aileenmaeryan

aileenmaeryan

Hello! My name's Aileen Mae Ryan. I'm a film fanatic, poetry aficionado, and equal rights advocate.

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    Latest Articles

    Latest Topics

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    Published

    An Ideal Society in Psycho Pass

    How do the characters in the anime Psycho Pass define an ideal society? How do they act on those definitions? Here are some more specific questions that could be explored in the article: How does the Sibyl System’s utilitarian implementation of an ideal society (greatest happiness for greatest number of people) affect those living in that society? How do the anime’s characters, such as Makishima, Akane, Kogami, Ginoza, Masaoka, and Shimotsuki, challenge and/or support the Sibyl System’s ideology? Which characters create their own ideas of ideal societies, and how do they act on those ideas? These questions are just some directions that the article could take. The overall theme of an ideal society in Psycho Pass would make quite an interesting article and could be explored in many different ways.

    • If this topic is still open after I complete my current article, I will totally take this. Really, a large portion of this story is the collision of multiple ideals, like Ginoza and his father, Akane and Kogami. Granted, that's where a large portion of any drama comes from, but this show really analyzes them in conjunction with each other, and talks about the necessity of less-noble ideals to empower the noble. I don't want to claim it in case my current articles takes forever and someone else may be interested, but if no one else does, I will! – Christopher Vance 9 years ago
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    • I like this topic. It'll be great to see how each character sees the "ideal society" and especially so when you consider the cultural reference each made to the anime (Rousseau, George Orwell, or Beethoven's 9th symphony when they're killing for fun). – Justin Wu 9 years ago
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    • If only the actual anime were as good as the ideas and themes it presented (especially the second season)... what a waste :(. In any case, I don't have anything to contribute philosophically, but to whoever picks this up, I think it'd be cool to make a real world connection by seeing where the philosophies for each character came from. It'd be a lot more research, but the result would be a comprehensive article on the backside of the franchise, which would be REALLY COOL. – Austin 9 years ago
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    • It would also be interesting for whoever takes this topic to focus on how the general population is placated in the anime. There is a lot to this anime that could be explored in several articles. From the main characters, to the society as whole. – ReluctantChosenOne 9 years ago
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    • I heard Psycho Pass was inspired by Plato's Republic. It could be valuable to talk about the roots of Psycho Pass before the article delves into its true topic. I quite enjoyed Psycho Pass and Psycho Pass 2. Akane lives in a world with different values and laws than ours - so her actions are questionable or plainly ridiculous in my eyes. Remember in Psycho Pass when Akane had a chance to do something essential but squandered the opportunity because of her morals/commitment to the law? It killed me. It was an impossible scene to witness. Perhaps that is worth exploring. There a countless ways to approach this. Intriguing! – yase 9 years ago
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    • It's sort of obvious that Psycho Pass was influenced greatly by Philip Dick's Minority Report. I think this is going to be a very huge topic to discuss if you intend to write it in character POVs instead of going general, as in what the show aims to argue. – Jill 9 years ago
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    Birdman and other films - the How is as Important as the What

    One of the most interesting aspects about the film Birdman is the way that it was filmed – through a single continuous shot. It would be interesting to analyze Birdman and additional films that utilize a creative method of filming in order to add additional meaning to the story. Exploring what that additional meaning is in Birdman and other films could prove to be very insightful. The way that a story is told shapes the content of the story and shapes the audience’s reaction to that story. Analyzing those methods of storytelling in Birdman, as well as potentially analyzing these methods in other films, would make an interesting article.

    • Just to propose other films with exciting methods of delivering their narratives, I'd recommend Requiem for a Dream's editing and The Artist's use of black and white photography, as well as its lack of sounds. All around, this is a great topic. – August Merz 9 years ago
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    • I also think this is a great topic, and though Birdman's cinematography was amazing. Another movie to think about, along with Requiem for a Dream, is Irreversible. Each scene was a single shot and the movie went from the end to the beginning. – samcel 9 years ago
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    • Any hypothesis, though? – T. Palomino 2 years ago
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    The Rise of Survival Horror Games

    Ever since Slender went viral, it seems that survival based horror games are gaining attention. An analysis of the effectiveness of horror in video games could create an interesting article. SCP Containment Breach is another survival based horror game. SCP is particularly interesting since the game was created from multiple horror stories. Although both of these examples are PC games, it could be interesting to analyze the use of horror in other game mediums as well.

    • A lot of resources out there for whoever decides to pick this up. Here's a brief list of some things that might be worth taking a look at: -Jump scares vs. true horror -The Uncanny -Creation, climax, and decline of tension -The knowledge of the object of horror within a game -Instances of horror that occur outside of strictly "horror" games. – Austin 9 years ago
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    • I think it important to discuss how graphics affect the horror elements. For example the first Slender game is often considered to be the most scary despite its low res graphics. Where as Slender the Arrival has an expanded story and better graphics but pales in comparison in terms of scares. It also be cool to discuss the atmosphere in survival horror. – Cagney 9 years ago
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    • I think it would be interesting to explore how recent survival horror games, such as Outlast or The Evil Within, to other titles such as Resident Evil 6 which deviated from the survivor horror aspect in favor of action. You could explore what made games such as Slender effective compared to action-focused horror games and maybe how they use atmosphere and sound design to create effective scares. – Seth Childers 9 years ago
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    Classist Fantasies in in Fifty Shades of Grey

    There’s plenty of talk about gender and sexuality play out in Fifty Shades of Grey. What could be even more interesting is looking at how class plays out. Could one argue that Anastasia Steele fulfills a class fantasy by getting involved with the much richer Christian Grey? Does the so-called American Dream revolve around the obtainment of wealth? How does the exposure to such enormous wealth influence the wealthy characters? How are individuals with lower incomes portrayed – in a way that ignores the humanity of these individuals, or in a way that recognizes the privilege of being white and upper class? Could be an interesting topic to explore.

    While this topic is listed under literature, the film version could certainly also be explored.

    • Could be interesting to look at Anastasia's socioeconomic place in the world; a presumably upwardly mobile recent college grad, albeit in a less economically lucrative degree. What does the story imply about someone of her class in this situation? – Mariana 9 years ago
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    • Classist fantasies are power fantasies.Given the dom-sub relationship in the book/film which manifests and is fairly evident throughout, I really don't think it is a topic which needs contextualising or elaborating on. Sorry! – Yama144 9 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    aileenmaeryan

    To answer your question about if dystopian literature will turn into a fad, I don’t believe it will (or at least I hope it won’t) as long as writers keep coming up with new ideas of what “dystopian” means and new ideas of the “hero” challenging this dystopian society.

    The Rising Popularity of Dystopian Literature
    aileenmaeryan

    A unique and intriguing article. I like that you argue that blindness places no limit on one’s literary vision.

    From Homer to Fante: Blindness and Literary Vision
    aileenmaeryan

    Excellent article. I particularly enjoyed how you discussed the use of setting in the film, as well as the transformation of Margaret’s character. Good job contextualizing the film with the gender roles of that time. I’ll keep your article in mind while watching the film!

    Tim Burton's Big Eyes: A Grounded Film from an Unusual Director
    aileenmaeryan

    Excellent article. I loved how you used the phrase “relational segregation” to describe one of the many costs of solely pursuing one’s own dreams. There’s a need for human beings to connect with one another. And yet, when characters pursue only their own dreams, they end up isolating themselves from anyone who doesn’t help them achieve those dreams. In other words, they end up isolating themselves from everyone.

    Whiplash: The Cost of Dreams
    aileenmaeryan

    An excellent article. I like that you explored the theme of getting older, as well as the theme of feeling irrelevant. Even though Darren Aronofsky explores the specific story of Randy, the movie has a universal quality to it through Darren’s exploration of those two themes.

    The Wrestler: The Inevitability of Growing Old
    aileenmaeryan

    I’m happy to see so many people thinking of their own examples. I’d like to challenge everyone to think about how these examples of psychopaths offer critique for society. Taxi Driver’s Travis (critiquing urban society) and Clockwork Orange’s Alex (critiquing dystopian society) are two great examples I’ve seen so far. Let’s keep the list going!

    Psychopaths: Cinema's Worst Critics
    aileenmaeryan

    I haven’t seen Taxi Driver. Based on your description though, it seems like a great film with valuable critique on urban society.

    Psychopaths: Cinema's Worst Critics
    aileenmaeryan

    Alex is a great example. That film (and the book it was based on) are jam-packed with critique on a dystopian society.

    Psychopaths: Cinema's Worst Critics