We all admire the new techniques and special effects in movies we see in the cinema, but is there actually any value in them? You walk out of the cinema with your eyes full and your head empty. Are movies adopting a purpose just for entertaining? Films from the past, like Luc Besson's Leon, or Blade Runner, or even Forrest Gump carry lots of food for thought, a vast emotional landscape and deserve to be called true works of art. Can we say the same about movies nowadays?
I totally get where you're coming from, but treating this as a symptom of "modern cinema" seems like a bit of a generalization. True, the issue has become grossly more inflate with each passing year since the 1980s, but that's only really one side of the industry, the flashy Blockbuster market designed for mass consumption. Let's just look at one year for a moment, 2014: sure, the box office was dominated by Transformers 4, The Hobbit 3, and Guardians of the Galaxy 1, but this was also the year of Boyhood, Whiplash, and Selma, as well as (in my opinion, two of the best films in recent memory) Leviathan and The Best Offer. Perhaps the issue isn't that all contemporary films are saturated in special effects, but rather that the films which employ extraneous spectacle with little substance consistently out-gross the more artistic films, which may say more about audiences than filmmakers. In fact, this very subject was handled expertly in Birdman (also from 2014), which made great use of special effects to enhance its artistry while simultaneously satirizing the current state of the popular cinema. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
Depends on what one means by art, I would tend to agree with you that a lot of movies don't seem to have any substance outside of the over-the-top special effect sequences, action movies in particular. Keep in mind though, that the people working on those special effects more than likely have computer design and art backgrounds. When looking at it from that standpoint, movies like Fast & Furious, The Avengers, X-Men, and so on, are more art-based than The Piano or Forrest Gump. The problem or question at hand, is whether or not studios are choosing more special effects filled mega releases over thought provoking 'works of art'? – MikeySheff8 years ago
I find that although films such as Independance Day: Resurgance do exist, wherein special effects are all the film has to offer, many a time, VFX aid storytelling in films today, and even blockbusters can remain compelling films despite the use of set pieces full of special effects, examples being Edge of Tommorow, Captain America: The Winter Soldier/Civil War, and Ex Machina, a film which used very expensive visual effects to tell a particularly intelligent and compelling story. – JacobSe7en8 years ago
This is a great topic. I think that the Hollywood film is the general type that appears in cinema today where there is flashing and violence and different uses of special effects to keep viewers interested. It seems that films these days are focusing too much on this aspect and not on the emotional aspect and I think this really takes something away from the culture of cinema. – alexadoiron8 years ago
There are lots of bad movies out there, especially when one gets into sequels and part three, four, etc. In opposition to this, there is some great fanfiction written that by far surpasses a poorly made, poorly written movie. Think about "Indiana Jones and the Crystal Skull" and what a disappointment that was to the franchise. There are fanfiction stories out there which are much better stylistically and storyline-wise.
Hi, are you talking about Indiana jones and the crystal skull? Because my assumption from my own viewing and from late 80s and present day reviews of Indiana jones and last crusade was that it was an incredibly well received film by fans and critics. – SeanGadus8 years ago
Hi, yes, sorry, I did put the wrong film in my post. I guess it was just so awful I tried to blot it from my memory altogether. In all seriousness though, I do agree with you that The Last Crusade was a good film, and well-received. I go to a lot of conventions and I don't think I've ever heard a positive comment about "Crystal Skull." Thanks for pointing that out. – NoDakJack8 years ago
I was also devastated by the latest Indiana Jones movie, and I agree that fans often have far more substantive story lines than Hollywood does. It makes us pause and wonder what they were thinking. My guess is that there is a big difference in purpose between the film industry and fanfiction. What drives each of those forces is what ultimately makes or breaks the stories and characters we all love. Maybe an in-depth look at how we can bring fanfiction to the forefront as a well of valuable script ideas would be interesting. Actors, production companies and ticket sales corrupt even the most ironclad franchises, whereas fanfiction is created with the purest intentions of paying tribute. – wtardieu8 years ago
Analyze how the names of each of the characters in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory" (Charlie Bucket, Augustus Gloop, Mike Teavee, Veruca Salt, Violet Beauregard, Willy Wonka, and so forth) reflect the characters' roles in the movie. Explore the way in which the names hint at each of the characters' defining characteristics, how the names directly relate to the themes present in the story, what ultimately happens to each character.
This topic makes me so happy. Besides the obvious (Mike TEAVEE, Willy WONKa), I found the name Veruca Salt absolutely fascinating. Although all I know of Verruca is that it's a wart on the sole of the foot (just like Willy Wonka said, actually), I've wondered if Dahl just wanted to name a character something unpleasant, or if there's another significance. Salt, however, has always reminded me of the Indian Salt Tax. It was a very very expensive commodity at one point (this is what led to the Salt March in India), and could that be a reference to how rich the Salts were?
Gloop phonetically is a very obvious reference to gluttony, and Violet literally violet at the end, but I haven't been able to come up with much else for the other characters. It should be interesting to see what the comments here throw up! – JayBird8 years ago
There are some scholars and linguists who have wrote papers on Dahl’s neologisms and wordplays. Besides the names of the kids who won the golden tickets, the names of Wonka’s rivals are also very meaningful. – T. Palomino3 years ago
Provide examples of films which employ strong narrative and plot to engage the audience, while using one environment to do so. Films such as "Devil," which take place inside of an elevator still use establishing shots and surrounding environments even though the bulk of the movie is shot inside of an elevator. Think about extreme dogmatic approaches such as "Exam," "12 Angry Men," or "Rear Window," and provide evidence of how these films illustrate an outside world, without ever leaving their singular environment.
Have you heard of the Hitchcock film called "Rope" (1948)? The whole film takes place within an apartment and relates to a murder. Hitchcock shot the film by shooting for periods lasting up to 10 minutes, there are only 6-8 visible cuts in the film. It is a really interesting idea that I think is in line with what your topic is examining. – SeanGadus8 years ago
Interesting topic! Even though the focus here is on films, it reminded me of how certain web series are filmed. For example, the YouTube series Carmilla used this tactic of single spaces while at the same time illustrating actions that happened outside for viewers. – aprosaicpintofpisces8 years ago
Yep, tv serials work incredibly well with this topic, especially the ones that are able to create drama with the same singular space. Take Louis C.K.'s Horace and Pete, and you might want to look at Dogville. – Matchbox8 years ago
Another film that could be interesting to include is Locke. It takes place entirely in a car, and the plot is moved mostly by the phone calls the character makes while driving. – Marcie Waters8 years ago
Another approach to this topic might be the transition from stage play to the big screen. I can think of several plays that take place in a single location but once they were made into films, the story lost that part of itself as the producers, etc. decided to take the cast outside and around the town, so to speak. – NoDakJack8 years ago
Excellent topic! I feel like this topic can also lean towards dogmatic approaches in literature. I immediately thought of Chuck Palahniuk's novel "Haunted"; the scenery is unchanged while the chosen narrator captivates you with a gruesome story from a journal. Perhaps the topic can address the transition from literature to film and how it distorts or maintains the dogmatic atmosphere? – Pyper Brown8 years ago
This makes me think of this film called 'Manderlay'. Even though its not EXACTLY restricted to one small confined space, it does keep itself to a large field. Although the field has props (in the form of a bed, or some stairs), the film has NO sets apart from these props. Everything, from the house to the trees, must be imagined. – JayBird8 years ago
Dig this topic! I recently watched 'Man in the Wall', an Israeli film by Evgeny Ruman, which I thought really nailed the single setting approach. The whole movie takes place within a couple's apartment; the plot develops by the different people who enter and exit the apartment and the various kinds of exchanges they share. The dialogue and atmosphere are super intense - which I think is a necessary strategy when working with only one place. There's something kind of unsettling about single setting narratives because they have to rely SO heavily on mood. – nicolenaudi8 years ago
As more and more studios start up cinematic universes based on comic book properties, it is hard to imagine that these films will be successful for forever. However comic books have still remained fairly successful and people still remain invested in the characters. Can the films expect the same support, or should they have a definitive ending?
I really like this topic as I am a super fan of these movies. The MCU right now is leading up to Avengers Infinity War in 2018, and Avengers 4 in 2019. Nobody knows what's going to happen, but they are most likely not just gonna stop making movies all together. These movies make way too much money to just stop, so there should be speculation on what could happen post Avengers 4. – cbo10948 years ago
Interesting topic. In David Ehrlich's review of Civil War, he describes the MCU as "A film franchise so immense and self-perpetuating that a plot’s greatest possible conflict is no longer the end of the world, but rather the end of the brand." In all likelihood marvel will continue to add to its sprawling universe until the audience diffuses or they run out of cash, which could be anywhere from in the near future to decades later. I like the idea of whether they "should". It would be memorable and history-making for them if they ended their run on a well-crafted note, though as the years go on the likelihood seems incredibly slim. They would likely go on making them until the public is entirely bored of it. – Matchbox8 years ago
Analyze and describe the techniques used by major studios (like Disney) with hot-button intellectual property (like Star Wars) in a variety of film marketing, including but not limited to exposés, interviews, behind-the-scenes features, and the hype surrounding trailers and the leakage of any footage/spoilers in general.
Look no further than Star Wars: The Force Awakens for the use of nostalgia in marketing. The entire campaign was based on the idea that Star Wars is reintroducing classic characters like Han, Leia, and Luke. The marketing for the film trumpeted the return of classic Star Wars elements like the Millennium Falcon, X-Wings, TIE fighters, stormtroopers and aliens. Disney used all of these elements well to bring fans back in. The trailers all spoke of how each generation has a story and how this was the next chapter in that story. I think they did a very good job of bringing in all of these elements that fans have been asking for for so long, and the crowning moment was in the first full trailer for the film. At the last second, Han Solo and Chewbacca stepped onto the screen for the first time in over 30 years and uttered one simple but effective line. "Chewie, we're home." – Sjdeliman8 years ago
Stranger Things is another example; many viewers from the 80s really like the show because of its nostalgic references. – seouljustice8 years ago
In the field of mythology, mermaids draw constant speculation. Their elusive nature adds to this element of mystery. However, film tends to polarize these mythical creatures into one of two categories: dangerous temptress or charming innocent. Identify specific films that assign mermaids to either of these two categories, and describe how this characterization helps to develop the film's plot line.
An example of the innocent lies in the Disney Classic The Little Mermaid, as an example of the temptress is in the fourth Harry Potter movie. – tombaumser8 years ago
Its amazing how we make something so scary absolutely innocent, to entertain kids. The question is whether this is destroying the old myths, creating new, or some weird mutant baby in between. – thesoaringmarlet8 years ago
The movie Mermaids is a good example of the innocence that mermaids evoke in popular media as all three of the main female characters in the film are representative of feminine innocence in one way or another. Although the characters never become mermaids for anything more than a Halloween costume, the idea and all of the literary and historical baggage is attached to them because of the titling. All three women have their own struggles, yet they are resilient, independent, and own their gender and/or sexuality in powerful ways. For an 'actual' mermaid--for whatever that term is worth--I would not overlook Daryl Hannah's mermaid character in "Splash." This character epitomizes innocence, ignorance and nativity in a very saccharine, painful and unrealistic way. This is an unintentionally loaded film, with many problematic characters and gendered themes. It is also interesting to note that this film was the first live action release of Walt Disney Studios' Touchstone Pictures label, from the same Walt Disney that released the animated classic, "The Little Mermaid," in 1989. "Splash" became such a hit that it even popularized the female name of Madison, being the self given name of Hannah's character, after it's release. In a nutshell, this film had a great influence on pop culture. – HeatherStratton8 years ago
On August 29, 2016, Gene Wilder passed away from complications from Alzheimer's disease. Whether playing Dr. Frankenstein in "Young Frankenstein," or Willie Wonka in "Willie Wonka & the Chocolate Factory," Wilder's whimsical, gentle spirit drew smiles from people of all ages. Which performances are Wilder's finest? What makes his contribution to film especially memorable? In general, what is Gene Wilder's legacy?
