Time Travelling Reaction Paper

Time travelling has been capturing the interest of some physicist all around the globe. Many of them are still trying to prove that we can travel through time. As time being the fourth dimension, physicist said that it could be fold through a great force or strong gravity. One of the ways they stated is through the use of cosmic strings. Cosmic strings are said to have greater gravity compared to the Earth's and said to have the capability of bending the dimension of time.

I can't deny that time travelling is very interesting and that its achievement would make Science more superior, but it is also one of the most ambitious attempts made by scientists. The technology that might be created could provide the best and worst scenarios in the future.

It could change the views of society towards time. More mistakes would be made with less (or without) hesitation. Planning would be less significant because of the ability to change the past. Time would not be as important as it is now.

The world is currently lost and severely damage that scientists can no longer explain the climate changes. Here in the Philippines, we are facing national tragedies (both natural and political) that make us aware of what is currently happening. Many people would say, 'If only I could turn back time, I would not...' but  I believe that if you we're able to turn back time, you would what you should not because 'masarap ang bawal' and besides, you could go back and make it right again. I believe that human beings will never be ready to possess this kind of technology and will never be responsible enough to use it in the right way because  of some selfish thoughts we all have.

The idea of travelling through time is really wonderful. It is something that most of us (if not all) wanted to be capable of. But for me, despite the scientific explanations that was revealed by the video, we can never travel to the past and to the future. The video even make it more complicated for me, stating laws and things not visible and connecting it to some fundamental things such as gravity. The thought of folding the fourth dimension and creating a shortcut on it is something I cannot think of. 

 

                           

Time Travel

                I’ve had various encounters with time travel – on television and on books. Time travelling on television mainly concerned capsules and devices. On books, I only read of vague details on the machines but more on characters going against time just to see someone or interfere with something from the past or the future. Nevertheless, time travelling is still a famous plot to include in stories.

                After watching the video on the technicalities of time travelling, it dawned on me that its science is quite the field that makes one’s nose bleed and brain drain out of grey matter – or simply complex and difficult. The video presented a number of theories saying things about black holes, worm holes, cosmic strings, cosmic loops, gravity and parallel universe.

                I learned a few points from the video on how those work, but I’ve been really more interested on how to make them happen. Despite all these stories and theories on time travelling, why is it that until now there are still no breakthroughs on this field? Well, maybe because of financials. Time travelling requires a high level of intelligence and understanding that’s maybe why it would also be capital and time intensive. With time travelling made possible in the future, it would already be similar to dealing with multiple worlds and this would be very hard considering that with the one world we have now, we are already having a hard time taking good care of it.

                Time travelling sure is a brilliant idea but as people living in the present, we are still not sure of what would happen when we start to interfere with the past and the future.

A Battle with Cancer

                The listening session for the podcast “The Rhetoric of Cancer” had been a tear-jerking one for me as I had been trying to sympathize with the speakers.

                I had recently lost a batchmate because of cancer and the heart-breaking visit at her funeral seemed fresh all of a sudden while I was listening to the podcast. Friends and relatives had been crying as I stood as distant as possible to keep myself from wailing. Things happened so fast…she just graduated from college, a magna cum laude at that, and gone in an instant like it had only been a short trip and nothing more.  I had only heard stories of her getting seriously ill; but she had to go through all the medications and the pained concern of her parents. It was a battle she lost.

                The podcast had been talking about how much a battle to fight cancer is but we are always unsure of who’ll be overcome by whom until one dies. Then one line a speaker said registered to my head, “I’m not even a fighter. How am I supposed to fight cancer?” Then it hit me – If I were diagnosed with cancer one day, how am I going to spend my time?

                Will I skip the medications and just live my remaining time to the fullest with my loved ones? Or will I put up a fight against cancer until it gets kicked out of my system? This I do not know unless I am the one to experience it. But with the current technology we have, discoveries may have already been near the point when cure for cancer is already feasible and is at reach.

A Trip to the Moon

A Trip to the Moon is a French silent film created by Georges Méliès in 1902. This film’s story is about a group of men who was able to travel and reach the moon through riding a giant bullet-shaped capsule fired from an equally giant canon. Upon reaching the moon, they discovered it was inhabited by strange looking humanoid creatures. They were captured by this creatures but upon killing the king, they were able to escape back to earth.

Counting the time passed, this film is now over a hundred years old. If I were present during the first screenings of this film during its time, I would be amazed and at the same time skeptical of the idea presented about going to the moon. Like most of us, I would be curious about how the moon’s landscape would look like and if there would indeed be inhabitants on it. But I would be skeptical of the method by which they traveled to the moon. At that time, I believe they would have already known the large amount of force needed to fire a bullet. Comparing it to the force needed to fire a giant version of it, I would immediately think that it would just be destroyed upon firing.

I believe this would be a common thought for people living decades before the first real voyage to the moon was made.  But now that we have the facts from actual moon landings, our view of a voyage to the moon is now different. Nevertheless, the movie was still interesting to watch, as we get to see how people from the past would imagine going to the moon using what technology they have at that time.

Trip to the Moon (Rxn Paper)

                 This film was released more than a century ago and the first manned moon landing of Apollo 11 is more than half a century later. It’s safe to say that the people of 1902 would have put this in the same category as Futurama is to us. In other words, the movie “Trip to the Moon” would have been called a SciFi comedy. As I try to imagine myself in the front row of the theater when this first screened, I think I would have been fascinated. I would have fantasized about going to the moon as I would have with time travelling today. During this time, people would have been asking questions like, “What is the surface of the moon like? Is it smooth and flat or is it as jagged as Earth?”, “Is there life on the moon? If so, what would they look like?”, “Is it habitable as Earth is?”, “Would I be able to live there?”. The script writer for this film showed his interpretation and attempted to answer these questions. And I probably would have agreed with him.
                I realized that at the point in time where humans have successfully mastered time-travel or teleportation, we would be looking back at the scifi we have today and probably think that we were way off the mark when we imagined these things like how this film is to us. But it is also very satisfying to know that what was once fiction can turn into a reality. So the next time someone ridicules your fantasies and tell you, “In your dreams!”, be inspired, because every bit of technology we have now was, at one point in time, a dream.

Who are you posting for?

Time is gold.

There’s always so much to do at work and so many people we have to deal with. There are times when we just want to have our “me time”, but people end up bothering us, and it’s in these moments that we just want to disappear from the entire world, or vice versa.

This is what Henry Bemis experienced in an episode of The Twilight Zone, “Time Enough At Last”. It follows the story of a man who just really wanted to read his book, but is surrounded by people who prevent him from doing so such as his boss or his wife. Out of frustration, he goes inside a bank vault to have some peace and quiet. When he then goes out to come back to the real world, there was no world to come back to anymore, as an “h-bomb” exploded, annihalating the entire face of the earth. For a moment, he is devastated, having lost his loved ones, and realizing that he is completely alone. He quickly ends his misery when he soon finds a public library filled with books, realizing that he has all the time in the world to read. Unfortunately, as he picks up a book, he stumbles, causing his glasses to fall off and shatter, leaving him virtually blind.

If I were to translate this to the present, this is how it would happen:

There’s this college girl who is constantly glued to her cellphone. When she’s walking, when she’s in class, when she’s at dinner with her friends and family, all she ever does is update her status on Facebook, Tweet every second of her life, and Instagram everything she sees.

Whenever she does this, certain people try to stop her from doing so. In class, her professor scolds her to stop using her cellphone and start listening. At dinner, her parents tell her to put down the phone and have a decent meal with them. At an outing, her friends ask her to join the conversation and the games they’re playing.

Out of frustration from all the people trying to ruin her “social media life”, she slowly starts to isolate herself from the people around her. She puts on earphones at dinner so that her parents can’t talk to her. She replaces her real friends with those she found online, and chooses to talk to them instead.

Her phone then suddenly crashes, forcing her to let it go and have it repaired. As she goes back to her “real” life, she realizes that whenever she goes home, her family doesn’t bother talking to her anymore. She finds out that her friends still constantly go out and see each other, but don’t bother inviting her anymore.

This saddens her for a time, as she has no one to talk to or share updates with. But as soon as she gets her phone back from the repair shop, she forgets all of it, and starts getting back to her “virtual” world.

Once again, she updates her status, tweets her feelings and takes pictures of everything. Slowly, she realizes that none of her old “close” followers are liking or commenting on them anymore, and of course not her family or friends. Now when you check her profile, despite all the constant posts, you’d see that it’s just all by her.


Reaction Paper for Time Enough at Last

Standing O!

The film "A Trip to the Moon" was made more than 100 years ago, back when high-tech cameras and special effects were nothing but dreams to filmmakers. Seeing this film made with such creativity, flamboyance and extraordinary effects, you wouldn’t think it was made in 1902.

I would be truly amazed if I lived in that era and saw this movie, as it gave a different approach to filmmaking. First, its backdrop and effects only made use of props, people and people as props, as if you were watching theater but through a camera. The grandness of the special effects (such as the smoke or the moon landing) were all unbelievably amusing, given such limitations to technology in that time. Another is the way the film was shot. Georges Melies’ style is really more on theater, given his background on it, which is why the way this was shot was through a steady camera set at one position, as if watching a play, and instead allowed the entire set and everyone on it to move, so as to achieve the desired effects. Despite this style, Melies was still able to incorporate various angles of a single shot, as seen in the moon launch, which was a technique not many used back then. Movies such as this are considered trailblazers in the industry, as they introduced techniques and styles that are still the basis of what filmmakers do today.

If today I am awestruck by the effects and cinematography of the LOTR and Marvel films despite the existence of amazing new technology in filmmaking, what more with this movie if I lived in the 1900’s. I would probably have stood up, applauded and cheered my heart out during the credits of this film back then, given that it was able to do so much given so little - proof that amazing things can be achieved through ingenuity and creativity.

Reaction paper for A Trip to the Moon

Time Enough at Last

by Delwin Rose V. Villarey, 2010-79267

Time Enough At Last features the character of Henry Bemis, a bookish man with thick glasses whose passion for books was curtailed by his wife, the bank president, and the ticking of the clock. His greatest wish is the time to read. One day, as he usually does, he sneaked down to the vault during his break - to read. While there, an H-Bomb was dropped! He became unconscious because of the shock wave. When he emerged from the vault, he entered into a "new" world, a world all to himself. Seeing himself alone, he decided to commit suicide. But before he pulled the trigger, he saw a library! He rushed to the books with glee and he excitedly organized his reading list for the future. As he begins to read a book, however, his glasses slipped and smashed. He's doomed to a world of hazy vision, surrounded by books but unable to read them...Even if he had time enough at last.

This show was based from a short story published in January 1953, after US President Harry Truman announced that they have developed the Hydrogen bomb (source). The development of nuclear bombs was an effort to counter the Communist threat because, by that time, USSR and the United States of America are engaged in the Cold War. Increasingly, the world relied on science to ensure the safety of the people and sovereignty of nation-states. Thus, the literature-loving bookworms were deemed silly by shrewish and efficiency-minded people (represented in the story as Bemis' wife and boss).

My adaptation:

The story happens at a time when most of the books available to the public are digital versions. The hero is a student, someone who likes to read online comic books.

Imagine that we see him reading an e-comic book where Iron Man and Batman are fighting. (Let's also imagine that Marvel and DC are still going at it, and they've started to pit their heroes against each other). He's in his room, reading the comics while holding his gadget which is being charged at the nearby power outlet. He is so interested in the outcome because he's betting Php 1,000 that Batman is a better hero than Ironman. At the chapter where the do-or-die battle between the two heroes reaches its climax, a lightning strike hit the electric cables, followed by a massive blackout. The student still has to read the part where the winner is revealed. But, the gadget runs out of juice and shuts down.

A Trip to the Moon (Reaction Paper)

If I were present during the first screening of A Trip to the Moon given that I have the level of knowledge people had at that time (without the recent discoveries and technology now available to know what’s beyond the earth’s atmosphere), I would have thought that it’s that easy to travel outside the Earth and that it only takes a few arguments and hand-in-hand building of a simple capsule or container to do so – provided that you are a wealthy and an influential person. I would have also thought that it only takes a few minutes of travel to arrive at the moon.

The clip showed that the group of people who travelled to the moon were all men and I would have thought at that time that only men were allowed to join such journeys. They all seemed to treat the expedition like a typical out-of-town travel with ease and comfort.

Apart from Earth, the moon is also capable of sustaining life and those other creatures or beings existed as well in the moon that can also be threats to us humans. Despite this, human beings still stand at a higher intellectual level. Like the earth, the moon also has different kinds of environment that humans never imagined has existed.

Like how the group of men arrived, they can also leave easily bringing along with them one being from the moon. I would also have believed that the creature is also capable of cohabitation with humans when the group of men returned to the earth.

Trip to the Moon

         If i were present during the first screening of this film, i could probably had my jaw dropped considering that technology hundred years ago had not even reached an inch of what we have today. It is a fine fourteen minute silent film. Though it was delivered that way, it did not fail to translate its idea to the audience. I was amazed what the director had done in the film and create the special effects with all the limitations.  The director knew how to captivate people's imagination with his 'A Trip to the Moon'.  It is such a technical feat in the era and worth a watch.

            It is fascinating to see how precisely it conveyed the concept of space travel. At first it showed some noble men or scientists about exploring  the moon but later on they eventually agreed on it. Then they created a rocket that will send them to their adventure's destination. It also appears that these noble men were famous for they are expected to be great heroes who would explore beyond earth. I found the way the rocket landed on the personified moon's eye very funny and amusing for such time. The appearance of an alien civilization and the seemingly magical life in the moon  had captured the people's interest which, although have some scientific flaws.

Trip to the Moon

If I were to be present in the first screening of the film, I would honestly be amazed. The fact that this iconic film was the first movie about space exploration was already astonishing. During these times, man has yet to successfully launch anything into orbit. The Russians made the first successful launch in 1957 and the Americans made the first successful landing on the moon by man in 1969.  And yet here is a film that gives you a “preview” of what would it be like out in space and on the surface of the moon. The idea of being launched through a cannon for space travel and living creatures on the surface of the moon was really interesting. Aliens living on the surface of the moon wouldn’t be so farfetched during those times since no one has yet to truly see what lies beyond the skies and being curious living beings, we would speculate that we were not the only intellectual beings in this galaxy.  And being shot in a bullet shaped capsule would be my best bet during those times since no publications were yet to be made for space travel.

Even if the film is more than a century old, it still amazes me because it shows how creative and curious people were during those times. In comparison with special effects and movie editing with today’s technology, I would say the film was not bad because it took hard work to produce and it came out as a masterpiece. I know it defies a lot of laws in physics, but to me, there are still some truths to what this film shows and I would definitely say watching this type of film is not a waste of time.

Trip to the moon Rxn Paper

Considering the time the original Black and white film was made, I would find it interesting, however, have a hard time distinguishing the objects involved. Since what I have watched is the restored and colored version, the lines make the objects distinguishable and easier to understand what it is. For example, the capsule may not seem or look like a capsule on the original film at first glance. Also, when the men were killing the living things on the moon, one wouldn't understand at first what was happening when the thing suddenly becomes a gas cloud. But with color, it is easily understandable. It was quite difficult to understand without any words also. But the music matches well with the scene that it drives and helps the viewers to see the setting on hand. Content wise, it was very creative, even if it is purely fictional. It makes the viewers think, what if there is really life outside earth? Their idea of the moon is much different from our idea of the moon in these days. This shows how creative one's mind gets. Since this film was produced long before man has stepped on the moon, it clearly states how much knowledge and information science and the society has gained through the years. It may seem ridiculous at first. But take for example the super high powered cannon they used to go to the moon. It was perhaps, their interpretation or a basic idea of a rocket ship.

The clip, overall, was very interesting to watch. It goes to show that even small ideas can be put into reality.

Twilight Zone Reaction Paper and Adaptation

The Twilight Zone episode shown was Time Enough at Last! This is a very iconic episode during the time because it occurred during the height of the Cold War between USA and USSR. A lot of fear of an impending war was in the minds of the people which inspired so many things during this era. One of them was this episode and it served as reminder to us all. The story is about a man who loved to read books but is ridiculed by all for doing so. One day at work he decides to read in a vault where he works so not to be disturbed. While doing so, a bomb hits the USA and every one perishes except for him. Not knowing what to do he's on the verge of suicide until he finds a library with all the books intact. Unluckily for him his glasses break therefore he cannot read the books. 

If I were to make adaptation of this it would go something like this:

During the height of the war against terrorism, a grown man still loves to play video games but his wife and employers ridicule him for being to childish. They resort to teasing him every chance they get and this just angers the man. One day at work in a Stock Market Firm, he sneaks into the basement to finally finish his game but suddenly he hears explosions every where and is knocked unconscious by falling debris. When he wakes up he finds that every where he looks is in ruins and appears to have no survivors. Panicking, the man goes mad and resorts to suicide by overdose of pills and alcohol. Before he drinks the pills however, he realised his favorite gaming store is still intact and goes to find every thing completely fine. As soon as he was going to play his games, he hears another explosion and sees a mushroom of flame heading towards him. Suddenly he is awoken by his boss in the basement and fires him. He wishes he was dreaming.

Trip to the Moon Reaction Paper

If I were present during the showing of the film, I'd find the film amusing. The thought of sending someone to the moon might have been a ridiculous idea at that time. The film though depicts that it is indeed possible to get to the moon. I might have been thrilled about the possibility of going to the moon at that time and maybe just couldn't wait to get there. This was an age where science was still continually growing and still had a lot of unknowns compared to now. What we don't know usually frightens us but the film gave hope that anything is possible if we work to it.

Though the film showed some unusual things we could find in the moon like space mushrooms and aliens, it just shows how much learning we still had to do. Like I said above, we are still learning about the world around us and at that time, the moon was something we never thought of reaching. It was merely a dream of many. It's interesting though to see what the earlier people thought we'd experience in the moon. It's like the notion where we thought that the moon was made of cheese. Silly but the film though was made to entertain and entertain it did. 

Overall I think the film did a great job of inspiring so many people. It showed that dreams can turn into a reality if we set our minds on to it. It also showed the huge potential of films. Being not born at the time the film was shown, I cannot fully express how the film impacted the world. The only way I can express it is that the film was shown on the year 1902. 66 years later, Neil Armstrong became the first man in the moon. Just goes to show that anything is possible.

A Trip To The Moon Reaction Paper

Living on a century after this film was first aired or screened makes everything seem so different. My judgments towards the film may be based on what my standards are when I watch a film of the same genre nowadays, or maybe I will expect to how good the movie is because I have already the knowledge how to consider a film quite good or entertaining. And I must say that this movie is quite entertaining yet it leaves a question on the viewer’s mind like “how will that work?” or “how was that supposed to be”. Also considering that it is a black and white and silent film, everything seems to be so fascinating.

But if I were living in that time, I would be really fascinated to how everything works, on how everything really looked so good. Considering that the people on those times haven’t encountered the technology we do have today, and considering that the people on that part of the 20^th century, relayed everything on the “fun” the movie can bring, it just makes it so unbelievably good. Also, it would make me feel curious on how possible everything was, like right now, we are so curious about other life forms in other planets, we are fascinated by the beauty our own moon has. Why it shines in the night like that. Or how it illuminates a dark portion of our Earth.

Seeing and watching a film like this, makes me really think, that if only the people in that time had the knowledge about our technology in the present, it would've been a bigger shot way back then. And I do also think that this film did contribute to what technology we have today. It affected other people’s vision towards the many possibilities of everything outside our Earth. Truly, this film greatly affected its viewers’ minds and hearts.

Reaction - Trip to the Moon

     If I were present during the first screening of the film “Trip to the Moon”, excitement is my word for the start and amazing is for the end. Most films at that time were not colored unlike this one so I would really be excited to watch this film if I were living at that period of time. On the other hand, I would be really amazed because of the advancement in science and technology. Comparing it on our today’s perceptions may put it as a junk. Meanwhile, since this film was launched a hundred years ago, I would be really amazed if I were present during its first screening as I imagine riding a spaceship and how the moon looks like.

     I don’t actually like old films but this film had really found the way to tickle me. The way they think of how to launch a spaceship and the face of the moon may be absurd and in the same time funny for our time but are still considered bright ideas for that time. Thus, I would also enjoy it as an audience of the first screening. Living in the 1900s, this film will make me curious not just in the aspect of the astronomy but also in different areas in science and technology. I would most likely give this film’s developers two thumbs up. 

Time Enough at Last!

Time Enough At Last.

 This Twilight Zone episode is considered one of the famous episodes in the television series. It tackles social issues such as anti-intellectualism and informs the audience of what technology can do to humans if used in a wrong way. The plot itself is already good. The way tragedy is portrayed was just cruel. All hope is gone and just as he was planning to commit suicide, he saw a library and give him another reason to live. But then in just a blink of an eye, his glasses fell and just like that, hope is gone once again. What a perfect tragedy.

If I were to make an adaptation of this movie, well, I will make it also a tragedy. As an STS student, I will focus more on harms that technology can bring us if used in a wrong way and not much on anti-intellectualism and solitude stuff.

Here’s a plot summary I think of:

As humans live through years and years, they made machines to help them in their everyday life. And there’s this one scientist who discovered and invented a certain code which programs a robot in whatever way you want it to be programmed.

 Robots become popular and almost everyone has a robot helper in their houses. He was known all throughout the country. He was living the life. Desperate for more fame and money, this scientist developed what he called an ultimate code, which makes a robot think and act like human beings. In a small amount of time, he became famous, he was known in every corner of the world.

So many years have passed and humans became so lazy that they let their robots do their everyday stuff and work resulting to obesity of the whole population. The scientist became so rich, he bought all the things he wanted, did whatever he wanted, travelled to places he wanted to go, he was happy.

Until a bug in the code was triggered, all robots were corrupted by some kind of virus and were malfunctioning. Robots became wild and dangerous, they started attacking humans and killing their owners. They are powerful than humans, well, they are superior to humans. The whole world was in bloodshed. The also killed his loved ones, his family, his friends, everyone. He was going crazy, he was scared and he was running, going somewhere the robots can’t reach him.

But still, the robots found him. He was trembling, afraid of how the robots would kill him. He thought he is the only person left in the whole world, so he might as well die. So he closed his eyes, waiting for his death but the robots did not kill him. Instead, they knelt, and worshipped him. They worshpiped him as a god, as a creator.

A Trip to the Moon

by Delwin Rose V. Villarey, 2010-79267

Before I answer the interesting question of what I would think of it if I had been present during its first screening, I would like to clarify and quantify the following: I am a "Batang 90s," and I am inclined towards the admiration and research about astronomy. Which means, I am not only born a century after the film was made, but I also a) read Jules Verne and b) know a thing or two about astronomy. These things, and more, are integral components of what kind of opinion I have about the movie.

Here goes:

Voyage Dans La Lune is considered a masterpiece. I agree. But, I think it's not because it's the first sci-fi nor because the memorable and iconic image of the capsule landing on the eye of the moon is a widely-recognized piece in cinematic history. It's because it is a satire that illuminates the audience's eyes and minds about how conservative the scientific community of its time was.  As satire, it is a critique, but you might not see it as a critique. It is brilliant because it transforms such a laden issue into something with charm - that is, it is light-hearted and, at the same time, relevant to their society.

As we have seen in the movie, the props were intended to poke fun at the "scientific community" that organized the manned mission to the moon. The moon itself is absurd. It features a face instead of what we actually see when we look at the moon at night. In part, this is because of the conscious effort to sketch the real from the imaginary, the whimsical from the scientific. The rocket ship lands on the pie-like moon and it grimaces. It's fun. Funny, even. And to think that there is a serious message behind this comedy is amazing. That, I think, requires genius. 

A Trip to the Moon Reaction Paper

As a viewer from a century later, I find 1902’s “A trip to the moon” quite entertaining and funny. The film itself, the way it’s made is already funny. Of course, what do you expect from a film made 100 years ago? I find their ideas absurd, a canon to fire a bullet-shaped ship to space, lunar inhabitants and the face of the moon. Of course, I can say this now because I have the knowledge about these things and great expectations of what a film should be. But of course, I also adored it as it is genuine. The fact that it is a black and white and a silent film makes it look antique – which is beautiful.

But if I were living during the time that it was first screened, I would definitely think the other way around. I would be fascinated about their bright ideas, I mean, firing a bullet-shaped ship to the moon through a canon? That’s a great way to go to the outer space! To think that they are not yet exposed to the advance technology we have today, firing a bullet-shaped ship through a canon is the best way, even I, could think of (Of course, if I was living in the 1900’s). It would make me feel curious about astronomy, everything in space, including the moon. Do those creatures really live in the moon? Just like today, we are wondering about other possible planet where living creatures could exist. And as a man from 1902, we would not know much about these things and the film would be a real hit to the people. I would also love the fact that it is funny. I mean, the face of the moon? And the ship that the canon fired hit the moon in the eye? Literally bullseye!

The thing is, whenever you are from, whatever year you watched this film, you would enjoy it as well as be fascinated by how people think during the 1900’s. I think this short film did contribute to the scientific knowledge and technologies we have today by inspiring people during the time it was first screened. The fact that it ignited people’s minds and curiosity with a splash of creative and funny visuals make it a great film overall. It really deserves rank 84 at The Village Voice’s 100 greatest films of the 20^th century.

Futurama: Space Pilot 3000

Space Pilot 3000 is the pilot episode of Futurama, an animated, science fiction-comedy series written by Matt Groening and David X. Cohen. The episode describes how the series’ protagonist Philip J. Fry accidentally undergoes cryogenic freezing, awakening 1000 years later to a futuristic New York. Prior to his accidental ‘freezing’, Fry was a pizza delivery boy who hates his life owing it to the series of unfortunate events which he constantly experience. Arriving into the future, he initially hopes of leading a new life free from all his problems, including his friends, family and girlfriend.

The series presents the concept of time travel in the form of cryogenic freezing, where a person may preserve his or her life by freezing the body inside a carefully maintained time capsule. The extremely low temperatures slows down the bodily functions, it turn slowing down its aging. This form of time travel is particularly interesting since at the present state of our technology, this may be the most feasible way to live through many years, in essence, a way to reach the future. A close example of this found in our everyday lives, particularly in how we preserve food as well as and body organs (in hospitals) by slowing down their decomposition using freezing units.

The first episode of the series also contained various gags and allusions which makes it a very interesting show. This episode hints at a very good show delivering a different take time travel. It will be definitely be exciting to watch the rest of the series. 

A Trip to the Moon (Reaction Paper)

Written by: Denise Anne Castro, 2013-14434

A Trip to the Moon

            The experience of watching a film is very new to me. The fact that all this cinematic magic is imprinted on a strip of film is equal parts peculiar and impressive. This is an amazing feat, indeed. I’ve been hearing great reviews of this film from my friends and I hope that it levels up to my high expectations. I’ve always been a fan of Georges Méliès. In fact, the very first film I’ve watched was his 1899 masterpiece “Robbing Cleopatra’s Tomb”. I have not forgotten that short amount of time I was hooked on screen. I’m ecstatic that I will be experiencing this rare treat of watching a film again.

            “A Trip to the Moon” is such an alluring title. The moon is a familiar feature of the night sky. Every single night, it shines light upon Earth. Planning a voyage to the moon seems to me, beyond the bounds of possibility and this is one of the reasons why I want to watch this film.

The film starts out with a meeting among elderly men. They sport long white beards. They get into chaos while laying out their plans. The scene transitions to the site of construction of a huge space capsule. When it is finished, the astronomers are launched into space from a cannon with the help of women in sailor outfits. The moon is portrayed as a face with human features. The space capsule hits his right eye. The scene after that shows the landing of the capsule again but this time, it lands on the flat terrain of the moon. I wonder why the same scene is depicted in different ways. As the astronomers sleep, different heavenly bodies appear. When they wake up, they explore the moon and get attacked by aliens inhabiting the moon. Failing to fight all of them, they are kept captive and sent to the aliens’ leader. They succeed in their attempt to escape and go back to Earth. The last scene celebrates the astronomers’ return.

The plot line was enough to keep me off the edge of my seat. I felt as if I was on the adventure myself. The props were very creative. It is amazing how people these days can be so inventive when it comes to depicting the Earth and outer space. I can just imagine the amount of time they put into constructing these sets. The costumes used were just as artistic. The actors did an excellent job at portraying astronomers. I felt their panic and excitement upon reaching the moon. To top it all off, the musical score was enchanting. It contributed to the whole feel of the movie. It brought the whole film together.

I must say, that was the most amusing 17 minutes of my life. I no longer see the moon as merely a source of light at night. When I look up the sky at night, my mind will linger on the creatures and plants that tread upon the moon’s face. I can’t wait until humans actually launch a successful trip to the moon in real life. Sadly, it seems impossible. As of now, this will still remain a fantasy.

The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last (Reaction Paper)

Written by: Denise Anne Castro, 2013-14434

The Twilight Zone: Time Enough at Last

            The Twilight Zone episode “Time Enough at Last” was released in 1959, a time when tensions were rising between the United States and the Soviet Union. In the episode, Americans were depicted as normal people who went on with their daily lives trying to earn a living. However, there were still apparent undertones of the imminent danger brought on by the Cold War. This period was also the onset of the digital age, particularly, the computer. In 1956, the first computer hard disk was used. In 1958, the computer modem was invented. Literature and periodicals were still prevalent sources of information and leisure but devices like the transistor radio and the television were slowly taking over as dominant media.

            This is my take on the story while retaining themes of irony, desolation, apocalypse and technology but also highlighting the importance of pop culture and trends in today’s society.

            The main character is a 17-year-old girl. She has a scholarship in the country’s most prestigious university. Despite her dreams of becoming a pianist, she takes up engineering in order to fulfill her parents’ dreams. On the night before her finals, she decides to take a break from reviewing and composes a song on an old organ she bought from the thrift shop. Her father hears her and becomes enraged. He goes to her room, pretends to be pleased at her daughter’s talent and asks her to play a song. In the middle of her song, he pulls her by her hair and scolds her. He rummages her room and burns the pile of CDs containing her compositions.

Hoping to seek comfort, she calls up her best friend, confesses her love for classical music and her parents’ distress over her passion. Instead of siding with her, her best friend berates her for her taste in music, calling it cheesy, distasteful and disgusting. Her best friend advises that she abandon her classical music and instead, listen to the latest hits by famous pop and R&B artists.

With nowhere to run, she puts her iPod inside her pocket and hides in a mall’s basement parking lot. She spends all night listening to her favorite classical music until she falls asleep. When she wakes up and goes outside of the parking lot, she is surprised to see everything in ashes. She walks a great distance but only burnt remnants of the city remain. There is a disturbing silence in the air. With nothing to do, she listens to her iPod but no sound is coming out of her earphones. She assumes that the huge explosion must have destroyed all the electronics.

She stumbles upon a music store containing all the instruments she could ever hope for. She considers it paradise. She runs toward the piano and presses the keys but it seems to be destroyed since no sound is produced. She tries out the other instruments in a frenzy but none of them seem to work either. She goes out of the store in despair. She sees a bird perched on a tree. The bird opens its beak to tweet but again, the girl hears nothing. She slowly realizes that the loud explosion must have damaged her hearing. She is now deaf and can no longer appreciate the classical music she so dearly loves.