Scientists have spent a lot of time shaping films concerned with space flight in science fiction. NASA spent a lot of time advising the producers of the 2015 film Martian. Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, shaped Nolan's Interstellar (2014) to make it an accurate depiction of time dilation consistent with Einstein's Special Relativity. Kevin Grazier, a planetary physicist who worked on the Cassini/Huygens Mission to Saturn and Titan, also advised the producers of the 2013 film Gravity. How have the interactions between scientists and filmmakers shaped the depiction of space travel in science fictions films on different occasions?
It might be worthwhile to make a distinction between the types of films you're addressing versus the types you aren't, for example space flight in "science fiction" like "The Martian" as opposed to "space fantasy" like "Star Wars." The more "grounded-in-science" films certainly benefit from a realistic representation of space flight; even more "fantastic" sci-fi films like "2001: A Space Odyssey" or "Battlestar Galactica" emphasize the technology level of the humans by more realistically depicting how their ships maneuver in space. Stories like "Star Wars" or even parts of Star Trek (especially "Wrath of Khan") that are rooted more in fantasy, however, usually aim to be more exciting than completely physically accurate, so Kirk and Khan circle each other like 18th-century warships exchanging cannon fire in ships that are capable of faster-than-light travel (which is what audiences prefer). Collaboration between scientists and filmmakers in depicting space flight seems more and more useful, but ultimately is more important to science fiction than to space fantasy. – CulturallyOpinionated6 years ago
What stands out to you about a movie that will most likely make it a memorable experience? Is it the score, characters, dialog, camera shots, etc? What are some of your favorite movies and why do they stand out? Example: "The Shawshank Redemption" is regarded as one of the greatest movies of all time, but why do you personal think it is (or isn't)?
It's very hard to pin point just one movie to be considered the greatest of all time. In movies, the characters relationships both on and off screen make a huge impact in what stands out the most. As an audience, you can pick up on certain characters relationships which also set the tone and flow for a movie. Also character development, which is a huge part that writers and producers should work on. There are many movies where characters are introduced and then you're left asking, "and then what?" What happens to this character? How are they relevant and how do they progress further on into the film? – tahneemaxwell5 years ago
Threads (1984) depicts a small town in England, grappling with the ramifications of a nuclear war breaking out. The movie is full of raw footage of human suffering and is said to have left audiences numb in horror. So much so that audiences of its initial release reported: "that people had just sat there thinking about it, in many cases not sleeping or being able to talk." Ronald Reagan, the president of the United States at the time, was said to have watched the film as did many British politicians. Given the research done to make the film as close of a depiction of a real nuclear exchange, how did this and other depictions of nuclear war – like The Day After (1983) – shape the public's view of mutually assured destruction (M.A.D. theory) as a military strategy, if at all?
'Threads' was one of those moments in TV history, like the release of 'Edge of Darkness' (1985), that made me wonder if people were finally beginning to wake up to the real horrors of the nuclear arms race. Maybe they did, for a while, but then everyone seemed to go back to sleep. – Amyus6 years ago
Thanos was a break out character from Marvel's Avengers: Infinity War. Despite being the villain/avenger's enemy of the story, the film treated the mad titan as a pseudo protagonist. Thanos must go on his own "hero's journey" to attain his ultimate goal and achieve his dreams/desires. This was an unusual choice for a villain, but was effective in many ways, with critical time spent developing/examining the characters powerful (if twisted) worldview. With this in mind, it is important to examine how Thanos is treated in Avengers: Endgame, Infinity War's follow up, and to discuss whether Thanos is further developed or if the character now takes the more stereotypical/traditional "villain" role within the narrative.
I think it’s important to note how in Endgame, there was no other way but for Thanos to be the traditional villain because his actions had already occurred, thus giving the Avengers a little more advantage because now instead of him risking everything, they had to do the same even though they win in the end. So his role made you think that no matter the outcome, sacrifices and death had to unfold – AccordingtoJazz6 years ago
Thanos has a long history in the original Marvel comics universe where he has moved from out and out villain, to a more tragic figure, even to hero (or anti-hero). It would be interesting to hear more on how the movies drew from this history. – AlephZeroHeroes6 years ago
The Room, an American romance film directed by Tommy Wiseau has been labeled one of the worst films in history. And yet, the film has a cult following and is watched from the view of what some call Camp, a taste towards terrible cinema. What can one make of the viewing experience of those who enjoy a film that is reviewed by critics and audiences as terrible? What does this tell us about how people watch and enjoy a film?
Terrible movies such as "The Room" and "Troll 2" are entertaining because they turned out to be comedies, when they were supposed to be anything but. Maybe the directors really did want to make some sort of satire or comedy with these films, but in all likelihood they had serious intentions. Because of these intentions, we get amusing films. – Jusmey19836 years ago
The Room is a common example of the irony in any sort of creative production, where something is just so bad, that people are attracted to seeing it. In an industry with blockbuster films that take months to make and millions of dollars, viewing The Room is almost like a collective laugh at the ridiculousness and incredulity that something so bad could make it to the silver screen. – Huntforpurpose6 years ago
The recent movie The Big Short, based on a book by the same name, features a number of high ranking actors and received positive reviews. And yet the movie, like Wall Street: Money Never Sleeps and The Wolf of Wall Street spend a lot of time focused on the finance industry and the recent financial crisis. Do films like this inform us for the better or leave us with a sense of dizziness and circularity, that history can and will repeat itself again?
I don't think that any mainstream film will ever truly help to educate the masses about the inherently corrupt banking system. What we see instead are 'smoke and mirrors' designed to mislead us into thinking that, despite numerous scandals, crashes and frauds, the system will somehow clean-up its own mess, which it never does - and time after time it is we who foot the bill. I've already recommended 'Four Horsemen' (2012) in reply to another topic suggestion. This film is just as relevant to this topic suggestion. – Amyus6 years ago
Love this topic. I think all of those movies you picked do a pretty good job of informing audiences on many complexities of the financial industry without feeling too overwhelming. Especially with The Big Short, I think the flaws in the system are outlined in a fairly understandable way; whether or not and how these flaws might be addressed so as to avoid similar crises in the future is less clear. Despite their digestibility, these movies don’t exactly leave me feeling optimistic that things won’t repeat themselves, so maybe it’s not one or the other, but a little of both. A couple of other films I might recommend for this topic are Margin Call and the HBO adaptation of the book Too Big to Fail (though that’s a made-for-tv film). – bradleyhewittk5 years ago
Analyse different themes within British cinema and Latin American cinema to see whether they portray similar themes . If they don’t have similar themes then compare the films on what makes them so different and whether the themes are in keeping with the time they were released.
Based on several years of Latin American film study during college and just as much leisure viewing of British film production, I venture to say that both exhibit an 'Old World' atmosphere that overlap and that cater to certain personal inclinations. To be fair, you can replace the British portion of this topic with any other European country and still argue consistently with equal efficacy. It is a viable topic that would prove fascinating for a discerning audience, given the right author. Only suggestion is to amplify by exploring and examining social, political, or economic themes rather than just general themes as posed. – L:Freire6 years ago
An interesting topic suggestion, but one that would benefit from a little more definition. Perhaps examining specific genres explored in the films from different countries in Latin America in comparison to those from Britain. It's also worth considering that cinema from the Northern parts of Britain can be, and is often, radically different in the way it deals with similar themes and/or issues that are also explored in the South. As an example, look back to the 60' and 70's 'kitchen sink' dramas from the North of England that dealt with issues such as long-term unemployment, owing to the closure of ship yards and traditional industries. There is a distinct North-South divide in Britain. Is there such a divide amongst Latin American countries, and if so, then how is this portrayed in cinema from those countries? – Amyus6 years ago
What would be the goal here, if I may ask? Is there any particular reason behind such choices for comparison? It feels like a a random analysis with no foundation or explanation whatsoever. – T. Palomino3 years ago
The summer of 2019 has offered a plethora of films to entertain the masses, but there has been a strange trend in recent releases. Films such as "Godzilla: King of the Monsters", "Aladdin", and "Dark Phoenix", which can be considered standard blockbusters have been receiving middle-of-the-line to flat out bad reviews from critics and audiences, and for "Godzilla: King of the Monsters" and "Dark Phoenix" this had led to lower-than-expected showings at the box office. But it goes further than that; "Toy Story 4", part of a beloved franchise and from a studio known for making juggernaut hits, is reported to come in less than expected at the domestic box office. Are audiences turning their backs on blockbusters or are they just not going to the theaters? Could all of this be blowback from "Avengers: Endgame"'s performance critically and monetarily; for comparison did a similar instance happen in 2009 with the release of "Avatar"? Does this foreshadow anything for upcoming blockbusters?
Great article idea. As a side note, I keep seeing articles about how the summer theatrical rerun of Spirited Away has been beating Toy Story 4 in the Chinese market. Does this speak to a difference between newer movies versus older ones? Different expectations? Is it the cost of movie attendance? There are many different angles to take on this topic and I would be excited to see where it could go. – Eden6 years ago
Awesome idea! I like the final note on whether you think this is part of a wider trend. Can you explain a little bit more what you mean by this? What do you think might be causing it? I think needs to be drawn out a little bit more. Also, can you think of another example of this happening (other than now and 2009) and if so, what does this suggest about their being some sort of trend of flops following major successful blockbuster releases like Avatar and Endgame. – Elpis19886 years ago
This honestly sounds like a great way to discuss online streaming services and a possible lack of creative ability in the current media landscape! There’s many ways this can branch out, good luck! – rosiemanuouiha6 years ago
