Author Archives: R.L. Terry

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About R.L. Terry

Ryan “Professor Horror” Terry teaches film studies and screenwriting at the University of Tampa. He holds graduate and undergraduate degrees in film and media studies. He has regularly published film reviews since 2014 and has been a featured speaker at Tampa Bay Comic Con, Spooky Empire, and the historic Tampa Theatre. His work has appeared in both political and entertainment magazines.

“Hail, Caesar” movie review

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HailCaesarA brilliant post-war self-reflexive commentary on the Hollywood studio system. Go inside classic showbiz! Before the decentralization of “Hollywood” filmmaking, the big studio was king. And Hail, Caesar captures the socio-economic mountains and pitfalls of the decline of the Golden Age of Hollywood perfectly, complete with a pure message about love, dedication, and highbrow humor along the way. You couldn’t have asked for a better cast. From the excellent writing to the impeccable acting, this film is sure to provide you with old-school style entertainment paired with plenty of topics of discussion–especially for cinema scholars and historians like myself. Return to the Hollywood that still inspires dreamers today and experience life in the studio system. This is one of the best self-reflexive films about Hollywood itself since Singin’ in the Rain. Although, the social-commentary is more or less a plot device that plays in the background while the main plot is the true focus of this exceptional narrative. Truly a remarkable film that will likely find its way into sociology and film studies classes alike.

Hail, Caesar takes place during the final days of filming of an adaptation of the story of the Christ. During a set break, Baird Whitlock (George Clooney) is drugged and kidnapped by a couple of extras and taken to a secluded beachside mansion in Malibu. Meanwhile, Eddie Mannix (Josh Brolin), head of physical production for Capital Pictures, is busy running the show–from personnel management to the shuffling around of actors. Early on, you learn that Mannix is being aggressively pursued by the Lockheed corporation and he must decide either to pursue a career that will allow him to be with his family more and retire early or remain in Tinseltown to head up production and develop motion pictures.

Where to begin?!? As a peer-reviewed published cinema [and themed entertainment] scholar and historian, there are are so many different ways of applying a critical analysis to this film. Leaving the cinema last night, I was perplexed as to how to write about it. Ordinarily, I have a general idea of the direction I will head in my review by the time the credits roll–not this time. There is definitely a subplot in the movie that would be great material to dissect and analyze but I don’t want to spoil that for you; although, I can say that is is very apropos for that period in 1940s/50s Hollywood.

In order to analyze the material that I found most interesting, I want to first spend a moment on the film itself. Even before watching it, you already know that it boasts a brilliant cast and thankfully everyone lives up to the expectation that comes with their respective talent. From the leading players down to the A list cameo appearances, all the actors bring a unique flavor to the overall recipe of the movie. One of the elements that stands out the most is the attention to detail in the classic Hollywood production design. Essentially, we are watching a movie containing the making of another movie. The matte backdrops and traditional rear projection doesn’t stop in the story of the film being made in Hail, Caesar, but the classic production styles and designs cross over into the production of the Hail, Caesar itself. From the color schemes to the wardrobe and makeup, the attention to detail is flawless. Although much more humorous and satirical than the epitome of self-reflexive post-war Hollywood films, Billy Wilder’s Sunset Boulevard, Hail, Caesar does a superb job of going inside the word of showbiz and highlighting positive and negative consequences of the former studio system.

The film opens up with Mannix pulling Gloria DeLamour (Natasha Bassett) from an unauthorized photoshoot because the image the studio has of her could be tainted. That is really the first glimpse into what life was like for stars who worked in the Hollywood Studio System. Not limited to the talent, Mannix even told directors who would star in the pictures that they were hired to direct. Capital Pictures pulled a cowboy off his motion picture to then star in a drawing room comedy. When you worked for the studio, you worked FOR the studio. From your image to the projects you worked on (whether talent or technical crew), your every move was managed by the studio heads. Sounds like the perfect setup for exploitation, doesn’t it? In many ways, yes. However, the studio system also provided a central hub for working in motion pictures. One of the scenes shows Mannix walking down a corridor of editing offices, and that is something that isn’t quite the same today. Studios had exponentially more full-time staff until the final collapse of the studio system in the late 1950s/early 1960s. You had a regular job Monday-Friday and were typically on a salary. You were provided meals and other amenities during the work day. Yes, many aspects of your career were managed–even down to who accompanied you to the premiere of the film you either worked or starred in. But, many more people were employed by the studio directly than today. Just something to think about.

The studio is aptly named Capital Pictures. And rightly so, because at the heart of the movie, the two-fold plot of the film contains socio-economic commentary. The counterpart to the socio-economic side is about being dedicated to one’s true passions. Mannix can easily represent anyone who has a job that they work hard at and are dedicated to but often drawn to opportunities that would be easier and make more money. Do you choose to follow your passion? Or, do you choose the easy way out that would be more profitable? You will have to see the movie in order to discover how Mannix dealt with that real-world conundrum. Although the story of the passion of Christ is a backdrop in the film, it actually plays quite an important role near the end of the third act. The message of love transcends the screenplay (being shot in the movie) and impacts the actors and studio leadership. There are so many wonderful elements to discuss in Hail, Caesar and I have just touched on a few of them. I encourage you to make your way to the cinema this weekend in order to experience it for yourself.

“Magical” Data Collection (part 2 of 3)

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MagicBands

(cont’d from part 1)

Magic Bands work primarily off RFID and GPS technologies; the former is a marriage of radio frequencies and microchip technologies whereas the latter is built upon geo-locating satellite transmitters and receivers (Schnell, 2013). Think of RFID technology as the older IR (infrared) technology but not requiring the same line of sight. Both are limited to short distances. Writing on Near Field Communication (NFC), Schnell highlights that NFC is a “contactless exchange [of information] that takes place over short distances…NFC allows users to perform contactless (although sometimes brief contact is also used) access to digital content and connect to other electronic devices simply by bringing their mobile devices into close proximity” (Schnell, 2015 p.101).

Everything from reading and writing information to programming for specific tasks can be accomplished with NFC. Outside of the magical examples, NFC can be seen in the technology that tells a phone or computer to go to sleep when placed on a special stand or dock. More commonly known, there are mobile device charging stations that respond simply by placing the phone on the charging pad (with no cable connectivity required). NFC technology is also found in the growing number of consumers who are using ApplePay® to make purchases by holding the iPhone close to an ApplePay reader and using the security of a fingerprint. The method by which Apple is integrating ApplePay into the functionality of the iPhone and the experience in the Apple Store is the similar to the method by which the Magic Bands operate. Both perform similar tasks, but for different purposes.

The widespread ramifications of the Magic Band system will be felt not only by real theme parks (i.e. Universal Studios, SeaWorld Parks and Entertainment) but also by museums, airports, and zoos, aquariums, and many more places that integrate hospitality, transportation, and merchandise into the daily operations. The intel collected from the use of the bands is unprecedented (Pameri, et al, 2014). The question at hand is two fold, (1) beyond the superficial uses, how else is the tracking information used? (2) beyond the vacation management system (MyMagic+), how else does this smart data affect other business decisions?  The two fold question has one common element: privacy.

The indirect results of weeks and months of smart data collection can be used to affect decisions like how many employees (Cast Members in the Disney vernacular) to staff at each attraction, restaurant, or resort. By analyzing the number of FastPass reservations made through the My Disney Experience app (the flagship app in the MyMagic+ system) and reflecting those numbers against the number of standby guests (guests without FastPasses who have to wait in the traditional queue) all the while just qualifying those numbers against the physical number of guests through the attraction entrance, Disney World can make effective decisions based upon copious amounts of dynamic data. This same smart data can even help determine what items to stock in the various merchandise shops and even how many character performers should be strategically roaming the park (Palmeri, et al, 2014). It is conceivable to conclude that this same information can also be used in the decision making process of a new movie, television show, or Broadway show. “To infinity and beyond” with this information as Toy Story’s Buzz Lightyear would say.

At the end of the day, there really is not anything particularly magical about the Magic Band. It takes what, as Jurassic Park’s Ian Malcolm would say, “others have done and took the next step” (Jurassic Park, 1993). The Magic Band is next evolution in the wearable technology trend of integrating technology seamlessly into the everyday or more mundane tasks for which, otherwise, time has to be separately allocated. Experiences with a brand or product are customized by collecting, tracking, qualifying, and quantifying data created by the [perceived] end user. The word perceived is in brackets because it is truly the company who is the end user of the data because they decide what to do with it and whether to sell it to another buyer. According to Adam Thierer, “wearable technologies are among the fastest-growing segment of internet-based technologies and promise to have widespread societal influences in the coming years” (p1 2015). These positive and negative consequences can include challenges to present societal norms, mores, and more. Economic and legal norms and guidelines may also find themselves challenged by the data provided by wearable technologies. This is not so unlike Disney’s decision-making in the parks about staffing and merchandise.

Like with any new technology, safety (including, but not limited to privacy and security) is a major concern and the skeptics often outweigh those who are welcoming of new communications technologies with open arms. If safety was always paramount and truly dictated innovation, then it is likely that entrepreneurship, economic growth, ingenuity, and invention could be greatly mitigated (Thierer, 2015). There must be a balance struck between acknowledging safety (in the case of this paper, privacy) but permitting new communications technologies to breach it to a small extent to pave the way for a more efficient means of conducting business or creating experiences. The best means of dealing with privacy issues, in terms of wearable technologies, is to creatively deal with them as they rise up (Thierer, 2015). Unfortunately, sometimes privacy issues are ignored or seen as passé in order to commodify data. That is the crux of the issue. Beyond the obvious uses of the Magic Bands, is the privacy of consumers compromised and is the data being sold off? Without conducting an empirical research study and interviews with those who monitor and support the technology, it is entirely possible that the answer will not be known for some time yet since the MyMagic+ system is still relatively new. But, past research can show us how similar technologies are used, and by extension, apply those practices to the MagicBands and the data collected by them.

Interestingly, privacy awareness over what is now referred to as smart data can be traced back to 2006—a time in which many were unaware that the aforementioned technology existed, at least in its present form (Mokbel, 2006). The idea of location-based information is not new—that is how Google Maps mobile app works as well as just the basic GPS in your vehicle. But, that same technology has become smaller, less expensive, and can be integrated into many different items including the Disney Magic Bands. Why integrate this technology into items like the Disney Magic Bands? Simply stated, it is because “user requests to location-based services can be modeled as spatio-temporal queries that can be efficiently executed over large numbers of mobile users through database management modules, e.g., data indexing, query processing, and query optimization” (Mokbel, P1, 2006). The possibilities of channeling the data in copious ways provides an unprecedented quality and quantity of data that can be cited in the development of various decisions. It is not that this same data could not be quantified in any other way, but this method is far more efficient because it would take exponentially more hours and resources to achieve the same results through more conventional means—at least convention as it was known until the advent of smart data devices.

“The Boy” movie review

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TheBoyBoy, was that scary! Quite possibly among the scariest movies in recent years; that is until The Boy drops the ball in the last few minutes of the movie. Within the first few minutes of the film, there is already an overwhelming sense of dread and an anticipation of what horror lies in store for our protagonist. This is one of the films where the plot was nearly perfect and even scarily close to real horrific circumstances. Quite interestingly and uncharacteristic of this sub genre of horror, the previews do not give away all the scares nor do they lend to revealing the shocking turning point during the climax of the story. In many ways, the plot is a tribute to a more classic way of building a horror movie and I can appreciate the effort to channel the Master of Suspense.

The Boy is about an American nanny who takes a unique position with an old-money family in the British countryside to look after the couple’s son while they are on a long awaited holiday. Upon meeting the child, Greta (Lauren Cohan) is perplexed as to why mom and dad are treating a porcelain doll as if he was their son. According to the parents, the doll IS their son and Greta must follow a strict set of instructions in order to satisfy the needs of Brahms (the boy). Worried she will be alone in this mansion with only the doll for company, Greta meets the attractive local grocery delivery man Malcolm (Rupert Evans) who informs Greta of the history of Brahms and his parents. Thinking that Brahms is merely a doll with obsessed parents, it isn’t long before Greta begins to feel that something is quite wrong after hearing voices and the doll mysteriously moving from place to place. Join Greta and Malcolm as they come too close to a long-kept secret with a devastating history.

Despite being a January horror movie, The Boy had my attention and respect for a job well done until the end. Often horror movies may not provide us with the ending that we anticipated or were prepared for, but this film really took a turn for the worse when it played out in the manner in which it did. What I find remarkable about this modern old-school tale is the instant feeling of dread or fear of the unknown from the very beginning. From the dialog to the characters, each element of the story helps to continue to reinforce the ominous presence that Greta feels in the house. Unfortunately, there are just way too many unexplained, underdeveloped, and unanswered questions by the end of the movie to give the film the credit that it would have received otherwise. It is possible that the studio is setting up the audience for a prequel or a sequel, but usually these January movies do not see future installments.

I really enjoyed the old-school pacing and feel of the movie, and if you also enjoy truly macabre suspense movies, then you will enjoy it for the most part (until the disappointing end). There was also a Hitchcockian air about the film; although Hitch would have directed a much better (or simply bizarre) ending and provided us with far fewer unexplained plot points. The film is definitely one that is very much enjoyed in a group setting, as is the case for horror in general. So, if you don’t have anything else planned to see this weekend, grab a few friends and head out to see what The Boy has in store for you.

“Magical” Data Collection (part 1 of 3)

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MagicBandsFrom watches to shoes, wearable technology is slowly but steadily making its way into the everyday life of consumers. Building upon traditional data collection methods while integrating wearable technology trends, Disney introduced the Magic Band® [from here on out referred to as Magic Band(s) or Bands] in beta testing in 2012 and more widely beginning in 2013. Park guests can use the Bands as their room keys at Disney resorts, book FastPasses®, and as admission into the parks. Connecting your Magic Band to the My Disney Experience mobile application and website allows for the park guest or passholder to do much of what a telephone representative used to do. Even while in the car, a park guest can book FastPasses and once in the park, the Magic Band can be used to access (or validate) the booked FastPasses. The Magic Band is the Disney guest’s key to the kingdom, so to speak. But, beyond the more superficial functionality of the Magic Band, what other data is collected by the media giant? And furthermore, how and does the data affect business decisions in the other investments Disney has in media, technology, and entertainment?

Looking into the data collection methods of the Magic Bands requires looking into a relatively new breed of data and collection methods referred to as smart data. Smart Data can be described as simply as big data with the addition of emotion behind it (Ball, et al, 2015). Smart Data allows companies to understand consumer behavior beyond just a set of numbers or algorithms. Smart Data provides realtime information to the company in order for the company to be preemptive and predictive, knowing where the consumer has been, is currently or will be going by reflecting present decisions on past decisions. This data opens a window into the mind and soul of the customer by tracking behaviors from online buying to peer-to-peer conversations (Ball, et al, 2015).

The brilliance behind the design in the Magic Band is the ability for the Walt Disney Company use smart data as a way to put smiles on the faces of its customers—well, most of the time anyway. But does this brilliant design come at a cost of privacy? Prior to investigating the privacy issues with this smart form of data collection, it is important to look at the design and implementation itself. The goal in the creation of the Magic Band system was to mitigate, with the eventual goal of elimination, the fiddling around with admission tickets/passes, forms of payment, room keys, FastPasses, and dining reservations all the while increasing personal/interpersonal interaction and time with family and friends without the hassle of the aforementioned (Kuang, 2015). All the tasks and elements of a typical Walt Disney World Resort® vacation can be handled and processed by the Magic Bands. Disney Magic Bands look like an unassuming rubber bracelet, and that is part of the magic. “The most remarkable thing about the Magic Bands is the fact that they don’t feel remarkable” (Kuang, 2015). Behind the colorized or photo-covered rubberized band is an RFID (radio frequency identification) chip and GPS tracking system. The bands are constantly connected to a vast system of sensors and transmitters within the boundaries of the park.

Although presently concentrated in parks and resorts, the idea of combining the convenience of a wearable accessory with the efficiency of a mobile application, is a trend that will most likely go beyond the borders of Walt Disney World and spread to other parks, resorts, or even academia. Think of the Magic Band as Disney’s answer to the Apple Watch®. It really is a beautiful concept that has many positive affects. The beauty behind the otherwise nondescript bracelet is the combination of a logical approach to business needs and the creation of a more efficient trip to the “happiest place on earth.” Instead of spending time in lines, behind the computer, at Guest Relations, or at FastPass kiosks, the park guest can spend more time with family and friends while customizing nearly every element of a trip to Disney World.

The Walt Disney Company may seem like its leading the pack with integrating wearable technology that serves as a massive way to collect, organize, and attribute data—and in may respects it is—but for many years now, retailers have recognized this trend for what the customer is looking for—a more experiential and participatory relationship with the vendor or brand. In a published study conducted at the Fashion Institute of Technology (FIT) in New York, researchers uncovered some mega trends that are directly impacting the customer’s experience in brick-and-mortar stores as well as online retailers. Both traditional and non-traditional retailers are recognizing the need for the customer to be digitally linked to the brand or store just as they are digitally linked to social media and other media outlets. Between now and 2020, the digital world is estimated to double in size every year between now and then. And, it is projected that the number of smartphones will surpass 2 billion (US) dollars by 2016 (Bell, et al, 2015). Retailers cannot ignore this, and legacy retailers will have to restructure and adapt to the growing digital media trend or be left behind and face the inevitable.

By retailers and other providers of goods, services, or experiences embracing new media and digital connections via mobile technology, an additional layer in the retail landscape is constructed to further engage the consumer in multiple ways. On the plus side, everyone benefits. Consumers have a quicker and customized access to the goods and services they buy on a regular basis anyway, retailers are able to grow sales at an exponential rate, customers receive items in a fraction of the time it once took, information on both the customer and retailer are just a click away, and you can simply shop on the go—those impulsive buys continue way past the end caps at the supermarket or department store. However, there is a darker side to this symbiotic relationship: loss of privacy. This is not always a malicious action, but by integrating digital media and mobile technology into the retail and hospitality landscape, companies have a copious amount of data that can aid in decision making and provide the company with another revenue source by selling data to the highest bidder, so to speak (Ball, et al, 2015).

In respect to the Disney Magic Bands, which are currently an option in the newly launched MyMagic+® program of vacation/visit management, all the conveniences of the bracelet-like device come with NSA style monitoring by The Mouse (Dockterman, 2014). The constant monitoring and data collection comes in a shiny package. What parent wouldn’t want to set up a child’s visit with a “surprise” visit from his or her favorite Disney character? By signing up for (or you could think of it as signing away of privacy) certain features in MyMagic+, character performers (those employees that are dressed as a face or fur character) in the park can see that a particular child (or even adult for the matter) want to meet them. And by accessing the MagicBand’s GPS tracking system, the character knows where the park guest is and perhaps even where they are heading based upon dining, hotel, or attractions reservations. With the ability for the MagicBand able to track location and serve as a form of payment, post-Snowden, there are worries that a clever hacker can access the band and be able to steal the payment information or be able to be a stalker (Dockterman, 2014).

In the Journal of Electronic Resources in Medical Libraries researcher Eric Schnell explores information sharing and exchanging technologies. One cannot discuss the technology and implications of the Disney Magic Bands without investigating the technology that allows the MyMagic+ system to function. Although his research was conducted to better understand this new technology in how it relates to medical research and libraries of information sharing, this same understanding can, by extension, be applied to the Magic Bands. As RFID, GPS, and Bluetooth technologies continually innovate and develop into smaller, faster methods of communicating over short distances, companies and organizations will integrate, adapt, and change to meet the needs and desires of consumers to have more participatory experiences with favorite brands and these same companies will have a prolific amount of date on each consumer that can be used to target particular goods and services and will have data that can be sold off to other companies

(Continue to Part 2)

Liebster Award

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liebster

To my surprise, I was nominated by REMCO of the blog The Silver Screen Savant for the Liebster Award! Thank you very much 🙂

The Liebster Award is an award for bloggers. It helps to discover new blogs and to build a sense of community in the blogging world!

Okay, So Here are the Rules:

  • Thank the blogger(s) who nominated you
  • Answer the 11 questions the blogger gives you
  • Nominate 11 bloggers that you think are deserving of the award
  • Let the bloggers know you nominated them
  • Give them 11 questions of your own

QUESTIONS from REMCO

– If you could only read one genre for the rest of your life, what genre would you choose? Ashamedly, I don’t read books for pleasure. I do, however, have a great deal of books. But, I look at them as furniture. In order to satisfy the inquiry, I could enjoy reading mysteries for the rest of my life.
– What is your favourite book and why? My favorite book is easily Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol because the writing is excellent, the characters are each unique and strong, and the message is timeless. It will forever be a testament to not allowing the commercialism of Christmas overshadow the magic of the season.
– Which writer inspires you the most? That is a close call because there are two writers that have always been inspirational to me: Charles Dickens and Dr. Seuss (Theodore Geisel).
– What was the first book you ever read? I am unsure. However, if I was to make an educated guess, I would say How the Grinch Stole Christmas.
– Who is your favourite character from any book, movie, tv show etc. and why? Quite the broad question. Hmm… My favorite character amongst all formal storytelling methods would be Scrooge because he is each and every one of us at some point in our lives in a given situation. He also established a character arc that is used as a barometer to this very day. He shows how even the hardest of hearts can be turned around–if given the right motivation.
– What is your favourite literary/poetic quote? Not literary or from a poem, but my favorite quote is from Cecil B. DeMille, “the greatest art is the art of storytelling.”
– What’s your favourite movie? Easy. Jurassic Park (1993).
– What is your favourite place in the entire world? And why? As I have not traveled abroad, despite the fact that I now have a passport, my favorite place is Biltmore Estate (Asheville, NC).
– What place have you not visited but would you like to visit the most? And why? Rome. Because it was the turning point in modern Western civilization and was years ahead of its time in technology, arts, and education. The crossroads of the world, so to speak.
– What is your favourite time in history? Honestly, I like present day. However, I know that is not the intent of the question. So, looking through the past, I think I like the height of the Roman Republic/Empire.
– Tell me a random fact about you! I’m over 30 and single, and often think about taking my dating experiences (or lack thereof) and working them into a stand-up comedy routine because audiences love self-deprecating humor.

MY NOMINEES

Vinnieh of Vinnieh

Heinrich Domingo of Cinetactic

Lukeluna of Geeky Cheeky Always Sneaky

Austin Wiggins of Writings by Ender

Hammy Reviews of Hammy Reviews

Remo of the Silver Screen Savant

ReviewsWithB of ReviewsWithB

Danielle Ogo of It’s a Great Blog After All

Clarke Ellis of By Clark Ellis

The Brooklyn Hallowss of The Brooklyn Hallowss

Gareth Rhodes of Gareth Rhodes Film Reviews

MY QUESTIONS to MY NOMINEES

  1. What are your top five favorite movies?
  2. Select your top two favorite movies; why are they so special to you?
  3. Why did you start blogging?
  4. What is your favorite theme park and/or attraction, and why?
  5. What are your top five favorite television (or the equivalent) shows?
  6. If money were no object, where would you like to go on your next vacation?
  7. What is your spirit animal, and why do you identify with that one?
  8. Which Golden Girl are you, and why?
  9. Who is your favorite vocal artist and why?
  10. What is your favorite Broadway musical?
  11. What is your dream car?