Nat Parsons

Nat Parsons

Hi, I'm Nat Parsons. I've a degree in writing from Liverpool John Moores University, and am currently a fan of Captain America.

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    Latest Topics

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    The prequels/origins stories: Do they need to stop?

    I was reading this article here: (link)
    and got stuck on the first paragraph.

    Origin stories (mainly superhero films) have a very natural structure that go something like: Hero has noble heart, but is overlooked and downtrodden by some kind of embodied big bad (For Wolverine it was his dad, for Spiderman it was life and school bullies.) Hero undergoes change – could be anything, a freak accident/a spiderbite/a traumatic event that unlooses latent powers and suddenly hero's world is changed enough to be freed from the embodied big bad.

    It's a structure we can all relate to. But we have had a great many origin stories through remakes, flashback scenes, then prequels, then more remakes (Fantastic Four!). Have we had enough of them yet?

    The article said something about heroes are 'best defined by the origin story that made them who they are.'

    I think that's an untrue statement – partly because I believe what makes heroes who they are is how they use their powers and the adventures they have afterwards/how they are tested. I would like to move beyond the prequel story.

    • This topic suggestion could lead to interesting points on the overall structure of film's take on so-called "origin stories" for superheroes that have undeniably become so prevalent from Batman to Spiderman, throughout decades even. Since the heroes in question are already well-established in the public eye, another question could also lead to who is truly benefiting from endless origin stories: the audience or the film industry exploiting them for a quick easy buck? – dsoumilas 9 years ago
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    • This could be about two separate things: origin stories and their reuse in main-stream cinema. While the first option could lead to some good comparisons (mainly with the structure of video games) the second begs more questions from a business and industry perspective. They aren't rehashing these origin stories because they want to, particularly. They're most likely doing it to start a new series and, of course, for the cash out. Honestly, the second option could be a very very appealing piece, especially with DC making a come back on the theater-front. – Travis Cohen 9 years ago
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    • I have a note on the side of origin stories but not whether they are necessary to character development. In the last month Magic the Gathering released a set called Magic:Origins. They remade five planeswalkers with flip sides of their before and after state, and the pre-release packs had challenges for players to strive for which reflected the struggles of their chosen planewalker colour. This could be a great thing to explore and explain in an "overuse of origin stories" article because the popularity has it spreading recently into other genres of things aside from comics and books! Origins was a neat twist, but now that you mention it, it seems to be part of a growing trend right now. – Slaidey 9 years ago
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    Latest Comments

    Nat Parsons

    I am calling my future cat Puddin’ Cup now. 🙂
    In all seriousness, this is a great article with brilliant sensible advice. Why cheapen your favourite storylines and characters with something that only looks similar? All those series you listed as suggestions for branching all have strong characters with strong actors, a sense of humour and good writing in common. That’s surely what we love most. 🙂

    So Your Favourite Show Has Been Cancelled: DOs and DON'Ts for Surviving the Aftermath
    Nat Parsons

    The way we watch entertainment is changing due to YouTube and on-demand services. The very attraction lies in the fact you don’t have to sit in front of the box at a certain time a day to be entertained. YouTube completely missed the point, and you completely got it, Jon Lisi. x

    What We've Learned from the YouTube Music Awards
    Nat Parsons

    This film was all about entertainment – and as such it was amazing. It was a treat to see more of Asgard.
    Did anyone else completely fall in love with Frigga, Thor’s mum? Her character was developed so well in such a short space of time. I didn’t question Loki’s devotion to her once, and I’m sure it’s as a result of this. In that alone those overly critical reviewers should give this film credit. x

    Thor: The Dark World Review: Hammered Home
    Nat Parsons

    I thin you’ve convinced me that as a lover of the US Office my next thing to do is devour Parks and Recreation. Amy Poehler is divine, no?
    Also, love your choices. Mad Men deserves top billing, in my opinion. x

    Television Today: The Top 5 TV Shows Currently on Air
    Nat Parsons

    Miley’s always been able to sing, and sing very well – see her cover of ‘Jolene’ with her band about a year ago. I have this theory that although a singer, she’s a performer first. She’s so plugged in to the music industry of now – add that to her knowledge of how to hold an audience and her relaxed personality, and she’s never going to play it safe. Why should she? Plus she’s played it safe already!
    Great article, I loved it, and so glad someone else feels the same about Miley. I think she’s got an incredible sense of humour. That performance made me laugh. x

    What Was Up With That Miley Cyrus AMA Performance?
    Nat Parsons

    Being a rugrat myself when this film came out first I can remember it had a huge impact on the social consciousness at the time. I remember my dad playing around with soundbites from the film – he worked in radio – and to this day Richard Attenborough’s line ‘People are DYING!’ still gives me shivers!
    I really hope this new film keeps in mind children LOVE dinosaurs and adventure, and in fact pay a whole load of attention to what’s going on socially around them. They’ll be affected by this film. They’ll want to love it. It’s those scenes with the flying pterodactyls at the end, the sneezing brachiosaurus and the field with the diplodocus that make Jurassic Park for everyone, because dinos are everyone’s. It’s part of our world history!
    I’ll be well upset if scenes like that don’t make it. I’ll be hopping.

    Jurassic World and the Sci-Fi Renaissance
    Nat Parsons

    This is a great discussion! It’s true- it’s a love for the subject is what sets films like Shaun of the Dead etc and the Scary Movies apart. S of the D is a homage, never a parody for the sake of parody. Shaun of the Dead is so cleverly crafted it’s not even in the same universe as the Scary Movies. I also don’t get why they’re supposed to be funny.
    Building on the self-aware comment from Amelia above – I love how S of the D gives the whole of the plot in the first scene in the plans for a night of drinking after Shaun gets dumped by his gf. I’m also looking forward to the same attention in the script for World’s End. They’re just so much fun to watch!

    Is Parody a Necessary Popular Genre? - The End of the "Three Flavours Cornetto Trilogy"