Vielma- Its only goodbye for now

This class has been a unexpected journey. I though taking this class would be relaxing and care-free but it really made me think about every Tim Burton movie I've ever seen and will see in the future. These films that I once only saw as creepy and weird since Burton was weird. But after analyzing his movies we see how his movies aren't weird because he is but because weirdness is one thing we tend to see as not normal but Burton wanted to show how not being normal is ok. Burton puts a piece of himself in every movie he makes, not only in adding some sort of quirkiness that has been prevalent in his life, like the dislike to suburbs because they force normality and conformity. This dislike is seen in Edward Scissorhands, Big Fish, Beetlejuice and in his works in The Melancholy Death of Oyster Boy. Not only does he connect his movies to his own life but he creates the movies with a lot of darkness. I first saw this darkness simply as creepy qualities of himself in movies but I now see this darkness as a way to show the darkness inside of his characters. I first really disliked Burtons take on the Batman movies, because of this darkness and such a gloomy look on Gotham city. Now after this class I see that the gloomy darkness seen in Gotham city not only represents the destruction going on in the city but the destruction going on in Bruce and his villains like the Penguin, Catwoman and the Joker. All of these characters struggle with their feelings and the loneliness they feel and the darkness inside of them due to that loneliness. 

I never thought anything of most of this signature actions Burton includes in many of his movies. But now in analyzing these movies I see how Burton is simply an artist trying to create his mark on the world. And I really enjoy the mark Burton is trying to leave on the world. In the weird and creepy movies Burton has made so popular and mainstream he is converting weirdness to something normal. His works all show how being odd is never a negative. In being odd and weird Lydia finds a true home in Beetlejuice, Edward finds love in Kim in Edward Scissorhands, and Sweeney Todd finds comfort in killing in Sweeney Todd: Demon Barber of Fleet Street, and Ed Wood finds comfort in dressinf like a woman in Ed Wood. All of these characters are incredibly odd but find comfort in their oddness. Burton's movies are perfect examples on why being odd is so normal. I consider myself to be quite weird. I'm weird, I've been called that my entire life, but I love being weird. It means I'm not conformist, it means I'm an individual. I've never had to question who I am because I've always been content with being weird. Regardless of my surroundings I keep to being weird. I think this is what Burton tries to get across in his movies, even saying stating that in Alice in Wonderland,  "you're mad. Bonkers. Off your head... but I'll tell you a secret... all of the best people are."

Vielma- Todd, Sweeney Todd. And he will have his revenge.

In Sweeney Todd: The Demon Barber of Fleet Street we are given sad lives and sad situations that all evolve around one man Benjamin Barker. Known only as Sweeney Todd on his return to England we immediately sympathize with the man who has been away from his family with no cause. When we learn that we also relate to him as anyone who has lost family feels to his need to return to his family with any way necessary. Upon hearing his wife and daughters fate it is clear his motives deepen to get more sinister. As we see Sweeney reminisce on his family and how to get it back we feel for Mrs. Lovett as she longs so sweetly after Sweeney Todd, as if so softly rejected. We feel for both until we see how Lovett urges Todd's so violent way of revenge as she uses his evil deeds to better herself and get closer to Todd at the same time. Burton creates the overcoming of moral revulsion with every death happening to those who are so obviously evil. Also Burton turns all the murder and cannibalism in the movie not only to justify but as reasons to comment on society. With the murders committed by Todd, Burton creates so much sadness and tragedy to Todd's life that each murder can almost be justified as Todd is so mentally and emotionally broken down. With the etracities people are doing to Todd he fights back with the killings and the audience can sympathize. In a different way the cannibalism is morally seen as just nasty, not necessarily immoral. When we see people killed and made into pies, we see it as "Those above serving those down below" as Sweeney and Lovett sing. When they sing of those they could use as meat, we are given all majors parts of London higher society in a way. We are given clergy, marines, lawyers, actor and grocers. With all of those named we are given a class in London, all higher class since they have steady lives are are stable in a modernizing London city. The creation of those higher up in society being feed to those in lower classes and killed by those in a lower class show the shift in power coming with the growth and urbanization of London. With Todd and Lovett cresting a new pyramid of power they are showing how those in the middle class began to rise up with the urbanization of London but the higher classes are beginning to become less important and powerful. 

Vielma - Big Fish

In Big Fish Burton creates the happy-go-lucky character of Edward Bloom to show us how even a extrovert in this world can feel like he is an outsider in this world. Bloom is never sad , even in death and in times of sadness and peril he keeps calm and a straight face because he knows ho he will meet his end. But in going on his many adventures that he relays to his son, he meets many dark people. The giant is the darkest in his adulthood and also Edward's ticket out o Ashton. In convincing the giant, Carl, to leave the small town for a big town Bloom realizes it would also be best for him to leave the small town as he felt like a big fish in a small pond living there. In his leaving we see how although he was everything someone could ask for in a young man, he was an outsider in his town due to how he was destined for greater things. The scene which represents how Edward sympathizes with Carl can be seen when he goes to his cave to talk him into leaving Ashton for good. In this scene we see Edward not only as a do good citizen but as someone looking for a way out of town. Carl instantly catches on but agrees with Edward in that he is too big for such a small town and can see how Edward feels the same way. They journey together as they both need a bigger homestead due to their larger than life abilities, and for Carl, appearance. 
The one dark character that is repeated throughout Edward's life is Jenny. Although she might not appear to be dark he longing for love is gothic and dark. She is a mysterious little girl when Edward first arrives in Spectre and grows up into just as mysterious. When she asks Bloom to promise his return you see how she as well as Edward is looking for a bigger pond as she tries to keep the man destined for great things with her in Spectre. In wanting Bloom to stay it's like she needs someone to give her an excuse to claim Spectre as a small pond and a reason for her to leave. that her attachment to him, in hopes of becoming close with him she hopes for bigger things in life. You see this in the scene when he returns to Spectre to buy her house and she tells him he came back too late, she had already lost hope for being something bigger. 

Vielma- Sleepy Hollow

Within Sleepy Hollow the darkness and death is consuming this little town and the more and more Ichabod digs into the mystery he finds more truth in himself. In Irving's story of Sleepy Hollow Ichabod is a simple teacher and simply caught up in the horrid murders that are happening around him in this little village. Irving creates an innocent town in which the towns people are really involved in each others  lives and are consumed by the darkness that surround this village. Burton uses this darkness in the village but does it to create a  more sinister motive and creature that is the headless horseman. The similarities that we are given in both works are the characters and names and the quality of the darkness around Sleepy Hollow. But where the stories differ is where Burton takes Irving's original story and creates dark motives and more suspense  in the Sleepy hollow we see wit Burton creating it, Ichabod is a constable and is in charge of solving the mystery of the Headless horseman. In trying to solve the mystery Ichabod finds himself thrust into a deep hole full of motives and dark superstitious activity. As an already superstitious person Ichabod is taken aback as he discovers who is behind the controlling of the headless horseman. In creating the fact that the headless horseman  must be controlled by someone Burton creates the murders as an entire chain reaction to the sinister plot created by the once maid now stepmother Van Tassel. With Burton creating a motive for the murders of the headless horseman more suspense is added to the regional story and creates more to fear in Sleepy Hollow. Another thing that Burton adds that adds to the original story is the actually appearance of Ichabod Crane,who is depicted in Irving's story as lanky and plain looking. In Burtons adaptation of Sleep Hollow he uses Johnny Depp as Ichabod. Johnny Depp as Ichabod on the other hand is very good looking and this all turns into how Katrina eventually falls in love with Ichabod. This is another great difference between Irving's story and Burton's movie. The romance between Ichabod and Katrina adds more to why Ichabod tries so hard to solve this mystery because Katrina is directly affected by the outcome and the deaths. With all the changes Burton makes with the story of Sleepy Hollow he adds more suspense and complexity for the viewer to truly understand the darkness that this village contains.

Vielma - Mars Attack

When you are told that outsiders come in peace you are usually trusting, or at least hoping to to trust them. With the martians in this movie they completely make mockery of the government and its power. In the scene in which the first martians land, it is completely mocking the way americans deal with threats to our safety. When the martians start attacking with guns that look like water guns, the US Army is powerless with all their toys and tanks. The martians water gun-looking weapons and silly appearance makes the U.S. government's control and decisions look weak. The military is a joke, especially with the character of Billy Glenn, the fumbling moron, as the "military hero" due to his mindless charge against the martians. 

Another example of how the government is satirized is in the scene when the three martians have invaded the safe room with the President in it, but they come barging in and kill everyone. The president finally stops them when he goes on a passionate rant about being friendly with one another, being partners the martians and the humans. The president seems proud of his little speech when the martians seem to understand and agree. But in a flash the martians kill the president and you see that they were simply manipulating the President. 

the martians themselves are very simple creatures when really looked at. they kill to kill, in the movie there seems to be no legitimate reason to why the martians are attacking earth, they're doing it just to do it. 

The film takes jabs at how most of our most highly held institutions, such as the executive branch is full of men who simply want to further their own agenda. The onlyperson who seems to be looking out for the best for the US is the general who keeps pushing to nuke the invaders but is constantly shut down by his peers. The president immediately asks his press secretary which move is the best "for the public" but wants to be seen as a mix of Lincoln and Leave it to Beaver. When he says that we can see how his announcement of the martians is simply publicity for himself. 

This movie spoofs serious sci-fi movies simply due to the subject. the movie is based on bubblegum tops from the 60s. Having such an all-star class in such a cheesy and low budget looking movie spoofs the sci-fi genre as well. 

Vielma- Ed Wood

In Ed wood we are given the typical hollywood director struggling to make his mark in tinsel town. But what we see in the movie by Burton not only is the struggle that Ed Wood faced but the personal trials he went through and how he went on to make his own mark in tinsel town although it wasn't the mark he intended on leaving. In Wood Burton gives us every side of Wood that he can, from the director, to the cross dresser, to the boyfriend and later the husband. Each side is vastly arranged to be Wood in the center but each side has a different ideal in mind. With Ed he struggled for acceptance in every single side shown to the world. When shooing Dolores his cross dressing he craved her acceptance and love, but in the end Dolores calls him out as a freak and a horrible director. Dolores does this in her struggle to find normality while Wood is quite content in his oddity. 
Burton can relate directly with Wood in the sense that both directors struggled to get their true points across to those funding and "supporting" their films. In each of them we see a craving for the weird and odd and the passion for what they do. Although Wood was a flop, and Burton was and continues to be a successful director and producer for the most part, its ironic that Wood was one of Burtons better films and acclaimed. 
Burton pays homage to Wood as a director by using the scenes to convey Woods passion for film. When Wood is praising his actors for their performances the scenes are dim except for the focus on Woods face which seems to shine extra bright in awe of his talent. 
In another homage to Wood, Burton displays his respect for Bela Lugosi in a way that you almost come to see their relationship as one of true friendship and admiration. It comes to be the more moving relationship in the movie, outing Wood and Dolores and Kathy.
In the most obvious homage Burton starts the movie as a complete representation of Woods movie career even including tombstones and a coffin intro and the horribly made flying saucers that Wood made himself out of paper plates.
The way Burton depicts Wood it creates a full bodied image of a man most knew as a B-movie director and the worst director, as a man who simply was an outcast doing what he loved and was pasionate about, just like Burton is today.

Vielma- Roy the Toxic boy

Roy the toxic boy. An odd little boy who loved everything which was bad for everyone else. But Roy wasn't just left to die. He was allowed to be himself in a way. Burton makes it clear that he wasn't completely alone in himself. The first line even mentions how he did have friends, they called him Roy, not just toxic boy. He had a name outside his real name but people chose his real name as opposed to other characters Burton created which are referred to only by their descriptive name not their given name. Burton almost creates an image of his own childhood. In Roy the toxic boy, his parents are never mentioned and there are no siblings mentioned. Burton had quite resentful thoughts of his family, even moving in with his grandparents at one point. But we knew Burton had friends, although standoffish he had friends that made movies of aliens with him. Just like Roy, he had friends. But to others he was known as "the horrible toxic boy", this makes me think of how Burton felt like an outsider to the world. looking at the rest of his surroundings as an odd boy who indulged his weirdness. Roy and Burton both are odd boys but both don't hide it. They indulge their weirdness and keep to themselves in order to be themselves but they aren't very bothered by their alienation, it seems as though they prefer it. Roy could stay in the garage and breathe in the toxic fumes he loved so much. Burton was allowed to express his oddities and though his oddities were surpressed at some points, like when he worked at Disney and he was thought to be too dark, he kept working on his dark craft and eventually had his darkness come to the light. Roy seems almost literally to be a shadow, he lives behind most and isn't the norm, and even dies in direct light. Roy was also let to explore his loves of toxic things but his reaction to light and fresh air was different than Burtons. But I don't think Burton meant the fresh air to represent fresh air. for Roy the toxic boy fresh air is more a symbol of normalcy and conforming to society. Burton wants to show us that conforming to society and being put out to be normal can be deadly for some of us. The odd can be killed by the normal. Roy lived a happy "healthy" life by enjoying his oddities of toxic fumes but when put outside in the fresh air like a normal child in our society he met his demise. 

Vielma- Cutting a Fairytale apart?

Most of the fairy tales I recall from my childhood are all pretty tame. A girl falls asleep in a bed then runs away when seeing bears, a girl bites an apple passes out and wakes up due to a kiss. All boring and plain. But when finding out about the original tales you find that these tales were quite violent. The girl was killed, the apple was poison. It all was actually gruesome, but I saw them as just pretend. In our contemporary life violence is everywhere and people say life is no fairy tale. But isn't it? We see people killed for power everyday and dozens of princesses were plotted to be killed by a stepmother for their power. Isn't this the same as a gang shooting of their leader in order to gain new leadership? Fairy tales are much like our contemporary lives and we juts choose to ignore that or think of fairy tales as the pristine violence that is justified later or even soiled before the violence comes to happen. The violence in the fairytales is seen as morally correct. As in when a stepmother wants to kill the princess the stepmothers plan is discovered and foiled and we learn an important lesson about persevering or keeping to your dreams and somehow those will save you. TA-DA, the moral of the story justifies the violence to be had in the fairytale. 
But in our current life is our violence justified? Is the shooting of a little boy while playing in the park justifiable? Is the morality in the cops that put their sirens on in order to get to McDonald's in time to still catch the breakfast deal?
In Edward's own suburbia there are immoral people that are only lightly covered by morality. Joyce seems "innocent" if you avoid the cleavage, but to her neighbors nothing is really questioned. But when she tries to seduce Edward then accuses him of rape, we see how her immoral behavior is not even close to being justified. Edward is a simple plain person, trying to connect with others and trying not to hurt anyone. in actuality all the violence done by Edward is done completely by accident and is thought to be done purposely. The opposite of our fairytales, the harm done later justified with a moral, is here a moral act causing harm thought unjustifiably. The entire scene of suburbia that Edward is put in is backwards as they justify the immoral and treat the moral acts as unjustifiable and create so much hate towards Edward. 

Vielma - Feisty Feline

Meow. a sarcastic undertone to this leads to so many questions. Is Catwoman friend or foe? Batman surely finds her a friendly foe as his locks lips with Selina Kyle but he again has also locked lips with Vicky Vale. Batman doesn't really seem to have a type. Vicky Vale was obviously into batman, she immediately accepted his proposal to go out to dinner and sleep with him that night. pretty easy, but she was willing to love Batman as well. She gave him everything without much challenge to Batman and that seemed to be something good for Batman as the last thing he needs in his life is more complications. 
Catwoman on the other hand is an enigma to Batman. She makes him question his life choices, whether he is to trust her or not. She also creates a challenge to him as Selina  Kyle. As Selina Kyle she doesn't go after Bruce as easily as Vicky did. She holds out, although her new persona does overwhelm him when they are at his house, she stops and has her priorities to handle before going any further with Bruce. This is the complete opposite of what Vicky and Bruce has and yet Bruce seems to be more entranced by the challenge that Selina Kyle gives him. 
While being very attracted to Bruce, Selina has her own internal issues to work out before she can continue to work on a relationship with Bruce. Her true motives with Shreck are her number one priority and she intends on making sure she gives him what he deserves and what he did to her. Selinas internal motives are in turn what are destructive to Batman. 
As Catwoman she intends to work out her master plan and kill and destroy Shreck for what he did to her as Selina Kyle, but to get to Shreck she must partner with the penguin and in turn go against Batman. Although she wants Batman out of the picture there is serious sexual tension between them. And she uses this to her advantage. Catwoman knows that Batman is truly good but that is almost what draws her in, like on the balcony scene under the mistletoe. 
Is that tension between Catwoman and Batman the same as the tension between Selina and Bruce? I t doesn't seem to be as Catwoman uses the tension to her advantage while Selina truly enjoys Bruce and wishes she could give him more, but in the end she sucks up her lust and puts her priorities first and succeeds at her master plan of destroying Shreck.

Vielma - Joker the Trickster

The Joker. A classic character we all know, and most love. we love him because he is the underlying sinister self we all have inside. the most obvious trickster element of the Joker is seen in his attire and personality. he is naturally a trickster looking character. Not only does his appearance hint towards his trickster side but his actions do. He manipulates his business partners, he exposes the true greed of Gotham and also creates chaos just to create chaos. Burton shows the true trickster in the Joker with his obvious criminality but also undermines it with the business side the joker appears to have. With the makeup the joker wears he fully embraces the sinister and the trickster in him. He manipulates, lies and tricks the city of Gotham. He brings out the city's true colors and their greed within them but they repress it. the trickster in Joker that burton made supports that the idea of trickster is essential. His makeup is the clear indicator of how the joker embraces the trickster in himself. He uses that to his advantage. As mush as Burton supports the idea of the trickster as a necessary evil he also undermines the idea of the trickster within the joker. With the character of the Joker Burton creates a side of business and stature. Without the classic joker makeup the Joker does business. His official deeds are done without his calling card makeup. He uses his old self as a window to making official business and does everything with a proper form. When addressing the city about his confrontation with Batman and how he will be giving away millions of dollars in cash, he is without his makeup. The joker completely uses his old self, Jack, as his business attire. He only does business without makeup, he knows that his trickster appearance won't cut it to convince Gotham that he is more "trustworthy" than Batman and how since he doesn't hide behind a mask even though his true self is completely covered in makeup as his own mask. The way Joker conducts business and then his criminal acts Burton conveys a vision of how the trickster himself can hind behind someone who isn't a trickster in appearance. The joker, as burton creates him, knows that his trickster traits won't always be the way to his evil goals, he must be able to create a normal version that others can trust so he can then manipulate. 

Vielma- Beetlejuice

As far as American society goes about handling death it is done in an impersonal way. Death seems to be the fear on everyones mind but when faced with it people deny it. American culture seems to be one of few cultures in which death is not celebrated or used as a symbol of moving on to a better place. death is a character we fear in America, not revere and respect like in other parts of the world like Mexico, Puerto Rico and native American cultures. in other cultures, like in my own Chilean Culture death is not only a time for sadness and mourning but also of celebrating the persons life. When one dies in my culture you mourn the loss, but soon afterwards you celebrate it, you invite family and friends over just to talk about your loved one and all the special memories you all hold dear and remember fondly. In Beetlejuice we see the complete opposite, death is something the Maitland's can't stand, at one point Barbara says "She can't live like this anymore" besides being a pun its a direct statement on how Americans look at death, a burden. The Maitlands see death as another entrapment instead of a window to another world, one without responsibilities and worries, at least in the movie. Within Beetlejuice we not only see death as something Americans fear and want to avoid, we see how death is manipulated by American society. Beetlejuice himself manipulates how the Maitlands see death as a horrible thing and uses their hatred for the Deetzes as his window to work. Beetlejuice sees their loathing for their situation in the afterlife and uses it to his advantage,he even says "What do we got here? The Maitlands, uh? Cute couple. Look nice and stupid, too." he tricks and lies and all when seeing how desperate the Maitlands are in the afterlife. Not only does Beetlejuice manipulate the death of the Maitlands so does Jane, their realtor. She goes to check in on the Deetzes moving in and getting settled but barely mentions a word on how they were close, only that she decorated the entire house herself and passed on her card. Jane used death as an advertisement of herself, instead of respecting the dead, she used it as an opportunity to move up with clients. The entire film Burton shows us the ugly side of death but not in a sense of the ugly horror that Beetlejuice releases on the Maitlands and the Deetzes, but in the complete disrespect and fear Americans hold death to. Burton uses this film to comment on how as a society the scary things in death aren't the things we fear most about death, but death itself. 

Vielma - Introduction

In the past week I have discovered that I really like taking a lot of naps. I have never been so excited to get to my own bed since preschool. Being in a new environment this week has shown me that I actually enjoy things I didn't enjoy before, like more spicy foods, going to the gym with my friends, and just laying down in the quad smoking hookah. The most surprising thing I have encountered here has been my ability to really feel comfortable with people I have never met before and being able to mesh with new people. In high school I always had the same core group of friends, some coming and going but my best friends had always been the same. So coming here to New Orleans without any friends coming with me, I was really scared that I would have a hard time adjusting especially with my roommate and with my floor mates. But now after living here for about a week I feel completely comfortable especially in situations I wasn't comfortable with in the past. I am a lot more open to getting dressed up and just going out with my close friends here, I don't have a problem staying out late and worrying about the amount of sleep I would be getting that night. I am surprised at myself for really being able to put myself out there and experience new things with my new friends. Even though I have been going out with friends I'm also really surprised at myself for really enjoying all of my classes I'm in this semester, which is odd for me since I usually hate going to classes but here it's not so much a chore as something to keep me busy and actually enjoy. I have actually been doing homework surprisingly enough which is another accomplishment since my senior year I did the bare minimum. One thing that does almost feel like back home in Chicago, is the fact that this is a Jesuit school and I went to a Jesuit high school and our mascot was also the wolfpack so I don't have to buy any new gear because most of my things from high school I can wear here as Loyola gear. 

Although this is my first time being so far from home, I feel very comfortable here and that is a big relief and surprise. Coming into this school year I had a lot of doubts about school and if I could stand to be away from my family and friends for so long and so far away but I feel really happy with my decision to come down here since I've had some of the funniest nights of my life here and its only been the first week.