Look at how a character's race/ethnicity changing in adaptations affects the story (if at all). Also look at how responses vary from between demographics and from which characters are changed and what this reveals about how audiences think about the races of characters. I.e. Human Torch/Johnny Storm (white) becoming black in Fantastic Four (2015) causes a social media firestorm, but Ra's Al-Ghul (Arab) and Talia Al-Ghul (Arab/Chinese) becoming white in Nolan's Dark Knight Trilogy draws no response, etc.
The Bond franchise's Felix Leiter is another interesting example - the writer could look at what the portrayal of Bond's American counterpart as black says about the modern American identity, and just how much this has changed since the inception of the franchise. – IRBurnett8 years ago
Interesting idea. Cold Mountain had a character that changed from Black to White, resulting in a loss of impact to the story. – WALSTIB8 years ago
Analyze and discuss how j-horror is distinct from other genres of horror, particularly its defining characteristics and notable directors or narratives (i.e. What makes them notable, to you as a viewer and the overall field?) Discuss its historical and recent developments. Have there been any emergent prominent themes? Compare it to remakes.
I believe that Japanese Horror is the most scariest horror there can be. I think the gruesome detail and illogical scare factor (i.e. monster, spirit, ...) is what characterizes the way horror is brought in Japanese Horror. – naturalbeautyqueen8 years ago
Analyze the different types of film adaptations of Shakespeare's plays. Which type will ensure that audiences will continue to connect with his plays, written 400 years ago? Some films like Olivier's portrayal of Hamlet are essentially filmed plays. Others, such as last year's Macbeth (with Michael Fassbinder) are dramatized faithful renditions while 1996's Romeo and Juliet (by Baz Luhrmann) modernizes the setting and employs popular young 'movie stars' (Leonardo DiCaprio and Clare Danes).
Interesting topic. I think to some degree, all forms of adaptations have been successful, because there is audience for all. It also depends on the promotion and market of the genre. I myself love the original Romeo and Juliet adaptation but the modernized version starring Leonardo DiCaprio give it a new twist and a new fan base, Leo's fans. He has a large fan base, thus making his movies, anything they maybe attractive. But let us not forget that those who have to read the original plays or not familiar with the form of English spoken, still had trouble relating to the movie.
– Nilab Ferozan8 years ago
Shakespeare's history plays will continue to resonate with the struggles for power.
– Jeffery Moser8 years ago
Transmedia involves telling a story across multiple platforms, but this storytelling genre/technique is often described as not including "franchises" with stories told across film, cartoon, comic and video game adaptations. However, today's world includes multi-film behemoths like the Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU), where advertising, media tours and story tie-ins (short films like the Marvel One Shots, TV shows like Agents of Shield, and specific canon MCU comics like "Black Widow Strikes") can have a large impact on a fan's experience of the story. Can franchises provide a valid transmedia experience, or can they exclusively use transmedia "tricks" to control their audiences?
We have all seen it: a tech savvy nerd surrounded by computer screens and blinking gadgets while furiously typing away at the keyboard. Hacking has become a TV trope embedded in the minds by classics like WarGames, Hackers and Tron but what is wrong with the image? Why does Hollywood feel the need to dramatize and make hacking a sort of action packed activity? Do you see a trend towards more accurate descriptions of hacking like in Mr. Robot (despite it's often pointed out inaccuracies)?
I think the issue with anything to do with computers in real life is that the process is often quite slow and without much action. As a developer I sometimes spend only 30% of my time actually coding and then another 70% finding errors with that code. It might be hard to sell a movie with two people sitting around a monitor looking for an errant semi-colon. – Uldrendan8 years ago
Perhaps there is nothing wrong with this dramatized image of a "hacker" - there many professions that are not depicted accurately in a fictional setting. Doctors in Grey's Anatomy and crime investigators in NCIS, CSI, etc, are both good examples of an unrealistic, glamorized depiction of real life occupations. You could explore whether or not these unrealistic depictions have a negative or positive impact on society (for Grey's, I remember seeing a statistic that said that Grey's increased the number of women in science/medicine, but don't quote me on that).
As for the reason that hackers are depicted this way, movies and TV shows do not show the boring stuff that real life "hackers" do in order to get things done. As Uldrendan mentioned, most of the time for programmers, developers, and other tech-savvy people is spent finding errors and trying to fix them. I have to do some programming for work, and it is actually exciting when you finally fix an error or finally find a solution to a problem, but there is hardly ever an instantaneous solution. There is no time for delayed gratification in movies or TV, so an accurate depiction of "hackers" would not make for a compelling narrative. – zaowow8 years ago
Everyone knows Marvel has been wildly successful with their series of superhero movies from Iron Man, to Thor, to Captain America, to the assembling of the Avengers. Even small name heroes and groups from Marvel are successful in their own movies such as Ant Man and Guardians of the Galaxy. DC on the other hand has failed to make anything of widespread acceptance and appreciation from a mass audience. Man of Steel flopped, and Dark Knight Rising did alright at best. Superman Vs Batman had so much hype built around it, and yet people say the movie was terrible. Does DC stand a chance against the overwhelming popularity and love for Marvel Movies? Is there hope with sections of Marvel doing terrible, such as with certain X-Men movies, the Spiderman movies, and the Fantastic Four movies?
Don't forget that certain Marvel properties, such as X-Men and Fantastic Four, aren't actually produced under the ownership of Marvel Studios but Fox. You can still link in how this affects Marvel's reputation and strategy though. – J.P. Shiel8 years ago
Lately, every six months or so DC comes out with a straight-to-DVD (Blu-ray) animated short movie (eg. Justice League, Batman) appealing to a target audience in a niche in which Marvel has little presence. This niche is not as lucrative as Marvel movies though. Another example is The Justice League and Batman having their own video games, though perhaps licensed to Warner Bros., still DC stories and themes live on. It is worth noting these DC based works however, as mentioned earlier Marvel still reaps in the shear revenue bulk with its movies as well as pop-culture territory. Returning to DC themes, I just want to add that DC (Detective Comics) deals with the seedy, dark side of humanity/societies as expected from any detective tale. These themes are different from typical supernatural, nearly immaculate Marvel hero representations. This appeals to some audience groups even though the movies aren't as spectacular as Marvel's. Thanks. – perscott8 years ago
Discuss the different stereotypes and historical archetypes of African Americans in film. How have they evolved? And how do they affect the image of the African American community and culture today?
There are many stereotypes of African Americans in film. Here are a few that I see:The The Domestic: The domestic is likely one of the earliest stereotypes about African-Americans shown in film. Common alternative names for the domestic may include “the mammy” or “mama,” and African-American women are disproportionately represented as the domestic than African-American men. A relatively recent example of the domestic in film is shown in the movie The Help, which featured several maids in servitude to white families.
The Black Best Friend: The black best friend is often used to guide white characters out of some sort of trouble. Typically female, the black friend is usually portrayed with sass, attitude, and has great insight into relationships and life. We can see this in the movie Sex and the City where Louise, Carrie’s assistant (played by actress Jennifer Hudson) plays this role to Carrie (played by actress Sarah Jessica Parker).
The Brash Woman: Often those of a darker complexion, these women are usually portrayed as sassy, loud, and aggressive – sporting the signature “neck roll” quite often. This is one of the most pervasive stereotypes against African-American women in film. Shows such as Basketball Wives and Flavor Flav exhibit this stereotype. Of course, there ate many additional stereotypes. These kinds of stereotypes are problematic as they become normalized in society because they often serve as defining factors of Blacks, and homogenizes the community into a "Black Culture" when Blackness is so diverse. Within the past year (thankfully), more diverse roles have opened up for African Americans in film, with much credit being due to the #OscarsSoWhite movement. One of the most recent roles is illustrated in the upcoming "The Black Panther" which features a leading cast dominated by Black folks. – Bianca8 years ago
you can also talk about how black-face has made a stereotypical outlook as well. – scole8 years ago
You can also mention how when many black characters do appear on film, they are commonly portrayed as a side-kick or supporting role. When black characters do play a lead role, they tend to be socially skewed in some way; for example, Finn in the latest Star Wars movie is portrayed as socially awkward. There is also a lot of stereotyping concerning The Black Panther who appears in the new Captain America: Civil War movie, such as why he runs so fast even though he has no super powers, or why the audience is left in the dark for so long as to whether The Black Panther character is actually a hero or not. There is the battle between Captain America and The Black Panther where The Black Panther is arguably the biggest battle keeping Captain America from achieving his admirable goal.
It's also important to analyze the fact that being black isn't the only type of discrimination the characters you mentioned are suffering from. Gender in combination with race is also important to consider. – NomiTurner8 years ago
Hopefully whoever writes this topic will talk about Empire, Black-ish and BET and the impact of these shows. Recently, on the Daily Show with Trevor Noah someone from Black – Munjeera8 years ago
ish and he discussed the growing portrayal of diversity in the media concerning the African American community. But we need more roles and opportunities for creative expression. – Munjeera8 years ago
Unless you are white, more than likely people will want you to play a stereotype. I know Hispanics have the biggest issue with this – Zegram8 years ago
I think a great place to reference would be the early films (from the late 80s to mid 90s) that became prominent in the context of depicting African American narratives which were - and still are - marginalized. Examples include Spike Lee's filmography from that time as well as Boyz in The Hood. There was a scene in Jungle Fever that still harrows me to date, where a group of Black women are discussing how inadequate they've felt given the prominence and reverence of eurocentric aesthetics. I don't know the exact time stamp, but it happens shortly after Flipper's wife throws him out. – Fallen8 years ago
It's important to note how, as a product of weak storytelling, will often rely on the use of racial archetypes. Which, in turn, reinforce the stereotypes they were drawing from. Directors should, therefore, be expected to have some level of education before delivering these characters. – Sebastian Shoe8 years ago
Analyze how much the ratings system for films have changed throughout the years, such as why was The Secret of NIMH rated G in the '80s when it is a kids' film with gritty imagery, violence, and intense themes? Why was the film Blazing Saddles rated R in the '70s when it really isn't as raunchy as most R rated movies today? What ratings would these movies (and other older films that don't seem to deserve the ratings they got upon release) would get if they were released today? Overall, how have film ratings in the U.S. changed since they were established? Do you think they should be updated again, or revert to how they were in past decades?
I am sure one can find studies on this made by professionals who have the tools and training and specially the knowledge and authority to address this problems. – T. Palomino2 years ago
