Often, I find myself speaking up for Ang Lee's Hulk, a film that is widely disregarded as slow, pretentious and generally misguided in its execution. Inevitably, the matter of the Gamma-ridden poodles will be brought up. However, I hold up Hulk as an artifact of the early days of the present super movie craze when each film was a distinct treatment of its source material, and each time the artistic voice of the director brought something new. This is before the monetary and perceived artistic success of one or two comic book movies, needless to name here, came in and flattened everything out. Is anybody with me?
I cannot, in good conscience, say that I enjoyed Hulk. However, I believe you have isolated an interesting difference between pre- and post-MCU superhero films. Should make for an interesting article. – ProtoCanon9 years ago
I liked this version of Lee's Hulk. The cast was stellar but in this case I think it was a case of too many writers spoiled the broth. I think this Hulk story is also a reflection of the stage of where comics to film adaptations reflected a certain lack. Not necessarily because of the movie or content but back then superhero movies weren't as popular. With the release of Spiderman after 9/11 maybe we all feel the need for superheroes to feel safer. I would frame the article with the context of the times and why this Hulk version was underappreciated while acknowledging the story was a bit convoluted. – Munjeera9 years ago
I will always be quite lenient towards this film, as it introduced me to the character that has become my most favorite superhero out there. However, I will admit that as a Hulk film, its purpose could have been served better. But putting aside the character's fan perspective and taking on a more objective approach, I have come to appreciate this more as a comic book-inspired monster movie, almost like a recall to Universal's glory days in the genre up until the early 2000s or so. 15 years later, and it's quite saddening that not many people have come to appreciate the film as it deserves to be. – Veerji127 years ago
Examine the elements of horror movies that are generally considered the most effective at scaring, disturbing, or unsettling audiences, and how these have changed over the decades, from early silent films to Hitchcock's masterpieces to modern remakes.
One direction this article could go could be to make a list of the recurring motifs in horror film according to film theorist Robin Wood, which are Psychos, Nature, Satanism and possession, the Terrible Child, and Cannibalism. It could also explore the idea of repression and the Other in film, not to mention the idea of horror originating from something totally normal being scarier than horror originating from the outside world. – VelvetRose10 years ago
What's interesting to note here is the mood and setting when sitting down to watch a horror film. The setting created by the atmosphere of the movie and the music's score help turn things which would normally not be scary for some, and makes them terrifying. Example, I am not scared of clowns but you be darn sure I freaked while watching IT for the first time. – cdenomme9610 years ago
Whoever takes on this article should also consider comparing older films with their remakes and examine the changes. Classic horror movies are known for being terrifying while remakes are often bland and watered down. It may be easier to pinpoint what makes a movie scary. – Vexliss9 years ago
Great idea! Music is so important too. – Munjeera9 years ago
The psychology of scaring people is fascinating, especially once you get past the often-cheap jump scare: the mechanics of tension building are deeply interesting, and the part that music plays in making something terrifying cannot be understated. – Barselaar9 years ago
With the recent popularity of #StarringJohnCho, discuss the history of Asians in Western Television and Film and the possible reasons why there is so little Asian representation today. Why are there so few leading Asians in film, and why does Hollywood tend to stick Asians into stereotypical supporting roles?
Hollywood's formula at its most reductive is a film which attracts the largest consumer or the most specific one (camera angles, landscapes, fandom etc.). This isn't to say Asian America doesn't consume film. Rather, it means there is a presumed range of audience-consumers who watch films for pleasure and, as a result, won't care whether the portrayal of the Hero who exercises restraint and is later rewarded is White or Asian. But there lies the paradox: films which are enjoyable because characters express a philosophy or individuality audiences can live through vicariously means that there is an emotion or performed emotion which is accepted as universal. Justice looks like this, honour like that. However, this axiom (self-evident truth not up for discussion) has been established alongside, in response to, or disavowing a history which is, fundamentally, racist. The term carries hostile connotations, yeah, but it also speaks to a legacy of bad blood recognized and enforced by the law to keep the peace. Asians in supporting roles confirms what is imagined as quintessentially Asian. This specificity is something the cast, rather than the lead, should accomplish because authority, which the cast defers to the lead, is assumed to lack or exist in spite of such associations. Thus, the lack of Asian leads is because there is the implicit understanding that Whiteness is unquestionably located in a philosophy that aspires to transcend or progress past racialized and ethnic histories and identities. Bring an Asian into the picture to represent a role considered unhindered by this baggage and the narrative is disrupted. Most times, it is then critiqued for attempting to insert politics into a space reserved for enjoyment—and unquestioned for its White legacy. – JMIWrites9 years ago
Great topic -- has anyone done this already? Asians are a massively underecognized ethnicity in film. As an asian american myself I am always on the lookout for asians in hollywood. – sophiacatherine9 years ago
What do onscreen adaptations of abusive relationships tell us? Why do ex's get back together? When does someone know if they are in an abusive relationship? Does having too much in common turn a relationship venomous? Is there anything redeemable about Harley Quinn and the Joker as a couple? "The New Batman Adventures" episode, "Mad Love" gives the viewer an inside look of how the Joker seduced Harley Quinn and how abusive their relation is. It is obvious through the trailer of "Suicide Squad" that that relationship will be established and built upon. Maybe it is time for someone to try to make sense of their relationship and address the suggested questions? You up for the task, puddin?
Great Post. Antioxidant supplements are very good for body. I also can suggest you some antioxidant supplements <a href="http://alces.com.sg/super-lutein/">Super Lutein Singapore</a> , <a href="http://alces.com.sg/izumio/"> Izumio </a> These are very good supplements from <a href="http://alces.com.sg/">Alces-Naturally Plus</a> – anas7 years ago
You can focus on the hype around Civil War – Spoilers included for anyone who has not saw the film yet (I have). So Easter eggs, Spider-Man, and Black Panther!!!! Focus on how Civil War led up to the hype, or it didn't. Were all the good parts of the film in the trailers? All the really good fight scenes as well, considering most of them were in the trailers for the most part. The awesome Spider-Man scene with his Aunt and Tony – How Tom is going to change the MCU (if at all).
1. Focus on the hype of Civil War, did it lead up to the hype and expectations? 2. Did the trailers prove to tell too much? 3. Will this lead into another Spider-Man film that will be different? Did this show something different about the Spider-Man character? 4. The prequel to Black Panther and how he will evolve in the MCU 5. Easter eggs that will lead to other films, or even hints to what will happen in the future of MCU as well
Loved Civil War and thought it was great. I hope someone writes on this topic soon a I would love to read more about it. – Munjeera9 years ago
I would love to read a critical analysis of the MCU as a whole and it's effects on how individual superhero movies are made. – ColinCobb9 years ago
You could expand on this idea by analyzing how Marvel has kept the anticipation going from the post credit scene in Iron-Man and how the promotion for each subsequent movie affects audience expectations. – Rico9 years ago
If I remember my Marvel comic book timeline, Spidey was always crossing over into the avengers comics. They asked Spider-Man to join the Avengers a few times but Spidey turned them down, so I think he was made an honorary avenger. – jamiepashagumskum9 years ago
It would be cool if there was a discussion the future of the characters in the MCU after the consequences of Civil War, particularly the #TeamCap characters, and also specifically the implications for the upcoming Infinity Wars movies. – andreacr9 years ago
Movies are an escape from reality or sometimes an unfriendly (but sometimes friendly) reminder of it. They are so good at this because unlike books, unlike songs, unlike paintings, they are about as close as we can get (ignore virtual reality for now) to recreating the experience of life as we know it. There is movement, depth, sound, setting; to be frank, movies just look a lot like life. But with the freedom that comes with the film form to create anything you can imagine, comes the freedom to make films that are horrendous, poorly constructed, overly acted, inauthentic, terrifying, incoherent, you name it. Now, we all know that movies can be good to some and bad to others. Some people like horrors, some people can't stand them. Some people love sci-fi, some people find them intolerable. But some movies are just bad! When we watch them we want to, or even have to vomit. We have to leave the theater. We have to rave about in on social media. Some films we have to hate until the day we die because they leave such a bad taste in your mouth you can simply never forget it. Some films promote hatred, propaganda, or worst of all a sappy love story that will never happen. But I wonder, is there actually something that should be deemed as unacceptable, or are we, as Sartre puts it regarding life, condemned to be free… to experience any film that gets recorded, distributed, and passed through our corneas?
Should also take into consideration video games, which are actually interactive and are probably even closer to the experience of real life than films if you played it just once through. Otherwise, a great article as long as you use plenty of evidence to back up what happens when people watch a movie they think is bad (not just what you think is bad, of course, because otherwise, it would just be an article completely overlooking the subjectivity of good and bad movies). – stephkang9 years ago
Watching an Ed Wood movie might be good for self-esteem: "I could do better than that." – Tigey9 years ago
Wow, you really hit on numerous, applicable subjects with this suggested topic. I especially love your last line..that implicitly--well, at least in my eyes (sorry, pun intended)--echoes the idea of the visual images captured and then sent to the brain's occipital lobe for dissemination and understanding. I do love a "feel good" movie, even if some may thing in borders on cheesy. For example, I recently watched the movie "Brooklyn," (2015), and I adored it. I haven't watched a movie in ages that left me feeling light hearted and optimistic. But, to each, his own. Nice topic; I'm interested to see the direction one would go in writing this. – danielle5779 years ago
So let's face it, "nerd" culture has become pop culture. Superhero movies are the biggest movies every year, The Big Bang Theory is one of the most popular shows on television right now, and virtually everyone plays some sort of videos games. With that being said I would love to see an article discussing how the stigma of social outcast has, or hasn't, changed with the popularization of Nerd Culture.
Great topic. You could start with Revenge of the Nerds movie that accurately portrayed how nerds ultimately ruled. Certainly true in this day and age where they are the dot.com millionaires, billionaires even trillionaires. Because of them it's cool to be a geek now. Good for them. – Munjeera9 years ago
I think that this is going to be a great article! – KMetres9 years ago
Absolutely man! That's an article I'd love to read. It'd be interesting to examine how the high school-esque social pyramid looks like now. If the nerds are no longer at the bottom, who is? – EarlGreyTRex9 years ago
This would be quite interesting! I think the stigma exists with certain activities; such as reading comic books or playing table top RPG's. To an extent MMO's still have that huge geek stigma. Perhaps its how much time you dedicate to an activity dictates how much stigma you get. ie. how society treats someone who likes watching Marvel movies versus people who cosplay as their favourite character. – AmyChristine9 years ago
We rely on computers for our own wealth and those that control them have power. The nerd as a negative stereotype is an extension of our frustration with our lack of control. It would be interesting to read about the relationship we have with technology and the social acceptance of the nerd. – Aaron9 years ago
Munjeera got it: the portal to another reality can be opened by the nerd next to you, so be nice, Mr. Quarterback, no more swirlies. – Tigey9 years ago
Is Kink or BDSM becoming more popular in television and film? Considering popular films such as Fifty Shades of Grey, and The Secretary among only a few, what kinds of kink is deemed acceptable in our broader cultural conscience? What does kink within these formats teach us about consent, sexuality and more?
It's important to distinguish between actual BDSM culture (consent, safety, sanity) and what is portrayed as BDSM in media (Fifty Shades of Grey was labeled BDSM and Kink but actually detailed an abusive relationship) when exploring this topic. – Amanda9 years ago
