Jody Mckeegan

It is here also that Jan, the gurl that Jody had met at the hotel breaks down.   Jan had decided that she was gonna leave Los Angeles.  Bcuz of what had happened to her.  She was feeling ashamed of what she had done.  In this part Jody tells Jan that she has done much worst all in the name of trying to become a  Hollywood star. Jody said that she had lied, stolen, cheated. I think Jody is feeling the pain of regret from her poor choices

Jody Mckeegan

I was reading about how Jody's friend Jan, was manipulated into performing lude acts, just to try to get a part in a movie.  I found it to be sad, because here this girl clearly realized she  her  compromised herself just to try to get into the movie business

Jody Mckeegan

I liked the way Jon Carpenter introduced the Jody Mckeegan story,  his story seemed to flow with ease. I mostly liked Lindy's character at first.  Her character was strong willed  and bright.  On the other hand I don't understand how she could have allowed herself to betray her mother.  Lindy's affair with Quentin was ridiculous and so unfortunate.  I guess she just gave in to him pursuing her.  But then the fact that she got pregnant was even worse.  Quentin was nothing but a predetor from the start.  I thought she had seen that in him.

Payday

i really do not know what to write about Payday, because i don't get the suppose of this film. First, we watch RipTorn being crud to his groupie girlfriend, then being delightful to the new girlfriend. Then we see Torn going hunting with some friends, and then later on in this film, he killed some guy then drives himself into suicide BOOM The End. But one thing i get understand is that carpenter's give me a taste of the raw early 70s of Hollywood and the struggle of being famous. while in the movie Taxi diver at the beginning of the film, he can't sleep, drinks heavily, pops pills, and spends his mornings driving Taxi and his night going to a porn theaters. After Betsy rejects him, Travis becomes crazy, violent, and obsessive. Then at the end of the film, he became a hero for killing some bad guys even though that wasn't his intention but i can see why that was the case. Because the audience is the people in the movie and not us.

Payday

In all honesty, I don't think I've ever come across a character that I've hated more than Maury Dann.
But most of all I understand his character to be made just horrible, because there isn't a single instance in which he is in any way relatable or redeemable. Majority of the film, I had been under the impression that everyone was bad. I don't even feel comfortable with excusing the driver. While he hasn't done anything explicitly wrong. He turned a blind eye to the actions of the others whom have
Basically normalized rape, assault and in the end murder. It's amazing to me though, that while I dislike almost all characters in this film, I still feel bad for them. Pity, mostly but I suppose the fact that I feel bad at all is what make this a successful film. I'm positive that good film and good books have to make you question your beliefs, and your ability to understand a situation. And that aspect this film did just that.

FILMSA

FILMS ARE GREEEEEEEEAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAT!

comparing of carpenter

well I think that behind the scenes in the world of country music there was alot of drugs parties and fast life.  Hollywood is the same way of course you had the drugs and so on.  But you also had the pressure of wanting to be on top.   even the country singers had to deal with the pressure of being a celebrity.  They had to adapt to the life that came along with all of the glitz and glamour. It was ruff they had to travel all around just to keep themselves current and  on the peoples minds

Taxi Driver

I noticed a few instances that pointed to the idea of existentialism:

1. When Travis is on the phone and they show the loooooong empty hall
2. The sound of Travis drinking towards the very beginning of the movie, like all he focuses on is himself and how lonely he is and his life is
3. Everyone else is blurred out in one scene except for Travis
4. In his journal entries you can hear how sad and lonely he is, as if he is just existing in this world, 

Don Carpenter Review

Hi all:

Now that you've finished The Hollywood Trilogy, may you want to check out what I originally thought of it. Here's my review in Film International from last year:

http://filmint.nu/?p=14554

Finishing Up

In addition to making final comments on Carpenter this week, I'd like you to make some final comments on the course. What have you learned about film and the way(s) it intersects w/ literature? What are you still interested in learning about film? Now that you've taken the class, which films and/or books should I use again and which should I never use again (and why)? What films and/or books do you wish I had included this semester that I didn't? What final connections can you make between Classic Hollywood, Noir, and the Hollywood Renaissance or, put another way, how does the history of Hollywood reflect the history of America?

It's been a true pleasure this term. Thank you for your participation.

Payday and The Hollywood Renaissance

Don Carpenter wrote the screenplay for Payday (1973, directed by Daryl Duke). Although it's a film about the country music industry, I would like you to make connections between this film and The Hollywood Trilogy.

• What similarities do you see between Carpenter's depiction of the behind-the-scenes world of country music and behind-the-scenes in Hollywood?
• How is celebrity viewed by Carpenter? Can you make connections between celebrity in Carpenter and in Taxi Driver? 
• Maury Dann (Rick Torn) is another in a long line of Hollywood Renaissance anti-heroes. Why is the anti- (or simply flawed) hero so integral to these movies? What is it about this time period that made these heroes so prevalent? 

Taxi Driver

What I liked most about "The Taxi Driver", was the fact that Travis acted like a hero even the he did not abide by the law. As he was rejected by the only woman he's ever loved, his mental state went on a roller coaster ride. In the beginning of the move his explained to the president elect that the city streets are overwhelmed by scum. His hope is that one day someone would clean up those same street and make the world a better place. I believe that Travis took matters in his own hands after buying all those illegal weapons. My reasoning for calling him a hero is because he is responsible for saving two lives. The first circumstance was when the deli clerk was held at gun point. Travis decided to take matters in his own hands by killing the thief. Although it is unjust for an individual to take the law in his own hands I believe in that particular moment the good needed to prevail over evil. The second incident and may I say the most iconic moment of the entire movie was when Travis killed illegal prostitution gang. As he entered the building he kills of every gang member one by one in desperation of saving the prostitute. As eats all the shots given to him he proceeded to walk unfazed. Killing everyone in the house he lies on the chair with a smirk on his face. The look seemed to be a sense of satisfaction being that he completed his mission of taking out the scum from the city streets. What I found amusing at the end when he had a subtle rejection of the woman he once loved. As he drops her him he had no sign of affection towards her, he simply dropped her off and went on with his day which I loved.

Taxi driver

Taxi driver happens to be one of my favorite movies. Personally, I have a very thorough belief that everyone in this film is guilty of a crime except for Iris. While the general consensus seems to be that Travis is a hero. His liberation of Iris was almost predatory. In fact his interest was  made clear after Betsy's complete rejection. It seemed to me he wanted an innocent good girl that was also somehow sexual by nature. She is to be an honest woman whilst completely fine with sexual escapades. I think he found it in Iris. And absolved himself of his guilt by saying he could/ would save her from her pimp and essentially herself.
She was young and innocent so she was inherently good. The fact that she was a prostitute damn near enraged him because somehow. This girl was the only good in the world. And he would fix it. And I think he knew, which is why in the end he tried to commit suicide; but of course there were no more bullets.
Coming out of that comma hailed a hero. Absolved him of any guilt. And I think that's part of the brilliance of the film.
Travis undergoes a complete evolution and you decide what exactly he has evolved into. Personally I believe it is idly in the end that he becomes a real anti hero. You know, assassination attempts aside.

taxi driver

Watching this film is always an interesting journey. A pattern that I have noticed from commentary said  after the film has ended falls back to Travis and the way that people perceive him. Many see Travis as a basic Joe who has simply been pushed into this explosive state. However, I see Travis as a textbook psychopath who shouldn't be confused with a harmless civilian who under different circumstances would not have been pushed to such levels of violence; to do so would be dangerous, I think. Travis encapsulates some of the very characteristics that he himself was so repulsed by, but because of his self-appointed hubris, was too high and mighty to notice. This notion, however could be argued in his attempt to commit suicide- perhaps he came to the same realization and figured that he could actually clean the streets by killing himself. Still, I believe Travis to be a self-centered egotistical person to the very end (even if it is medical), and the motivation behind his suicide would have been his inability to face responsibilities for his actions; he was petrified of what could have come afterwards. We also see this kind of inability play out during his relationship with Betsy. When she shuts down every attempt of his for reconciliation, Travis is quick to compare her to the very scum that he, at some point, separated her from. Instead of owning up to the fact that he offended Betsy, he willingly decides to blame her. The theme of emasculation also shows up in this film. Its very easy to see this film as the tale of an emasculated man trying his hardest to prove otherwise. For example, it's apparent that Travis is awkward with women as depicted with his interactions with Betsy but its even more powerful to say that he is impotent. Travis is probably sexually dysfunctional which is why he succumbs to skin flicks but even there he is unable to find release. Another red flag is raised when we become aware of his ideologies. Travis holds absolute "values", something is either good or evil. So of course, he sees women as whores or virgins which is why I find his relationship with Iris to be interesting. Of course, his motives behind wanting to help her are selfish but judging by his repetitive behavior he should have intended to kill her she is after all an actual whore. I could go on forever, i just love this movie :)

Fun fact! There was some weirdo guy that after watching this film thought it would be cool to shoot the president of the US because he thought it might impress Jodie Foster (Iris).  

Ganja & Hess

Having previously seen Da Sweet Blood of Jesus, I came into Ganja & Hess with a very low opinion.  Da Sweet blood of Jesus is Spike Lee's 2015 adaptation of Ganja & Hess. Let's just say I wish i could have my time back. However, despite my low opinion on the story, I was in fact, surprised with my reaction towards Ganja & Hess. I thought the film played out better than DSBOJ ever did. The use of surreal imagery added to the overall feel of the movie rather than take away from it as I thought DSBOJ did. Particularly, I thought that the use of non-diegetic sound gave the film an air of mystery. It seemed to me that whenever the tribal chanting began, the scenes to follow would be a little off, almost like in a  dream. This film definitely does not follow your typical narrative which is something I was so used to with films in the class.