A Trip to the Moon: A Journal Entry

(This is a journal entry about my movie experience that I would have written had I lived during the time 'A Trip to the Moon' was released.)

Dear Journal,

There I was, sitting on one of the front row seats. It was premiere night and I was invited to witness this spectacular event. It was a motion picture called A Trip to the Moon and it was just amazing.

Never have I seen such mind-boggling effects before. I know it’s fiction, but it felt so real. Everything looked so real, from the spaceship to the moon landscape to the smoke that comes out whenever an alien dies. I will forever remember how the telescopes of the men would transform into other things. It felt like I was part of all the action. I actually jumped a bit from surprise during some scenes. I was on the edge of my seat and I might have annoyed some people behind me, but I didn’t really care. The film was just so magical and that’s all that mattered.

And then there were the colors. This was the first time I saw a show with actual color and my golly it was very pretty. I was a bit irked by the inconsistencies in the color and shading though. I mean, seriously, I could do a better job in coloring. But then again, I heard they had to color every single frame so I guess those mistakes are forgivable. Putting that aside, the color was wonderful and it surely added more life into the film. We really have come a long way in technology, haven’t we? Next stop: voices! Yes, I am serious about that. It would make everything really believable. It would take motion pictures to a whole new level.

This film will always have a special place in my heart. It had captured my attention right from the start and it did not let me go until the very end. The story, the effects, and the colors worked so well together that it made a masterpiece out of something that seemed very nonsensical. This is my favorite film so far and I hope future films would be as good as (if not better than) this one.

That is all I have to tell you, dearest journal. For now, I shall daydream about going to the moon like what they did in the show. Gosh, they really did a good job in making me believe travelling to the moon is actually possible. It’s crazy.

Hannah Dungca

2013-14765

To the Moon and Back

Seeing films was a rarity in 1902, particularly because movie theatres were still scant in number at this point. Still, plopped in front of a screen as individuals moved back and forth in black-and-white, audience members were probably struck with a sense of awe, thinking that what they were seeing was a thing of magic and sorcery. I know I would have been confused and mystified just thinking about how something that was once so still was animatedly in motion right in front of me.

Had I seen A Trip to the Moon when it was first released, the previously mentioned emotions would have certainly been there. Compared to the other films released at the time, the creation of Meiles was rare for its use of new techniques in creating a world that was, at once, both familiar and mystical. The effort that the director put into telling an entirely new story was evident, with effects such as the explosions and flights, as well as the extravagant sets and costumes used. What’s more, though the size in which the film was shot allowed a limited perspective of the action, all of the presented tableaus overflowed with activity and craziness, all thanks to the hyper cast and story-tellers.

I’d like to think that A Trip was created not solely for money or fame. It was evident that, much like the starry-eyed wanderers in his film, Meiles wanted to venture into the unknown, to explore new possibilities. He did not want to be limited to what was set by convention, instead taking a risk in creating something that was quite challenging and peculiar in many ways. Because of this gamble, A Trip to the Moon serves as a milestone in what will become an industry fuelled by technology, stories, and imagination.

Rillo 2013-14388

Trip to the Moon Reaction Paper

If I were present in the first screening of the film Trip to the Moon, I would probably have been so amazed by it since it was one of the earliest films back then. Even though it was actually not that impressive judging from the cinematography and the plot, it would have probably been one of the best films back then, because there were not many films to compare this to in the earlier days, and the equipment that is needed to produce a brilliant movie was not available yet back in the day.

Even though I would have been amazed by this film, I might be a little confused as well. Seeing as it is a silent film, extra attention is needed to get the message or the essence of the film. There are some parts wherein you just don't know what they are doing anymore, so it is essential to criticize and analyze their actions in order to know what the significance of a certain scene in the movie is.

All in all though, I probably would have been amazed by the film just for the reason that it's one of the earliest films back then and there were only few films to watch in the olden days. But at the same time, I would probably have been quite disappointed as well since the film was not that deep; it did not require special cinematography and literary aspects. I would have probably been quite bored at some point too since I am not a fan of silent films.

Bea Lejano
2013-14235

Time Enough At Last (2014 Adaptation)

If I were to write an adaptation of The Twilight Zone episode, “All the Time in the World,” I would imagine it to be set in a futuristic world around the year 2020 when humans have developed sophisticated scientific procedures and super-advanced technologies that have paved the way for them to attain a golden age of civilization.

In this world, information is gold, considered by many as a prime commodity, the gateway to success, and the key to power. It is for this reason, however, why societies are still in turmoil and in constant conflict causing them to wage war against each other whenever the opportunity arises. Nations try to steal intelligence from other nations to usurp control and dominate over the entire world and its economies, social institutions, governments, and cultures. Naturally, of course, all of this happens behind the scenes while pop culture and mainstream media distract the rest of the population from the political and technological imbroglio.

Amidst all the chaos, life continues to move on for most people. In this case, the story would revolve around a high school student, Ned Hinkle, who is a social recluse and has no other interest in the world than video games and movies. He often brings his laptop and other portable consoles to school without the knowledge of his parents who have forbidden him to do so. Ned often skips classes so that he can play his video games or watch his favorite movies in the library. Ned’s absences during class soon came to the attention of the principal and his parents are called to the office.

Ned tries to reason with the principal, pointing out that his parents never allow him to play his video games or watch any movies at home. To his dismay, the principal sides with his parents and tells him to clean up his act. When they arrive home, Ned quickly finds out that his parents have discovered where he hides most of his gadgets and consoles and that they have destroyed or thrown the gadgets away. Ned is completely devastated.

One day, while at school, Ned sneaks into a research room built under the building. He closes the door and secures the lock, making sure that no one else would be able to get in, and brings his laptop out to play his video games and watch his movies. After a while, he notices that the ground was shaking and he falls unconscious. When he wakes up, he finds out that the school and everything around has been destroyed by a nuclear weapon. The room he stayed in was equipped with SDI Defense which protected it from the attack.

After realizing the situation he was in, he contemplated on committing suicide until he remembered that his laptop also survived the attack. Ned opened his laptop with intense elation knowing that he would spend the rest of his life playing video games, only to find out that the battery is dead.

A Trip to the Moon: A Brilliant Masterpiece of Illusion and Imagination

Seeing moving pictures on a screen for the first time certainly gave me the impression that perhaps even the impossible could be made possible. It was magic!

This wonderful work of art created by Georges Melies can be best described as truly revolutionary which may very well change the course of history entirely. I say that this work is revolutionary because I could never have imagined that one can make such effects and illusions on cinema. I had no idea that his techniques and concepts would make such impact.

After viewing this film, I am left utterly mesmerized of the feat that such an invention has allowed us to achieve and I can say with all certainty that we are definitely moving on to greater innovations that would pave the way toward improving the quality of art and culture in our society. I also believe that as new technologies are developed, our perspective and understanding of the world around us becomes more nuanced as we learn to accept the possibilities of the unknown thus adding depth and substance to what is known.

This masterpiece is so intriguing, fascinating, and imaginative because it gives the illusion that you are on another world, traveling with the characters you watch on the screen and you are taken on this adventure to a different dimension. For one to appreciate this film, it would take a great amount of boldness to step outside the bounds of reality and enter the realms of fantasy and imagination.

With regard to the element of plot portrayed in this film, I do believe that it is consistent with the essence of this innovation and its innovator. The stream of thought is clear while the creativity of its execution is superb. Just as the mystery and potential of motion picture is continually being unraveled to the people of this time, so does the story try to explore and elucidate the endless possibilities that behold us in our world and the universe.

The film clearly tries to depict the environment of the moon’s surface something we do not know for certain but this I believe is where we must step outside the boundaries of reality and try to see with the mind through our imagination what the heavenly bodies and other objects outside our own world may look like. The way that Georges Melies has shown it through his work is phenomenal.

What fascinates me more is not only that he was able to create illusions and special effects or that he was able to explore and discover what is unknown but that he is able to piece together several elements to form one meaningful picture of the reality of life. I have seen through this film that there is more that we can see and experience in life and at times we need to use our imagination to think outside the box so as to move forward in reality.

Space Pilot 3000: What the Future Beholds in Futurama

After viewing the pilot episode of Futurama, the first thing that I noticed was that the creators hold the same idea of alien invasion as with many science fiction films and shows which forces civilizations to rebuild their societies and strengthen their fortresses so that they can withstand any sort of attack by foreign invaders. The first science concept or idea that the show tries to illustrate is that aliens exist and there is a possibility of a space invasion.

Also, from the earlier parts of the episode, we are introduced to the possibility of “time traveling” by using the technology of cryopreservation, which may be likened to hibernation, where the people are subjected into a state of unconsciousness or simply frozen to sleep for a set period of time, after which they will be thawed and awakened in the future. So the show somewhat introduces the idea of “time travel” as compared with the idea of a time capsule through applied cryogenics.

When the main character, Fry, found himself in the future, we see that after a millennium, the science and technology of man is so far advanced that it has even affected culture as seen through the futuristic architecture, fashion, transportation, and communication. We also see that in the world of Futurama, artificial intelligence or talking robots and aliens exist alongside humans and that they only differ from humans in appearance. So the advancement in science and technology also gave rise to the advancement of culture which can easily be adapted by other beings.

However, despite being far advanced in culture, science, and technology, there are still some human foibles evident in that society such as the influence of alcohol and the socioeconomic stratification imposed on people, aliens, and robots alike where jobs or careers are chosen for them instead of having to pave their own way in life so here we see that there is a loss of freedom in life, having to be subjugated by those of higher rank and the idea of bureaucracy in this society still persists in their system.

With regard to other aspects of society, it is shown that transportation systems become more efficient since they use hovercrafts which somehow reduce congestion in traffic and teleportation tubes which can get individuals from one place to another in a matter of seconds. They also introduce a way of preserving knowledge and culture by preserving the heads of influential people like the past presidents of America and famous figures like Leonard Nimoy.

The show also introduces more advanced space travel where the characters eventually ride off in at the end of the show. The show also opens up the possibility of a faster and more stable way of intergalactic travel. So basically the show gives us a sense of what the possibilities may be for the future of our society and how we are all affected by it.

The Fly

            There’s nothing more blissful than knowing that instead of discussing lessons, your class will actually take the whole period watching a film. The Fly is an American science fiction-horror film. The caption for the movie is, “Once it was human – even as you and I.” It was a 1958 film so I was eagerly excited to know what films are like at that time.

            The film showed how technology and science decades ago. It was about a scientist named Andre Delambre. Andre has been working for transporter device called dis-integrator-integrator. He starts with transporting small objects proudly presenting it to his wife, Helene. He eventually proceeds to transporting living creatures from their pet cat up to a guinea pig. After noticing the success of his project, Andre proceeds on working on a human sized chamber for the transporter.

            The climax of the movie starts when Helene found out what happened to Andre after days on not going out of their basement lab. It is discovered that Andre tried to transport himself but a fly also got stuck inside the chamber. Because of what happened, Andre’s and the fly’s atoms mixed causing Andre to have the fly’s head and arm.  In order to get his body back to normal, Andre needs his wife to find the fly with a white head.

            The movie is interesting and has the right amount of thrill that every one of the audience will love though it is a bit ‘corny’ for some parts.  I also learned a bit from the science and technology five to six decades ago in the movie. In totality, watching the movie was a great experience.

Joana Marie Garcia

2013-16420