She's the Man

She's the Man can come across as a typical teen popcorn flick, but bubbling just below the surface is an uncanny depth of insight into human relationships and sexuality.

The film is based on a Shakespearean play (Twelfth Night). It has the characteristic tongue-in-cheek flair of a Shakespearean comedy as well as the depth that makes Shakespeare classic, but She's the Man doesn't use any Shakespearean dialogue, and is set in a modern college setting. The movie uses the strong plot and characters of a Shakespearean play and produces an equally complex and entertaining modern Hollywood film. I laughed out loud many times, not just in a "this is funny" way, but also because, as Shakespeare could do so well, the filmmakers nailed the complexity of human interaction and sexual identity.

(BTW, in case you don't know the story, it involves a girl (Viola) pretending to be her twin brother, and then numerous people falling in love with others, most of whom are actually someone else, or a different gender.)

One of the strongest aspects of the the movie is the way Viola thoroughly adopts the mannerisms of a man, without letting us forget that she is, in fact, a woman. I watched this movie over the course of two days, and when I couldn't sleep for a while at night, I kept running scenes over in my head, trying to decide if I believed Viola both as an attractive woman, and a desirable man. I kept waffling back and forth between thinking "she's more a woman" and "she's more like a man" before I realized that I'd just answered my question!

I usually watch dramas and action movies because modern comedy films are silly and vulgar fluff. She's the Man combines a classic story with the best of Hollywood filmmaking to produce an intelligent, insightful comedy that adults and teens can not only enjoy, but also appreciate.

"Second Life"

I've found again and again, in the last few years, that the skills I develop on the Internet, when I think I'm just playing, (or even wasting time) are actually valuable in real life. Armed with this knowledge, I've been making a conscious effort lately to remain reasonably knowledgeable about the latest internet trend.

So far I have:

~a blog (you're reading it)
~a gmail address
~a myspace page
~a youtube account
~a flickr account (see sidebar slideshow)
~accounts with Amazon, Imdb.com, and probably others I can't think of at the moment
~and now, a Second Life...life? (My name is Jayma Shen.)

Along similar lines, I've been devoloping my peripheral internet skills, such as digital photography and html programming.

Here's to staying young and savvy!

Cat-in-the-box video

Make sure you listen to this movie--Ryan's commentary is one of the best parts!

Movie director personality

I was talking with my psychiatrist yesterday morning, and she said my personality is perfect for being a movie director. I got similar results from a career personality test I took a while ago. This, combined with my growing restlessness with my current job, is making me think even more seriously than ever about getting started on my real career.

Right now I'm taking the step of signing up to stage manage a show with New World Arts. This will help me make more connections with some people who are or have been involved in filmmaking in Goshen. It will also help build my stamina and stress-tolerance in a similar-to-film "show" focused work environment.

Simon caught a mouse!

This morning our cat caught a mouse. He is a mighty hunter!

Now, if he would only stop playing with it and eat it....

Simon points out his favorite TV series (and runners up)

New windows

On Monday we got new windows in our house. They are the best windows money can buy, and priced accordingly, but they will pay for themselves in 5-10 years through money saved on heating. I am mostly happy with them; they can open at the top as well as the bottom, and I can open 6 more windows than I could before, so I can get more air flowing through the house. They also look nice. The only thing mildly annoying things are that I didn't spend another $100 so I could open both windows in the back room, and that one bedroom window doesn't open all the way because of the eavestrough.

Resume (Updated October 2006)

Career goal:
Professional filmmaking.

Employment experience:
-On Set Production Assistant for the film Elsewhere, directed by Nathan Hope, (Sept-Oct 2006, internship).
-Catalog new materials, manage the library circulation desk, train staff and patrons in computer use (Middlebury Community Library: Jan-Aug 2003, Nov 2004-present).
-Created a computerized catalog, managed library circulation, organized library resources in consultation with principals and teachers. (St. John de Brebeuf and Holy Cross Catholic Elementary Schools: Aug 2003-Jun 2004).
-Facilitated customers’ shopping experience, organized merchandise. (Menards, Inc.: March-August 2003).
-Programmed and announced music for 91.1 FM WGCS. (Goshen College: Sept 2001-May 2002).

Education:
-BA in Interdisciplinary Studies (Communication/Theater, Music, Bible/Religion/Philosophy) from Goshen College, 2002.

Theatre Experience:
Directing:
-The Dreaming of the Bones (Yeats) Goshen College, March 2000.
-A Bird in the Bush (Kliewer) Goshen College, April 2001.
Stage Managing:
-All’s Well That Ends Well, Back Porch Theater Company, Summer 2001.
-Two Gentlemen of Verona, Back Porch Theater Company, Summer 2002.
Acting:
-El Remendado: Carmen (Bizet), Goshen College, March 2002.
-Dr. Emmett: The Curious Savage (Patrick), Goshen College, November 2001.
-Dumaine: Loves Labor’s Lost (Shakespeare), Goshen College, March 2001.
-Lane: The Importance of Being Earnest (Wilde), Goshen College, November 2000.
-Various roles in One-Act plays, Goshen College.


Technical and computer skills:
-Operating a multi-channel soundboard.
-Connecting and operating digital cameras, DVD players, stereo equipment, etc.
-Trouble-shooting computers.
-Creating for the Web (Programming HTML, MySpace, Blogger, etc.)
-Working with Word, TLC Library Solution Circulation and Cataloging, Print Shop, Media Player, Digital Camera software, PhotoShop, and QuickTime.

Music Experience:
-St. Joseph Valley Camerata (professional choir) (2005-present)
-Founding member of mennosong male vocal quartet (2005-present)
-Sang in a musical theatre revue at New World Arts, August 2006.
-Private Voice lessons (1995-2002)
-Goshen College Chamber Choir (1998-2002)
-Goshen College Orchestra (1998-2000)
-Goshen College Wind Ensemble (1998)
-Private violin lessons (1987-1995)

Hobbies:
-Film and television studies and filmmaking.
-Theatre and musical theatre.
-Writing movie reviews and blogging.
-Digital photography.
-Classical singing.
-Reading books and magazines.

Domino

Domino is a so-so action movie, something like a cross between The Italian Job and The Fast and the Furious, but without the humor, or the cars. It stars Keira Knightley, who spends a lot of time posing and pouting sexily. This doesn't make me like her character, but it does seem like an accurate way to play someone who is a violent tomboy and who used to be a fashion model.

Domino Harvey is a sulky, impetuous, and parentally neglected girl who eventually discovers her destiny as a bounty hunter (which, I was surprised to discover, is an actual profession). The writers made a great decision in choosing a major turning point in Domino's life as the focus of the movie, but that is the end of the good screenwriting. The movie starts near the end, not in a clever way, but simply as a ploy to try to make a more engaging movie. The only reason it works is because you have to think to figure out what is happening in a movie that otherwise doesn't require any thinking.

Domino tries to be existentialist and philosphical with the repeated phrase "Heads you live, tails you die," and ends with moderately poignant discussion of destiny, and a shot of the real Domino Harvey, whose life the movie is based on...Sort of.

My main complaint about this film is the sensational, achronological beginning. The movie starts with a violent and gory raid on a dingy trailer, leading the viewers to believe that the characters are violent criminals. In fact, the three main characters are well-rounded and, one might say, even professional. They do things a little on the gray side of the law, but not exactly the black side, and they are certainly not sadistic.

I was looking for a relatively mindless movie to watch last night, and this movie delivered. I would have been happier watching something else, but it was at least entertaining enough for me to stick with it till the end.