With new movies coming out such as Star Wars, Ride Along 2, Kung Fu Panda 3, Fifty Shades of Black, Allegiant, two new marvel movies (Deadpool and Captain America: Civil War), Star Trek: Beyond, and Batman v. Superman: Dawn of Justice, it would seem that original films are becoming more and more rare. Is hollywood running out of new, innovative, and creative stories to tell? While almost everything is a sequel, triquel, or another superhero movie, the few new films like The Boy, The Forest, and American Ultra tend to suffer and get negative feedback. Does hollywood not put enough effort towards these more original words and only rely on the ones they know are more likely to sell?
Great critical point!! Now that CGI has arrived, is established and expected in almost every movie, the ability to create visual images that previously inhibited movie production it seems as if there are no new ideas. Just new visual experiences. One movie I think that was original with CGI was Matrix and its existential themes. The dawn of CGI started off promisingly enough but then new ideas seemed to dwindle with the success of Lord of the Rings. I think this is a phase in movie making. I predict that over time, there will be many new ideas as story making is instinctive from the time of the first cave drawing, humans have wanted to share their story. – Munjeera9 years ago
You act as if all of Hollywood is one singular entity, when each of these films is helmed by a Director, written by a Writer, and produced by a Producer, all of which are different people for each film. Hollywood cannot simply be defined as a singular person, nor one that chooses to put more effort into one film and less into another. The point where good films from both the studio side and independent side suffer is marketing. So if you want to be more accurate, you should probably look at how film marketing is handled. Budget can also be a factor, but if you know what you're doing, a reasonably good budget of around $20,000,000 can get you a lot of places, you just have to spend it wisely. Also, there were more films last year and the year before that were fantastic but weren't big-budget action films. There was also Brooklyn, Suffragette, Ex-Machina, Her, Mr. Nobody, Birdman, Whiplash, and plenty of foreign animated films that gain cult favorite status, but not mainstream status. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
Home education, or "home schooling", is sometimes a hot button issue. This article would examine depictions of home education in film. How is the issue dealt with by plots or characters in chosen examples? Do recent films reflect a change in attitude towards the subject in contrast to older films? Is there a recurring theme/attitude in these depictions? I only know of 1 or 2 examples of home schooling in film (Mean Girls and RV) but there may be other examples. I also recall an episode of Law & Order: SVU (guest starring Marcia Gay Harden) that depicts home schooling in a negative way.
As a student who homeschooled from pre-k to my high school graduation, I find this topic very interesting! I agree with Venus Echos, what examples of homeschooling has been depicted in film already? To my knowledge, there isn't a lot. Furthermore, the topic is a bit brief, would you be able to elaborate on it a little? There is so much to the subject. Would this cover negative depictions? Positive ones? How far back could it go into homeschooling history (homeschooling originally began roughly in the 1970s)? As a homeschool student, film itself was often an education for me (watching documentaries counted toward my overall grade in a given subject). So that could be a point to consider. Also, a common theme I know of in real-life home education is often big families with religious (most often Christian) worldviews. The worldview is very important when it comes to choosing whether or not to homeschool. It's also common of families who move a lot. In the 1900's and early 2000's, homeschooling was frowned upon, but nowadays it is more widely accepted due in part to the recent shootings and similar events. Since the political taboo surrounding homeschooling itself is nowhere near as strong now, I wouldn't call it a "political issue" anymore, although it is still debated and talked about. I really do love this subject, and can't wait to see what article comes from this. – Megan Finsel9 years ago
What an interesting topic! I feel like in movies the main stereotype for a home schooled child is that they're very anti-social, considering they didn't go to school with others. I have no idea how true this is. This article should definitely be written by someone who was home schooled themself. – carleydauria9 years ago
What a great idea for an article! As another homeschooled/virtual schooled student (K-12) I would love to see something covering this topic. I have never seen home education in the media except for Mean Girls -- what other films do you have in mind? – sophiacatherine9 years ago
I guess by political I meant the religious reasons for home schooling, since there are ways in which the politics and religion mix in many cases. It would be interesting to see whether there are any films that depict home education by families who are not Christian or Conservative, as that is part of the movement, even if it is not the dominant part. But I also like what carleydauria brought up, about how home schooling is often shown as creating anti-social individuals. I don't know of too many films offhand that include home schooled characters. I knew about Mean Girls, and I also recall a sub-plot in a film called RV in which some of the characters home school their children so they can be on the road and see more of the country. While I didn't think much of the film, I though that part was interesting and referred back to what I know of the origins of home schooling in the 1970s and earlier. – NateBlake9 years ago
The movie "The Bling Ring" also depicts homeschooling in a negative and (I assume) unrealistic way. The homeschooling mom is spacey and oblivious, and her kids get away with everything. It's more-or-less implied that this overly-permissive upbringing motivates the homeschooled characters in the film to turn to illegal activities. It would be interesting to look at the kind of homeschooling depicted in The Bling Ring, especially in contrast to Conservative/Christian homeschooling that is so common in media. – schwauline9 years ago
Real life events often inspire films, yet theatrical convention always works to shoehorn characters into the 'good' and 'bad' guys. Recent releases such as "Argo" came under criticisms for its portrayal of Iranians as 2D 'bad guy' characters, instead of granting more complexity to Iran's complex internal politics. Political enemies may become partners, affecting acceptable portrayals of that nationality. I would be interested to see a kind of "bad guys" ranked. Who seems to have been the most detestable enemies in American film? The Russians? The Japanese? Who has had the most nuanced portrayals?
I think this topic can be more concise. For example, what types of villains are most dominant in different cultures, and why, or If certain villains are too simplified, then why would that happen? And could you give more explanation when you say about "ranking" bad guys? – idleric9 years ago
Sorry, I meant "precise", not concise. Also, you could research deeper into the topic by observing if the villains ever changed, and for what reason. I remember that Rambo 3 was dedicated to the "Afghan Warriors", which clearly shows that the different time and situation change whom the popular media vilify. – idleric9 years ago
really interesting suggestion, you can delve into this and find some really good examples.
– LaurenJane9 years ago
Someone could also do a villan piece along gender lines, such as famous villainesses like the Borg Queen. I love it when a movie has a really great female villan.
– Munjeera9 years ago
With the tragic passing of the British actor Alan Rickman, it seems right to look back on his impressive career. His role as Professor Snape in the Harry Potter franchise is one of his most memorable roles and for good reason. There are also roles like Hans Gruber in Die hard, Alexander Dane in Galaxy Quest, The Sherif of Nottingham in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves, Judge Turpin in Sweeney Todd, and much more.
Whoever takes this on will be brave. The standard will be high to do him justice. When paying tribute it will be difficult not to insert opinion so I am cautioning the writer against that from the start. I recomend testimony from actors he worked with. – Christen Mandracchia9 years ago
This an article that should be written. I agree with Christen Mandracchia though, in that it will be a tough article to write. Rickman played so many roles that touched so many people. I also agree that it will be difficult to remain unbiased, but a tribute to his work would be appropriate. – sophiacatherine9 years ago
Aaron has been able to produce a great article on the legacy that had belonged to Christopher Lee, and I am certain if willing, he can do so again. – N.D. Storlid9 years ago
An incredibly important article to write and one that does carry a burden to do justice for his contribution to the film industry. Particular mention should also be made to his work as a director and his most recently released film 'A Little Chaos' – Jacqueline Wallace9 years ago
The same can be asked about many films of this era, particularly with regard to their portrayal of African Americans. However, this film won Hattie McDaniel an Oscar for her portrayal of Mammy. Did she accomplish something extraordinary as the first African American woman to win an Academy Award or was she being rewarded to cementing stereotypes? An article on the topic would take these and other questions into consideration when finding a place for this film in today's world.
In all fairness, it should be praised for it's beautiful production quality and cinematography, the hurdles it went through to get made (having gone through four directors), and the accomplishments it made with regards to getting Hattie McDaniel said first Oscar for an African American actor/actress. However, it should also obviously be understood and recognized for it's stereotypical and unfair portrayal of African Americans, both in the context of the time period the film was presenting to us, and in the context of when the film was actually produced. – Jonathan Leiter9 years ago
The portrayal of African Americans, especially those considered domestic slaves in the film was different from other movies of the time. The film was still criticized by African Americans during the 40s and 50s as an image of glorifying slavery. One of the reasons may have been the somewhat "good" relations between the O'Hara's and the slaves, which was very much contrary to what was expected and known of the history of slavery in the south. This is an intriguing topic and would be interesting to see what has been written on this by others.
– aferozan9 years ago
To jump on the bandwagon -- would be interesting to examine how this film differs from other films of that period and how they portray black Americans. Was the subject broached at all in critical reviews when the film was released? Is there any significance to there being any black characters at all? – sophiacatherine9 years ago
The nominations for the 2016 Acadamy Awards are out! Analyse the nominations for their respective categories, mentioning whether any film/actor/director etc. to have missed out and maybe even some predictions. This could also look at how the Awards are potentially already won by certain individuals. Has the DiCaprio joke run its course and helped the actor to win an award regardless of whether he deserves it (on this performance in The Revenant) or not. Will earlier Awards ceremonies have any effect on the Oscars? And generally, how strong a year in film has it been?
This is a good topic. I would also mention how obvious blockbusters (such as Star Wars) might affect other worthy films and possibly hinder awards they might otherwise win. I'm interested to see where this goes! – Stephen Matthias9 years ago
One of the more controversial aspects of this year's nominations is the blatant lack of racial diversity, particularly through various African American actors getting "snubbed." – Christen Mandracchia9 years ago
Serendipity is defined in the 2001 film as a "fortunate accident". The film then progresses to give different philosophical inferences and destiny and fate are constantly mentioned and reflected upon. Which philosophers/theologians have mentioned destiny and fate, specifically, and how can that be related to this film? Suggestions of philosophers and theologians could be Stoic Philosophy, Epicurus, Aquinas, Anselm, Luther and the doctrine of predestination, etc. Does the idea of destiny and fate impede or fulfill our lives, especially with respect to love?
Will this be about the film or the philosophical term? The first option sounds interesting. The second option sounds a little out of the scope of The Artifice. – T. Palomino2 years ago
Provide an analysis of the role that origin stories of villains in various forms of fiction fill. Perhaps the story makes for an interesting insight into the motives behind an evildoer's deeds (as in the case of the Psycho film franchise, for example), their relation to the respective hero (if any), or perhaps as a source of sympathy for the character. Supply in-depth descriptions of examples for each role.
Are Origin stories as important for heroes as for villains though? I would definitely argue not. All superheroes have their stories narrated at some point but in some of the most popular villains people enjoy the unknown quality they have. Just look at Joker, how DID he get those scars? AHA – Slaidey9 years ago
I think this would be a very interesting article! By learning the villain's backstory, it adds a human quality to them, which could nurture sympathy in the viewers. It's always unnerving as a viewer to make an emotional connection, or finding yourself relating to, a character you know you're not supposed to like. Take Loki, for example, when we learn his backstory, it becomes easier to justify all his actions, henceforth. Then, we begin to question our own morality. It shows that good and evil are not always black and white. Great topic! – Megan Finsel9 years ago
I think this topic has a rich base to draw on, because, as noted above, you have a huge variety of villain types: archetypal, lunatic, puppets, misunderstood, the ones you wish were misunderstood but are still pretty murder-y... I think the best organization of this article would be tracing mainstream changes. – IndiLeigh9 years ago
