"You thought you could be Mrs. de Winter, live in her house, walk in her steps, take the things that were hers! But she's too strong for you. You can't fight her - no one ever got the better of her. Never, never. She was beaten in the end, but it wasn't a man, it wasn't a woman."

Fear. It is the single, most terrifying concept known to mankind. It is notorious for paralyzing those who seek it, or those who are haunted by it. Yet, fear is not a tangible object. In fact, fear does not have a face or a voice or any physical attributes that can cause real harm to those who seek it. Alfred Hitchcock is the father of fear. Because he takes the essence of fear and harnesses it to its core. In his 1940 film Rebecca, Hitchcock demonstrates the core of fear "you are afraid of what you cannot see." The film surrounds a newly married couple and the haunted memories of the late wife's ghost. However, throughout the entire film, you never see Rebecca. There is not one picture of her, one flashback, or image of the late wife. And she is the ghost to be feared. The sheer memory of her paralyzes the new wife and almost makes her commit suicide. This is why Hitchcock is the master of fear, because he can make the viewer afraid of something that never appears. The sheer anticipation of Rebecca's arrival can make the audience afraid.

"Well, we movie stars get the glory. I guess we have to take the little heartaches that go with it. People think we lead lives of glamour and romance, but we're really lonely - terribly lonely."

Whenever I feel sick or down, I always watch one of my favorite go-to films: Singin' in the Rain. I used to watch old musicals with my dad when I was little. We watched all the good Rodgers & Hammerstein classics: The Sound of Music, Oklahoma, The King and I, South Pacific, etc. etc. It was a good way to connect to my dad and especially when I was sick, he would stay home from work and show me movies from his childhood. So, whenever I am homesick or feeling under the weather, Singin' in the Rain is my remedy. However, now that I am constantly analyzing old films and putting them in context of media studies, it is hard not to make criticisms and parallels to U.S. popular culture today. Back in the 1950s, or even in the 1920s which is the time period in which the movie is set, the actors make a startling connection to fame then and now. Various and expansive transformations have occurred between the pop culture in America then and now. One common thread seems to remain: movie stars marry movie stars to get divorced and be lonely. I know this seems like a bold statement and there are exceptions, yet fame proves to be a lonely career.

"Of course it's unfair. We're women. Our choices are never easy."

The movie Titanic has become a staple in American cinema as competitively one of the best movies of all time. It was released in 1997 with starring roles from Kate Winslet, Leonardo DiCaprio, Billy Zane, Victor Garber, and Kathy Bates. And I'm sure we have all seen the "I'm the king of the world!" scene in which Leo is standing at the bow of the ship with his arms outstretched. It has become somewhat a staple scene in all of American contemporary films. However, one of the underlying themes and motifs of this film focuses on feminism. Rose DeWitt Bukater is a daughter of a wealthy businessman and a passive mother who reminds Rose of her place in society. So, when her father leaves them without any money, Rose's mother realizes the only thing they can do is hide behind their good name and marry Rose off to a wealthy, potentially powerful man. This gives the audience insight into how females fit into society during the early 1900s in Europe as well as in the United States. Women did not make choices based on what they wanted to do, but based on what others wanted them to do. And just as Rose's mother thoughtfully consoled her daughter about the decision she was forced to make, "We're women. Our choices are never easy."

"Would you give up your life for someone else..."

It's been quite a long time since I have watched a substantially compelling film that kept my attention and did not bore me to tears. The one film that has stood out above the rest is an independent film titled "Conviction" starring Hilary Swank and Sam Rockwell. The film centers around the life of Betty Anne Waters and her relationship with her older brother Kenny Waters. The film begins with moving shots of a bloody crime scene, yet no body is shown. Kenny has been tried and convicted of the murder of Katherine Brow in Ayer, Massachusetts in 1980. Betty Anne seems to be the only person who believes her brother's innocence and obsesses with exonerating him. She gets her GED, attends college, and even gets her law degree to become her brother's attorney and find new evidence to set him free. The story revolves around Betty Anne and her past with her older brother and why she has decided to devote her life to fulfilling the innocence of her brother. Swank and Rockwell give commanding performances in the film and truly show the love and admiration that siblings have for one another. Waters' determination and perseverance eventually pays off, however not without the ups and downs that constantly drive her away from her husband, and her sons. The case consumes her life and she can no longer commit to a full-time normal family life until her brother is set free. This entire movie was quite moving for me, as it made me think of my relationships with my siblings and my parents. What made me think is the question that Betty Anne's younger son asks his older brother: "Would you give up your life for me?" It is a question that cannot be answered until the situation presents itself. We all would like to say that we would, yet, would we do the devoted thing?