Skyler Saunders
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I will be publishing a story every Tuesday. Make sure you read the exclusive content each week to further understand the stories.
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Reason First: Worst Examples of Spike Lee’s Double Dolly Shot Listed from Goofy to Awkward
On the occasion of his narrative film, BlacKkKlansman (2018), Spike Lee can celebrate a return to his more accessible types of films. As a terrific documentarian, though, Lee has crafted some moving, profound works of nonfiction, non-narrative films in the past. But when it comes to his feature films, he has a proclivity to use poor camera grammar. In particular, the double dolly shot which depicts a character or characters seemingly floating on air gives no indication of the mood, intentions, or other ideas involved in the scene. The worst part of this camera inclination is that it appears in so many of Lee’s works. It is difficult to engage into the movie when the seemingly hovering (usually protagonist) flashes onto the screen. And there seems to be no sign of Lee stopping this stunt. He continues to implement this technique (if you can call it that) into his oeuvre. With over 30 years of professional experience to his credit, Lee has garnered an honorary Academy Award amongst other accolades. But what are these boards and critics voting for in these instances? Do they not realize that the double dolly shot is annoying, clumsy, and jarring? Does Lee know that the shot is annoying, clumsy, and jarring? Maybe it is because he thinks that since no one else employs the shot as much that it is okay to be the director to stick out from the crowd. It’s too bad that he sticks out like a weed amongst a bed of roses. So get your double cutting instructions and prepare to break the fourth wall with, Why Are You Ranking: Worst Examples of Spike Lee’s Double Dolly Shot Listed from Goofy to Awkward.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Geeks
Why Are You Ranking: The Best Dramatic Portrayals of Crack Addicts Where These Actors Will Never Receive an Oscar® for Their Roles Listed from High to Fiend
Before the opioid crisis of the mid to late 2010s, there existed the crack wars of the mid to late 1980s and early 1990s. To capture properly the scenes of despair, familial fractures, and the human toll that the drug game has wreaked on America, moviemakers and television crews seek to depict the addict. Now, a metaphor for liking something to the extreme or unable to shake from an activity, the crackhead, has become a staple in films and shows regarding the proliferation of narcotics. They are among the most affected persons involved in the manufacture, production, sale, and consumption of illicit drugs, currently. Their usage of the substances makes them prime territory for screenwriters, producers, and directors to show the comic, desperate, and devastating effects of the drug trade. As prohibition of such substances remains in effect in the United States and most regions of the world, the problem persists. And as the crack crisis has dissipated, the focus now is trained on prescription pill overdoses and heroin (again). But for now, get your vials and try to evade being caught with a wire for Why Are You Ranking: The Best Dramatic Portrayals of Crack Addicts Where These Actors Will Never Receive an Oscar® for Their Roles Listed from High to Fiend.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Geeks
Why Are You Ranking: Best Scenes of Dogs in Wes Anderson Films Listed from Bark to Bite
In the world of a Wes Anderson movie, you never quite know what you’re going to get. Sure, you can bet on the distinguished color palette, the classic rock songs, the damaged characters, and at least, in a few of his films, a scene with a dog (or few). In his opus Isle of Dogs (2018), as the name implies, canines take center stage. But you’re not quite certain whether they will be hurt mercilessly or even killed. Mr. Anderson’s alleged track record has been to exhibit the pain and death inflicted on pooches. He interweaves into his narratives the possibility for a dog or dogs to find themselves at a crossroads between life and death. Like a deranged kennel keeper, some would say, Wes Anderson pits his furry characters against other humans and each other, if there are more than one in a scene.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Petlife
Why Are You Ranking: Delaware’s Best One-Level Malls from Strong Showing to First State, First Place
Virginia-based street poet and reformed drug dealer Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton (@PUSHA_T) once quipped to Delaware resident and Twitter social engineer @NerdattheCoolTable that the Delawarean comes “from one level malls and Nascar [and that he] will never matter.” Disagreement remains with the “never matter” barb. No matter what store you grab that new t-shirt or chomp on a pretzel in the food court, you will never find a set of escalators or stairs inside the main portion of the mall in the tiny state of Delaware. Despite revolutionizing the shopping landscape in the tax-free-shopping state, the construction companies have yet to devise a second tier to any of the major malls in Delaware. To counter that construction ideal, developers have built around the malls themselves to attract more consumers to spend their dollars. The malls are a metaphor for the state. While it may not be ascending to a high level of state stature in area, the state still beckons shoppers to visit the stores that surround the main malls. Places to dine, places to peruse through major chain bookstores, and places to purchase apparel and other gadgets have cropped up in the three most significant malls in the First State: The Dover Mall in the capital, The Concord Mall in Wilmington, and the Christiana Mall...in Newark? (Some would argue that the mall is actually in Christiana as the name implies, but the mailing address still remains as a location of Newark.) So get your free samples from the Japanese fast food restaurant worker and visit that kiosk laborer peddling the softest pillow for Why Are You Ranking: Delaware’s Best One-Level Malls from Strong Showing to First State, First Place.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Wander
Why Are You Ranking: Most Significant Moments Regarding Kanye West as Expressed by American Presidents Listed from ‘Good Life’ to ‘So Appalled’
As he has hinted at an award show, rapper, producer, fashion designer, husband, father and omaven Kanye West wants to be President of the United States of America by 2024. But does he know about the Iowa Caucus and the Electoral College? What credentials does he possess that would make him a viable candidate for the leader of the semi-free world? While Kanye contemplates on becoming commander-in-chief, he can reflect on the previous presidents who became piqued, raised ire, or endorsed the Hip Hop megastar. For over a decade, Mr. West has experienced three American presidents mention his name in some form or fashion. Like a clothing factory that stitches together fabric, the words and actions that the presidents exchanged in regard to West brought together an embroidery of derision, dismissal, and admiration. Kanye West, as his debut album, The College Dropout (2004) attests, knows nothing collegial beyond a few arts classes and does not possess a degree. Now, this didn’t stop President Harry Truman from capturing the highest office in the nation. But what does he have to offer that will make America exceptional again? Maybe a MAEA hat would be too awkward. But if West is serious about his intentions to become president, he will have to weigh some serious issues before he even gets a chance to begin a potential run. So, get your Yeezy Boost sneakers and campaign buttons for, Why Are You Ranking: Most Significant Moments Regarding Kanye West as Expressed by American Presidents Listed from ‘Good Life’ to ‘So Appalled.’
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in The Swamp
Why Are You Ranking: Most Stirring Ideas from the Novel 'Invisible Man' Listed from Pensive to Reflective ***(Spoilers Abound)***
There is no such thing as black excellence. There is only excellence found in an individual who just might have a darker pigment than someone else. Ralph Ellison’s Invisible Man (1952) strikes some of the right chords as far as novels go. No, that’s an understatement. The novel is a marvelous piece of imagination and spirit. Each scene delves deeper into the marrow of race and racism in the United States of America. With stellar prose, Ellison weaves a tapestry of confusion, identity, collectivism, individuality, and surrender. Though seen as a work for advancing the ideals of Marxism, the book shows the disillusionment which follows when one joins tribalist gangs. Blackness is used as an extended metaphor throughout the work. It represents the narrator’s susceptibility, bewilderment, and sadly, a sort of sustained defeat. The talk today about privilege and excellence fails to show how there is only American exceptionalism. Mr. Ellison downplays the grandeur and glory of America and reduces the nation to a pressure cooker that blows its lid and illustrates whether the narrator can (or should) clean up the mess. Now, over half a century later, this novel still resonates for its poetic force and indelible substance and style, Ellison’s luminous tome outlining the aspects of what it means to (happen to) be black, gifted, and undercover. So, get your boxing gloves and pure white paint for, Why Are You Ranking: Most Stirring Ideas from the Novel 'Invisible Man' Listed from Pensive to Reflective.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Geeks
Why Are You Ranking: Most Enlightening Business Moments in 'The Social Network' Listed from Foolish to Sage
Never mind (for the moment) the excellent scoring, editing, acting, writing, and directing (among other superlatives). The film The Social Network (2010) stands as one of the best business films to ever come out of Hollywood. Now, of course you might say that it damns money and the whole notion of identifying the founders (and co-founders) of one of the largest companies in human history. But the depiction of the inception of an idea, and that idea being monetized lies at the crux of the movie. While there exist poor fiscal decisions and a disastrous attempt to oust a certain co-founder, the film abounds in the steady progress of what now over two billion people clamor for on an almost minute-by-minute basis. Started by Harvard students, where Mark Zuckerberg vows, upon the formulation of the firm, to “never go back to that life” of pitiful dances at the Jewish fraternity, Alpha Epsilon Pi, Facebook has changed the face of the planet. At any given moment, somewhere around the globe, users are sharing stories on Instagram, chatting on Whatsapp, or engaged in virtual reality with Oculus VR (all properties of Facebook). And this is what is so tricky about films. Writer (now director) Aaron Sorkin perpetuates the thought that he is not framing a picture, but instead painting a portrait. With real people, it becomes ever more difficult to portray the “characters” just right. (This writing will only pertain to the actions in the film, not the book, and especially not actual life.) So, get your Gap hoodies and flip flops for Why Are You Ranking: The Social Network’s Most Enlightening Business Moments Listed from Foolish to Sage.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Geeks
Reason First: Best Hip Hop Artists Who’ve Discovered Dreadlocks and Maintained Success and Credibility Listed from the Starter Lock Stage to the Adult Stage
Christian mythology holds that the judge Samson drew strength from his flowing locks. Has this idea of growing one’s hair to increase virility played itself out in Hip Hop? Terrence “Pusha T” Thornton, famous for maintaining his cornrows and braids, declares in the 2012 smash remix to “Don’t Like” that the “power’s in [his] hair…” While the mysticism does not hold water, there is some truth to the idea of artists growing out their hair to boost visibility, sales and streams, and make concert show appearances more memorable. The women will adore the dreadlocks as sexy. The men will want to grow their own set of dreads so that the former may be just as attracted to them as they are to the recording artists. The maintenance regimens associated with hairstyles like dreadlocks make them at once challenging and a breeze. Just a single wash a week and plenty of moisturizer will keep those dreads in excellent condition. For rappers like Lupe Fiasco who sported a close-shaved head when he entered the Rap world, to dreadlocks, to now a close cropped small Afro with the sides cut close, the trend seems to fluctuate among individuals. In an era where ballplayers and Hip Hop artists had shaved their cornrows and opted for conventional haircuts such as Allen Iverson (who reverted back to cornrows), Carmelo Anthony, Ludacris, Fam-Lay, and a host of others in anticipation for the President Barack Obama Administration, the artists of this list have taken the dreadhead look to another level. So, get your palm rolling tutorials and tightening gel for, Why Are You Ranking: Best Hip Hop Artists Who’ve Discovered Dreadlocks And Maintained Success and Credibility from the Starter Lock Stage to the Adult Stage.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Beat
Why Are You Ranking: Best Metaphors in the Film ‘Mother!’ Listed from Shallow to Heavy ***(Spoilers Ahead)***
Most critics found the film to be rather well imagined. Audiences, for the most part, stayed away as if the picture could transfer a virus upon viewing it. The Darren Aronofsky think piece Mother! (2017)brings together a disparate amount of allusions, similes, and representations. With the eerie pacing and jump scenes, the movie at first glance would warrant one to call it a basic scare fest. In actuality, it is a psychological thriller that expounds on some weighty issues that ought to be explored and evaluated based on their merits. From actress Jennifer Lawrence’s earnest and understated performance to actor Javier Bardem’s ferocious yet controlled acting chops, the picture presents a shocking and unsettling portrait of creation, love, destruction, and rebirth. The cinematography alone draws in the viewer with its tinted palette and color scheme. The editing is at times slow and cerebral and at other times chaotic and terrifying. As a whole, the project may be Aronofsky’s finest work. Each of the scenes carry on to the next not just to develop character and move along the plot, but to establish the idiosyncrasies that fill the screen. All of the pieces of the puzzle of the film fall into place in a nuanced and comprehensible fashion. Christianity and environmentalism, mysticism and altruism, really, have been argued as prime motivators for the Requiem for a Dream (2000) director to imbue into this project. So, grab your cigarettes for that cough and remind everyone that you don’t want in your house to get out for, Why Are You Ranking: Best Metaphors in the Film Mother! Listed from Shallow to Heavy ***(SPOILERS AHEAD)***
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Horror
Why Are You Ranking: Best Musical Acts to Have Enriched Delaware from the Admired Duly to the Adored Greatly
The first state to ratify the United States Constitution has played home to a number of notable musical acts that have gone under the radar. Though it may be hard to believe, some of the most talented musicians either saw birth here or traveled here during a time in their lives. The largest city in Delaware, Wilmington, continues to be a hub for upcoming acts. The Queen in Wilmington hosts some of the best musical acts from around the country. But in the past, Delaware also allowed for artists to hone their crafts, seek refuge, and build up a rapport with their audience. The advent of festivals like Firefly and the newest day party scene, Trapstock, seem to be boosting the profile of the state. Though often looked down upon as small, flat, and boring, Delawareans and outsiders alike can enjoy the sounds that flow from the Diamond State. For musicians, Delaware has provided opportunities for listeners to reap new and different musical stylings. From Bossa Nova innovators like Diego Paulo to Hip Hop pioneers like Shizz Nitty, the state has transformed from a tiny dot to a significant part of the euphonic landscape. Even some of the Hip Hop acts like Swish Maddi and producers like SAP (Sounds of a Pioneer) can call Delaware home. Perhaps the most prominent Wilmingtonian in the rap game is Gimel Androus Keaton, best known as Young Guru, the engineer for Rap titan Shawn “JAY-Z” Carter amongst others. So gather your blue hen colored guitars and drum machines for, Why Are You Ranking: Best Musical Acts to Have Enriched Delaware from the Admired Duly to the Adored Greatly.
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Beat
Why Are You Ranking: Nas’s Best Beat Picks from Toe-Tapping to Fist-Pumping
Known for picking, allegedly, some of the most asinine production pieces, Nasir “Nas” Jones has collected this criticism since his inception into the rap game in 1991. But are his choices in beats really that odious?
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Beat
Why Are You Ranking: Best of the Denys Arcand Film Series From Slightly Stimulated to Aroused
(Disclaimer: For this list, there is at first glance, omissions. The films, DaysofDarkness (2007) and The Fall of the American Empire (2018) seem to be swept from the annals of the places like Amazon and as of this writing, the latter may not be available for purchase or rental yet. So only two of filmmaker Denys Arcand’s works in the series will be evaluated here.)
By Skyler Saunders8 years ago in Geeks
