News Project Evaluations

If you were assigned, please comment on the News Project presentations from September 18 and 20. Choose the two presentations you thought were the best and explain for each one what made it outstanding. Please post your comment by Friday, September 29, 2006.

Forbidden Planet Film Review

If you were assigned to do the film review for Forbidden Planet, please add your review as a comment to this post. Post your review no later than midnight, Sunday, September 24, 2006.

A good review will do the following:

 Start with a short synopsis (summary) of the film (just the basic setting, conflicts and characters)
 Address at least three criteria for judging a film (see below); explain how good a job you think the film did in each area
 Include specific examples to support your judgments of the criteria
 Make your review free of mechanical errors (spelling, capitalization, grammar)

Here is the list of criteria we brainstormed in class:

• Setting -- relative to the story
• Likeable and unlikable characters:
• Villain -- evil, cunning, stands above others
• Hero – saves people, super, courage, good, muscles
• Comedy/Comic relief
• Good Plot-easy to believe, good sequence, a lot happening, eventful, surprises/twists, good flow
• Special Effects -- believability, not overusing, relevant
• Camera angles/work (cinematography)
• Drama
• Editing/sequencing scenes
• Action
• Acting skills
• Sweet subtitles

Forbidden Planet -- Shakespearean Origins

Add your comment here if you think you know which Shakespeare play served as the inspiration of the film Forbidden Planet. Please also include how you figured this out -- what was your source or reasoning? The first to provide a correct answer will receive bonus points.

"Ticktockman" Response

Now that you have read the story "'Repent, Harlequin!' Said the Ticktockman" by Harlan Ellison, please comment about what you got out of the story. Give a brief explanation of what you thought the author had in mind when he wrote this story, or what meaning you derived from it yourself. Please post your comment by no later than midnight, Friday, September 8, 2006.

Then, by no later than midnight Tuesday, September 12, read through your classmates' comments and respond to one of them Be sure to mention the name of the person who wrote the otiginal comment, and add your own thoughts about what he/she said.