an evaluation and expert psychiatric recommendation about whether the service member is mentally fit to stay in the United States Navy. SN Fisher is unwilling to begin counseling,
Television recreates an illusional world can coincides with Bradbury’s story. Instead of accepting our real identities, we rather see dreams and desires that
When you say sports most people would either think professional or the best moments that occurred but there is also a dark side to sports that no one wants to talk about. Many things happened or are happening in sports such as racism, steroids, betting, sex scandals etc. but a topic that has been going on for a while is whether NCAA players should get paid. People have spoken out against this and even try to fight it but the NCAA won’t budge and says that they want to keep the amateurism and if they switch to paying players they would be buying the best players making it professional.
In the movie, “The Road from Crime”, Greg was a great example of how Merton 's Anomie and Agnew 's General Strain theory led them through a criminal lifestyle. The environment that Greg lived as a child was a prime example of the Agnew’s General Strain theory. He came from a society where crimes are viewed as a norm in his community. There are different types of circumstance that lead people and groups inside a community to participate in deviant behavior, such as harsh disciplines, child abuse, negative school experience, residence in economically deprived neighborhoods and more. However, Greg was a resident of an economically deprived neighborhood, which had an influence on his criminal background. According to Merton’s Anomie theory, offenders lead a criminal lifestyle because they are not able to accomplish their desire goal. Everyone does not have the same opportunities to become successful. Greg came from a society where people were looked down upon and did not have the opportunity to become successful in life due to their race. Greg was from a community where everyone in his society had an impact on one and other. For instance, he had a friend name Terry who inspired him to be the man he is today. As a kid, Greg looked up to Terry and tried to follow his footsteps. Terry and Greg were neighbors and that is one reason Terry was a role model to Greg. Greg admired Terry because he played basketball and was a “ladies man”. During, Terry and Greg childhood drugs were
The untouchables is a movie based on the true events that occurred when the eighteenth amendment was passed. The eighteenth amendment established the prohibition of production, transport, and sale of alcohol. The Federal Agent Eliot Ness wants to stop Al Capone, who is the top of organized crime. It was a hard job for Eliot Ness because Al Capone with his money bought many policemen, politicians, and other important people, therefore Eliot Ness could trust anyone. Eliot Ness had to choose no more than twelve men to form his squad. The Untouchables were formed by Eliot Ness, and another nine men he picked, they were called the Untouchables because they never accepted any bribes. Al Capone One of Al Capone’s men offered Eliot Ness $2,000 to stop interfering with the organization and an additional $2,000 if he continued to cooperate. Eliot Ness’s plan was to make an impact in the income of the gangsters, so they couldn’t pay for protection. (Biography.com)
In the movie Birdman directed by Alejandro González Iñárritu, which won an Academy Award for Best Picture, it is about a former superhero actor who is performing a Broadway play in hopes that it will rejuvenate his dying career. The main character Riggan Thomson (Michael Keaton) struggles with being relevant in the world today where so many want relevance. Thomas starts to realize that the production he is putting on is an exact representation of his life. In Birdman the camera angle and performance on stage, play a vital role in the movie and allows the audience to see Riggan Thomson’s personal life and struggles.
The movie "Blood Diamond" was released in 2006 and featured Leonardo Di Caprio as an arms smuggler whose main goal is to obtain a seemingly priceless diamond from a villager during the civil war in Sierra Leone. The film, although it has been called mild in comparison to reality, depicts the brutality that inhabitants of diamond villages were subjected to. The film was nominated for five Academy Awards, and won numerous other awards.
For this greatly appreciated extra credit opportunity given to us, I decided to do a critical analysis on the film Ray (2004) about the life of Ray Charles. The director of this film, Taylor Hackford, has done a fantastic job unfolding real life story of experiences that Ray Charles had, while using a classical narrative structure. The film Ray was such a great tribute to one of the most influential pioneers of jazz music who was known as the father of soul during the 1940’s to the 1950’s. Jamie Foxx was the actor who played the role as Ray Charles in this Universal Pictures film that was released in theatres in the year 2004. The plot to this award winning film was to capture the hard life struggles that helped