Entropy

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The absence of modernised communication methods in horror and suspense.

The most common film related outbursts occur in the viewing of horror and suspenseful movies and more often than not begin with the words "Just use…" or "Why does no one have..?". This is the question I pose to you now; Why is it nobody in these movies seems to have access to modern methods of communication and utility? And how long can these films continue to entertain with such an obvious character deficiency?

I would find examples of films to back this up. – BMartin43 8 years ago
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Seconded - there are horror films which revolve entirely around modern technology. The convenient writer's trick of destroying people's phones or rendering them lost or useless cropped up most often when mobile phones were relatively new, and it was a broader issue which included comics and fiction outside of film. This could be an interesting article if you could attach a bigger issue to it, like the borderline unrealistic weakness, lack of common sense or hysteria which mysteriously overtakes individuals or groups of individuals in life-threatening scenarios. – smoldoggo 8 years ago
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Funny Games is the first example that came to mind. There's a lot to unpack with that film that may make it a complicated example, however. – daniellegreen624 7 years ago
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I don't if there any films that fit this category, but it would be interesting to look at examples where everyone has modern technology but it is rendered unusable by, say, magnetic pulses, and the characters have to react quickly without the devices they have come to rely on. – JudyPeters 7 years ago
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I think the "oh dear I can't use my phone or car to escape because it mysteriously doesn't work" is certainly another facet of the cliché mentioned by the OP. I agree with the point about the lack of common sense in life threatening scenarios being a key issue. Could it be that such clichés are not merely lazy writing but inherent in the genre and to a point, expected by audiences? – Dion 7 years ago
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Jun 4, 2017 Entropy Asis the way with many series (tv, movies, books, everything), Community fell victim to the creators trying to extend it beyond its means because people liked it. It can happen with comedies, with dramas, with soaps. It’s easiest to happen with comedies thought, I think, as the show builds and establishes its careful balance between humour types. The longer a show runs beyond its mission statement, the more likely this balance will be thrown off and descend into clunky half/jokes and forced drama. Or else, content outside its norm that actually provokes cancellation. It happened to Heroes; prompting a critically dumped final season and reboot attempt. It happened to Scrubs, which some would say finished at the exact right time; also leading to a frowned upon reboot. It happened here in Australia to Cheez TV (an early morning cartoon presentation programme in the 90s); prompting network disownership and a clunky replacement. Community seemed to have a clear end in sight from the off, but it kept extending from the middle and collapsed under its own longevity.	A Look Back on Community: The Little Show That Could
Jun 1, 2017 Entropy I’m curious as well.	Star Wars: Who is Rey (And Why Do We Care)?
Jun 1, 2017 Entropy A lot of the best EU stuff comes from before Phantom menace. I understand why they went with a story after Return. Namely to catch the three older actors before they couldn’t come back. But I would have really preferred to see stories from further back played out, especially the Revan/Malek saga.	Star Wars: Who is Rey (And Why Do We Care)?
May 29, 2017 Entropy Very interesting piece. I definitely agree that the difference in genre of ‘superhero’ films needs to be recognised, as not to clump them all together when not necessary. My key critique for you is to take care not to compare apples and oranges so to speak. Namely in this case, watch out for the differences between genre, theme, and setting. You’ve named Thor and Doctor Strange both fantasy genre films (fantasy being a widely spanning genre) and Nolan’s Batman a crime drama, crime (or noir) being the theme and drama the genre. Like I said though, thanks for the article. I completely agree with your premise..	Super Heroes films as Genre Films