Dwayne "The Rock" Johnson is one of the most charismatic and ubiquitous performers working today. Will his reign ever be extinguished? What should he look into next?
It would be good to look at his films in terms of box office performance – Ryan Errington10 years ago
I think a history of how he came to prominence would also be helpful! – Cagney10 years ago
It's worth noting that he was the highest grossing box office star of 2013, whether it is because of him or despite of him might be worth discussing. – Michael Clancy10 years ago
It could be interesting to look at several wrestler's transition to film and their varying degrees of success. The list could include: Johnson, Jeep Swanson (Bane in Batman & Robin), Tyler Mane (Sabretooth in X-Men, Mike Myers in Halloween (remake)) and even Harold Sakata, who played Oddjob in Goldfinger. How have the actors fared in terms of their performances, box office success, have they had memorable roles?
I just feel an entire article about The Rock wouldn't be substantial enough; I could be wrong though. – Jamie White9 years ago
Do we want a Shining more so than a Watchmen? Analyse to what extent should writers and directors go to (literally) adapt the material at hand. Suggest a method for completing the perfect adaptation from book to screen.
Good article topic! The article could also use successful film adaptations to support their argument on how to complete a perfect adaptation. Also, state specific examples from films that failed to adapt the film successfully, listing what they did wrong (i.e. casting, visual effects, etc.) – Amanda Dominguez-Chio10 years ago
The idea is good. There are two answers to this: how old is the material, if old Like Arthurian Romance, then its up for grabs, if written within the last three centuries, then one may consider the vision of the book, like Oliver Twist and or Earthsea. Ultimately it depends on the work. I recommend consulting The Art of Adaptation by Laura Mulvey. – Travis Kane10 years ago
The Australian Federal Court, revealed the details of over 4000 people guilty of downloading the 2013 hit. Will this mark the end of internet privacy? Is downloading close to being overthrown by Hollywood and the legal system?
Did those people illegally download the film? If so, that's hardly a breach of internet privacy. One could certainly address the rising trend of downloading shows/movies and whether legal action should be taken for something so innocuous, but on the whole, this topic does get into a lot of tricky legal issues. It can be written, but one would have to keep their wits about them and address every angle of the case you mention, cases like it, and especially cases that aren't like it in order to weight the validity of the laws in place. – August Merz10 years ago
Who are some of the biggest and best actors/actresses who are yet to receive an Academy Award? What are their next projects?
When doing this kind of list, it best to consider who the actors were up against that year. The best actor/actress category is very competitive, and it can be hard to really determine who gave the best performance that year. Look at this years Oscars: Jake Gyllenhaal should of been nominated for Nightcrawler, but who out of the 5 nominees for best actor should of been kicked out to make room for Gyllenhaal? – Aaron Hatch10 years ago
Danny Boyle and Aaron Sorkin's version of Steve Jobs is set to be one of this Oscar season's biggest hits. How can this docudrama not fall into the Oscar Bait void or fall even further (2013's Jobs)?
As vain as this may be, I'd say a lot of it has to do with the film's crew. 2013's Jobs starred Ashton Kutcher, who was the only one with any star power in the film, was written by Michael Whiteley, a first time screenwriter, and directed by Joshua Michael Stern, whose other film credits include Swing Vote and Neverwas. On the whole, this wasn't exactly the best crew out there, at least when compared to the upcoming Jobs film, which stars Michael Fassbender, Seth Rogen, and Kate Winslet, is directed by Danny Boyle, who has Trainspotting, Slumdog Millionaire, and 127 Hours under his belt, and written by Aaron Sorkin, who penned The Social Network and created The West Wing and The Newsroom. On the whole, I think this article should definitely address what it means to have credibility when it comes to making a film, and how a lot of the time, it comes down to whose making it. One could even go further and as if such biases are justified when considering the worth of a film. – August Merz10 years ago
Daredevil, released by Netflix to a thunderous reception, is the best superhero TV venture so far? How can Marvel and DC boost ratings and quality in the future? Should the TV and cinema unvierses intersect?
Interesting to discuss how Marvel's Daredevil is done differently from DC's shows like Arrow and The Flash – Aaron Hatch10 years ago
The balance/dynamic between writer and editor is central a publication's success. How can writers learn to get along/share with their editors effectively?
Possibly explore the idea that writers should, essentially, listen to their editors? (which, from my understanding, is something that doesn't happen as often as you'd think). – NuclearAlligator10 years ago
With the controversial Lego Movie snubbing still ringing in our ears, does the category have any legitimacy today? How can the smaller efforts strive to defeat the Pixar/Dreamworks juggernauts?
How did the transitions from tabloid journalism to crime writing to screenwriting help Gillian Flynn become one of the world's most distinctive writers?
We know some of the Marvel Cinematic Universe's many ticks (humour, intertwining worlds etc.), has the genre really changed all that much? How do these movies differ from X-Men, Spider-Man in quantity and quality?
This would be a great topic to write about seeing as how it's virtually impossible to talk about these movies in a critical manner (at least for me). They're all spectacular and fun and offer a decent Good v. Evil battle, but aside from that, they don't offer a lot in terms of substance. If this is the cinematic equivalent of junk food (or as Spielberg would refer to it, gourmet popcorn) then what keeps us going back? – August Merz10 years ago
Months on from the firestorm, has the video game system changed for the better or worse? Can it be changed over the next few months?
It would be good to also inspect whether GG had any ACTUAL impact on the industry. Whether there is any truth behind "Ethics", the conduct of those working under the GG banner was criminal. So has the industry changed? Is there now greater attention on the hate directed at women, not just in games, but in Technology in general? – carboncopyben9 years ago
With The Amazing Spider-Man 2 spoiling Sony's plans, where should the wall-crawling megastar swing to next? Will Sony/Marvel's new plans to the character justice for sideline him in four of more established Cinematic Universe characters?
List and discuss the biggest A-list stars and their connections to TV's golden age. How does each one handle the small screen compared to the blockbuster heights?
Where are the actors from The Wire now? Have these people reached their true potential on the big and small screens? Could they have the chutzpah to come back together or another season?
Conan O'Brien's Clueless Gamer series has been a sure-fire hit, but does the segment talk down to gamers? Is the mix of gameplay or comedy a blessing or curse for the industry's pop-cultural impact?
What might be some of this year's biggest surprises and unexpected success stories? Do movies like Maggie have the guile to overcome The Avengers: Age of Ultron etc.?
Collateral is an all-time classic – the dynamic between Tom Cruise and Jamie Foxx is surpassed only by Michael Mann's superlative direction. So, with Miami Vice, Public Enemies, and Blackhat pushing Mann into steep decline, are the filmmaker's best days behind? Are their similar cases of big-name directors succeeding and failing at different points in their careers (Ridley Scott etc.)?
This is a great topic. Seeing as how Michael Mann has become a director who is starting to appreciate style over substance, it'd be interesting to see how much he has let go of character depth while supplanting it with a really intricate, hyper-realistic visual style. Why would he (and other directors for that matter) see the way they tell the story as being more important than the story itself? – August Merz10 years ago