This week we discussed many things. One thing that I really enjoyed that we talked about however was the reading of The Work of Art in the Age of Mechanical Reproduction. When we think of movies, sometimes we get so caught up in them that it is insane to think that other people may relate to them on a level of how you do. At least that it is how it is for me. Film is constantly being made for the masses. It is made for many people not just only in America but shown to people all around the world. One thing that is mainly discussed in this is the term aura. Many movies are so widely and mass produced that we don’t even know which was the original one. This got me thinking too there are so many reworks of movies of things cut out or added in and then produced for people to see that they are constantly changing. These movies then lose their uniqueness that they had from the very first copy that was ever made. It is sad to me that sometimes we never know what was the original and first copy made of a film.

We also talked about how you can get a lot of different experiences from cult movies. We all see these movies in different ways whether that is physically or mentally. We can see films in the comfort of our home, at a theater or even at a drive-in, if they still have those around you. I remember some of my favorite movies I have ever seen were at a drive-in theater. One of these movies was Talladega Nights. Was I old enough to be able to be watching that? Probably not but my parents didn’t seem to care as they were the ones taking me to it. I can still remember that night and still get a laugh out of that movie as stupid as it is. One thing we talked about too, is how midnight movies are losing their place in theaters. So many people used to dress up and go to these movies to watch their favorite film series. I think that a reason for this is that people aren’t as invested into movies as they once were. Sure, we have our cult classics but people don’t get as invested and want more from a movie series or they don’t live up to the potential of what people were wanting.

Sometimes the films Dr. Schlegel picks for us to watch I question what is going on inside his head. No offense to you Dr. Schlegel. But, by the end of these films I get why he shows them to us so we can get a better understanding of what he wants us to learn. Detour I thought was a crazy ride, literally. The director Edgar Ulmer developed a film that had many twists and weird turns in it. The movie started off with Al Roberts falling in love with his girlfriend Sue while playing piano at a bar. Sue decides to chase her dreams of singing when eventually Roberts decides to hitchhike back to her in LA after her move. When Roberts meets Haskell it turns to the worst. Haskell dies by falling out of the car but really we all know it was just those pills he kept taking. When ditching Haskell and taking on his identity he ends up picking up Haskell’s ex lover Vera, by accident where eventually she holds Roberts hostage until the ends up strangling her by accident with the telephone cord. All I could say after was yikes at the bad luck this man sure did have. Did I enjoy this movie? Yes, it gave me many things to think about while watching it. Was it the best movie I have ever seen? No, not at all. It was said that the movie was to have been shot in 6 days. I find that very interesting and for that give credit to Ulmer for getting a movie done in such a short amount of time. I think this movie helped set a tone for film noir. The film was very much dramatic and over the top that it was too much in some cases, but it wasn’t one of the worst things I have ever seen.