Visualizing terror is no easy task for filmmakers and writers, given the sensitive nature of the topic. Several productions have tackled the subject in various ways with shifting point of views and emphasises. Examples include Air Force One (1997), Bloody Sunday (2002), Omagh (2004), Syriana (2005), Munich (2005), World Trade Center (2006), The Baader Meinhof Complex (2008), Olympus Has Fallen (2013). How is terror visualized? What purpose does it serve to portray it? Where does fiction start?
"Extremely Loud and Incredibly Close" just serves as a good title. It might be referenced in the article, though it is a fictional event that focuses not on terror but more on coping with it. It might be a good starting point in the article as well, maybe with a quote or Illustration or something. – L.J.7 years ago
This is an interesting topic that could be filled in with a little more shape if you pinpoint the aspects of film-making or writing the author should/could use. Perhaps a suggestion on not only how terror is visualized but also on the politics of representation and the limits of the visual. – Jonathan Judd7 years ago
Analyze how Groundhog Day (1993) has thematic roots in Buddhist and existential philosophy, particularly Friedrich Nietzsche's concept of eternal recurrence, and how it offers a compelling look at the process of change and approaching a more authentic existence.
Bill Murray does a convincing job portraying the various stages of the path, making his transformation from cynical/nihilistic to genuinely kind-hearted believable.
There are many ways the Creature in the 1994 film "Mary Shelley's Frankenstein" is different from it's original, classic incarnation from 1931 in "Frankenstein." One example is, obviously, the Creature talks in the remake. What effects do these changes have on the film? Are we more sympathetic to the Creature in the remake or the original film? What relationship does it have to the book?
Hi, I recommend you talk about how much the 1994 version is based on the basic outline and some of the elements of the book by Shelley (which is one of the best books ever created, in my opinion). – SeanGadus7 years ago
Look at the difference between classic and modern gothic and the kinds of thematic shifts that have taken place there. Monsters used to be something used as a scapegoat, pinning our fears onto anything 'Other'. Nowadays, the monsters are often more sympathetic creations, and our fears are turned inwards. – TomWadsworth7 years ago
Consider Park Chan Wook's 'Oldboy' (2003) and Spike Lee's American (2013) remake. What do the differences in these two works reveal about their respective cultures?
I totally forgot about Spike Lee's remake. I have to wonder how he'd handle the ending. – John Wells7 years ago
The sub-genre of movies known as "found-footage film" carries that unique sense of realism (brought about by shaky handheld cameras and lack of background music) rarely found in other films. With movies such as "The Blair Witch Project," "Chronicle," "The Gallows," and many others falling under this category, what makes some of these movies "better" than others? What sort of techniques have (or have not yet) been used to make these films feel valid/believable by an audience?
well, you have to look at the broader context. Consider the fact that The Blair Witch Project basically invented the found-footage subgenre and was an early example of viral marketing. That is probably why it feels so realistic-- no one had really done it before, at least not on the same level, and since then it's been extremely difficult to replicate, and I'd argue the only one that's done it successfully is Cloverfield, because it basically invented viral marketing as we know it today with the websites and social media pages for the characters. Seeing it replicated endlessly makes it less and less convincing. – sadiebritt288 years ago
Analyzing the films that go against the common belief in Hollywood that every great story with a female lead must contain a love story. Meaning, there's a clear love interest for her character. Looking at films that follow and defy this tradition, and at what cost. From the top grossing film of the year that follows (Rogue One) to indie favorites that don't (Lost in Translation), what is gained and what is lost by following this trope? And why can male leads go against this tradition? Would Master and Commander be a bigger hit if he had a damsel to rescue? Or could the Matrix survive without Neo's love for Trinity? Compare the loveless 2001: A Space Odyssey vs. the love-driven Interstellar. Both are successful films with male leads. Why aren't there more non-romantic films lead by women? Take a look at the film Housekeeping, which stands out from the pack.
That is a great question. However, if you look hard enough you will find many more films being released today that do not follow this pattern. The Underworld series contain a female hero who is seen battling alongside the men and in most cases actually does more damage than they do. She is portrayed as the leader of her people and her main focus is to keep her species alive above everything else. Of, course there is a love story but he is on the opposite side of the war and she will not let her love for him cloud her decision to kill the rest of his people. – AnthonyWright7 years ago
You're right, in that example the love interest is not quite as pronounced as many other films. Thanks for the note! – Nate Océan7 years ago
Mumbai, the City of Dreams, houses the prime centre of Hindi Film Industry, better known as Bollywood. Acclaimed as one of the biggest film industries of the world, Bollywood produces over 1000 films every year. Since 1913, Indian Cinema has made a long journey from simple silent movies to sound films, then colored films to technically advanced movies of the present day. Bollywood imbibed its name from the merger of the term Bombay (now Mumbai) and Hollywood, the American Film Industry.
Another point worth-mentioning is that Bollywood is just the part of Indian Film Industry, which also encompasses other language film industries. The movies churned out here are the major source of entertainment, with an audience of 3.6 billion people, which is more than half of the world's population. Bypassing the reality, Hindi films are usually 'masala' (spicy) movies that comprise all the ingredients like music, dance, violence and melodrama of a good entertainer. The languages of Hindi, Urdu and English are extremely common in Bollywood.
This topic is very broad. Is there a particular aspect of Bollywood cinema that you are interested in? One could focus on the "history" of the genre or "What makes a Bollywood film". I personally hope to write a piece on the use of flashbacks in Bollywood film some day. I did a fair amount of Bollywood cinema research in undergrad and would consider rummaging through it for a more focused topic. – derBruderspielt7 years ago
Analyze how the portrayal of gender roles and sexuality has changed during the last years and how it has changed in recent blockbuster films. For example the inclusion of a homosexual character in Disney's Beuty and a Beast (2017) and in the upcoming Power Rangers (2017) film.
I do love the topic, and though I feel like a lot of people have tried to tackle this, the fact that you are limiting this to blockbusters might take this discussion into a slightly different direction than usual (aka whoever writes this won't necessarily focus on the tragic gay story that dominated indie movies, or the recent "burn your gays" movement in TV shows. Though, even those might have their place, so I'd leave that to the writer's discretion). That being said, I'm thinking whoever writes this might like to focus the topic some more considering that even in the blockbuster realm, different genres of movies have different histories that point to various forms of progress/regress. Beauty and the Beast, for instance, might speak to the way representation of LGBT peeps is (very) tentatively making its way into children's movies, while the Power Rangers might open the discussion about how homosexuality might/might not challenge the hyper masculinity of male heros and the hypersexuality of female ones for instance (I have yet to see either, so these are mostly guesses, but it still feels like both movies could potentially lead to different discussions). In any case, I still think its a super relevant topic today and welcome more discussions on the matter. For Disney, their "easter egg" gay man in Frozen could be used for contrast when establishing a timeline, and in superheros, the erasure of Mystic's bisexuality and Deadpool's one being still pending could be interesting to look at. – Rina Arsen8 years ago
