Chart and analyze some great examples of the use of cannabis as a narrative device and/or sensory (i.e. hearing, seeing, smelling, feeling, etc.) symbol on the big screen.
The article could explore the increasingly casual use of cannabis by characters in movies (i.e. the eroding of the cannabis taboo), or how cannabis is portrayed in dramas vs. comedies, etc.
This article should not be answering moral questions about the use of cannabis in film, but should use the perceived immorality of cannabis use over time as a consideration during analysis.
Interesting topic. From the counterculture usage in Easy Rider that signals freedom, ultimately punished by reactionary forces, to the casual and unremarkable usage in Inherent Vices, the inclusion of cannabis in film has come a long way. toro – ptoro8 years ago
It would be interesting to provide a chronology of major films that have featured cannabis use and chart the differences in the framing/perception/reception of this 'taboo' topic. Two examples I can think of right off the bat are The Breakfast Club and Pineapple Express - films that are very, very different in terms of content and style, but both featuring cannabis use. I'm sure that more recent movies are more tolerant and provide a more accurate depiction of the drug's effects, but it could be an interesting exercise to offer comparisons. – ShannonMarie8 years ago
Explore how film festivals and the documentary film genre have reacted to the age of Netflix and YouTube. Explain the popularity of film-festivals, their appeal, and the future for the viewing format.
As a burgeoning cinephile, I would love to be educated in the contemporary festival circuit hits (especially in this digital age). I would be interested in how they are being made, who stars/makes them, how they are marketed, how they perform...et al. – JackStewardson8 years ago
As someone who has attended the Hot Docs Film Festival in Toronto for the last 10 years and who is currently a programmer for the Grand River Film Festival (we screen 4 to 5 docs per festival), I am very interested in this topic. People watch docs across many platforms: festivals, cable TV, Netflix, iTunes, and even at theatres! The digital age has lead to a democratization in the making of films and this is no more in evidence than in the documentary genre. The variety of topics covered is staggering! – ptoro8 years ago
Many film composers will say that the best kind of score is one where the audience won't even really notice. Others like Clint Mansell in a recent interview, thinks that's completely the opposite, and that film scores should be integrated within a film, that a film would lose a large part of its narrative without it.
But in the end isn't it true that a film shouldn't rely on the score to express its ideas through the visual language of film? Discuss the advantages of the more "invisible" approach and the more integrated approach to film scoring.
The best film scores are ones where the characters have their own music when they enter a scene. Like the iconic Darth Vader music. DA DA DA DEE DA. Automatically invokes the feeling of the introduction to an evil presence. Imagine the Lion King without the opening score. Wouldn't be the same. – Munjeera8 years ago
In a tv documentary of composer Aaron Copeland, he said when he did film scores, he musically portrayed the unconscious thoughts of the characters on the screen. One example that was illustrated was in the Heiress, the woman was playing it cool when her boyfriend said he was leaving, but the music had lots of tension in it. – DrTestani8 years ago
This would be a very interesting article to read especially since there are many advantages to both sides. I would love to see if the author ends up ultimately choosing a specific side and why (in reference to a specific movie that may really speak to them). – areej238 years ago
Would love to see the score of Batman v Superman be discussed as I loved the "in your face" music during fights and the individual theme music for each character. Also, soundtracks? Guardians of the Galaxy, 500 Days of Summer - the tone of these movies were set by their soundtracks and people adore them. – blameshobhon8 years ago
I think the score, i.e. the instrumental music, should be background music which fits seamlessly with what you're watching, thus together with the visual, it creates a multi-sensory experience which would be incomplete without either part. For an example, see any score by Trent Reznor for David Fincher's films. For film soundtracks, however, I feel it's better if these stand out, as they can, as someone above stated, define the film (GotG, Pulp Fiction) – J.P. Shiel8 years ago
Much of this discussion should revolve around the source of music chosen for a film and the way in which it fits a film's genre, form, and style. Diegetic music (that has an onscreen source accessible to the film's characters) adds realism by defining a film's time and place. Non-diegetic music (that has no onscreen source) most frequently defines mood. The use of one or the other (or both) depends on a film's particular characteristics. – ptoro8 years ago
Discuss the ever-increasing role of trailers in modern blockbuster movies – analyse whether trailers now give away too much of modern cinema, and look at existing trailers and see if you can actually decipher the plot of the film from the trailers. Think about the implications of a world where there is less and less surprise and mystique in going to the cinema.
I think this is influenced by the current struggle of less people going out to the movies. With platforms like Netflix and illegal streaming sites there is less appeal to going out and overspending on tickets. Therefore Hollywood trying even harder to entice people into see their films. – LaRose8 years ago
Look at the trailer of Titanic. It gives the whole story not to mention history has revealed the ending and yet it was a huge blockbuster. Who can tell with audiences and films? Movie magic is a mystery. – Munjeera8 years ago
This is something I think about every time I watch movie trailers. They give away everything and the magic kind of just goes away. I find Disney to be one of the only big names in the industry that are good at keeping the magic. From this I would honestly go on to say I think there is a huge difference in the way films are displayed in commercials depending on the audience. Films for adults are far more exposed, but maybe we ask for it since we are so hard to please? Maybe it's more of a standard thing. – fallonhewitt8 years ago
This is something I think about every time I watch movie trailers. They give away everything and the magic kind of just goes away. I find Disney to be one of the only big names in the industry that are good at keeping the magic. From this I would honestly go on to say I think there is a huge difference in the way films are displayed in commercials depending on the audience. Films for adults are far more exposed, but maybe we ask for it since we are so hard to please? Maybe it's more of a standard thing. – fallonhewitt8 years ago
Hollywood has a history of casting white men/women in minority roles from the blackface of Othello to the recent casting of Scarlett Johansson in the upcoming Ghost in the Shell. But what about the casting of minorities in white roles? On Flash we see an africian american Iris West and on Gotham an asian Hugo Strange. Does this race swapping help open the doors to more minorities being in cast in Hollywood or is it simply an easy way out for studios that don't want to write original minority characters (like Finn in The Force Awakens)? Or is just a band aid on a more ingrained racism issue in our society? Discuss.
I didn't know that there were instances of racialized groups playing roles originally written for White actors. I would be interested in reading about this topic. Thanks for suggesting it. Sounds like it will be different take on an often written about topic. – Munjeera8 years ago
Fascinating question about studios not wanting to write new minority characters. I've often wondered about this topic myself, and the inconsistencies and nuances of it. For example, is casting a white actor for a traditionally black part any more or less problematic than casting a non-disabled actor to play a disabled character (Redmayne as Hawking)? Is it simply about the best actor for the part or must some roles be reserved for black actors and white actors, because of their source material, historical setting, etc? I change my view on these things all the time, so hopefully this article could help me make sense of them! – J.P. Shiel8 years ago
I do wonder if the last question you asked about whether or not the casting of minority groups for traditionally white roles is necessarily just a cop-out way to "diversify" Hollywood without having something intrinsically rooted in their respective race in their characterization. Sometimes I feel like this is done kind of well, but I do get that sense sometimes. I hope to read about it soon. – chekhovsraygun8 years ago
It would be interesting to see which forms of media are doing what kind of race bending too, since in your example the Hollywood movie is casting a white actor in an Asian role, and the tv shows are casting POCs as traditionally white characters. It may be that Hollywood is less willing to racebend to put POCs in starring roles, whereas television has more fluidity with character adaptations (especially when you consider that, in North American media, movies are often seen as the "official" version relative to television adaptations of the same material). – chrischan8 years ago
Analyze the way in which the new film Deadpool uses meta-cinema techniques for the advancement of character, plot, and theme. How do the self-aware references to popular culture enhance the audience's experience?
I think this is a very interesting way to look at the movie. This article could potentially tap into some very interesting cinema philosophy. It is important to consider that the way Deadpool is written in the comic books is that he is self-aware and often breaks the 4th wall, so maybe you can look at if the director pulled it off or not in the film. – StephL1t8 years ago
Another example of meta-cinema is in Mel Brooks' Spaceballs, where Dark Helmet kills a camera man in the middle of a lightsaber battle. – jamiepashagumskum8 years ago
Lin-Manuel Miranda's 'Hamilton' is currently a cultural phenomenon. It has won several awards, including the 2016 Pulitzer Prize for Drama. It is no surprise then that the show has been sold out through to January 2017. Should such an important interpretation of the founding of the U.S. be adapted to film in order to reach a much larger audience? What, in the writing and performance, would be lost in this adaptation? What would be gained?
Perhaps it would be helpful to examine other musical adaptations and what elements made them successes or failures. – SamStarlight8 years ago
Yes! Lin-Manuel Miranda is a genius and that should be argument enough. Just kidding, but whoever is interested, Lin-Manuel Miranda said in an interview that he would definitely be interested in doing a film, but he is in no hurry. – ismael6768 years ago
What is the role of a movie trailer? Is it simply to build excitement for a movie, increasing its revenue, or can it be used as a storytelling tactic? Some trailers can be seen as works of art in themselves (1979's "Alien" is a particular favorite) while many modern trailers have been criticized for "giving too much away," or simply summarizing the plot ("Batman V. Superman" tried a few approaches.) Trailers on the internet can be seen by audiences more easily than ever before: how have they been used, and how should they be used, as a storytelling device?
I'd be interested to read about different trailers for the same movie -- sometimes one trailer paints a movie in a different light than another trailer, but both obviously can influence a person's interest in seeing the film or reasons for committing to watch it. – Cait8 years ago
The role of trailers are crucial in advertising and promoting movies. It gives us a sample of what is to come, and if we don't get enough, or we get too much, the movie could crash and burn before it actually comes out. Trailers are tricky! – Tony138 years ago
Culture also plays a part in what a trailer is likely to show. trailers intended for Western audiences are likely to build excitement and tease the audience, trying to tell us as much as possible without telling us anything at all. The Chinese audience, however, prefer to know what they're going into, so trailers intended for them will give away a lot of the story of the film. – Jamie White8 years ago
Sounds like a good topics. Perhaps you could include a list of the best 5 trailers of all time. – Munjeera8 years ago
I'm convinced that trailer-making is an absolute art in itself, as fulfilling as the film sometimes. The key is to have some structure to the trailers released - for example Cameron's trailers for T2 first told us there were two Terminators, and then told us one was good and one was bad. With each trailer, the audience was drip fed a little more. Now, it seems like directors just cherry pick various cool moments and stick them randomly into each new trailer, often spliced with ones we've already seen. – J.P. Shiel8 years ago
Also analyze movies where the trailer is accused of deliberately misleading the audiences for example in ‘Drive’ and ‘The Rhythm Section’ and how that then has gone on to adversely/positively affect the movie’s theatre revenues. – Dr. Vishnu Unnithan4 years ago
