Tuesday, 18 November 2014

'about this blog'

It is really hard to believe this Saturday I am leaving for the USA and believe me my expectations are high, but how could they not be. Since I was a child I have had expectations about LA and NYC. From watching Christmas movies as a child such as Home Alone 2 and the remake of Miracle on 34th Street how could I not have expectations.

Home Alone 2 Lost In New York

In LA I expect sunshine, beautiful women and beaches with epic waves yet will my expectations live true. While I understand that most of my expectations are fueled by media companies, to a degree there has to be some truth or reality to these representations in film, television and music. With LA being home to Hollywood and the celebrity lifestyle that in recent years ‘TMZ’ and ‘E Tonight’ have portrayed I am expecting to see a lot of clean living, green juice bars, egg white omelets and night life that is only found in LA such as the Viper Room a club that has been endorsed in so many films, TV shows and visited every night by the rich and famous. I am also expecting to see many different styles in LA from hipsters, surfers, academics, movie stars and maybe even everyday people. What will be interesting to see is what is not reported or made evident in these films and TV shows such as the homeless, criminals and what the real LA is. Is LA more then the Venice Pier, Rodeo Drive, Mulholland Drive and Hollywood? Shiel (2012, p. 278) comments, “Los Angeles’ inherited cinematic image as a place of opportunity, beauty and wealth, many films continued to be set in relatively comfortable locales such as Hollywood, Beverly Hills, Santa Monica and Malibu.” From watching TV shows such as ‘The OC’ and ‘90210’ it is hard to not have certain expectations of LA such as beautiful women, luxurious lifestyles and opulent wealth. This idea of California with the sun shining and beautiful women is also noted by Shiel (2012, p. 274) who comments, “glamour and sex appeal of the kind promoted by studios were among the primary targets of avant-garde film, but those values were extended in a fully commercial way.” One of my favorite scenes is in ‘90210’ series three when one of the characters goes for a surf and takes his surf board out of the passenger seat of his Ferrari. Being someone who frequents the beach for a surf often, I have never seen this and is one of these situations that you would put down to only in LA.

The OC

90210


I also have expectations of LA being a seedy area of crime and broken dreams. While in the TV shows and films I have been subject to it seems there is a deeper sinister side to LA. This is expressed by the Red Hot Chili Peppers in their song Californication. California is an idea rather then a reality.

Californication: Red Hot Chili Peppers

While this idea of California being challenged by the Red Hot Chili Peppers Zeller-Jacques comments in Solomons (2011, p. 87), “no matter how many times they warn us that LA is less a Garden of Eden than a latter-day Sodom or Gomorrah, we still want to believe in the paradise, and we keep turning back for one last glimpse.”

This is also represented in two of my favorite movies being Point Break and the Lethal Weapon series. While these movies are awesome to watch as you really get to see the geography of LA from Mulholland drive to surf breaks such as Huntington these movies depict the other side of LA away from Hollywood.

Point Break

Lethal Weapon

Another movie that represents this seedy side of LA and how one can make it at the same time is the documentary film ‘Dogtown and Z-Boys’ and the Hollywood feature ‘Lords of Dogtown’. A story that has been hugely influential to me as it tells the story of the creation of skateboarding by telling the tail of Stacy Peralta, Jay Adams and Tony Alva. One of my expectations and something I can tick off my bucket list is to go for a skate on the Venice boardwalk and go to the Zephyr Surfshop. I think this shows how films can raise ones expectations of a place.

Lords of Dogtown

When it comes to music my expectations of LA are even more deepened of a place of escape that is unlike anywhere in the world. I think to a point this has to be true as this idea is expressed across decades and by many different genres of music from the ‘Mamas and the Papas’ to ‘2Pac’. In music it very much seems like a party town where dreams come true and everyone has the chance to make it, a little like what the American Dream promises. From artists such as 2Pac Feat. Dr Dre, Hole and Phantom Planet to name a few this optimistic oasis of California is expressed.

California Love: 2Pac Feat. Dr Dre

Malibu: Hole

California: Phantom Planet

Now lets cross the country to NYC where my expectations for this city are so high it is crazy. I am obsessed with NYC if I could live anywhere in the world it would be NYC and the crazy thing is I have never been there. From the fashion, women, restaurants, nightlife, universities, museums and culture to name a few things that make up the city how could I not want to live there? Most of my film and TV appetite are heavily dependent on stories about and filmed in NYC. TV shows such as Gossip Girl, Friends, Sex and the City, How I met your Mother and sports feature HBO 24/7 Road to the NHL Winter Classic are a few I watch and have watched.

Gossip Girl

While Gossip Girl is a show literally about gossip and its demographic was for teenage girls, I loved this show as it presented many things that make up New York today. Such as shopping at Bergdorf Goodman on 5th Avenue, central park, fashion nights, bars in Williamsburg Brooklyn, restaurants such Mario Batali’s Babbo, hip hotels and university life at The New School in the Greenwich Village and New York University.

Friends

Sex and the City

When it comes to music I think the song Empire State of Mind by JAY Z Feat. Alicia Keys sums up my expectations for NYC. A place where your dreams can come true and you can do whatever you want which is possible in NY.

Empire State on Mind: JAY Z Feat. Alicia Keys

I am so excited for NY that on my iPod I have a NY playlist which features songs only about New York. It really seems like a magical place that like LA is one of a kind. Songs that influence my expectations and feature on the playlist are The Pogues, Frank Sinatra and Ryan Adams to name a few. Each song represent the euphoric view of NY and how opportunities and possibilities to do what you want are endless.

New York, New York: Frank Sinatra

New York, New York: Ryan Adams

Fairytale in NY: The Pogues

There are many movies that feature New York but two that raise my expectations are ‘That Awkward Moment’ and the classic ‘Warriors’. That Awkward moment raises my expectations by the little things in the film such as the parks they visit, the restaurants they eat in, the location of the movie such as the East village and Greenwich village and the story line with the characters being similar in age with the same similar issues which is cool to see these experiences set in NY.

That Awkward Moment

I first watched the movie Warriors with my Dad in primary school (pretty liberal parents when it comes to movies) but this film is iconic as it is a film that is truly set in the boroughs in NY. I guess this film doesn’t raise my expectations in the sense of what I will do but is a film that I associate with NY.

The Warriors

Warriors: ‘Come out to play Clip’

While it is evident the media in forms of film, music and TV shows have raised my expectations of what I am going to experience and discover I think it is naïve to expect everything we see in these texts. The thing with experiences is you have to be open with them, and while my expectations are high I am so ready to have a trip of a life time and experience things I expect and those I don’t.


Bibliography:

-2pac feat Dr.Dre – California Love HD, YouTube clip, RedDome 1995, 30 December 2010, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wBTdfAkqGU

-“Empire State of Mind” JAY Z | Alicia Keys [OFFICIAL VIDEO], YouTube clip, JAY Z’s Life+Times, 30 October 2009, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0UjsXo9l6I8

-Frank Sinatra – New York New York Song **Lyrics** [HD], YouTube clip, LMIHD = LiveMusicInHD, 5 October 2012, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9KJQNMqVIug

-Friends Original Intro in HIGH DEFINITION, YouTube clip, edisonlsm, 26 February 2011, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xs-HbHCcK58

-Gossip Girl – Season 6 – Final Season – First Trailer, YouTube clip, HayWil, 17 August 2012, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6dzfCZ81adA

-Hole – Malibu, YouTube clip, HoleVEVO, 16 June 2009, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v0CYB5V9e64

-Home Alone 2 Lost in New York 1992 Trailer HD, YouTube clip, gatory303216, 12 February 2010, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIRoNlPZeqk

-Lethal Weapon – Official Theatrical Trailer, YouTube clip, Warner Bros. Digital, 8 July 2014, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5IlMS-dQb2s

-lords of dogtown trailer, YouTube clip, midnightsun, 8 February 2006, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=E0K6lUm5ynw

-Phantom Planet – California, YouTube clip, PhantomPlanetVEVO, 25 October 2009, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wq-S8CIU7VA

-Point Break Trailer (1991), YouTube clip, glows, 9 October 2009, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0hd49bnStgU

-Red Hot Chili Peppers – Californication [Official Music Video], YouTube clip, Red Hot Chili Peppers, 26 October 2009, retrieved 17 November 2014,  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YlUKcNNmywk

-Ryan Adams – New York, New York, YouTube clip, RyanAdamsVEVO, 7 October 2009, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hmHgY_J63Ik


-Sex And The City Intro, YouTube clip, Razzzz2009’s Channel, 8 December 2008, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XXQ11IXkAKA

-Shiel, M 2012, Hollywood Cinema and the Real Los Angeles, Reaktion Books Ltd, London, UK.

-Solomons, G 2011, World Film Locations Los Angeles, Bell & Bain Limited, Glasgow, UK.

-That Awkward Moment Official Trailer #1 (2014) – Zac Efron Movie HD, YouTube clip, MOVIECLIPS Trailers, 22 October 2013, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wRcVgJjnFLo

-The new Beverly Hills “90210” Trailer, YouTube clip, Luka1010 ne Channel!, 8 June 2008, retrieved 17 November 2014,

-The OC | Trailer | TGC, YouTube clip, disneygurl921, 16 April 2013, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_PihUdbGsqU

-The Pogues Featuring Kristy MacColl – Fairytale Of New York (Official Video), YouTube clip, RhinoUK, 7 December 2011, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=j9jbdgZidu8

-The Warriors Trailer, YouTube clip, JIMMY’S CHILDREN TRAP, 30 April 2006, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MV4cgs-bPic


-Warriors, Come Out to Play – The Warriors (7/8) Movie CLIP (1979) HD, YouTube clip, MOVIECLIPS, 6 October 2011, retrieved 17 November 2014, https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aRM2YcGpmxg

No comments:

Post a Comment