Final Rewrite- James Bond

James Bond is a man of action; His life consists of fast cars, beautiful women, and dangerous missions in which he must use his intelligence and physical abilities to overcome.  In fact, his character is often interpreted as the perfect man; Someone bold, charismatic, and dutiful who would have made a decent model for any man of the 50’s.

While Bond’s life may seem exciting and glamorous in the pages of Ian Fleming’s first novel in the series, Casino Royale, readers and viewers of the books and movies tend to focus only on the excitement and privilege of the spy life. If one looks past the highly lavish and romanticized descriptions of the Bond world and into the physiology of the man himself, some troubling truths are revealed: Underneath all of the excitement, we must never forget that James Bond is a trained killer, hunting for his prey with an almost animalistic sense of dedication and determination. In fact, his entire existence seems to be based around the idea of being nothing more than a privileged hunting dog, receiving whatever he wants and living a life of excitement, but when the time comes, he must kill without hesitation. He allows himself some creature comforts, such as spending time with his Bond girls, food, and his meticulous enjoyment of alcohol, and minor basic indulgences such as the love of his Bentley, which he cites as his “Personal hobby”, his enjoyment of gambling, and an occasional massage to calm his nerves, but the rest of his persona seems to be nothing more than an entirely self-aware robotic killer, out only to achieve his objectives at any means necessary.

Imagine living alone in a hotel room for months at a time with rarely a single soul to comfort you. Now imagine that your only living in said hotel room in order to hunt down and kill some sort of danger to the world. With the added pressure of saving the world or country and the constant need to watch one’s back for those who are trying to keep you from thwarting the evil mastermind’s plan. Underneath all of the gambling and women, this is the life of James Bond. His life is his job and everything else seems to be a nuisance, holding him back from his mechanical duty to fulfill his missions and get out alive. Even when it comes to the partner he is told he will be having, upon hearing it is a woman, he utters “Bitch” loudly without knowing anything about her. This cold disregard for anything that he finds unnecessary is evident through key phrases in his behavior, such as “cold showers”, “black coffee”, and “dreamless sleep,” all seem to suggest a mechanical perfection he has achieved, cutting out the need for anything unnecessary or time consuming. As idealized and James Bond’s life may seem, one must never forget while reading it that this man is a trained killer, but ultimately, this side of him also has its allure. His penchant for danger should remind us all to let lose our animalistic side from time to time, and perhaps achieve a little of that idealized life for ourselves.

Oryx and Crake

You can be whatever you want to be. This simple phrase is told to children and young adults time and time again, encouraging them to be original and shoot for the stars in every aspect of their lives, but how much truth does it actually hold? “You can be anything you want to be” is a wide exaggeration. Can we really be “anything” we want to be? The answer is no. As a human being, one cannot simply decide to become a dog. Sure, technology can improve so that we may change some very prominent things about ourselves, such as gender and overall appearance, but can anything really be changed?

The book Oryx and Crake addresses the idea of changing ones self in a future where genetic manipulation and extreme plastic surgery are the most common of everyday practices. This future, while horribly frightening, resonates with the reader in a very personal way. In these days of extreme beauty worshiping, its no secret that everyone has something about their physical appearance they wouldn’t mind changing. Oryx and Crake suggests that in this future, changing things such as height, weight, and even gender are the most common and overused practices in their world. While we may not have the technology to make such extreme ideas an everyday practice, we often find ourselves emulating said ideas, especially as children. “Avatar” websites are highly enjoyed amongst teens and younger children alike. Kids are able to pick their body type, hairstyle, clothing, and even more extreme features such as race or animal appendages. These sites give body-obsessed teens the opportunity to be all of these things and change everything about themselves using only a computer and a little imagination; They are free to be as unique or as simple as they so choose. Perhaps one day these choices may be as simple as clicking a mouse around on a computer screen. Perhaps through our societies’ body obsession, we may finally take changing ourselves to the extreme and finally become the person we truly want to be.

Pattern Recognition

Modern day mystery stories are in high demand right now. Stories like The Da Vinci Code are in high demand these days, but a truly ideal mystery for this day and age lies in Pattern Recognition. The mystery thriller stories of old are taken from the streets and the crime labs and thrown onto the Internet. Problems are solved with constant access to the Internet and sending long emails to sources halfway around the world. The main character, Cayce, is the typical specialist hired in said novels to sniff out the patterns behind a long set of videos being posted on a secret chat room. Transplanting the feel of a thriller novel onto a modern day science fiction prose is becoming more and more popular. Writers are taking the changing times and slowly integrating them into classic plots.

Imagine if Harry Potter and the other students at Hogwarts began downloading all of their magical textbooks onto a kindle. That is the feel that Pattern Recognition captures. Cayce uses the Internet and her handy laptop to connect to the underground film scene that houses the film clips, her informant Parkaboy, and the companies she works for. In that right, Cayce is an everyman heroine, using the same kind of technologies we use to get her wherever she needs to go. A fully modern girl, she finds no time to settle down and develop a relationship. She suffers from insomnia from all of her job-based travels, focuses entirely on her job, and is never afraid to jump head first into a dangerous situation. Despite these typical alpha-female character traits, we begin to she ourselves in her through her various Internet connections. So much of our lives nowadays revolve around the Internet and for someone to not have a relationship based solely on the Internet is rare.  Cayce and Parkaboy’s relationship is entirely Internet-based, the two of them communicating only through emails, and a rare phone call or two that Cayce herself admits are awkward. The understanding of these relationships and the integration of said relationships into a traditional thriller setting is a fantastic connection to today’s lifestyles that makes Pattern Recognition such a unique spark.

Future of Media.

When I think ahead to the future of media, I consider how far the immersive quality of movies will go. I’ve always pictured the 3D movies as a passing trend but now it seems like its here to stay. I imagine the new technologies will eventually break the will of all those still holding out on said technologies. I have always refused to carry a smart phone or see movies exclusively in 3D, but I think eventually that will be all that is offered. We will one day realize that there things cannot be escaped and finally take advantage of all of these extremely modern indulgences. 3D will also find its way even further into video games and cell phones, so that eventually we will be able to carry a tiny 3D theater with us wherever we go.

In fifteen years, I imagine buying my children the latest video game system. With the advances in video gaming technologies, the consoles with be far more readily available and entirely more immersive. With motion-action systems like the Wii and the 3D portability of the 3DS, full immersion gaming appears to be the future. Said immersion could go as far as movies and the Internet as well. I don’t believe we’ll be living in a Futurama world where you can walk around in the internet, but that will be a close idea of what to expect. 3D virtual display screens may very well be a reality and interfacing with phones and computers could implement this technology as well.

In 50 years, everything we know of technology will have changed. Eventually, there may not even bee a need to leave home for anything. Work, play, and pretty much all of life could be accomplished through the airwaves. Global, fail-free internet will be a possibility, and the devices for communicating on these networks could go as far as to beam directly into ones brain. Hopefully, with the advancement of medical technology, I will be able to enjoy said technologies in my old age. I just hope the TV is still good.

The female body analysis

Even when given fantastic powers and responsibilities, women’s bodies are continuously subjected to man’s overall desire. No example better proves this that comic book heroines and villainesses. The anatomical disproportions of a Barbie have been causing girls to strive for the perfect figure for years, but it doesn’t help that comic book females adopt that same body type. Yes, the super heroine may be able to rip your car in half, but what does that matter when you can’t stop staring at her chest long enough to notice?

These women are obviously strong and independent, but none of that is important when she is designed. The heroines look strong, but not too strong; they are kept submissive looking by an ultra feminine body. Sure, well-toned arms and rock-hard abs keep our super ladies looking fit, but does a pencil thin waistline and a gigantic pair of breasts really imply a proper picture of health? This is living proof that no one can escape the Barbie figure standards. Where is the proper anatomy in there girls? Can all their organs really fit into that cinched waist? Shouldn’t it be entirely impossible to grapple with villains with those huge double D breasts? Is “defying gravity by having a tiny split costume hold ones boobs in” considered a super power? The writers and artists of the comic book industry seem to think so.

The Medium is the Masage - my page

Your Meal


Man eats. Constantly.
Man began by stabbing wild game to death with rocks and sticks.
Now, whole fields are harvested in one sitting and food can be kept on hand for years and years.

Americans eat three meals a day.
We eat whatever we can get our hands on, be it good or mediocre.
The same thing goes for our information.
Whatever is the most convenient
we immediately accept as the truth. We absorb it, digest it, and let it fuel us until we’ve milked it for all it is worth a pass it on.
Many foreign countries eat only when they are hungry.
They eat what they like and what gives them the most nourishment and energy to tackle their days.
America is truly a country of media gluttons.

Just as our stomachs gain nourishment, our minds and souls require the same.
Feeding one more than the other can make a person sloppy and unproductive or rigid and uptight.
As with food, the higher quality of information, the better it will serve ones mind.
What do you consider the junk food of the mind?
Is TV the equivalent of an entire chocolate cake?
Is newsprint a carrot? Is there a committee to decide where this information lies?
Are there really media gluttons?

Auteurship - Francois Truffaut

The filmmaker Francois Truffaut has had a long, prolific career in the film industry, with acting, writing, and producing all under his belt, but its his skills as a director that are most remembered. The 400 Blows, Jules and Jim, and Shoot the Piano Player are three films of his and all bear his distinct style. Each is a simplistic portrayal of life for the working class French and involves common, relatively unstylized situations for the characters. Weather it be a child in prep school or two friends falling in love with the same woman, the situations are undramatic, giving each film a simplistic charm. The films are driven not by action or explanation, but by simple, everyday dialog between friends or family. Simplicity is indeed the charm of each of these movies, with only a few locations in each film. All are common, everyday locations such as a classroom, café, or small apartment, but are given such a naturalistic feel with simple decorations that could be found in anyone’s apartment or home. It can be inferred that Truffaut had a specific artistic vision in mind for each scene and location, making the naturalism all the more believable. Natural lighting and poor sound quality also makes one feel as though they were in the room or on the streets with these characters.

With the simple working class being portrayed, the characters themselves are highly relatable to the audience. There is one character in all three of these films, however, that stands out from the rest. Truffaut had a thing for brunets with a playful outlook on life. His female leads were often portrayed as wild storms of positive emotion and independence. For example, Catherine of Jules and Jim acts on impulse constantly, leaping from a street into the river and having multiple affairs after marrying. These girls are only independent to a certain extent, however. Every film housed a conversation between two characters about marriage, usually making marriage seem like a necessity for women and a burden for men. A conversation in Shoot the Piano Player reveals a man’s desire to get rid of his wife after years of marriage, but he instead decides to stay with his wife. One can see from these views on women that Truffaut wanted the focus on the actions and deviations of the men.

The most distinct element of Truffaut’s films is his character’s long voice-overs explaining certain events in the film or expressing their innermost thoughts on the situations at hand. Such voiceovers provided chances for the films to move quickly throughout time, watching the characters advance in their lives. Truffaut uses all of these elements in his films to place character development first and foremost. By simplifying all other elements in the film, his characters shine even brighter. His attention to dialog and understanding of modern French life allows Truffaut to fully express his vision throughout his multiple films.