A different Side of the Sports Industry

Pans Labyrinth

Pans Trailer

Pan’s Labyrinth follows the journey of a little girl named Ofelia who is said to be a princess of an underworld. She is the adoptive daughter of a cruel captain in Franco’s army whose job is to basically kill the leftist rebels. Some of those rebels are the Captain’s own servants and colleagues who pass information and medicine to guerrillas in the forest. Ofelia’s mother is pregnant with the Capitan’s son. She is very ill and is basically dying the majority of the movie in her bed. Ofelia becomes attached to a servant named Mercedes. It turns out that Mercedes is also a rebel; she helps her brother, who is with the rebels throughout the movie with supplies and information. Ofelia defies her step father by keeping this deadly fact a secret. Most of the film is split between a real world where Mercedes uses political tactics to oppose the Captain, and a fantasy world where Ofelia encounters an unsightly faun, fairies, and members of an ancient forest aristocracy.

Under World Real or Fake?

I feel that the underworld or Ofelia’s fantasy’s are not real and that it is all in her dreams. Nothing in Ofelia’s fantasies affects the real world, nor does anyone else ever see the fairies or the faun. Ofelia always has a number of fairy tale books with her, and one of the fantasy fairies looks exactly like a picture we see in one of them.

I think that Ofelia’s fantasies area a form of rebellion, a childish version of Mercedes’ political rebellion. Both the Ofelia and Mercedes refuse to live in the Captain’s world, one by escaping into her dreams, and the other by joining the Marxist rebels. Fighting the frog and the scary eyeball creature teach her that she can be brave, and no doubt give her the independence of mind to keep Mercedes’ secrets from her father. Seen from this point of view, Ofelia’s fantasies are deeply political. They show her an alternate reality where the Captain doesn’t rule, and they help her find true allies: Mercedes and the rebels. Ofelia’s fantasies are more than merely escapist because they allow her to find political allies. In fact, after defeating the eyeball monster,

Ofelia begs Mercedes to take her to the rebels in the forest because she’d rather live among them than stay in the Captain’s house. Ofelia may not have survived, but she was liberated, she fought the only way she knew how.

Fantasy anticipates reality

In the movie there are many of Ofelia’s dreams or underworld experiences that end up happening in real life. Smith notes some of the similarities “a bloody stain spreads on the pages of Ofelia’s magical book; just as (in the next shot) her mother’s nightdress is drenched with blood as she nearly suffers a miscarriage” (5). Also when “Ofelia places under her mother’s bed a mandrake root, bathed in milk and fed on blood, which mirrors the real-life fetus that drains the mother of life. The sinister faux baby squirms and squeals when thrown on the fire” (5). They also mix it up and have fantasy following reality. “A luscious feast of blood-red berries and jellies, guarded by Doug Jones’s truly disturbing Pale Man (his eyeballs inserted into the palms of his hands), echoes the real-life dinner for the Franco is victors presided over by the sadistic Captain, which we have already been shown”(5).

Feminizing the underworld

“Pan's Labyrinth also usurps the traditional male space of the Underworld, displaces it, and designates it a female realm: the questing hero is the runaway princess Ofeiia (Ivana Baquero); lies, pain and 'death' occur outside its borders; and the ultimate desire is to return to this netherworld as home rather than

brave its perils and escape from it”(Edwards). There are many parts that many people say “feminize” the underworld “from the downward wipe through the mother Carmen's (Ariadna Gil) swollen belly into the fairytale landscape, the imagery is continually organic and uterine, with warm rich colours, earthy cavernous spaces and the recurring curved feminine shapes reminiscent of the Faun's horns”(2). Edwards also says “In its affiliation with nature and the natural, this 'underland' is not divorced from abjectness or from danger and darkness, such as the horrors of the child-eating Pale Man (Doug Jones) and the slimy glutinous toad in

the bowels of the dead tree or the moral ambiguities of the Faun (Doug Jones). But it is more a place of life and rebirth than a land of the dead. Like the opening image of Ofelia's death being reversed, as the blood flows backwards, the underground realm teems with moist, breathing, growing life”(2).

Cinematography

The cinematography is well placed and hooks you in. Del Toro uses two environments, the reality of post-war Spain and the sinister fantasy world that Ofelia ventures into. The film's solid production design also anchors Pans Labyrinth nicely, from detailed and carefully-framed sets to amazing costume design and practical effects. It really is nice to watch, but it's got plenty of substance to back up the style. I like how Del Toro blends equal parts of fantasy and horror, the cold and warm corners of our young protagonist world are well-rendered and striking as well.

Work Cited

Edwards, Kim. "Alice's Little Sister: Exploring Pan's Labyrinth." Film as Text: 141-46, 49. Print.

Pan's Labyrinth. Dir. Guillermo Del Toro. 2006. Film.

Smith, Paul. "Pan's Labyrinth." Film Quarterly 60.4 (2007): 4-9. Print.

Steroids

Chris Benoit (killed wife and kid, blame was roid rage)

Punishment is too little for Steroids in Professional Sports

The United State is a country that prospers on competition. We adore our sports stars and convert major athletic events into national holidays. Children grow up with their favorite athletes covering the walls of their bedrooms and dream that one day they will be the next basketball great like Kobe Bryant, or football star, Payton Manning. Professional athletes train year-round to be in the supreme psychical condition required to exert their peak performance. But what happens when their best just isn't good enough?

Many people in our society assume that sports stars are faultless, upstanding citizens and role models but often this is incorrect. The recent publicity of athletes using steroids has burst into a phenomenon involving athletes all around the world. It has put down sports and cast doubt on the honesty of our athletes. However, steroid use is not restricted to professional sports.

More and more college and high school athletes are beginning to use steroids for many of the same reasons that the professional athletes do such as to enhance performance, get an edge on the competition, and improve personal appearance. Non-medical use of anabolic steroids is illegal and banned by all professional, intercollegiate, and interscholastic sports organizations. Mostly all sports have a steroid policy and diverse methods of punishment, which needs to change. No matter what justifications are given for using steroids, one cannot overlook the facts; anabolic steroids can cause serious physical and psychological side effects and should never be used.

According to Merriam-Webster dictionary, an athlete is defined as "a person who is trained or skilled in exercises, sports, or games requiring physical strength, agility, or stamina"(1). Athletes train and practice year-round to prepare for competition. At times during the preparation or throughout the season, injuries are sustained and low energy is endured. To relieve themselves of these obstacles or to bounce back from injury quickly, some athletes choose to take performance-enhancing drugs.

Steroid Jargon

In the United States it is illegal to use the performance enhancing drugs, or steroids, without a prescription. “The dose of illegal anabolic steroids is 10 to 100 times higher than the dose a doctor prescribes for medical problems. People often use more than one of these illegal drugs at the same time. This is called stacking. Athletes often take the drugs in a cycle from no drug to a high dose over a period of weeks to months. This is called pyramiding” (Anabolic Steroid Abuse).

Effects of Steroids

“While anabolic steroids can enhance certain types of performance or appearance, they are dangerous drugs, and when used inappropriately they can cause a host of severe, long-lasting, and in some cases, irreversible negative health consequences. Anabolic steroids can lead to early heart attacks, strokes, liver tumors, kidney failure, and serious psychiatric problems” (Volkow). Are the side effects of performance enhancing drugs worth putting your life in jeopardy? To many athletes they are, and the punishment if caught in many sports is not server enough to keep athletes’ from using steroids.

NBA Steroid Policy

Depending on what sport or athletic event you are participating in, the punishment athletes receive for using performance-enhancing drugs is dramatically different. For example, if a player in the National Basketball Association tests positive for steroids for the first time “the player will be suspended for five games and will be required to enter a drug program. A second positive test for steroids will result in a ten-game suspension and the player's re-entry into the program. A third (or any subsequent) positive test for steroids will result in a twenty-five game suspension and the player's re-entry into the program. A player will be dismissed and disqualified from the NBA if he is convicted of, or pleads guilty, no contest to a crime involving the use or possession of steroids” (The NBA and NBRA Anti-Drug Program).

MLB Steroid Policy

Major League Baseball and the players association reached agreement in 2005 to significantly strengthen penalties for steroid and amphetamine use. “The new agreement calls for first-time offenders to be suspended for 50 games, second-time offenders to be suspended for 100 games and third-time offenders to be banished from baseball for life (Bloom, Molony). The new penalties replace those in the previous agreement, which called for 10 days for a first offense, 30 days for the second, 60 days for the third and one year for the fourth. Thirteen Major League players, including former Orioles first baseman Rafael Palmeiro, tested positive and were suspended in 2005” (2). The commissioner of the MLB, Bud Selig said “I believe this will eradicate steroid use in baseball”. (1)

NFL Steroid Policy

A first violation in the National Football League is “punished by suspension of four games regular or post-season, without pay. The players are paid on a per game basis, usually 17 paychecks over the course of the season, so that for the full week suspension, a player loses nearly 25 percent of his annual salary. Additionally, financial losses are incurred by forfeiture of signing bonuses or failure to make incentives because they weren't on the field. For a second offense, players are suspended for a minimum of six games, and for a third offense, a suspension is given for least 12 months. These are severe sanctions for a professional football player” (Hearing of the House Government Reform Committee) Harold Henderson, the NFL's vice president for labor relations said “Education and awareness is also an important part of the program. We communicate to the players through direct communications, newsletters, and bulletin board posters at team meetings. The NFL has established a toll-free telephone line in which players can get information about dietary supplements and other potential sources of unintentional ingestion of banned substances”(7).

NHL Steroid Policy

The National Hockey League punishes a first time offender of steroids by suspending them for 20 games, a second positive test for steroids will garnish a 60 game suspension, and if an individual is caught for a third time they will be permanently suspended from the NHL. The commissioner of the NHL, Gary Bettman say’s “It is our conviction that, as a general matter, performance enhancing drugs are not a pervasive problem in the NHL. (CTV News)" He also went on to say “we believe that fans in particular, and the public at large, are entitled -- and deserve -- to have confidence that our games are being played in a steroid-free environment” (1).
The Olympics use the toughest and most effective drug testing system, as well as the most server punishments for breaking there system. The International Olympic committee is in charge of administering the drug test to all of the athletes. If an athlete tests positive for any substance, including steroids, on the banned list then they are automatically banned from any Olympic competition for two years. If they are caught a second time they will receive a life time ban. These are harsh punishments, but these types of punishments are needed to keep athletes from using performance enhancing drugs (A look at steroid policies sport by sport).

Getting Athletes to stop

Protecting the athletes’ health is an immense reason why it is important to increase the punishment for steroid use and prevent athletes from taking these drugs. Almost all of athletes using steroids know that they’re endangering their health, but they obviously feel that it is more important to gain the competitive edge over their competition. There are “Major potential adverse side effects from taking anabolic steroids include liver tumors and cancer, jaundice, high blood pressure, increase in LDL (“bad”) cholesterol, enlarged heart, heart attacks, strokes, and flying into rages. Other side effects include severe acne, baldness, oily scalp and skin, and mood swings. Men who take anabolic steroids may also develop breasts, have their testicles shrink, have decreased sperm count, become infertile, and become impotent” (Stay Healthy). All these side affects wipe an individual’s right to live a healthy life”

Roid Rage

“An example of an athlete who died because of steroid use is Chris Benoit, a WWE wrestler. It is suspected that Benoit, a known steroid user, was affected by “Roid Rage” and killed his wife, child, and then himself. Anabolic steroids were found in his home after the murders. Events like this will become more and more common if more and more athletes continue to take steroids” (Sinko). All of the sports Leagues need to be looking out for the health of their athletes, and should punish those who break their rules sternly. “Athletes should be more concerned about their health, but many seem to only think about what they can do to make themselves better at their sport at that point in time, failing to think about their future (3). Without a strict punishment, the players will feel less discouraged to taking the drugs.

Getting Athletes to stop

Another reason why there should be worse punishments for abusing steroids is to try to keep professional sports fair. “Athletes today will do anything to get an advantage over their opponent, including cheating (2). Steroids have altered sports a great deal, especially baseball. “Former star player Jose Conseco states in his book that One day…steroid use will be more common then Botox is now”(2). “Every baseball player and pro athlete will be using at least low levels of steroids. This outcome would be unacceptable. This would hurt social justice since doing the right thing would result in not being as good or strong as the other athletes(2)”. The athletes that do the right thing and stay away from steroids will be not playing on the same playing field. The athletes taking steroids are increasing their strength and allowing themselves to perform at levels that there body would have never imagined or let them. “The athletes obeying the rules will not have this drastic muscle increase. Steroids do not add talent to the person taking them, but they still make the person stronger. Athletes will surely notice their competitors around them becoming stronger, and naturally they will most likely want to do the same to keep up with everyone else. It is, after all, their job to be good at the sport they play, and if they are not as good as everyone else, their job could be in jeopardy” (2). The different sports leagues have taken steps in the right direction on toughing up there leagues drug testing’s. They also need to continue to educate people on the damages of steroids. We owe it to the younger kids in our society to do the right thing and stay away from these harmful substances or we are going to give them the idea that these drugs are necessary for success.

2010 NBA All Star Weekend

Nate Robinson won the NBA slam dunk contest this weekend. He is the only player ever to win the event 3 times. Robinson defeated Toronto's Demar DeRozen in the Finals.

Nate had some nice dunk, take a look.

Alien

The story begins on the starship Nostromo, a commercial freighter hauling materials back to Earth. The ship is quiet and seemingly empty. We see empty rooms and hallways, all with that haunting but indifferent music in the background. In the first scene the crew is woken from their sleep and begins to get ready for their return to earth, complaining about shares of money and all the things one would expect when finishing a job. Which is one of the realistic parts in the film, which I enjoyed. It shows the viewer that there will be no flashy death lasers or swords made of lights, there’s just a bunch of tired people wanting to get home and get paid. It turns out that things are not as previously thought, and instead of almost being home, the ship has gone off-course to investigate an SOS signal from nearby. Of course, the crew is not very pleased about the turn of events and leading the charge is Parker one of the two maintenance guys on the ship, and one of the only funny parts I thought in the film.


Alien starts out slow, but the somewhat sluggish pace is necessary for the rest of the movie to work. The laid back attitude of the crew is needed for when the movie picks up. The atmosphere is truly eerie throughout the film. It feels like a haunted house in space with the dark sets, confined quarters, smoke, the ship tension and never knowing where the next attack will come from. This all works together to create a creepy atmosphere.

I thought it was unique, especially 30 years ago, to feature a female action hero. Even today, it is rare when a woman takes the lead in an action/adventure movie; In the beggining, Ripley is essentially just one of several crew members, until the end, when she's the last one standing, man or women. Having Ripley as the hero of Alien is an interesting twist, in these times viewers automatically expected that role to be done by a man.



















I did enjoy the cinematography of the film as well. Alien holds on to the concept of seeing less is better and more suspenseful, in this case, it's true. Everything is dark and hazy. You can't see what is in the shadows and it makes it truly scary. The shots are fast-paced, clear, and provided the viewer with all the light he/she needs. The props are well done, although I did think the outside of the ship looked very similar to one you would find in star wars. The ships interiors, alien terrain, and the explosions are very nicely done. The shadow detail is good for a film shot thirty years ago, and there is a surprising amount of detail lurking in the darkness of some sets. I typically enjoyed the various developmental stages of the alien (eating faces, bursting out of a chest, and grown alien).





This alien was very well done and it was quit disturbing, which in this case is good. The music is very tense and adds to the overall terror and suspense. The music weaves its way into the consciousness of the listener and adds the right degree of tension to the film.

Dr. Strangelove is a very interesting and humorous movie. Whether you like comedies, horror, or action movies, you are bound to at least appreciate the unique comedy that is found in this movie. For the time period it takes place in it was a very bold move to make a comedy about this horrifying subject, but I think the comedy is needed to prevent the audience from becoming totally depressed about the entire situation. It may not be such an issue today, but back when the probability of a nuclear war was much more likely, an audience would need some way to take the plot a little less seriously, and this movie does a great job at that. Much of the humor in Dr. Strangelove comes directly from the characters. Their wit and weirdness is the source of most of the comedy in this film, for example when General 'Buck' Turgidson is speaking with his girlfriend about “making her a Mrs. Turgidson someday” in the middle of an important meeting. It was also ironic for some of the characters to act like their names, for example, Jack Ripper, the character who creates the crisis, has the same name as a world renowned serial killer. Ripper in the movie also ends up killing innocent men. The name of the character is a hint as to what he accomplishes in the end of the movie which is why it is ironic. Also I feel that the director was mocking the military through little moments or ideas in the movie, using clues in the movie to get the audience to see the idea of blind obedience that is present in the military and the government. This was very funny to me, but to a person in the military it would not be. Another part that was ironic, and that I missed the first time was appearances of Miss Scott (Tracy Reed), "the well-spoken Pentagon secretary under the sunlamp displaying (for the time) ample navel, also pops up as the centerfold in the Playboy magazine being admired by Major Kong in the cockpit."(5) If you were not paying attention to detail in this film you would have missed a lot. This is one of those films that you could watch over and over and find different parts that are unique.

I noticed that the director used many close ups in the film and some extreme close ups. This did a good job at connecting the viewer with the character and also gave them a great chance to view their unique facial expressions which to me was some of the best parts in the movie. A part that I thought showed this very well was when we were first introduced to Dr. Strangelove. Also the use of the eye-level camera angle really gave me a since of being on the same level as the actors and kept me focused on what they were having to say.

Citations

Dr. Strangelove; Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Bomb. Dir. Stanley Kubrick. Perf. Peter Sellers,George C. Scott,Sterling Hayden, and Keenan Wynn. Hawk Films, 1964. DVD.

Stillman, Grant B. "Two of the Madest scientists: where Strangelove Meets Dr. No;or, unexpected roots forKubrick’s cold war classic." 2008. Web. 13 Jan. 2010. .