(#11) / The Animatrix / (screenplay) by Andy and Lana Wachowski / (Movie)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

The Animatrix / (screenplay) by Andy and Lana Wachowski / (directed) by various

ASIN: B00008LDPU / Warner Home Video

$4.14 (Amazon) / 89 minutes

Release date: 2003 / Rating: Non-rated

Body of Content

Summary: Set in the universe created by the Matrix movies, The Animatrix is a direct-release DVD that helps fill out the stories, characters, mythology, and origins of the film franchise.  The animated movie is full-length film – but it is comprised as an anthology of separate stories – many of which are stand-alone entries.  The entries include the following titles – “The Second Renaissance Part 1”, “The Second Renaissance Part 2”, “Kid’s Story”, “Program”, “World Record”, “Beyond”, and “Detective Story”.  Stories like the two-part “Renaissance” tale help provide the origin story behind The Matrix.  Meanwhile, other stories like “World Record” portray everyday people like an elite sprinter whose speed is both a virtue and a weakness, as it allows him to see more of reality than most people.   

Critique: [Spoiler Alert] The original Matrix film was a ground-breaking film for both 1) the creative and imaginative visual world depicted, and 2) the thoughtful philosophical commentary on artificial intelligent and the nature of reality.  The second and third films diverge from these trends – the second film, Matrix: Reloaded, still contains a bulk of wonderful visual cinema but lacks a coherent philosophical contribution – while the third film, Matrix: Revolution, in my opinion lacks both elements.

The Animatrix is interesting – in the sense – since it returns more to the positive territory of the first two films.  The film is animated – but still contains some impressive fight scenes and visual elements.  The divergent storytelling makes the animated film less satisfying than the original movie; however, it contains a better rhetorical feel than the two spawned sequels.

At some level, I really believe the writers could have taken the ideas from the animate film and made a stronger conclusion to the third film.  Revolutions severely lacked a heart – a certain philosophical ethos embodied by the original film.  Given that many trilogies fall back to their prolegomenon in the last film, the directors should have used the source material in the two-part “Renaissance” as an opportunity to tell a more impactful story.  In the two-part segment, more information is learned about the last human cities, the rise of the computers, and the reasons for the impeding war.  All of this material would have served the interests of Revolutions and provided a better ending.  Detailing the exactness of a story’s beginning is a perfect way to tell the end of a story – in fact, it is downright literary to do so.

While I applaud the first Matrix film for all its charm, innovation, and philosophy, the ending to the franchise was unsatisfactory.  Perhaps, the writers rushed the sequels – filming them at the same time and releasing them only six months apart.  The stories in The Animatrix could have made a better final product for the series – if the directors had paused for a moment – and decided to write a trilogy that completes a story arc from beginning to end back to beginning.     

Teaser: Can so many divergent stories present a united film detailing and expanding on the Matrix universe?

Information about the Author: The Wachowski siblings – Andy and Lana – penned the Matrix trilogy.  They furthered their portfolios by writing/directing other films, including Speed Racer, V for Vendetta, and Ninja Assassin (IMDB, 2011).  The pair of directors has a strong interest in the science fiction genre.  While Speed Racer represents the adaption of a fantasy-style cartoon, V for Vendetta represents a dystopian, political thriller.  The pair is attached to a couple of other science fiction film projects – namely, Cloud Atlas – starring Tom Hanks and (Matrix-veteran) Hugo Weaving (IMDB, 2011a).

Supplemental Material

Genre: Science Fiction / Anime / Anthology / Action

Curriculum Ties: Creative writing – canonical issues, compilations / Science – artificial intelligence / Philosophy – ontology, perception of reality, slavery   

Booktalking Ideas: 1) In a world where machines rule, can humans find their place in such a future? 2) This film is a prequel, but it is also a story of origins – come see how The Matrix began!

Reading Level: The animated format (cf. the trilogy of moves, all rated-R) lowers the entry level for the film slightly.  More storytelling occurs in this film than the second and third movies – and there is more time spent on drama besides just action.  Grades 8 and up seems advisable, although the Amazon review believes the officially non-rated film as appropriate of ages 16 and up (Amazon, 2011).

Challenge Issues and Defense: PG-13 films fall between PG and R – making them difficult to know exactly what age is best intended.  This film is non-rated, but IMDB notes the film contains three separate scenes of sexuality/sensuality – along with various fight sequences (IMDB, 2011b). 

The marque movies received some awards – though mostly for technical aspects, not for content.  If displayed in a children’s section, parents may object to this film.  Even though it is animated film (i.e. cartoon), it is (indeed) intended for older audiences.  This film could lead to challenges – most of which librarians could solve by moving it to the teen or adult sections – though the latter section is likely over-reaching.   

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: I am more a fan of the first Matrix than the sequels; however, this represented an opportunity to insert an animated genre selection – one that is a bit edgy given the corpus of work that preceded it.  

Last Thoughts

References:

Amazon. (2011). The Animatrix [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Animatrix-

Clayton-Watson/dp/B00008LDPU/ref=sr_1_1?s=movies-tv&ie=UTF8&qid= 1322110500&sr=1-1

Internet Movie Database (IMDB). (2011a). Andy Wachowski [Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0905152/

Internet Movie Database (IMDB). (2011b). The Animatrix: Parental guide [Webpage]. Retrieved

            from http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0328832/parentalguide

Listening to (Music):

Artist – Paramore / Album – “Brand New Eyes”  

(#5) / Little Brother / by Cory Doctorow / (Book as PDF)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

Little Brother / by Cory Doctorow

ISBN-13: 978-0765319852 / Tor Teen  

p. 384 / $12.21 (Amazon) – Free (Various Creative Commons Sites)  

Body of Content

Summary: Marcus is a street-smart kid – with a knack for technology.  He lives in San Francisco with his parents.  Marcus loves to skirt the system – routinely skipping school and damaging school surveillance equipment in the process.  When Marcus skips school one day – to join with friends in playing a scavenger hunt type role-playing game – he finds himself in the center of a different story.  Terrorist have attacked San Francisco – and Marcus' world of adolescent innocence shatters – as the destruction of the Bay Bridge and death of thousands of American citizens creates a brave, new world of unprecedented governmental surveillance.  Having been placed into custody for questioning in a secret prison, Marcus and his friends are released back into a city that they no longer recognize.  Marcus decides to fight and subvert the system – a system that may have killed his best friend – as system that tries to keep San Francisco protected from future attacks – and a system that might spell the end of Marcus’ freedom on a more permanent basis.            

Critique: Admittedly, I had difficultly relating to the characters in the novel.  But I found Doctorow’s take on technology both entertaining and realistic.  The book never specifies the year of the events, but the reader is left to the observation that it occurs post 9/11 and very near in the future.

Rightly, numerous mentions of technology contain the very functionality or potential to do what Doctorow suggests in his novel.  Although I do not own an Xbox, the basic premise of the computer and Internet potential is well-known.  I had a good friend in graduate school who read online how to hack the software, and subsequently, made the game console into a personal computer.  What Doctorow suggests – for a next-generation incarnation of Xbox – is creative but also realistic.  Other items such as FastPass, RFID tags, and unprotected wireless signals are part of culture in the here-and-now.   

Doctorow does a masterful job creating a believable futurist version of San Francisco that is not too different from the metro status quo.  Personally, I did not enjoy the novel as much as expected – partially due to his writing style – but his attention to detail is a creative strength when creating a literary universe.      

Teaser: Marcus finds himself in trouble with school administrators almost on a routine basis.  But after an act of terrorism in San Francisco, Marcus may have encountered a completely new kind of enemy.

Information about the Author: Cory Doctorow holds a different pedigree than many other YA writers.  He has extensive background experience in technology and business fields – including a few startup companies that he later sold for profit.  Originally from Canada, he also lives outside the U.S. – now in Britain (Wikipedia, 2011) – perhaps giving him a different vantage point than many American authors.

His novel Little Brother received a fair amount of accolades, including the 2009 Prometheus (Libertarian Futurist Society, 2011).  His overall work have received attention, as Doctorow received the 2007 EFF Pioner Award – choosing to dress rather ceremoniously with a red cape and eyes goggles – an fashion and humorous allusion to a xkcd comic strip depiction of himself (Wikipedia, 2011).  Doctorow is cut from a different literary cloth – as he champions the rights of authors over publishers – particularly vocal for his belief in the legitimacy of file-sharing and licenses related to Creative Commons (Doctorow, 2011).

Supplemental Material

Genre: Thriller / Science Fiction / Dystopian

Curriculum Ties: History – totalitarianism, Patriot Act, Constitution, personal privacy, technology

Booktalking Ideas: 1) In an age of technology and surveillance, how much of Marcus’ life is truly private? 2) Marcus is playing a game of chess against a controlling government – but can he keep one move ahead of Homeland Security – or forfeit more than a game in the process?

Reading Level: While the violence mentioned in the book is not extended, the subject matter – of impeding harm, governmental forces, personal paranoia – are more adult themes than YA.  The age preferences vary – with School Library Journal suggesting grade 10 and up– while Booklist suggests a lower entry level at grade 8 and up (Amazon, 2011).  Boys (more than girls) and persons interested in technology may show more interest than their peers in this book.      

Challenge Issues and Defense: The subject matter does contain some adult themes – with some adult language.  Some parents may find challengeable issues related to sexual mores – with the premarital sex between the main character and his girlfriend.  The best defense for this book stems from its critical success – as it received numerous awards in YA circles. (The book is far from trashy literature).  

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: Though I did not enjoy the book to the same extent as other titles in this genre, Doctorow does a thoughtful job on the topic – succeeding on the time front – on presenting a very near-future version of a dystopian, cautionary tale.   

Last Thoughts

References:

Amazon. (2011). Little Brother [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Little-Brother-

Cory-Doctorow/dp/0765319853

Doctorow, C. (2011). Little Brother [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://craphound.com/littlebrother/

download/

Libertarian Futurist Society. (2011). Press releases [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://lfs.org/

            releases.htm

Wikipedia. (2011). Cory Doctorow [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/

Cory_Doctorow

Listening to (Music):

Artist – Brooke Waggoner / Album – “Fresh Pair of Eyes”  

(#2) / Catching Fire / by Suzanne Collins / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

Catching Fire / Suzanne Collins

ISBN-13: 978-0439023498 / Scholastic Press

p. 391 / $9.99 (Amazon)

Body of Content 

Summary: Catching Fire picks up the story of Katniss and Peeta, as they return to their families in District 12.  Now residing in the homes once reserved for victors, the two young protagonists must come to terms with all that happened in the Games – and all that might unfold in the future.  As Katniss and Peeta travel to the other districts – as part of the scheduled victors’ campaign – something is different and unscheduled.  The Empire holds a fragile peace – as the districts express an uneasiness of the burdens placed on them.  The President of Panem lobs threats against Katniss – her family – and her district.  Katniss expresses a desire to leave – to run into the forest and flee whatever events might unfold next.  Caught between feelings and loyalties – between both Gale and Peeta – Katniss faces a decision.  But as the lottery for the Quarter Quell draws near, this year’s Games could change the lives of more than just the lonely heroine.     

Critique: Catching Fire contains several themes, but it does a fine job expanding on the class warfare between the districts and the Capitol, which are peppered throughout the first book.  The novel’s narrative structure allows for this opportunity, as Collins spends more time providing background details regarding the world of her dystopian canon.  The protagonists travel to the other districts – an opportunity that, in itself, few people from District 12 will ever experience.  The reader finds out that many of the districts perform laborious, tedious work – filled with harsh, bitter, and scarce lifestyles.  The Capitol – and to some extent, the wealthy districts like 1 and 2 – however – enjoy a different lifestyle.  The Capitol lives a life of luxury – filled with advanced technology, food delicacies, and lavish attention to fashion trends.

The Capitol is responsible for the gulf between the two classes – for the annual Games are weapons against sedition – showing the Empire’s power to take the districts’ children at will – and a threat to subjugate the districts with the same relentlessly – if the districts do not play their role as subject.  These districts finance and supply all the luxury enjoyed by the Capitol.  Much like the Roman Empire, the Capitol is Rome – and the districts are Roman territories.  From their lavish dinner parties to their application of futurist tech, the Capitol is wrapped in the easy life, while the districts spin toil.  The theme is more evident in Catching Fire – and it helps build the tension in the novel.  Overall, it makes the struggle faced by the heroes more believable. 

While the second book is slightly paced differently than the first book, this is a welcomed exchange.  Collins could have taken the easier road and written a true sequel – an episodic addition – one termed The Hunger Games 2.  Instead, she continues with the canon’s narrative – and all the decisions and framework set in motion within the first novel have consequence.  Collins uses the class warfare to provide realistic implications for the story and her characters.  Catching Fire is still a thriller, but more elaborate storytelling allows the novel to enter the drama genre.   

Teaser: Set after the events of The Hunger Games, Katniss and Peeta return to District 12 – as victors of the Games.  But there is a scent of rebellion still in the air.

Information about the Author: (See entry #1 – for information regarding Suzanne Collins)

Supplemental Material

Genre: Science fiction / Dystopian / Thriller / Drama

Curriculum Ties: History – Historical conspiracies / Comparison to the Roman Empire  

Booktalking Ideas: 1) Can Katniss and Peeta escape certain death for a second time? 2) Katniss is a catalyst – but what exactly is she a catalyst for? 3) As the Empire’s secret veil lowers, more of the other districts becomes known to the readers – what are we to make of District 13? 

Reading Level: Grade 7 up – Catching Fire embodies the same style and similar content to its predecessor.  School Library Journal believes the readership level is the same for both – even with “a truncated version of the Games” (Amazon, 2011). (See entry #1 for related details).  

Challenge Issues and Defense: Much like the first book in the series, Catching Fire contains a fair amount of violence.  However, the books are structured differently.  Catching Fire deals less with the Games – only about a third – compared to two-thirds of The Hunger Games.  As a book defense, the reader is again left with redemptive impressions regarding the violence – that there is social commentary – that the book does not just contain violence for the sake of violence.

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: After reading the first book for LIBR 265, I purchased the second book in the series within a week – and I plan on reading the final book once the semester finishes.  I’ve quickly become a fan of this series.

Last Thoughts

References:

Amazon. (2011). Catching Fire [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Catching-Fire-

Second-Hunger-Games/dp/0439023491/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1322005100&sr=8-1

Listening to (Music):  

Artist – Elevator Worship / Album – “For the Honor”

(#1) / The Hunger Games / by Suzanne Collins / (Book)

Opening

Bibliographic Information:

 The Hunger Games / Suzanne Collins

ISBN-13: 978-0439023528 / Scholastic Press

p. 384 / $5.39 (Amazon)

Body of Content

Summary: Katniss is a teenage girl with adult responsibilities – caring and providing food for her family – in a fractured world set in a distant, dystopian future.  Over her small district – and 11 other districts – an authoritative government (Panem) keeps rebellion in check and fear alive by a vicious competition – the Hunger Games – a televised pageantry of violence.  All children between the ages 12 and 18 must enter the Game’s lottery – but only two are chosen – one male, one female – from each district.  Horror reaches Katniss’ heart – upon hearing her sister’s name called at the lottery.  As soldiers begin dragging her sister onto the stage, Katniss volunteers to take her place.  A childhood friend by the name of Peeta joins Katniss on stage.  Soon the Hunger Games will begin – twenty-four competitors will enter the Arena – but only one can leave alive. What alliances will be forged? What strategies will players invoke? Who will live to see their family again? Who will die in the opening moments? One thing is certain: this year’s Hunger Games will be like no other.     

Critique: The book contains themes relating a fair amount of violence.  But the dark premise is the bulk of the actual tension.  While the action is well-paced, most battle scenes are not extended – reaching completion within a few pages.  It is the “waiting” both as a reader and for the main characters that creates the suspense – of not knowing whether the turn of a page will result in the death of another person.  And death is certainly a consistent presence throughout the book.  But Collins deals with the issue with “gloves on” – as adult writers would venture into more graphic details of the action sequences.  

Still, the book is not only about violence – but about how the characters must deal with impeding death and potential loss of their self-identities.  Peeta is an enigma – both to Katniss and the reader.  But after the completion of the story, the character arc is complete – and with more certainty, the following remark holds veracity: Peeta is the anti-Career.  Peeta does participate in the Games, but not to the same extent of the other characters.  Placed in a situation where violence is the anticipated action, Peeta continually runs counter to the Games and the Empire – through a subterfuge of alliances, camouflage into the natural surroundings, and inherent trust in Katniss.  Even when the young girl died at the campfire (the opening night of the Games), the reader is left with the possibility that Peeta did not kill her. 

A telling moment – a point of foreshadowing – occurs before the Games – when Katniss and Peeta sit on the rooftop of the training building.  The movie adaption expresses Peeta’s desire – very well – saying, “I keep wishing that I could think of a way to show them that they don’t own me – that if I’m going to die, I want to still be me” (IMDB, 2011a).  Within the Games, Peeta’s actions are slight, shadowy, and subtle – but they are rebellious, seditious, and dangerous – aimed squared at an unforgiving system and a brutal government.  Peeta embodies a form of passive resistance – not to the same degree as Jesus Christ, Gandhi, or Martin Luther King, Jr. – but nevertheless, he is fighting creatively and intentionally against a context that requires violence.  Katniss embodies aspects of this approach (cf. burial of Rue, suicide pact), but Peeta stands as the character who subtlety tries to remind Panem of the inhumaneness of the Games – and the quiet resilience of the human spirit.

Teaser: Katniss enters the Arena – facing the strong likelihood of death. Will the Games turn Katniss into a killer? Or can Katniss turn the Games into something else?

Information about the Author: Suzanne Collins lives in Connecticut with her husband and two children.  Earlier in her life, Collins enrolled at a high school in Birmingham, Alabama – a school with a strong fine arts program.  Later in her education, she received a degree from New York University.  The degree reflects her writing interest, as the degree was a Master of Fine Arts in “Dramatic Writing” (Wikipedia, 2011). Collins wrote a few books before The Hunger Games, but that trilogy easily put Collins on the map – both for name recognition and money reasons.  She earned $10 million dollars for the 2010 year alone (Bercovici, 2011) – the year helped by strong sales number of the first two books and the release of the series’ final book, Mockingjay.  Further, a major film adaption of the first book hits theaters in March 2012.

Before novels, Collins worked heavily within the television industry – writing for numerous Nickelodeon shows – including story editor and/or writer duties on “The Mystery Files of Shelby Woo”, “Clarissa Explains It All”, “Santa, Baby”, “Generation O!”,  and “Wow! Wow! Wubbzy!” (IMDB, 2011).  While The Hunger Games is aimed at a YA audience, these earlier writing duties comprised intentions towards younger audiences.    

Supplemental Material

Genre: Science fiction / Dystopian / Thriller

Curriculum Ties: Philosophy – existentialism in the midst of difficult decisions, circumstances   

Booktalking Ideas: 1) Will Peeta and Katniss lose their lives in the Competition? Will they lose their innocence?

Reading Level: Grade 7 up – deemed by School Library Journal (Amazon, 2011). The interest level, though, may reach as low as grade 5 and easily extends into high school grades.  Such is the case – based upon the age of the competition’s fighters – 12 through 18.  Even with a “rough” premise, the book is still within YA territory, as the heroes do not commit many killings. If this title were a true adult book, then the protagonists might take on more the actions of the Careers – or have more ambiguous natures/motives.     

Challenge Issues and Defense: The book is basically free from any language or sexuality.  However, some parents may take issue with the violence and adult themes – as the very premise throws children into a kill-or-be-killed environment. The best defense is noting that Collins does not condone the violence – but that she actually provides thoughtful commentary through the underdogs’ actions, which speak against the brutality and unfairness of the government’s games.

 

Personal Reasons for Inclusion: I read the book in a three-day period – finding it (not only) a well-paced thriller – but also a book with a subtle and meaningful message about violence and passive resistance.

Last Thoughts

References: 

Amazon. (2011). The Hunger Games [Webpage]. Retrieved from http://www.amazon.com/Hunger-

Games-Suzanne Collins/dp/0439023521/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1321950575&sr=8-1

Bercovici, J. (2011). “The world’s highest-paid authors [Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://www.forbes.com/sites/jeffbercovici/2011/08/17/the-worlds-highest-paid-authors/2/ 

Internet Movie Database (IMDB). (2011a). “The Hunger Games” [Movie Trailer]. Retrieved from

            http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1392170/

Internet Movie Database (IMDB). (2011b). Suzanne Collins (III) [Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://www.imdb.com/name/nm1056741/

           

Wikipedia. (2011). Suzanne Collins [Webpage]. Retrieved from

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Suzanne_Collins

Listening to (Music): 
Artist – Soundgarden / Album – “Superunknown”