Movie responce

This movie contains many Canadian stereotypes. The main stereotype in the movie was the hockey theme. In the movie people are murdered over hockey teams 'selling out' and moving to the states. The movie takes the hockey loving stereotype to a whole new level. Also having English and French speaking cops working together emphasizes the the fact that Canada is a 'bilingual' country.
I found that this movie reminded me of an American made movie. Even though the movie was very Canadian, all of the violence and shooting reminded me of an American movie. Also, the editing and overall look of the film was not as bad as other Canadian movies I have seen.
The movie probably did better in Quebec since there was a lot of french humor in the movie that people who do not speak french would not understand. 
I don't think Americas or other foreigners would appreciate this movie since it may be hard to understand the french humor/content. Also the movie makes Canadians seem like obsessive hockey fans who would kill for the sport. Overall the movie makes Canadians look insane...
In my opinion the film was not very good. The beginning was very slow, and it was confusing when the languages kept changing. Also, the acting was a little cheesy at some points throughout the movie. Even though the movie was not that great, the special effect weren't bad and the ending had a lot of good action. All in all, the movie was cheesy and not worth watching.

Metacognition

1.  What I liked the most about creating my own graphic novel, was that it was fun to do. Also, there was not a lot of writing involved in creating the graphic novel. I could be creative and use pictures to help get my story across. Graphic novels are also less formal that a regular novel. This made working on this project seem less like homework.
What I did not like about creating the graphic novel was the time it took to make. Importing and finding the right pictures took a while to do, and re-adjusting the scenes took a long time as well. In total the graphic novel took me 10 hours to create and edit. This is a lot longer than it would take me to write an essay or short story. All in all, the graphic novel took a very long time to complete but was a fun project.

2. If i were to redo this assignment I would have started a lot earlier. I did not realize how long it takes to create a graphic novel, and if I were to redo this assignment I would have started it as soon as it was assigned. I would have also figured out how to make my comic into pages. Each page in the Bitstrips program contains 2 panels using the storyboard layout . So instead of doing 8 pages with two panels per page, I did 16 panels in total.

3. I tend to learn best by doing. Therefore, making my own comic gave me a better understanding of how comics work. Comics are about the pictures, the images are there to get the message across. Also, using Bitstrips to make my comic allowed me to learn how to use a program I ended up really liking. 

4. Advice I would give others about this project:

• Start as soon as it is assigned since making a comic is a lengthy process.
• Play around with the program you are using before making your comic. This will allow you to learn all the tools and functions the program offers.
• Get someone to review your comic when you are finished to make sure it makes sense.

In For The Holidays

This holiday season there are a few trends that seem to be very popular. These include faux fur vests and coats, exposed zippers, little black dresses, metallics, sequence, and lace. These trends are not only occurring in clothing, but in accessories as well. 

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W0FK56H1G00&category|751=&image=W0FK56H1G00-HTGB

Lace accents or full lace garments are in this season. This dress from Guess has lace covering the neckline, another popular trend for the holidays.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W04K64K09X0&category|751=&image=W04K64K09X0-JBLK#

The Little Black Dress is always in, but for the holidays it is especially important. The black dress can be worn with anything, and works for every formal occasion. This dress from Guess would look great with tights and a jacket or blazer.

 http://www.bcbg.com/product/index.jsp?productId=10803185&cp=2901570.3915683&clickid=cat_leftnav_txt&parentPage=family

Sequence is another popular trend. The sparkle looks chic and adds a bit of glam to clothing. Sequence can be seen on dresses, tops, jackets, leggings, and accessories. This BCBG top is an elegant example of sequenced garments.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=SU261706&category|4646=&image=SU261706-PEW#

Metallic accessories are another holiday trend. Metallics are great since they can be paired with almost anything. They can dress up an outfit, and add shine. This purse from Guess is a great evening bag for the holiday season.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W04K78C2100&category|751=&image=W04K78C2100-JBLK#

Exposed zippers are extremely popular in women's clothing. Exposed zippers can be anywhere on a garment, and is a unique fashion statement.This dress from Guess is just one example of exposed zippers in fashion.

http://www.guess.ca/ProductDetails.aspx?style=W0F220MF820&category|752=&image=W0F220MF820-JTMU#
This faux fur coat by Guess is one of the many jackets we are seeing with faux fur. The cozy look is in for winter, therefore faux fur is everywhere.

Corsets

Corsets have been apart of fashion for hundreds of years. A corset is a garment that shapes the body, creating a smaller waist. A corset is laced up the back with cording or ribbon. The ribbon is laced through grommets, similar to a shoe lace. The corset contains boning, which keeps the structure sturdy. In the past boning was made of whale bones. As time went on boning was made of thin strips of metal, and today plastic boning is available. In the past corsets were worn as an under garment, creating the perfect silhouette for the wearer. Corsets kept the wear upright and allowed for good posture. The problem with corsets were if worn too tightly, the body will start to adjust to the corset, and the inside organs can get reassembled. Also, they can cut of circulation in the body, and restricts body movement. Today, corsets are no longer used as underwear, but as a fashion statement. Corsets also influence modern fashions. For example, some dresses lace up in the back similar to a corset. Overall, corsets may no longer sever a practical purpose, but are still an important part of fashion.

To learn more about corsets

LG Fashion Week 2010 - Pink Tartan

Easy Lux

Pink Tartan is a clothing line created by Kimberley Newport-Mimran, a Canadian fashion designer. She is the wife of Joe Fresh creator and designer Joe Mimran. In 2002 the clothing line was co-founded by Kimberley, and  today she is the president and head designer of the company. Her motto is "Simplicity is the secret to elegance."  Pink Tartan fulfills that statement, its' clothes are simple yet very feminine. The new collection from Pink Tartan is the summer/spring 2011 Easy Lux. Which is available at Holt Renfrew.
Easy Lux is one of my favorites for 2011 summer/spring. The clothes themselves are fairly simple in design, but the bold colours and prints make the clothes unique. It is a more youthful line, the bright colours and less structured peices make the clothes more appealing to a younger generation. The plunging v-necks, sunglasses, and neon coloured hats also give the collection a younger feel. The collection contains many long loose dresses and jumpers. Making the line simple but unique.Overall, Easy Lux contains a lot of simple fun pieces for the warmer whether.

Overall Comments

Rating: 8 out of 10

I really enjoyed the political aspects of Watchmen. Most comic books I have read in the past are quite simplistic in its plot, all in all the good guy defeats the bad guy. But, in Watchmen none of the superheros end up being 'right', in an absolute sense. The entire point of the book was to break the conventions of the average superhero. Which I liked because I came into the book knowing the tropes of the superhero, due to pop culture, but had never read many superhero comics myself. This made Watchmen's message really effective for me, parodying the expectations I first had. I also liked the fact that the story uses actual American history, and twists it to suit the plot. This takes the book to a higher intellectual level, which other comics do not come close too.

Another aspect of the book I found intriguing was the artistry. The pictures were greatly detailed, and perfectly depicted the books dark tone. The colours in the book also make it stand out from other comics. The artwork itself can be appreciated by almost anyone, comic book fan or not.

The only thing I disliked about Watchmen was how complex it could be at certain points. To fully understand this book it must be read multiple times. The political references in the book confused me a bit, and I had to research topics I did not understand. During the reading process this annoyed me, but in the end I learned a lot of new information I would have otherwise not known. Also, the graphics helped me understand the plot a bit better. If there was something I did not understand in the text, I could try to figure out what was happening through the pictures.

All in all, Watchmen is a great book. I would recommend that others read it. This book will change the way you look at comic books forever. It might take you a few reads to fully grasp the concepts, but it's worth the trouble.