What's with all the remakes?

Awww... These are my favorite childhood movie/television show characters. I watched them when I was in first grade, second grade, third grade... even now sometimes. After school, when I got home I would revel in the fairytales and adventures of my beloved heroes. Nothing and I really mean nothing could disturb my marathon of watching them. Looking back, I wonder what exactly drew me in to watching those classic Disney films. Was it the animations? The script? The adorable animals? The heroic princes? The kind, yet daring and beautiful heroines? The quintessential theme of good over evil? Independence?

Or was it simply because that, as a child, all I had to watch on TV/ DVD were Disney films?

I suppose I will soon find out what sort of magic compelled me to sit so still when I watched Disney films.

Anyone who has seen the list of upcoming films will notice a trend.

History or Fiction? Have you seen Hamilton?

While the founding fathers may not have been musically inclined to rap, there’s no doubt that the founding fathers would have agreed that fictionalizing history is effective at getting the message across.

There are times when I wonder if history is completely accurate. Or if human history should be completely factual and all truth. Sometimes, a little elaboration and imagination makes what could be sleep-inducing information into sometime that is remembered forever.

Do you know ABC or CNN?

How well do you know where your television programming comes from?

Let's investigate the ownership of these two popular news outlets and possible bias resulting from their media ownership companies.

How Can There Be Too Much Torture... in Entertainment?

While I do not condone the use of torture, condemning the use of torture as violence in entertainment is going too far. True, psychology might dictate that children watching torture or aggression might be more likely to exhibit aggressive behavior themselves. Young viewers could be influenced or try to emulate the actions portrayed. However, this is all speculation. It is far more likely that children are turned violent by their schoolmates, teachers, or parents. Then what? Do we ban everything and everyone?

In the popular show “24” torture is the main feature of plots; violent methods of torture portrayed vary, and include chemical injection, electric shock and old-fashioned bone-breaking. Some people argue that it is because of such shows that children have become desensitized to violence. They claim that torture portrayed in television shows have made people less horrified by the idea of torture and harming another human being.

Chinese New Year Celebrations in Los Angeles

The Chinese Lunar New Year is the most important traditional holiday of the Chinese people, where family members celebrate the achievements of the past year and look forward to the new year. In Los Angeles, CA dozens of celebratory events are taking place for the Spring Festival.

In places such as Beverly Hills, Disneyland, Universal Studios, and South Coast Plaza, spectacular performances not only share the festivities, but also the colorful traditional Chinese culture and the natural and social landscape of the contemporary China. Such celebratory events help add to the dynamics of the diverse culture of Los Angeles and strengthen the understanding and friendship between the people of U.S. and China.

2016 Chinese New Year TV Gala—Truly the best

Every year, CCTV produces a CCTV Spring Festival Gala. This event has become a tradition for Chinese people around the world. It is a evening of spectacular performances with singing, comedy, acrobatics, and more. Besides seeing well-loved actors take the stage, the CCTV Spring Gala also showcases the talents of newcomers who had won competitions to enter the Chinese New Year TV gala. Basically, imagine if “American Idol,” “Dancing with the Stars,” and “The Voice” were swirled together with a generous dash of comedy and holiday festivity to create the Chinese New Year TV Gala.

This Spring Festival Gala is specifically the creation of the CCTV Studio; other Chinese Stations also broadcast their variations for Chinese Year, but the CCTV Spring Festival Gala is the one which garners the most anticipation.

 Chinese New Year is February 8 this year. Chinese New Year falls on the first day of the lunar calendar. Chinese New Year came about centuries of years ago. The story goes that there was a mythical beast named “Nian” who would go out and terrorize villagers. Luckily, one day, someone figured out that “Nian” was afraid of loud noises and the color red. Therefore, the villagers began decorating their houses in red, lighting firecrackers, and making music. Eventually, this day became known as Chinese New Year.

Chinese New Year is also called the Spring Festival. For Chinese people around the world, one of the biggest traditions for Chinese New Year is watching the Spring Festival Gala. (I would liken the Spring Festival to our Thanksgiving Day Parade and Christmas movies) CCTV produces one of the most extravagant Spring Festival Galas.

Months of preparation goes into this production as studio technicians use the latest in technology such as 3D holographics to make each year’s show spectacular. The show directors and producers also try to beat last year’s show and make each year’s better than the last one.

 This year’s theme was the monkey since 2016 is the Year of the Monkey. In my opinion, this year’s show certainly included performances that were better than last year’s show. The opening sequence showcased a group of popular Chinese singers among a backdrop of perfectly trained dancers. The Chinese singers wore pastel colors (perhaps keeping in line with Pantone’s 2016 colors of the year) and the elaborate backdrops and dancer’s costumes kept the opening performance from being too bare. Nevertheless, this year’s Gala managed to invoke some nostalgia by incorporating beloved children’s cartoon characters into one number.

Somehow, the technicians of the show this year creatively used a number of 3D effects and animations, but the producers also formatted the show in a realistic way that appealed to the audience members watching on television. Basically, I was very happy to see that there was not an overuse of animation in the show.

 The singing performances were as wonderful as can be imagined. The excitement of watching the show. With it being a evening of feel good performances, it’s not a surprise that the Chinese New Year Gala is one of the most watched shows ever. In fact this year’s show was watched by 900 Billion people, even more than the Superbowl.

So, what amazing performances were on this year? First, I have to acknowledge the fashion. You’ve got elegant ladies dressed in long gown, daring in it’s fashion-forwardness. There’s comedic moments such as in a skit with a young man mistakenly assumed for a prank caller, leading to hilarious results. There’s the awe-inspiring marching and singing of organized rows of well-dressed young military men. That’s right, handsome young soldiers performing on-stage! Can it get any better? The answer is yes!

 Overall, this year’s Gala event was one of the greatest performances because it was not boring or cliche. Traditions of Chinese New Year were seen with the floating red lantern decorations and  monkey theme. The crowning achievement was that the holiday spirit atmosphere was still maintained, yet everything (as expected) was redone with a new, fresh twist. Needless to say, this year was a show to remember and viewers were kept regaled for the ringing in of Chinese New Year.

Happy Chinese New Year!

Chinese New Year is on February 8, 2016. This year is the year of the Monkey.

The Truth About Torture: It Doesn't Work

Torture has existed for thousands of years. It is perhaps as much a part of civilization as it is not. In shows such as “24” or “Zero Dark Thirty” torture is portrayed as a harsh necessity. In the dramatic scenario of the "ticking time bomb," torture is justified because the cruelty inflicted on one person could extract valuable information that would save hundreds of innocent civilian lives.

But does this mean that torture is effective?

Media Censorship in U.S. and China

When people think about the U.S. they think about pizza, popcorn, and Hollywood movies. When people think about China they think about tea, silk, and Peking Opera. U.S. and China are two leading nations of the world. It is interesting to take a look at the differences and subtle similarities in their treatment of media.

What's News in 2016?

Already, it seems that 2016 will be quite an exciting year. Not long into the new year, there was already news of a group of protestors in Oregon. This group, called the Citizens for Constitutional Freedom, has started an armed occupation of a wildlife refuge. The activists are protesting against the federal government sending two ranchers back to prison for additional prison time. The ranchers were convicted of arson for their illegal burning of federal property. The dispute then was over land and the placement of property borders. The dispute now is over the federal land use policies that make it difficult for ranching, mining, and logging.

"Theatre of War" Film Review

Directed by John W. Walter, the Theatre of War is a documentary film about the playwright Bertolt Brecht and the production process of his play "Mother Courage and Her Children." The film uses rehearsal footage from the 2006 play staring Meryl Streep as Mother Courage. The film goes into Bertolt Brecht's background and covers his exile and the proceedings with the House Un-American Activities Committee. Weaved into this plot are short interviews with the actors of "Mother Courage and Her Children" and their thoughts about the meaning of war.

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