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. – Huntforpurpose5 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. Palomino2 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
With next month marking the 50th anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing, this seems like an appropriate time to critically examine the fascination generations of writers and filmmakers have had with the moon. What is it about space travel that was so interesting to Jules Verne when he wrote FROM THE EARTH TO THE MOON? George Melies was certainly inspired by Verne when he made his pioneering short film A TRIP TO THE MOON (1902). Melies actually allows his characters to land on the moon, not just circle around it as in the Verne original. It was Fritz Lang who first showed audiences the possibilities of rocket travel in his 1929 German silent film WOMAN IN THE MOON. What is the relationship between these works of science fiction and the scientific facts? And what insight have writers and filmmakers provided about humanity's relationship with the rest of the universe?
As long as movies have been a popular form of entertainment, there has always been a standing genre that a majority of movies released at the time fall under. With movies like Endgame and Logan providing a sort of pseudo conclusion to long running movie series that have been keeping viewers hooked and willing to watch anything wearing a cape or having -blank-MAN in the title; I can't help but wonder what everyone thinks is coming next. Is it already here and I've missed it? Maybe there's someone who's been around the block that already sees it coming? P.S. Anyone else feel like Logan acknowledged this by being just as much a western as a superhero movie as a way to send off not just Hugh Jackman but also the mainstream state of the genre as a whole?
This is one of my favorite talking points with other film-lovers! I've always been interested in the films people choose to promote and the, for lack of a better term, eras of films that come out of it. If I could add anything to this topic, I think it would be questioning what it takes to make a shift like this in entertainment; does something have to happen in the world or in society for the masses to change the films that they want to see, or is the creation of a film-era just the luck of the draw? – Tyruss20156 years ago
Seeing how popular culture is flourishing in the waves of 80's revival culture with television hits like Stranger Things, movies like Bladerunner 2049, and a new brat pack, how long will this movement last? Is quality entertainment and/or art coming from this movement and what might be the next driving force of popular culture. Will it be another renaissance or a new set of genres?
Really interesting topic! Love both Blade Runner and Stranger Things. The soundtrack for Stranger Things is especially interesting with it's synthesized sound. Maybe the renewed interest has to do with the fact the 80s are now old enough to be nostalgic to middle age and older adults, as well as intriguing to young viewers who weren't alive during the time period. – Sean Gadus6 years ago
I think the study of "nostalgic" movements such as this can be really interesting. I think the key really is that these movements gain traction at a time when audiences are the best mix of younger consumers who view media from before they were born as a novelty, and older consumers experiencing nostalgia for the era. It might be interesting to look at how 80s elements slowly creeped into the mainstream before hitting it's stride - in particular with the introduction of 80s music in Marvel films and action films in general. – Kayleigh Hall6 years ago
