Monsters University

   I know I've been writing a lot about Disney/Pixar movies lately so I figured why stop now. Recently, I watched the prequel to one of my favorite childhood movies...Monsters Inc. I couldn't wait for this movie to come out but I never expected it to be as good as it was. I know most people would think you would outgrow some movies but I think this movie was here to stay. Not only was the movie good but I was fairly impressed on how creative the storyline was. I was amazed about how someone to come up with this incredible story that explains the story leading up to Monsters Inc. The movie answers questions about how Sully and Mike became friends and partners, how they came to work at Monsters Inc, and why Randall Boggs hates Sully. The set up for the story is totally different because the story is revolved around Mike, who as a kid was alienated by the other monsters because he wasn't scary. Although he wasn't scary he wished to shoot for every monster's dream job which is to become a "scarer". In order to become a scarer though, you must go to a college that is renowned for its scare school and no school is better in the monster world than Monster's University. Mike works his hardest to get into the scare program and succeeds. Once he gets into the school that is where the story starts to take place. The cool thing is that Randall Boggs and Mike were actually roommates and that Sully was actually his worst enemy because he was the naturally scarer monster that didn't try or care about anything. Mike and Sully go at each other in everything, but when the dean of the school kicks them out of the scaring program they wish to get back in. The school sponsors the annual scare games which is a challenge for fraternities and sororities to prove they are the scariest monsters on campus. Mike challenges the Dean making a deal that if his team wins that he and his whole team gets to go into the scare program but if they lose he would leave the school. However, his team needs one more player and out of all the monsters to step up its Sully. At first they do horrible in the games getting by the first round off of another team's disqualification; however, as the games go on they become the surprise of the games passing round by round. Mike is their leader who works harder than everybody to accomplish his goal and make his team the best they can be. He is the heart and the soul of the team. He uses their monsters differences to their advantage and once he comes to this realization him and Sully become great friends. In the end, they are in the finals with the top or "elite" fraternity on campus, Roar Omega Roar. Mike and Sully's "misfit" team ends up winning the games but Sully cheated by lowering the scare level of Mike's scare simulator. Infuriated Mike steals a card and goes into a door to the real world only to realize that he is not scary like everybody else. He would have been trapped there by himself if Sully didn't go in after them. They have a heart to heart and try to come back to the monster world but they realize that the door is turned off. Therefore, in order to get home they need to pull off the scare of a lifetime to power the door from the other side but the only problem is they have to scare adults!
    One thing that seems interesting about Monster's University is not only that its the prequel to Monsters Inc but the fact that Disney/Pixar waited this long to make it. I think that it was one of their ingenious plans to identify themselves with their former audience along with their new ones. I mean I was around 6 or 7 when I saw it and now I'm getting ready to go to college so a story about our favorite monsters going to college is the perfect way to say farewell to the kids around when Monsters Inc came out. This may not be true but I think its a cool parallel to see.

Movies and Music

       Okay well recently I watched the movie "Friends with Benefits," starring Justin Timberlake and Mila Kunis. The movie is about two people that have had a bad history with relationships become best friends. In their friendship they start messing around giving the movie its title but in the end they start developing feelings for each other. But that's not what I want to focus on. In the movie, the couple watches a romantic comedy that Justin Timberlake's character, Dylan, mocks. He says that these movies play music to try and make you feel they way they want you to at different parts of the movie. I remember when the movie ends he says something about a very upbeat and cheery pop song that has nothing to do with the plot is put at the end to make you feel like you had a good time.
       I've always heard songs in movies but I never realized the effect they had on the audience manipulating their feelings to make them feel a certain way. For example, in "Jaws" when the shark is coming you hear the classic suspenseful and fearful music of the theme song. It starts out slow and then gets faster and faster as the feeling of the shark gets closer. This is put in there to make you feel the suspense and fear of getting attacked. Picture the scenes without the music and you wouldn't even get close to the same effect you would with the music. Music plays a vital role in your mood throughout the movie and since it plays this role it is also vital to the movie as well.
      Next, in "Titanic" we all know the story and the romance between Jack and Rose. The most famous song from this movie is Celine Dion's "My Heart Will Go On," which is a very emotional and deep song that I think completes the movie. This song describes how strong the love is between Jack and Rose and I think perfect compliments the emotions of the movie. The scenes make you feel one thing but when added to this song it really brings out the emotions in you and makes you feel the way the movie should. Not only does this song make you feel the way you should but it also affects you outside of the movie. Now almost every time you hear that song you associate it with "Titanic" and you picture Jack and Rose in the freezing water holding hands trying to stay alive. Music plays a big role in how you feel in movies and even helps you remember key scenes by linking it to the song.
      Lastly, the final example I'm going to use is two songs from Disney's "Frozen." The first is " Do You Want to Build a Snowman" This song starts the movie off and a sad note. The song starts out with Anne wanting to play with Elsa but due to her uncontrollable powers she doesn't want to hurt Anna so she just ignores her for years. The song starts out on a happier note showing them as kids but then shows how lonely both of them are over the years. The song starts to get extremely sad in the end when they are grown up and you figure out the parents just died so now they only have each other. It's a tearjerker. The next song that the movie is probably most known for is the song "Let It Go," a song sung by Elsa once she ran away to the mountains after her powers were revealed. The song is a very happy and powerful song that says she's not going to hide anymore she is going to let it all out and be herself. The song makes you feel empowered and makes you think you can do things that you normally wouldn't do because you don't have to hide anymore. It makes you not are what others think which is exactly the way the movie wants you to feel. Music in movies play a vital role in making you feel the way the producers want you to.

Heres the video for "Do You Want to Build a Snowman?"