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. – Amanda8 years ago
Nowadays, the Hollywood system seems to be overshadowing the power of an auteur; everything is about the money. However, the indie film industry has been creating a new generation of auteurs that are making potential classics. There are hidden gems behind the Hollywood blockbusters that will someday become classics. The visibility of these types of movies has increased due to the growth of people's interest in film festivals and the film world. Movies like "The Diving Bell and the Butterfly" by Schnabel, and "Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind" by Gondry are the perfect examples of the pictures that are defining this generation. I want you to explore what makes a movie a "classic" and to find if there is a common thread among these movies.
If you are going to discuss what XXI century films will become classics, certain terms will need to be defined. What do you mean by classic? Is it a film that audiences watch as serious cinephiles? Is it a film that has garnered a cult following? Which directors are auteurs and how is that term now defined? – ptoro8 years ago
Discuss how Hollywood films employ propagandistic tactics in order to overtly or covertly influence their audience. Although this is especially prevalent in 'war dramas' such as American Sniper, propaganda does operate in many films on many levels, unbeknownst to most of us viewers. Who is designing and delivering these messages, and for what purpose? (This could be tackled from several different angles – specific areas of focus or suggestions for narrowing things down would be greatly appreciated!)
Yes! I just watched Civil War and it could be interesting to see how this subject would play out. The movie offers a "liberalish" view on terrorism, so would that be called propaganda? Spoiler Alert: The main guy becomes a terrorist/villain because the Avengers accidentally killed his son, so he decided to take revenge. It is very similar to the liberal argument that American foreign policy has created more terrorists, i.e. drones. By the way, I don't necessarily have a side here, but I think it is fair to say that this is a liberal argument, whether it is correct or not. Also, I would go back to Orwell's All Art is Propaganda. You cannot go wrong with Orwell. – ismael6768 years ago
It would be good to analyze how ideology works on a subconscious level in the minds of the filmmakers, because I do not believe that some of the propaganda traits in movies are made on purpose. – Andrestrada8 years ago
What we label 'propaganda' might actually cover a much wider field of investigation than the initial topic suggests. Is the issue of product placement not a form (a fairly blatant one) of propaganda? It would appear to be a direct effort to influence viewers and a have an effect on their behaviour. – ptoro8 years ago
This analysis could benefit greatly from some historical backgrounding and contextualisation. Look back at the films created by Joseph Goebbels in Nazi Germany, and compare them to government-financed films of the same era from the US, Britain, and Canada (much has been written about the life and works of John Grierson, the founding commissioner of the National Film Board of Canada). Granted, any didactic piece of art can be viewed as "propaganda" - just pick any film, and take a close look at where its funding came from and the political views of the filmmaker - but it has become somewhat of a loaded term in recent years, chiefly due to media sensationalism and post-Foucauldian developments in the field of critical thinking. It would be a real shame for whoever writes this article to miss out on the obvious because he/she is too busy chasing the more benign phantoms lurking in contemporary media. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
For a historical perspective, watching "The Triumph of the Will" is a great example of propaganda disguised as documentary. Leni Reifenstahl claimed she was just documenting the Nazi rally, while there is sufficient evidence that she manipulated the filming to put Hitler and the Nazi Party in the best possible light. – Tarben8 years ago
Tarben, she may have done that to avoid the camps. The same seems true of Max Schmeling who mugged for photos with the feuhrer while privately disagreeing with his views. – Tigey8 years ago
Due to the controversy surrounding the new Ghosbusters film, what does it say regarding our society and the relation of fandom to changes in existing franchises and fictional properties? Many recent film examples could be used to explore the current state of film and other media.
I think that a good reboot finds ways to honour the original series. For example, the new "Ghostbusters" has so many great cameos. Also, the story and dialogue felt the same as the originals to me. – Lauren Mead8 years ago
I just think, in many cases, not all, it feels as if people are so lazy that they just sit in a writer's room and discuss old movies they can remake. What about novel ideas? Exploring creative ideas or novel subjects that will draw in crowds? Also, such as with Ghostbusters, this is a difficult one to draw viewers into because younger generations are likely unfamiliar with the movie; whereas older generations love the original, and do not want to see yet another remake. The one time when I feel a remake is apropos is when the filmmakers, and creative team, are truly passionate about the movie and want to give it it's proper cinematic representations. Then I applaud them. – danielle5778 years ago
The movie Inception, released in 2010, is a wonderful amalgamation of a smart, powerful plot, excellent acting, and the high action scenes current film goers crave. The premise resided on the use of dreams to manufacture thoughts into the minds of powerful CEO's, as well as a means of stealing money and important documents from these said named individuals. The influence of dreams has always been a point of interest in film and literature. As for Inception, it truly took these questions to a whole new level by adamantly stating, or answering the question whether dreams can affect reality. There are numerous psychological explanations regarding dreams including Freud's discussion on latent versus manifest content, as well as wish fulfillment. Threat-stimulation theory discusses dreams as a defense mechanism revolving around the individual to revisit events and learn to successfully conquer them–this can be connected to Leonardo Dicaprio's character in dealing with his deceased wife–in preparation for future, similar events. Expectation- fulfillment is a release of emotional arousal encountered during the day in order to actively complete or fulfill these emotions to make room for the following day. On a neurobiological note, Activation-synthesis is the theory that dreams are devoid of meaning but just a state of electrical impulses occurring in the brain that conjure images from memory ( a very controversy theory that has been consistently disputed by evolutionary psychologists). Lastly, Continual-Activation theory regards dreams as a process of memory storage in which information is encoded for long-term storage, and the process of accommodation occurs allowing for the building of new connection between synapses to successfully transfer these short term memories to long term information easily recalled. Yet, how does Inception fit in with all of these differing theories? Does Inception fit any one of these theories, a couple, or none? Inception also utilities high-tech instruments to not only induce sleep, but to also connect individuals to one another's dreams. How does this affect these possible theories? Is the movie attempting to investigate the power of dreams, the complexities of the human psyche, or the connection between both of these intriguing, difficult to answer concepts?
This topic is really important. I come from a philosophy background and find the idea that dreams can be "devoid of meaning" both sad and in my view completely untrue. Whether the narrative or content of our dreams have any necessary relation to our day to day lives, it's clear that our experience of the dreams are equally valid experiences of our lives that shape and define what it is to be our selves. I also think there is great creative power in dreams. During our waking states, we tend to be distracted by what's real and have a hard time falling into pure imagination. I think we are, of all things, lucky to have dreams because they allow us to experience other worldly lives and see colors and shapes that are purely synthetic imaginings based off the real world but found nowhere in it. We are free to ignore or focus on our dreams as per our preference, but there's no way, as I see it, dreams aren't a crucial part of life. – maayano8 years ago
Inception is full of Descartean philosophy -- primarily paralleling Descarte's confounding questioning of our very reality, claiming that in truth we cannot even know the validity of our own world. I think you should add some of Descarte's philosophy to this text. – Brandon T. Gass8 years ago
There has been much analysis over what makes certain films "so bad they're good." This article would take this idea a bit further by discussing what makes a good B-Movie (a movie made to be laughably bad intentionally). The key to the article would be to explore how these films portray "do bad they're good" material in a way that is entertaining and without seeming overly manufactured. The article would also likely juxtapose what makes B-Movies like Sharknado or Eight-Legged-Freaks entertaining and other B-Movies very forgettable.
Like Airplane and Naked Gun or any movie with Leslie Nielsen. – Munjeera8 years ago
I think it was the American Film Institute that placed Airplane as their number one comedy of all time. Can that really be a B-movie? – Tigey8 years ago
The categorization of B-movies can be biased. When reviewing the notes, theres already contention regarding what is and what is not a B-movie. When I think of a B-movie I immediately associate it with being cheesy, cliche, and silly. For example, though quite dated, the movie Meatballs would likely be referred to as a B-movie.
What might be even more interesting is what is the connection between the common manner in which B-movie's become "cult-classics?" Is it because the movie has been downgraded and people feel they must support it? Could it be something a bit more heavy, such as vocalizing against the mores of societal expectations in reference to cinematic works? – danielle5778 years ago
Discuss the differences and similarities between recluses, for example, Flynn Carsen in "The Librarian"; William Forrester in "Finding Forrester"; and Willy Wonka in "Willy Wonka and the Chocolate Factory" (either version).
If the discussion centres around Wonka, it would be interesting to compare the reclusive attitudes illustrated by both the eponymous Willy Wonka and Grandpa Joe. – ProtoCanon8 years ago
also, batman?
howard hughes in the aviator?
eastwood's character in gran torino?
– Richard Marcil8 years ago
Carl and Wonka would be really cool to compare! – LilyaRider8 years ago
This might be improved by adding one more factor into the mix. For example, instead of just focusing on how recluses are portrayed in film, you could see how that is changed over time, how different countries seem to portray recluses, or something to that effect. – Ian Miculan8 years ago
Another possible conclusion could be the evolution of the individual characters. How many of them remain reclusive, while others become more accepting of the outside world? What does it mean for the overall purpose of the movie? – Tarben8 years ago
Explain what the Prime Directive is and its history in ST. Examine how ST: TNG emphasized the guiding principle with Picard's pontification on the subject using specific examples where the PD was central to the plot. Conclude with a discussion on how and why the PD has fallen to the wayside first under Rick Berman and now with J.J. Abrams and Justin Lin.
