Blog 24 ( Race)

Jarvis Emery
Professor Smith
Eng: 101

Influenced by The Matrix is a stretch outside of the plugs in their bodies I really didn‘t see the connection. I did research the film a little before I wrote this and found nothing on how it was influenced by The Matrix. In an interview I found with the Director Alex Rivera ( http://www.sf360.org/features/qa-alex-rivera-sleep-dealer) he says Star Wars, and El Morte were the influences, while other people say Blade Runner, The 1982 film starring Harrison ford. That‘s like saying, The Matrix was influenced by Total Recall, or Showgirls was influenced by A Chorus Line There might be some similarities, but it’s more coincidence than planned.
For starters The Matrix is more about a revaluation. Its man verses machine, when they’re in the Matrix they are fighting and working for freedom, the world as we know it does not truly exist, as for Sleep Dealers it is how it is. When they go in to “The Matrix” there not fighting for anything, there working. You’re living in Mexico, and working in New York all at the same time. There is no fight for freedom, or the truth.
Race in this movie is not an issue. It is a Latino/Mexican film because it takes place in Mexico with migrant workers, and ninety seven percent of the film is in Spanish. There is no type of race issues or racism going on. Just a big American company went there and took over their main water supply, but I don’t feel that had anything to do with them being Mexican, and it was a tiny fraction that had little to do with the story.
Urban life is characterized by higher population density and vast human features in comparison to areas surrounding it, and rural life are large and isolated areas of a country, often with low population density. I think the movie just showed that, which made it a little more important in understand why so many people go to urban areas to get jobs, to help their family back home. It’s a lot easier to make money in a place where there’s actual people, and actual jobs and that’s what the film was pointing out.
Considering it’s a low budget sci-fi film, for what it’s worth. Overall it was a good film (aside from having to read it) I didn’t care for it, but I liked it because it stayed true to how the future could be with technology progressing in the way that it is, without being so over the top, like most sci-fi futuristic films are like, Terminator, Back to the future, Total Recall, Johnny Mnemonic, Minority Report, I Robot. Just to name a few.

Blog 23 (ummm I don't get it)

I believe that they were saying you shouldn’t take things for face value….I agree with them for the most part, but sometimes you have to take it as you see it. One the examples that they used was when the character “Cypher” played by long time actor Joe Patanolin, when he and the agents were in the resturant and he was eating the steak he said…”I know this steak doesn’t exist. I know that when I put it in my mouth the matrix is telling my brain that it is juicy and delicious. After nine years I realized ignorance is bliss”
He hasd know choice to not take that experience, and the other for what they weren’t because he already knew that it wasn’t true, but for the rest of the people in the film who were still in the matrix they knew nothing of life outside of what they were living, and that‘s fine for most because the people in the Matrix had the better deal. To question whether or not should we take things for face value? I feel there is no right or wrong answer, it’s what you yourself feel. Who’s to say that the people on the street spreading the word on the end of the world are crazy. We label people crazy who are not religious when they say they have a relationship with god, but ignore the priest who molest little boys. Nothing really happens to them when they are caught, sure we say that’s so wrong and unfair but in the end(no pun intended) we just take it for what it is.

Blog 22 (story v special effects)

First I have to say I agree with her whole-heartedly, and if you check my previous blogs you will see we where on the same wave link of thinking. The Matrix is vastly overrated and childlike because of it special effects.

The Matrix is very stereotypical film that is very appeasing to the male fantasy. With the ground breaking special effects, attractive leading characters, martial arts and lots of sleek black leather, or latex. It also has the standard boy meets girl, and falls in love plot. Now eXtistenZ had its stereotypical moments, but because there were very little special effects it as a more honest, and intriguing vision of pleasure of “connected” minds and bodies.

I saw eXtistenZ in 2000 or 2001, and I personal saw it has another version of the movie “Total Recall” it was at times a rather confusing movie but It had a story that you could see because there were no cinematic effects to take away from it. I think that the Matrix was all the rage over eXtistenZ was because of its bigger budget, and special effects. But I feel as trying to find a story to be able to teach in a class is I feel both are valued, but a big stretch.


Both movies it there own right will make any feminist proud, because the female characters are not the normal female characters you see in film…You know the one’s “o look at me I’m a weak girl who can’t stand up for myself, I need a man in my life to function, he hits me and I don’t know how to hit back type” When first see the character Trinity from the Matrix she is a bad ass, sexy, and in black Latex fighting with and over powering the men, so you pretty much get the idea she is the one to look out for and no one can stop her. Then she meets the male character Neo and still she is rather overpowering, knowing more than him, forcing him down when they are trying to get the tracking device out of him, and being rather aloof when telling him he can get out the care if he wants to, not showing any signs of weakness or catering to him in anyway. But then as the film progresses she still is a badass when it comes to fighting, but she reverts more into the female stereotype character, calling Morpheus “big daddy”, bringing Neo food in away that is more of a subordinate than an equal. Then of course you can’t have a movie unless the to leads make out, and then towards the end she is kneeling by Neo’s side crying and confession that she loves him. Now I’m not saying that because of the stereotypical that is bestowed on to Trinity it takes away from the actually film because that is a small part of it I just feel it is inconsistent. Now in eXtistenZ the female character is the man, and the male character is the woman through out the whole film. The female character is smarter, braver, and has a dominating personality, and where the male character is not as smart, and when he is “himself” he is very submissive. One of the first times you see this in him is when they are in the hotel, and she just with no warning lifts up his shirt to see if he has a port (a hole that is placed into you lower back to play the game) he jumps up and ask her what are you doing? As he is explaining why he does not have a port she is trying to talk him into getting a port so she can plug in her
Game system into him, she is speaking softly and being very sympathetic to his feelings about how it would make him uncomfortable. The whole scene plays out like a man who is trying to have sex with a girl for the first time. There is really nothing that takes away from the film like how the Matrix does. In my opinion the films are more different than alike. The Matrix is more reality in the sense that that is how the world is, where as eXtistenZ is reality, but they are playing a game. If you want more of an actually “story” you watch eXtistenZ, if you want action you watch The Matrix. I think that the Matrix was a more popular film because as I said before it played more for a males psyche, with the glitz and glamour, and the male hero, but because eXtistenZ had a smaller budget, and a female heroin a lot of people don’t know of it. Which shows that the world is not and may never be ready for action, sci-fi movies with female heroin’s.
word count: 809

blog 21 (Before and After)

Today I'm starting with my final, typing up a draft, and if there is time work on my oral prsentation for Joyce.

I've found more info on my final, but still not clear on making a presentation, or video. When I was done I went on and work on my presentation for Joyce, and decided what scene I was going to do and what I was going to talk about.

Blog 20 ( M v E)

First I have to say I agree with her whole-heartedly, and if you check my previous blogs you will see we where on the same wave link of thinking. The Matrix is vastly overrated and childlike because of it special effects.


The Matrix is very stereotypical film that is very appeasing to the male fantasy. With the ground breaking special effects, attractive leading characters, martial arts and lots of sleek black leather, or latex. It also has the standard boy meets girl, and falls in love plot. Now eXtistenZ had its stereotypical moments, but because there was very little special effects it as a more honest, and intriguing vision of pleasure of “connected” minds and bodies.


I saw eXtistenZ in 2000 or 2001, and I personal saw it has another version of the movie “Total Recall” it was at times a rather confusing movie but It had a story that you could see because there were no cinematic effects to take away from it. I think that the Matrix was all the rage over eXtistenZ was because of its bigger budget, and special effects. But I feel as trying to find a story to be able to teach in a class is I feel both are valued, but a big stretch.

Blog 19 (Jarvis...All by myself)

:Line:

With Line you can try your hand at rewriting the first lines of literary classics, movies, and songs and let your friends be the judge. One player reads the title, author and synopsis of a real-life book, movie or song. The other players must then each write and present their best attempt at a first line for the book, movie or song. The first player reads all the entries, including the real first line of the book, movie or song, and then the other players each try to pick out the real one. Players get points for choosing the real first line, getting other players to select their submission, and possibly knowing the real first line (verbatim) before it is revealed…..Now here is the catch.

You have to perform your line or song in the intended way it was written and portrayed. For example: if you were doing something from gone with the wind, you would have to speak in a southern accent, same with the song you would have to sing it in the form in which it was originally sung in, so if you picked the song “Harper Valley PTA“ you have to sing it as if you were a middle aged single mother. Same for books. If you get stuck you can call out “Line” it may be the correct one or it may not be. If you call out “Line you have to try and complete as best you can the dialogue, song, or story. If the judges agree you did a good job, then you get those points.

The games comes with, One card catalog of One Thousand book cards in the categories of Classics, Children's, Fiction, Non-Fiction, Romance, and Mystery, Sci-Fi, Horror. One card catalog of One-Thousand song cards in the categories of Classical (yes get your high C’s ready) Children’s, Country, Jazz, Pop/Rock, Pop standards, Show tunes, and R&B, answer sheet pads, six pencils, and a One 2-minute glass timer.



I’ve been to the Performing arts Library several times for sheet music, CD’s Movies, I’ve even watched a few Broadway shows there. So I was quit familiar with it before today. One of the best thing about it, is that they have Theatre shows on video that you can watch for free, although some of them you have to get premission from the Lawyer of the Director if he is dead, or the person member if they left the rights to them.

The one thing I don’t like about that Library is that when you try to ask the people who are just seating down behind the desk for help they just tell you can look it up on the computers.

Blog # 18 (Religion)

Today I'm going to narrow down what aspect of religion I want to focus on, and then find video to help. I've found all that I need. I think my final will be on the over looked abomanation in the bible, To show that religion is not something people care about untill it is time to care.

Blog 17 (Let he who is without sin cast the first stone???)

A religion is a set of beliefs concerning the cause, nature, and purpose of the universe, especially when considered as the creation of a supernatural agency or agencies, usually involving devotional and ritual observances, and often containing a moral code governing the conduct of human affairs.
That’s the basis of my project. To show that people aren’t really religious, at least not how they should be. I feel that people use their Religious beliefs to act out on people who are different from them, and in doing so not carrying out their moral duties the they supposedly trust, and live by.
I’m going to use actual scripter, and events the co-insight with one another, and to use actual people from class for examples.

Blog 16 ( Possiable, not Probable)

Do I agree with Nixon’s claim or position about us possible living in the Matrix. In the since of the movie? No. Now in the since of the definition the true definition of the Matrix which is “Something that constitutes the place or point from which something else originates, takes form, or develops.” Yes I agree. I feel that we are controlled by are machines even though we made them. To wake up I would say that a vast majority of people in the world uses some form of an alarm, whether it be an actually alarm clock, or phone, or ipod. As we are driving are cars, we stop because the stop light is red, we slow down because it turns yellow, and we go because it turns green. A few things I have to agree and disagree with are on page 33 to 34. He gives a small list of rules of thumb about interpreting one’s own experience that would have to be thrown out if neo accepts the Matrix story: He wrote: The noise that people’s shoes make as they walk is not a part of the sounds they use to communicate with you, so there is no point in trying to interpret those shoe sounds” I feel that’s not nessacierly true. The sounds your shoes would make are inadvertently communicating with you. For example; when neo, Trinity, and Morpheus are hiding from the agents in the bathroom the footsteps of the agents are inadvertently telling them when it is ok to move, and to be quite. The other quote he says is “When an object seems to be getting bigger it often means that it is actually coming closer to you and similarly with seeming to get smaller and going away from you” I feel that is common knowledge in a computer program or not. That’s like say up is down and down is up. I think it would have made more sense if he said North is South, and east is West. Now I did agree when he said “Thing exist even when you are not looking at them” That is true in so many ways. The one most famous of a example is “if a tree falls and no one is around to see it, does it still make a sound?”
The answer would be yes, because if you’re blind folded or your back is turned you would hear it, its heavy wood hitting the ground.