Nosferatu: A Classic with a Modern Twist

The film Nosferatu has many of the ideas that we see in modern day films. The use of music relating to a certain scene really sets the tone for the storyline in a movie. The music throughout this film was somber and haunting. Watching this movie really left me on the edge of my seat. A particular scene that embodies modern day film work with old movies is the scene in the shack when he is reading about vampires. There was very little light provided by the candle he had at his bedside. He started reading about vampires next to this candle. He would read more and more about vampires, and the more that he read, the dimmer the lighting got in the shack. I was anticipating something happening to him; maybe he would get attacked by a vampire. Just as he was finished reading the material on the vampires, the light got a little brighter and he went to sleep. Now, normally in modern horror movies, that would spell doom for our beloved character, but he lived to see another day.
This scene in the movie is a precursor to what we can expect in the upcoming scenes with the main character. This scene leaves you guessing what is going to happen in the movie. My first reaction to seeing him reading the book and laughing at the mere fact of vampires was that he’s going to either die at the end of destroy the vampires. I must admit, I was never a big fan of the silent film. I thought they were pointless and dull, but after seeing Nosferatu, my opinion of silent film changed. There is really no difference between this film and horror films we see today. Of course, the obvious differences are there in this film. They have eliminated the violence, blood, and special effects, but this film didn’t need those things. Even before we see what is going to happen with the main character of the film, we tend to make up our own story. Usually we say. “They are going to die” or “they will kill the bad guy and save the day”. Sometimes you can almost predict what is going to happen in a horror film. There are some films that leave you guessing and shocked at the end, however. This film allowed me to expand and elaborate on my predictions on how the movie would end. I even had some fun making up lines that the characters were saying in the movie. This scene was really haunting and chilling for me. You saw the look of astonishment on the face of the main character when he began reading about vampires. Then we read further and further, and the lights began to dim. Some people are of the opinion that you need violence and a lot of blood to capture the true essence of a horror movie. Mystery and suspense does it for me every time with a horror movie. This movie was a classic horror movie that was way ahead of its time.

ESPN: The Worldwide Leader in Media Biases

The year was 2000. The National Football League was getting ready for Super Bowl XXXV in Tampa, FL, and The New York Giants were getting ready to play the Baltimore Ravens. Both teams arrived a week in advance to get ready for media day. On this day, members of various media outlets would interview and ask questions to different players and coaches on both teams. The New York Giants had the morning session of media day. Their questions were basic and simple: how healthy quarterback Kerry Collins is, how strong Tiki Barber is and if he can run against the Baltimore Ravens defense, and how will Coach Jim Fassel feel about coaching against his best friend Brian Billick. The Baltimore Ravens were scheduled to come on to the field next for media day. They had just finished a terrific regular season and post season with a 12-4 record, an NFL leading 8 pro bowl players, and the best defense in the NFL, perhaps in the history of the NFL. Their leader and captain of the defense, Ray Lewis, was named the NFL Defensive Player of the Year that year as well. Instead of being asked questions about the game, the entire Ravens organization was bombarded by these questions: “So, do you think Ray Lewis’ murder trial was a distraction this season?” Just like regular news media outlets are bias toward certain topics, the sports media has biases toward certain topics and teams. ESPN and other sports media outlets are the biggest offenders of these bias views.

In the sports world, there are a handful of teams that are popular all over the United States. Regardless of how bad they are doing, they will always be one of the top stories on ESPN. Executives at ESPN, when they are scheduling the Monday Night Games, look at the teams that have the most appeal to fans. The term they use is how “sexy” a team looks. Teams that are popular generate the highest ratings during Monday Night Football. Popular teams like the Yankees, Red Sox, Steelers, and Lakers will always be shown before teams from Baltimore, Arizona and Seattle.

There are many factors that determine how “sexy” a team is. One of those factors is a team that has a great offense and a high scoring, close game. Defensive minded football games that end 10-9 with only one touchdown scored the entire game is not what ESPN is looking to showcase on Monday Night Football. A game that is predicted to end 44-42 is more exciting and with generate into a high ratings, as opposed to defensive minded games which are boring and dull to viewers. Another factor that determines how “sexy” a team is big name players that have a clean image in the media. Fans want to see athletes like Peyton Manning, quarterback for the Indianapolis Colts, more than they want to see Ray Lewis, linebacker for the Baltimore Ravens. Peyton is an extraordinary athlete with a very clean image, good personality, and holds several NFL records. Ray Lewis on the other hand is perceived as a “thug”. Even though he has cleaned up his life after the trial in 2000 (Ray was found not guilty of murder) and has devoted his life to religion, the murder trial will always hang over his head. Peyton is the guy you want to sit down, have a beer with, and talk about sports. Peyton is the face of the NFL and popular culture.

“Sexiness” isn’t the only bias that the sports media has developed. They also have developed a “fall from grace” bias, just like many news media outlets have showcased, known as the "bad news bias". The sports media enjoys covering a players’ fall from greatness into obscurity in the sports world. A prime example would be the steroid scandal that has plagued professional and collegian sports. Networks like ESPN, and many popular news media outlets search tirelessly for stories on big name players testing positive for steroids. Once an athlete tests positive for steroids, they move right to the top of the list of headlines in the sports world and major news media. A prime example would be the recent confession of Marion Jones and her use of steroids during the 2000 Olympics. If they lie about not taking steroids and then test positive for steroids, like Jones did, then ESPN will spend all day talking about that athlete and they will have their own special report on Outside the Lines. The teams’ fall from grace is a bias that really hurts the small town markets. Reporters tend to focus on how far a team has digressed since last season, rather than how impressive the opposing team was in the win. For example, in 2005, the Pittsburgh Steelers, one of the most popular teams in the NFL, won the Super Bowl. The following year, Pittsburgh did not have the same results as last season. When the Baltimore Ravens beat the Steelers 27-0 in Week 9, then in Week 16 defeated them 31-7, the sports media didn’t talk about the amazing victory. The media instead focused on the downfall of the Steelers and not the impressive game by the Ravens. Not once did the “experts” mention how the Ravens defense dominated the entire game.

The media is a very bias world that can hurt small market teams. The media can also destroy an athlete’s image. Head Coach Brian Billick put it best when he said, in a recent interview with NFL Network, “you can control the media, or the media can control you”. Teams like the Orioles and Ravens will never have huge media exposure unless they force themselves upon the media, like winning a Super Bowl. Sports media will never put an end to these biases and will continue to showcase these high profile teams. Until they start balancing out coverage of all the teams, small market teams will never rise above the highly publicized teams.