Film/Text/Culture Autoblog -Summer 07

I confess I have never “blogged” before nor have I ever considered doing so.  I know I’m a greenie, but I figure that with everything I’ve learned to accomplish in my life (which in reality isn’t much) this should be cake.
So here I go…The Glass Key.  I had never heard of the book or the movie before this class and whenever I tried to tell anybody what book I was reading they thoughtfully corrected me and said, “menagerie. You mean the glass menagerie”. Nope, I didn’t and they were wrong.  Alas, The Glass Key was a very interesting find.  I’m a nerd so I had read the book before we started class.  I am glad though because I believe it made me appreciate the book more than I would have otherwise. The book took some getting used to, but before I knew it I cared about the messed up lives of Ned, Janet, and Paul.  I have […]

Original post by kcannon

The Glass Key features Ned Beaumont, who is tall, lean, mustachioed, tubercular, and a gambler – like his creator. He is not a detective, but a political fixer for construction magnate Paul Madvig, probably in Baltimore. The toughest of Hammett’s heroes, he is the ten-minute egg of the genre. This quality springs partly from his lack of “luck,” a Depression-era belief that the novel probes, and partly from his defense of his minimal idealism from political corruption.
When Beaumont finds the body of Senator Henry’s son, Madvig asks him to thwart the D.A.’s investigation sure to follow. Beaumont wants to “sink” the corrupt senator, but Madvig backs him and wants to marry his daughter, Janet. Beaumont, needing to reverse his luck, goes to New York City to collect a gambling debt, but gets beaten up. Meanwhile someone sends a series of letters to people close to the crime, hinting that Madvig […]

Original post by Amanda

Ok, so after class I thought I’d investigate more into the “Hays” or “Production Code” set by the MPAA back in 1930. Anyway, incase this interests anyone else, I’ll just post the principles and my thoughts on some of them.
Principles:
1. No picture shall be produced that will lower the moral standards of those who see it. Hence the sympathy of the audience should never be thrown to the side of crime, wrongdoing, evil or sin.
-I can’t help but think of the SNL skit featuring Tina Fey discussing Georgians changing the text books from “dinosaurs” to “jesus horses.”
2. Correct standards of life, subject only to the requirements of drama and entertainment, shall be presented.
3. Law, natural or human, shall not be ridiculed, nor shall sympathy be created for its violation.
These principles are set to the “particular applications” such as vulgarity, sex, obsenity, religion, ‘dances’, and I even think “national feelings” […]

Original post by elizabethomas

Well I didn’t write anything yesterday so today I will talk about the movie “The Glass Key” as a whole, combining the two days.  The title at first confused me.  The original book, written by Dashiell Hammett, is where the movie gets most of its plot lines, with a few exceptions, as what happens with all books-made-into-movies.  I am not really a fan of the whodunit genre (I’m more of a romantic comedy girl) so I was expecting to be bored.  The movie in fact was actually better than I expected.  I really grew attached to Paul Madvig, and throughout the movie I really thought he was the one who killed Taylor.  Well I was wrong, which was a nice way to end the movie.  Of course, Ned gets the girl, as was expected, but not in the way I thought it would happen.  Madvig to just hand her over? […]

Original post by khusband

Okay…not really being sure as to how these things work, I’m going to go with my favorite Plan B: talk and hope someone’s listening. First, an explanation of the title of this blog: throughout all of high school, I’ve been a big reader of books about the movie industry (yes, I also watch the movies I’m reading about. Bite me). But I’ve read–and I really hope these aren’t more of those delightfully copious rumors spawned by and about classic film stars–that both Greta Garbo and Marlene Dietrich had decidedly lesbian leanings and even tended to be a little butch. Therefore, the title of this blog is a tribute to that early twentieth century openness of sexuality and all mental images that it inspires (come on, Garbo a lesbian? Think about it).
 Now, on to something a bit less lecherous. We finished The Glass Key in class today. May I be harsh? […]

Original post by anniek

I am not even sure how I go about this. My other blog isn’t decorated or anything, I only post on there when I feel the need to journal.

Original post by saraholiver

(taps microphone..)
“Is this thing on?”

Original post by elizabethomas

Just testing things out, seeing how this bad boy is looking.

Original post by malbrooks