Michael and Fredo Corleone

                                                        Fredo (left) Michael (right)

In the film, The Godfather Part II the relationship between the brothers Michael and Fredo Corleone becomes strained due to Michael becoming the new Don, when it rightfully should have been given to Fredo as he is the older brother. Fredo later betrays Michael when approached by Johnny Ola, an agent of rival gangster Hyman Roth, this betrayal ultimately results in an assassination attempt against Michael at his Lake Tahoe home. Fredo later ambiguously claims that his goal in the secret deal had been simply to enrich himself in a manner that did not require him to be dependent on Michael, but swears that he did not realize he was being used as part of a larger plot to kill his brother. Michael deduces Fredo's role in the plot during his trip to Havana when Fredo, forgetting that he had previously told Michael that he'd never met Johnny Ola, lets the secret slip that he and Ola had met in Havana. Michael confronts Fredo later, telling him, "I know it was you, Fredo. You broke my heart. You broke my heart!". Fredo also reveals that he is deeply resentful that Michael was chosen as their father's successor; he believes that, being Michael's older brother, he should be the boss. Michael disowns Fredo, and tells assassin Al Neri that nothing is to happen to him while their mother is alive; the implication is that Fredo will be murdered once she dies. At their mother's funeral, and at their sister Connie's urging, Michael seemingly forgives Fredo; however, it is only a ploy to draw Fredo in so as to have him murdered. Towards the end of the film, Fredo befriends his nephew, Michael's son Anthony, and is to go fishing with him on Lake Tahoe. However, Anthony is called away by Connie, who tells him that his father wants to take him to Reno. Fredo is left alone in the fishing boat with Neri, and he takes the boat far out onto the lake. As Fredo prays the Hail Mary, Neri shoots him in the back of the head, killing him. As this happens, Michael watches from afar in his den.

This sibling relationship is an iconic one that is filled with rivalry and resentment throughout, however the torn relationship only occurs after their father's death, which is the same as my characters. The struggles and issues that are explored in this film are related to family and gang issues and so the sibling relationship here could help me when developing the relationship between the characters of Sonny and Rob.

American History X

American History X is a 1998 drama film staring starring Edward Norton and Edward Furlong. It tells the story of two brothers Derek Vinyard (Norton) and Daniel "Danny" Vinyard (Furlong). Their father, a firefighter, is murdered by a black drug dealer while trying to extinguish a fire in a South Central neighborhood of Los Angeles, and Derek is drawn into the neo-Nazi movement. Derek brutally kills two black gang members whom he catches in the act of breaking into the truck left to him by his father, and is sentenced to three years in prison for voluntary manslaughter. The story shows how Danny is influenced by his older brother's actions and ideology and how Derek, now radically changed by his experience in incarceration, which includes violent rape by white inmates, tries to prevent his brother from going down the same path as he did.

Although this storyline is the opposite of mine as Sonny is trying to get Rob to go down the same path as him, it explores a complicated sibling relationship that has came about due to the death of their father, which is the same as the characters in my play. Derek looks out for Danny in the same way that Sonny looks out for Rob, even though they have different intentions, the relationship in this film can help me when I develop the relationship between my characters.

Narcissistic mothers

 The character of Amanda Lawson has a strained relationship with her mother, this is due to her mother having the personality traits of a vain and narcissistic character. The name of Amanda's mother is Narcissa, which comes from the word narcissism and so it is only fitting that she would have traits of the personality disorder. The traits that I have given Narcissa, is that of an ignoring mother who does not take interest in her child's life. I found a website that deals with families with this problem, which could give me ideas for how to portray Narcissa's character.

http://daughtersofnarcissisticmothers.com/ignoring-mother.html

BBC Mailbox trip

Myself and two other students recently went on a trip to the BBC Mailbox to see how their radio facilities. We were allowed into the recording studios to see the technology avaliable and we learned how to operate them. It was a very successful and beneficial trip that allowed me to see how radio stations work and how radio dramas are recorded and pieced together.

http://www.stacs.org/index.php/general-information/news/727-year-13-media-a-communications-visit-to-the-bbc-mailbox.html