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Latest Topics

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The Downsides of Evolving Films

Films and the production is constantly changing. With new technologies, it is often deemed as a good progression throughout time, but what are the cons? I wonder if film has perhaps lost its level of value in the growing world of technology.

  • Interesting topic. An interesting point to bring up would be the making of Young Frankenstein. Mel Brooks had to bring back people who had worked on films from the 30s and 40s because no one at the time knew how to film in black and white. And this was in the 70s. Could tackle film vs digital, the sound design aspect, the effects of relying on CGI... – CoolishMarrow90 8 years ago
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My Issue with the Rocky Horror Remake: Gender, Camp, and Misrepresentation

In the new remake of Rocky Horror Picture Show, aired on FOX last night, choices on set, costume design, as well as the lead protagonist deviate from the original impressions and genre classic that Rocky Horror is known for. Many might claim that being unhappy with Laverne Cox's choice for protagonist is wrong etc., but I think personally she represents a woman, through and through. But, the original production resonates so clearly as a man in woman's clothing, a sweet transvestite, gothic sexual, and eerie, through and through. The clothing choices misgender the cast and portray a different set of queer statements throughout.

  • Your topic requires a strong controversial argument and will present a challenge for anyone who tackles it. – Kevin 8 years ago
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  • I would warn anyone who takes on this topic not to let your feelings as to which one was "better" influence the gender and sexuality discussion. It is difficult sometimes to separate nostalgia from analysis. It is quite possible that the new version is specifically trying to separate itself from the original. Ask "why"? – Christen Mandracchia 8 years ago
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  • As incredible as the original Rocky Horror is, our society has evolved from 1975. I think you can examine the casting of Laverne Cox, as well as other casting, costume, and design choices, as a reflection of the values of our society now versus the views and values of the society which produced the original. Maybe look into reviews for the original movie and compare them with reviews from this new version and see if there are any similarities/differences among the opinions. – lpcrescenti 8 years ago
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  • You pose an interesting question. With transgenders becoming a more common part of society and American culture, these matters raise a lot of questions have could easily come off as offensive. We are told that gender is which sex we identify with, okay, Laverne Cox identifies as a woman. So, she's a woman. However, the original screenplay for the movie calls for a man to play the role of a transvestite. Therefore, Laverne Cox playing Dr.Frank-N-Furter is essentially tantamount to let's say Jennifer Lawerence playing the role. So in every other circumstance Cox is suppose to be characterized as a woman except for when she plays in the Rocky Horror Picture Show, then she is characterized as a man playing a transvestite. The role doesn't call for a transgender is calls for a man to play one, that's what adds to the conspicuity of the show, going outside of your comfort zone, giving in to absolute pleasure. For this reason alone I don't think Laverne should had been casted. She is amazing and talented by her taking a male role in a show it is contradictory to everything we know about gender identification. – sastephens 8 years ago
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The Modern Attempt to be Old-Fashioned

Analyze the ideology behind attempting to capitalize on nostalgia and how it has effected the film industry. This includes remakes, Quentin Tarantino, and the B-list aesthetic.

  • This is absolutely everywhere, and is a super broad, big idea in my opinion--a really good one!--but definitely too big to effectively analyze in one article. A more narrow focus (like remakes, Tarantino, B-aesthetic, etc.) following a broad intro to the overall topic might be more successful and ultimately more exciting/enjoyable to read. For sure a pervasive part of the zeitgeist that many people would be interested in and probably benefit from, haha. – skohan 8 years ago
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  • I think this would be a great and interesting article. I have definitely noticed how modern culture has adopted a love for old things. It's very fashionable to wear certain things that clearly have a relation to old-fashioned styles. Music also has been taking a lot of older styles and bringing them to the surface again. It would be cool to discuss the influence on music and clothing, not just film. But those could be separate articles, even, because you could go into great detail about each thing. – Wordmaster 8 years ago
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  • I would say that the capitalization on nostalgia is due to a longing for the "good old days". I feel that a majority of the population sees the world as a hectic, overwhelming place, while the "old days" were a much simpler time. The next generation always falls short of the previous generation's expectations, and the next generation always longs for the perceived simplicity of the previous generation. It is a very circular view. I believe the use of this in film is simply an attempt to relate with this nostalgia. – DKdaVinci615 8 years ago
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On New Queer Cinema

The film movement New Queer Cinema was meant to describe independent films of the 1990s that helped bring queer narratives to the screen. This article would review the history, importance, and films of the movement.

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    The revival of the Musical

    With great, iconic musicals like Grease in the late 1970s, would it be possible to create such a hit musical now? How would modern music like house music be incorporated into such a film? What do you think a modern musical would look like?

    • Hamilton by Lin Manuel Miranda just won a ton of Tony awards and it features hip hop and rap. House Music might be a little different since it doesn't often feature lyrics and musical theater is dependent on words by definition - but I would like to see if someone argue the house music could become material for a musical... – Kevin 8 years ago
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    • I think now with the remake of Rocky Horror Picture Show, as well as the huge success of Hamilton, musicals definitely have been revived and have become hits. I think now musicals speak to a specific genre or time period in order to be successful, their flavor is specific as well as culturally relevant. Even High School Musical created such unproar! I think if done correctly, marketed correctly, and the scoring was impeccable the musical would definitely be adopted by large demographics. – amirnaveh 8 years ago
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    Live action versions of Disney classics.

    With live-action versions of Cinderella, Maleficent, Alice in Wonderland, The Lion King, etc., it seems that every animated Disney film is likely to be re-imagined. Discuss why filmmakers are drawn to recreate these classics and the consequences. Have the most recent Disney animations, such as Moana, been influenced by the sudden live-action interest?

    • Don't forget to talk about Beauty and the Beast! – albee 8 years ago
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    • Also The Jungle Book and how this particular reimagining may be superior to the original film. – DallasLash17 8 years ago
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    • Maybe one of the reasons is that they needed more original ideas and they thought the concept was good enough to keep the economy going. – RadosianStar 8 years ago
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    3

    The end of The Usual Suspects (1995) *SPOILERS*

    The movie might be over a decade old, but the ending, while completely amazing, is also controversial. Some are confident that Verbal Kint was Keyser Söze, while others are convinced it was actually Keaton and that he never died at all. There are others who say that we never even got to see the real Keyser Söse. My question is, what do you guys think and can you back up your theory?

    • It's been too long since I've seen it, so forgive this comment if it's ignorant or inaccurate, but I kind of remember the end being a pretty unambiguous about the reveal that Verbal was Söze. Was that not the case? Did I miss something, or was that not the whole point of the big twist? – ProtoCanon 8 years ago
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    Depiction of collegiate Greek life in movies

    Most movies about fraternities and sororities seem to want to convince us that they're either full of slobbering-drunk, pain-inflicting "students" (because they never seem to do homework or care about class) or clones forced to fit a certain mold. Why might this be? Are these accurate depictions of Greek life or not?

    • Also another interesting dimension could be how these types of movies influence collegiate Greek life in America as well. – Kevin 8 years ago
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    • I feel this is a very stereotypical viewpoint most have about Greek life. What movies don't mention is how some Greek organizations are solely academic/educational and are helpful for students looking for jobs post-graduation. Movies also forget to mention that a lot of Greek organizations give back to the community, volunteer, and do lots of fundraisers. I feel like most depictions of Greek life are inaccurate. This is a great topic to write about. – Marina 8 years ago
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    • I think this is an interesting topic to explore since only a small percentage of the populations has an association to these collegiate organizations, but their impact is felt throughout society. The common connotations around Greek life entail a certain understanding of an undergraduate college career whereas there are more aspects to consider, such as the culture of the institution of student demographics. In addition to this, the study of multicultural Greek life is also an aspect of these organizations that hasn't been fully explored. These type of organizations are also part of college campuses and create impact and positive contributions to their campus in different ways. – Adriana 6 years ago
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