This chapter may be shorter than some of the others, but that's okay. It makes for easier reading.
I am of the correct opinion that music can make or break a movie. If you think about all the movies you've seen, you will agree that I am right.
Some time ago, my wife and I watched a horrible movie. This movie was called Chronicle. It had no plot, very little special effects, no credits, and absolutely no music whatsoever. Basically, it looked as if a couple of kids had picked up a camera and started filming with no idea what they were doing. Now, maybe if they had had some music it might have been better (although I rather doubt it). The point is they had no music and so "broke" the movie and ruined it for us.
On the other hand, you have the movies that everybody loves: Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, Harry Potter, Pirates of the Caribbean, and so forth. Why does everybody love these movies? Because the music made them exciting. Every time something exciting, creepy, eerie, or sentimental happens in a movie, the music is there to back it up and intensify the emotion.
So to summarize, I repeat what I proclaimed at the beginning of this chapter. Music can make or break a movie.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Monday, June 10, 2013
Chapter 14: Idiomatic expressions from a Veggie's point of view
Some of you may be wondering about the title of this chapter. At the end of this chapter, the title will become clear (I hope).
Anyways, some of the idioms that we use in American English can sound somewhat ridiculous if you think about them. I will include a list of some idiomatic expressions, along with my thoughts on some (not all) of them.
First is the phrase "up a creek without a paddle". Personally, I would rather be up a creek than down it because downstream, or down the creek if you will, is where all the waterfalls are. But if you are up a creek, you still have time to get to shore before arriving at said waterfalls.
Next, the term 'pet peeve'. You can have pet dogs, cats, rats or any other animal. You can even have pet rocks! So now imagine the absurdity of having a pet peeve. Can you put a leash on it and take it for a walk? What does it eat/drink?
I follow that with the phrase "drive me up the wall" or "drive me crazy". They mean the same thing, they are just different ways of saying it. If something (or someone) is driving you crazy, I just say one thing: Take away its license. If that doesn't work, take away the keys. Then you must question when and how did this person or object learn to drive?
Next on the list is 'shoot the breeze'. This presents to me a rather comical mental picture of a redneck hillbilly (stereotypical of course) with a shotgun aimed at the wind that's gusting through his yard. Need I say more?
Some other expressions are "head over heels" and 'train of thought', along with a classic "human race". "Head over heels" makes me think of a loaf of bread, and the thought of bread that has a head is just creepy. I know that you can make bread into shapes including heads, but that's different.
Switching gears now (which by the way is another idiomatic expression that sounds ridiculous). My wife showed me a video of what I will call a rant about vegetables. This made me think of a song I heard years ago that goes along the same lines. So I included it in a video playlist, and then added one more video that goes with the phrase "train of thought". So hopefully you now understand the title of this chapter...
Anyways, some of the idioms that we use in American English can sound somewhat ridiculous if you think about them. I will include a list of some idiomatic expressions, along with my thoughts on some (not all) of them.
First is the phrase "up a creek without a paddle". Personally, I would rather be up a creek than down it because downstream, or down the creek if you will, is where all the waterfalls are. But if you are up a creek, you still have time to get to shore before arriving at said waterfalls.
Next, the term 'pet peeve'. You can have pet dogs, cats, rats or any other animal. You can even have pet rocks! So now imagine the absurdity of having a pet peeve. Can you put a leash on it and take it for a walk? What does it eat/drink?
I follow that with the phrase "drive me up the wall" or "drive me crazy". They mean the same thing, they are just different ways of saying it. If something (or someone) is driving you crazy, I just say one thing: Take away its license. If that doesn't work, take away the keys. Then you must question when and how did this person or object learn to drive?
Next on the list is 'shoot the breeze'. This presents to me a rather comical mental picture of a redneck hillbilly (stereotypical of course) with a shotgun aimed at the wind that's gusting through his yard. Need I say more?
Some other expressions are "head over heels" and 'train of thought', along with a classic "human race". "Head over heels" makes me think of a loaf of bread, and the thought of bread that has a head is just creepy. I know that you can make bread into shapes including heads, but that's different.
Switching gears now (which by the way is another idiomatic expression that sounds ridiculous). My wife showed me a video of what I will call a rant about vegetables. This made me think of a song I heard years ago that goes along the same lines. So I included it in a video playlist, and then added one more video that goes with the phrase "train of thought". So hopefully you now understand the title of this chapter...
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