Top 4 Projects

Last night, there was no work to be done (summer has been slow), so I had the night off. Thus, in lieu of an opinion on something new, I present you with a list of my favorite captioning projects.

1. Bride of Frankenstein (1935) - Amazing old-time horror movie. Many film critics think it's better than the original Frankenstein. First of all, it's a horrendously enjoyable movie on its own right. The final scene in Frankenstein's laboratory is unparalleled in cinema. Low, angled shots and wild hair shooting from the scientists' twisted faces, combined with the dramatic music, the noises of the equipment, and the thunderstorm, all made my blood pump throughout this scene. Also entertaining was the dandyish portrayal of Byron and Shelley at the intro to the movie, not to mention the groans and roars of Boris Karloff as the Monster.

2. Black Caesar (1973) - I never knew I enjoyed blaxploitation till I watched this movie. A remake of the 1931 gangster classic, it portrays the rise of a black gangster who takes over part of the Italian mob. The soundtrack, by James Brown, is one of the best I've ever heard in a movie (it includes my favorite James Brown song, "The Boss"). Also, it was the first movie I captioned in which I was comfortable enough to have some fun. Examples include: (novelty honking) to describe the protagonist squeezing a toy horn and (in sambo voice) when he's mocking the corrupt white cop and flaunting the reversal of power.

3. Odyssey 5 (2002 TV series) Although I only captioned a total of four episodes, I loved the cheesy sci-fi story line: a group of astronauts see the earth blown to bits while they're in orbit, and a mysterious creature who called itself "the Seeker" sends them back 5 years in time so they can prevent the destruction of the earth, which they soon discover has something to do with lines of alien code called "sentients" that inhabit various bodies. It stars Peter Weller, better known as "Robocop." The whole thing is very self-conscious. One great episode, called "Dark at the End of the Tunnel," finds the cynical English scientist Mendel taken in by an apocalyptic cult proclaiming the speedy arrival of the Lord (who turns out to be a sentient). It also features a muscle-bound weatherman who pumps iron and compares the heatwave with his own hotness.

4. Braddock: Missing in Action III (1988) - Chuck Norris film in which he goes back to Vietnam to rescue his Vietnamese wife, who was proclaimed dead during the War, and his Amerasian son. I'd never realized that in the '80s there was such a profusion of "I was in Nam and something snapped so now I'm gonna go on righteous killing sprees in civilian life" movies - the "Missing in Action" series, the "Rambo" series, and "Blue Thunder" are just a few of the more famous ones. This caption file features my first literary reference in a sound description, (a screaming comes across the sky) to describe the descent of a missile on Saigon, as well as a few other gems: (iconic roundhouse kick thwacking), (sentry howling), (children bemoaning fate), and (soldier's final wail echoing).

That's all I have the energy to write about now. More lists to come when I have another day off.