...In 1897, the occupants of a small Pennsylvania village live in fear of nameless creatures in the surrounding woods. They have constructed a large barrier of oil lanterns and watch towers that are constantly manned to keep watch for "Those We Don't Speak Of." It is explained that the villagers have a long-standing truce with the monsters; the villagers do not go into their woods, and the creatures do not enter their village. After the funeral of a seven-year-old boy, Lucius Hunt (Joaquin Phoenix) asks the village elders for permission to pass through the woods to get medical supplies from "the towns". His request is denied, and later his mother, Alice (Sigourney Weaver), admonishes him for wanting to go to the towns, which the villagers describe as "wicked places where wicked people live". The Elders seem to keep dark secrets of their own in black boxes, whose contents they keep hidden from their own offspring. After Lucius makes a short venture into the woods, the creatures leave warnings around the village in the form of splashes of red paint (referred to by the villagers only as "the bad color") on all the villagers' doors. Meanwhile, Ivy Elizabeth Walker (Bryce Dallas Howard), the blind daughter of the chief Elder, Edward Walker (William Hurt), informs Lucius that she has strong feelings for him, and he returns her affections. They arrange to be married, but things go horribly wrong when Noah Percy (Adrien Brody), a young man with an apparent developmental and learning...
Words: 782 - Pages: 4
... especially New England landscapes. He uses seasons, flowers, fields, stars, and time of day to set a logical sequence of events to paint a psychological feeling inside the reader’s mind. Two of Robert Frost’s poems, “Desert Places” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening”, take readers through a New England winter setting, reflecting the beautiful scenery through his descriptive imagery. However, even though these two poems are set in a wintry backdrop, they convey very different tones. One has a feeling of loneliness, and the other a welcoming feeling of solitude. In this paper, I intend to illustrate how two very similar natural settings are written to express two very different themes of loneliness. The poems “Desert Places” and “Stopping by Woods on a Snowy Evening” have quite a few similarities. For instance, they both share the same rhythmic scheme; A,A,B,A. They both are set in a snowy, evening where darkness is taking over quickly. In both poems there is a man traveling alone, where no other souls are around. There is a sense that both travelers are stepping away from life for a brief moment in time. The contrast of darkness and whiteness against the horizon is apparent in both poems, however in “Stopping by Woods”, the depth of the darkness is inviting. In “Desert Places”, the whiteness of the snow is blank and meaningless. This is where Robert Frost’s themes in these two poems begin to emerge to the reader. In the Poem “Desert Places” whiteness and blankness...
Words: 1058 - Pages: 5
...Formal Visual Analysis of Yamantaka Vajrabhairava Yamantaka Vajrabhairava is a sculpture of a buffalo-headed figure with multiple heads, hands and legs. Although the creature communicates an energy which may at first seem menacing because of its face and the objects either held in its hands or stomped underfoot, when one includes the image of the peaceful man surmounting him, one will realize that it is using this energy protectively rather than aggressively. Before I prove my argument, I am going to provide a more detailed description of the sculpture. This whole object is standing straight, communicating a sense of majesty at first glance. It is raised on a table with a pedestal, but it is as wide as the arm length of a 10-year-old child and should reach an adult’s chin if resting on the ground. Because it is huge in size, viewers need to go to both of its sides in order to be able to perceive every part of it clearly, but its front is more busier than the back, meaning that it is usually seen from the front. Although covered with a layer of paint in dark blue, red and gold, this sculpture is made of wood because its wood grain is fairly visible. Besides the buffalo face, this figure has six other faces in blue, red, yellow, white, grey and black. At the very top of Yamantaka’s head is the head of a peaceful, amiable man adorned with a crown and beautiful jewelry; the body of this man is not included in this sculpture. Its 34 hands are stretching out and holding a number of...
Words: 1576 - Pages: 7
...Ashley locked the door and looked through the dark hallway. A couple rooms were lit as others were dark as night. She walked into the first lighted room. A sweet aroma surrounded her as candles were burning across the room. Ashley sniffed the air, enjoying the scents that reminded her of her grandparents house. She smiled and felt relaxed, almost forgetting about the previous events. Ashley caught the scent of a cake too. She imagined a freshly baked chocolate cake layered in frosting, she was starving and couldn’t help but daydream. CREAK…. A footstep was heard and it brought her back to reality. Ashley didn’t know where she was or what had happened today at all....
Words: 694 - Pages: 3
...I once met a big ugly creature. It weighed 100 pounds, and it was 100 feet tall. The creature chased me all around the woods. I ran and ran until I was out of breath. When I got home, it was dark, but the creature was behind me! I got in and locked the door and I was safe. Then the creature somehow disappeared! The next morning, I didn’t want go outside because I thought the creature was somewhere around my house. I was right! When I went outside, the creature was waiting for me. The creature grabbed me and threw me on the ground. It disappeared again! That afternoon, I found many creatures in a cave. I hid beside a rock so the creatures would not see me. All the creatures were eating dead sheep; it was so gross! A creature spotted me and...
Words: 293 - Pages: 2
...slow and regulated, so as not to mist in the unnaturally cold air—though my heart wanted to hammer its way out of my chest. My body wanted to fidget, every instinct telling me to move, to do something, preferably to run away, but I waited. Listening. Watching. The chattering noise echoed through the trees, and I knew I had struck proverbial gold. Excitement threatened to force my breathing into irregular gasps, but I remained controlled. The wind carried their shrill voices—the strange, animalistic language resonating through the interwoven branches overhead—and I knew they were coming closer. I dared to turn my head, ever so slowly, to peer around the tree trunk that was my camouflage. Two pairs of glowing eyes, the only parts of the creatures visible in the limited light, were bouncing in my direction. I would have only seconds. They drew closer, and I allowed my muscles to tense, prepared for the swift movements of my blade that would rend their malformed heads from their shoulders. They would pass within feet of me, and then they would be mine. So I thought. Without warning, a light flared just east of my position, causing spots to dance before my eyes and completely ruining my night vision. A string of choice invectives came to mind, but I suppressed my urge to curse and considered the possibility that I had gone unnoticed despite the unexpected flare. Stupid girl, Saena. Stupid, stupid. Still to the east, a loud male voice was snarling the choice words I had been contemplating...
Words: 1060 - Pages: 5
...forbidden us from entering the woods by the old part of town. Some old legend about a wolf or something. Even the mention of it sent them into a frenzy. Peter from across the road went in for a dare once. His whole family moved down South soon afterwards. Rumors say he went mad and got sent to an institute because he kept screaming things about ‘elongated limbs’, ‘deep red eyes’ and ‘sharp, knife-like fangs’. This should have convinced me to stay away from the woods, yet I still found myself already about two miles past the splintered fence that separates the old town from the looming darkness of the trees. My watch read 7:30 PM and I knew I should head back. The sun was beginning its descent for the day and it would soon be pitch black. As I turned to leave a ferocious wind took my hat. I ran after it. When i was finally able to dive onto my hat I realised I didn’t know where I was. There was no longer a path-like opening in the trees. I was in the middle of a circle of trees so tall that not a single ray of sunlight reached the mossy ground where I stood. I was engulfed in darkness. The stillness of the woods that at first mesmerized me, now sent an eerie chill down my spine. But the bone-rattling silence was soon replaced by the moaning of the wind as it hit my frozen cheeks. I saw movement behind me and all my instincts told me not to look, to just accept my fate and close my eyes but I couldn’t. I reluctantly turned my head to stare into the dark, crimson eyes which stared back...
Words: 442 - Pages: 2
...the boys in the book aside from Simon. During an assembly of the boys, Piggy attempts to interpret what a scared littlun says about his encounter with the beast. Piggy tells the crowd “‘A snake-thing. Ever so big. He saw it” Ralph replies, “‘Where?”’ The littlun tells him, “‘In the woods”’(42). The littluns already have their fair share of nightmares while they are on the island; nightmares about the native creatures on the island. After learning about the presence of the beast, the littluns become overly terrified of the forest and what it contains. Later, while Ralph, Jack, and others are searching for the beast in the forest, they actually discover what they believe to be the beast. The boys are walking in the dark “Then the wind roared in the forest, there was confusion in the darkness, and the creature lifted its head, holding toward them the ruin of a face”(172). Ralph and the others doubted the existence of the beast up until their encounter with it. This gut-wrenching encounter instills chilling terror in those to whom the boys describe the encounter, making the forest a feared presence for the bigguns, because it harbors the beast. The boys need someone to go across the island in the dark to deliver a message to Piggy. They are all too afraid to go except one boy. With great courage "Simon pushed his way to Ralph's elbow. ‘I'll go if you like. I don't mind, honestly’”(163). Out of all the boys on the island, only one does not fear the beast; that boy is Simon. Simon is...
Words: 379 - Pages: 2
...“Andrea!” Drew said as he caught up to her. “Hey what sup” as Drew grabs her hand and kissed her fingers. Drew is a 17 year old jokester with wispy white hair and blue eyes who absolutely adores Andrea. Andrea is a short 16 year old girl with Honey brown Hair and dark brown eyes with freckles on her cheeks. Andrea blushes and points to Alex sitting on a park bench. They run over to see her. Alex is a 17 year old Foster kid who has been to more homes that you will ever live your whole life. The family she is living with is the Wagner’s, they live in a two story house in Georgia with a long drive way. She is Dark brown haired green eyed girl with pale white skin but behind the beautiful face is a dark secret. Alex “Hey guys you wanted to meet...
Words: 952 - Pages: 4
...The Renaissance was a cultural movement. It was the beginning of the modern world. During the Renaissance period, many artists’ works were devoted to Christianity. Artists used oil media on wood panel supports. Oil paintings showed perspective. Matthias Grünewald was one of the artists during the Renaissance. One of Matthias’ painting was, The Temptation of Saint Anthony. It was painted during 1512-1516 . He was known as the greatest German Renaissance artist who made religious paintings with intense color. Using oil on wood, Matthias created a painting that’s expressive and powerful to the eyes. This artwork shows Saint Anthony in the Egyptian desert facing supernatural temptations. The responses from everyone I think would be different....
Words: 360 - Pages: 2
...resin (magna) on canvas 2. Mass: Lynda Benglis, For Carl Andre, acrylic foam 3. Rhythm: Philip Guston, Wharf, oil on canvas 4. Value: Pablo Picasso, Femme Couchee Lisant, oil on canvas 5. Texture: Stephan Balkenhol, Four Figures, painted wood 6. Perspective: Martin Puryear, Ladder for Booker T. Washington, wood (ash and maple) 7. Nature: Thomas Struth, Paradise Nine, chromogenic print 8. Text: Jenny Holzer, Kind of Blue, LED lights with blue diodes 9. Portrait: Francis Bacon, Self Portrait, oil on canvas 10. Animal: Ben Shahn, Allegory, tempera on panel 11. Abstraction: Joan Mitchell, Untitled,...
Words: 2056 - Pages: 9
...and curiosity that it creates. Horror films go back as far as the onset of films themselves, over a 100 years ago. From our earliest days, we use our vivid imaginations to see ghosts in shadowy shapes, to be emotionally connected to the unknown and to fear things that are improbable. The earliest horror films were Gothic in style i.e. the meaning that they were usually set in spooky old mansions, castles, or fog-shrouded, dark and shadowy locales. Their main characters have included "unknown," human, supernatural or grotesque creatures, ranging from vampires, demented madmen, devils, unfriendly ghosts, monsters, mad scientists etc. Horror film today also carry almost the same characters that haunt the innocent. Taking example from recent film such as Drag me to Hell, Paranormal Activity 2 and The Woman in Black etc. these movies have incorporated a supernatural element that includes a curse or magic carrying forward from the past, which haunts other characters of the film in mysterious superstitious ways. The iconography of this particular genre is often dark and serious. The props and costumes used for the...
Words: 712 - Pages: 3
...“Okay, okay just be quite because you will wake up your sister.” I whispered. She smiled and her beautiful blue eyes shined with happiness again. *** It was winter. Snow was falling, so much like stars. Drifting against the windows, politely begging entrance and then falling with disappointment to the ground. It was magical. My house was north from the small village, so close to the woods. The woods were lovely, dark and deep. Every year we went there with my family, so my father can go hunting in the woods. Every year I was asking myself ‘Is hunting wrong?’. I finally figured that hunting is not necessarily wrong. Besides, as far as I am concerned, the motive makes the difference. I told my father that for first and maybe last time, I will go and hunt with him. I was in the woods early in the morning, before sunshine. The snow was endless, a heavy blanket on the outdoors; it had a way about it. A beauty. But I knew that, like many things, beauty could be dangerous. I was a hunter before I went to the woods and didn't even know it. A certain innocence had taken me into the snowy woods that snowy morning. I was alone, laying in the snow patiently waiting for my prey. I remember how powerful I felt when I was holding that large heavy cannon. I was laying in the snow for hours, frozen from the cold and when I was just about to give up and leave I heard something. Something was moving in the snowy bushes in front of me. It was not the wind, it...
Words: 420 - Pages: 2
...In the darkness of time, creatures of the wood hid in the mountains in fear. These creatures were elves, dwarves, magicians, and of course the wild animals of the woods. Men were taken away to be slaves to a demon. And the women were put in cages away from the world. But the creatures that hid had hidden from a demon of great power. This demon was from the ancient times of life, and was recently released from his prison in the earth. His original name was a mystery, but people call him Darkness. Centuries ago Darkness had tampered with God’s kingdom, destroying his creations as he went. Many had tried to fight against him, to save their families. But Darkness was too strong, his army was too strong. None that fought him ever survived. There was no hero among this world that could save them. Darkness continued to grow stronger with every waking day. Finally God grew tired of his games, but he could do nothing himself. He could not intervene in the world below. It was among his ideal rules that he could not intervene and of the angels that followed him. The angels however grew tired of watching these creatures suffer. They tried to persuade him to jump in and save them, but he would not. He had decided, however, to create a man. One who could not be defeated in battle, and who had the strength of one hundred men. He sent this man to earth and called him Daniel. Darkness had heard of this creature and how he had not feared him. Darkness laughed at the thought of this man. How...
Words: 910 - Pages: 4
...1903 in Sao Paub, Brazil) Brazil Wood, 1938. Pencil on Craft Paper. Died in 1962 in Rio de Janeiro. Brief description of painting: In this painting, there appears to be a male figure carrying a female figure on his shoulder. The male figure appears to be running away from something. It appears that he may have just rescued a damsel in distress. As he is running, he is stepping on what appears to be two evil creatures. Shapes – A shape is a two-dimensional figure that may regular or irregular in appearance. In this painting, both regular and irregular shapes were used. Irregular shapes were primarily used in this painting. The irregular shapes are unique and have the outline of a human figure. There are four distinct irregular shapes in this painting, which are the male figure, the female figure, and the two evil looking creatures toward the bottom of the painting. These irregular shapes are considered biomorphic because they resemble living beings. The regular shapes in this painting can be seen on the evil figures toward the bottom of the painting. Regular shapes are geometric shapes that have a name, such as a circle or square. Circles were used to make the eyes of the creatures. The head of the creature, most towards the bottom of the painting, is shaped like half of a heart. The legs of the creature have a rectangular shape. There also appears to be a triangle shape in between the two evil looking creatures. The other green creature has a round curvy shape around what...
Words: 2259 - Pages: 10
