Nicole+Mastin+Reflective+Journal


 * __Reflective Journal Page __**

Write down your thoughts,comments and critiques on this week's **reading/movie/video. ** //Hints on what to comment on:// //*Did you like it? Why or why not?// //*Can you compare it to something else you have read or seen?// //*What makes it work? or not. ex: setting,pace (as in the build up of suspence),any startle factors, surprise ending etc...//

​ **2.13 - Test Journal Entry: What did you eat for dinner last night?** **gnocchis pasta and bread and peppers and lemonade :)**

**2.24 - __Week One Reflection__:

This week with the Sci-Fi stuff was pretty cool. I thought the Invasion of the Body Snatchers movie was pretty cool. Usually, old movies can be kind of corny or they are badly acted. I thought this was one of the best quality old movies i've seen. I also thought the story line was pretty neat and the suspense kept me locked in on the movie the whole time. The only thing I disliked about the movie was the end. I wish it had resolved the problem instead of leaving it how it did. I thought it was very similar to the short story we had in class, because the "body snatchers" took over the bodies of people that the main characters knew, and it was not obvious at first that there was a problem. Also, in the short story, no one believed the little boy when he talked of something taking over his father...this happened a lot in the movie where no one believed the Doctor at first. I thought that the black and white background actually made this movie work better. It made it seem like it had more suspense, along with the music as well. Although not very scary, this movie had a lot of suspense. The love story also was a nice twist in the movie, especially at the end when Becky's body was taken over. One of the main things I liked is that the pace was perfect. There was never a dull moment when I was bored watching the movie. The only thing that I found kind of contradictory is that one of the main characteristics of the body snatchers was that they had no emotion. However, often throughout the movie, especially at the end, you could sense a lot of emotion in the people that were taken over. All together, I thought it was a very good movie and it was well thought through. I was pleasantly surprised.**


 * 3.2 - __Week Two Reflection__:

I thought this unit was very interesting with the witches. Hansel and Gretel was a great way to start off the unit and show how scary witches are portrayed even when you're young. I thought the Blair Witch Project movie was pretty good and was believeable for the most part. It is creepy to know that the townsfolk really believed in the Blair Witch and then they were filming in the woods through the night and stuff, even though that part was fake. It must have been really easy for them to get into their roles and I'm sure they were a little apprehensive about the legend too. Obviously the main thing that made the movie work is that it was filmed looking like a documentary, so it made it feel very real. Also, I didn't think any of the scary elements were too corny either like in a lot of scary movies. The one thing I can compare this movie to is Paranormal Activity which is a movie about ghosts/demons but it was filmed like a documentary also. I feel like those type of movies make it feel very real and often leave you wondering at the end if it was real or not. All together, I really liked The Blair Witch Project and the witch unit. **

I agree that the documentary type scary movies are better than normal scary movies. I couldnt really here/ tell there were any scary parts in the movie because there were too many people talking. -Sammy Campbell I would also i do like documentary style movies better. They come off as not so phony and factual. Jake S.

Its so easy to get swept up in a scary situation. And its contagious! I can see how the actors could get real scared at night in the woods. Ms. Giglio


 * I definitely agree about the documentaries being a lot more real feeling. The thought of life footage makes it almost feel like you're right there when it's all taking place. It makes it more scary, and attracts you more. Though I'm sure some footage is really real, we all have doubt because we are either afraid of it, or we don't want to seem gullible, and it not actually be real. Some examples are A haunting which first portrayed the story of the now recent movie "A Haunting In Connecticut", it was actually aired on that show first,and it is a true story. Another good example is Paranormal State, which is about a main character battling his own war with a demon he ecountered at a young age. Now he helps people get rid of their paranormal activity. I definitely enjoyed the witch unit.- Nina Petteys

Even though you things are fake and imaginary, you can still be very scared by those fake things, which is what I think did happen in the movie, especially because they were camping in the woods at ngiht by themselves without much food and being in miserable conditiioons. The documentary style of movie filming does make it seem much more real however, the "Hollywood" way I think produces an overrall scarier feeling by being able to add in much more effects. Dominic matacale

I completely agree with nicole's oppinions on the movie. the movie felt so real and really made you feel sadness and sympathy for the lost teenagers because it really felt like they truely were real kids lost in the woods being tortured! --Allie Argentieri

- I agree about the movie. Except the ending. It was just too predictable. As soon as they mentioned in the movie that the killer would have one person stand in the corner facing the wall I knew what was gonna happen. Zach Meise :P

Yeah, it was pretty predictable...I like the way it was filmed but i just felt the ending before it happened....like most scary movies:) JT

====I agree with Allie and Nicole, I really felt that I was in the woods, the house, the town, etc. with the students. This might have been because of the way it was filmed. I wouldn't prefer that type of filming because it was a little annoying, but it gave a nice, realistic effect to the movie. As far as the story, Hansel and Gretel goes, this was the first time I'd heard that fairty tale and I liked it. If I had heard that as a child, I would've had a tainted view of witches for the rest of my life. -Gillian Rose====

**3.9-__Week Three Reflection__:**


 * I thought the beginning chapters of the book Dracula were pretty interesting and I liked them a lot. The most interesting part for me was the time that Jonathan Harker was at the castle with Dracula and how he slowly began to realize that he was a prisoner based on all of the creepy things that kept happening. When the book switched back to Mina Murray and Lucy Westenra, I started to feel the book get a little less interesting. At first, I didn't see how the Mina and Lucy part really fit into the Vampire/Dracula theme other than Mina being Harker's fiance. However, as I kept reading, it seemed as if things started to tie together and you could see how everything was connected between all the characters of the story. Finally, things kind of all pulled together in the last part when the boat came to shore and Dracula came off it as a dog. Everything makes a lot more sense and I can potentially see where the story may be going now that Dracula is in Whitby with Mina and Lucy, especially with the "coincidence" that Mina is Jonathan's fiance. I really like the story so far and am interested to see how things further come together. The thing that makes the book work for me is how all the elements of Dracula are tied into the story, and many are some of which are "characteristics" we apply to vampires today. Also, I think the author does a great job of providing details of the setting to give the reader a creepy feeling, somewhat as if the reader is watching everything that is happening in the story from a distance .**

I agree with Nicole i thought that the most interesting part was when he slowly realized he was a prisoner in the Counts castle. Sammy Campbell

- ====I agree with Nicole that Bram does an excellent job of describing the characteristics of the Count. Alomost all of these characteristics are still applied to the character "Dracula" today. Again, I feel that Bram does a great job of giving the reader a sense that the reader is really there. This is because of the "journal-like" way in which the story is told. -**Gill Rose**====

====I agree with Nicole, i didnt get the reason on why the novel started to move over to Mina and Harker's Fiance, it is still a little vague, but i am understanding it better the more I read. I Liked and thought it was cool how Dracula changed into a wolf, and I thought it was a very useful power for him and other vampires. Dominic matacale====

I agree with nicole, I thought the parts where jonathon finally started to realize he was a "prisoner" was one of the more interesting parts in toe story so far. -Allie Argentieri

**3.17 - __Week Four Reflection__:**


 * Now that I'm getting further into the book, I'm finding that I like it more and more. I really like how the author connected the story really well...with the connection between Mina Harker and Lucy Westenra, eventually things were connected so well that Mina and John both know everyone, including Arthur, Dr. Seward, Dr. Van Helsing, and Renfield. I also liked how Stoker throws a lot of twists into the story. For example, when the story went into the kidnappings and injured kids within the town, I always thought it was Dracula. I had no idea that Lucy had actually turned into a Vampire of some sort until right when they came out and said it in the book. Also, when Renfield had his outbursts and would run to Carfax, it took me awhile to realize that that was the house Dracula was occupying. I'm excited to see how all of the characters eventually go about finding and getting rid of Dracula. Another interesting part of the book is to be able to see some characteristics of Vampires that were created by Stoker in the Victorian age, and seeing how they have evolved over time and been incorporated in the newer Vampire stories such as Twilight. For example, like how when Vampires are changed from human, they are seen has more beautiful and they are almost impossible to kill. I think the thing in the story that keeps the suspense going is because there are so many characters that are connected in the aspects of the story. This makes it so that even if you're interested in one character over another, you want to keep reading so you can get to your favorite characters next part in the story, and see what happens with them and how it effects the other characters**.

- I thought it was Dracula too! I just started realizing that Dracula wasn't the one doing the kidnappings and the injuring. Also, I agree that it's interesting that after death, the vampire seems more beautiful.-Gill Rose

- I agree with what Nicole and Gill are both saying, it shocked me also when i found it wasnt Dracula hurting the children. I also like how Nicole talks about Twilight getting its ideas for vampires from Bram Stoker's novel, but i think twilight gave soem of their own thoughts and changes to vavmpires. Dominic matacale

-At first i also thought that it was Dracula kidnapping the children, but when i finished that last few chapters i started to realize that it was Lucy and not him. I am really enjoing this book so far, and the assignments are a little tricky, but thats what i believe makes the class fun. -Amanda Stoddard

I thought Dracula at first too. I was shocked that it was Lucy because she didn't seem like the type to do that when she was alive but i guess things change. Sammy

I so agree with everyone on this page...i didnt think anything has changed with lucy until they said it in the book. i Thought it was dracula or the wifes...JT

I agree also the lucy thing was a pretty strange twist but i kinda had an idea something weird would happen when they strated to notice the bite marks on her neck. JDS

I agree with nicole on basically all of the aspects of her reflection. The twists of the story grasps you and makes you want to read more.--Allie Argentieri

**3.23 - __Week Five Reflection__:

Things keep tying together throughout the story. I like how all the characters in the novel are beginning to figure out the Count and how he works especially with the boxes distributed throughout the many different houses. I couldn't believe how brutal the characters were in killing Lucy as a vampire, but it showed they knew what they were doing while killing the Vampire and what they would eventually need to do to kill the Count. I like how all the characters compiled all their information and diaries so that they all know what has happened so far. It makes it a lot easier as a reader because you don't have to figure out who knows what part of the story because now they all know all parts. Renfield got a lot more crazy in the last few chapters, and it all came together the night that he was found in his room and the story he told everyone about the Count. It's a good thing he told them or they may have not found out until it was too late that Dracula was now going after Mina as a victim. I was a little confused after the conflict between Mina and Dracula when everyone was watching and if Mina had somehow started to become a vampire as well...It is hard to tell by how the novel is written, but I don't know how else it would be explained how she was burnt with the wafer when the rest of the men were leaving to destroy all the earth boxes in all the houses. The suspense keeps building as the men get closer to figuring out how to kill Dracula and i'm excited to see in the last few chapters how they end up doing it and what happens with Mina.

-Now that someone has said something about it, I am now starting to see that things are piecing themselves together. I agree with Nicole, I like the suspence that is building up around how to kill Dracula. The only thing that i hope, is that Mina doesnt become like Lucy and start kidnapping the children.-Amanda Stoddard **

-I totally agree..I love how all the characters are finally coming together and the diary writing style makes it easier to see everyone's point of view. --Allie Argentieri

- I think that it is very clever how all the characters have come together to share their stories about the encounters they've had with the Count. I guess now I can see why Renfield is so crazy. The end should be interesting! -Gill Rose

Yeah, i agree, ilike the way the characters have formed this group to end dracula hold on them all....and to tell the stories to figure him out JT

I agree, I definitely love how the story is piecing together, and that simple connections that make it a really suspenseful story! --Nina Petteys 4.2 - __Week Six Reflection__: **
 * I thought the end of the book was okay, but I wish it was a little more surprising than it was. They threw a few twists in it with figuring out where the Count was going, and I thought it was a good idea that they split everyone up. I wish that when they tried to kill the Count there was a little bit more of a fight and he didn't die as easily as the other vampires in the book. It would have been cool if the Author made the Count more immune to the crucifixes and symbols because the Count has been around such a long time. Kind of like how in Twilight after awhile Edward's dad becomes more immune to the need for human blood. All together, I thought this was a really good book that pieced together well and kept you guessing throughout the whole thing. Although how it was written was difficult, I thought it was really cool and it made me focus harder on what I was reading. I also thought it was really cool how at the end of the story, after they had killed the Count, the scar on Mina's forehead disappeared. **

4-5- i agree with nicole because i thought the book could have ended better then the way it did, if it should of ended better it should of been like the way the begging of the book started then i think we could responed in a more highly positve way. -zach Deg.

I agree, the ending was a little too predictable. and I still don't like the journasl entry style. Ms.

Yeah the surprising part was i little disappointing...im just glad its over!...not that i didnt like it i just get tired of reading a book for to long!JT

The ending was a tad predictable just because everyone knows that good will always will over evil. But I actually enjoyed this novel.-Nina Petteys