With his first film in a while, Special Correspondents, coming out on Netflix this week, could look ahead to Ricky Gervais's next film project, the revival of David Brent in Life on the Road. Is there still an apetite for it? Admitting he was swayed to do the film because of the success of the Alan Partridge movie, will this attempt suffer in comparison to the original? Considering there is no Stephen Merchant involved and that his later online skits of Brent on youtube weren't as successful, can the movie recapture the formula that made The Office so successful?
I don't know if the audience that actually 'get' The Office will appreciate it. Of course the fact he's doing it at all could be a big ironic statement on how Gervais is perceived. He's clearly smart enough to know that it's an unpopular choice to egg out Brent's character but that might well be the point. – JChic9 years ago
Historically, people thought Star Wars was geared more towards men than women. Nevertheless, that idea has been put to rest and more and more fans are discussing gender roles in Star Wars. As such, Leia and Rey have had moments where they were trapped and seemingly needed to be rescued, but for the most part it was usually their own attitudes, strength, and intelligence that got them out of trouble. How is the female character designed in the Star Wars franchise? What makes her different? What makes her the same? How can we explore Leia and Rey and get an in-depth look at the anti damsel in distress?
Great topic. Would love to see an article on this. – Munjeera9 years ago
Might as well throw Padme in, too. – JLaurenceCohen9 years ago
Good topic, I would make the argument that Han and Luke had to "save the princess" in the first installment of the original trilogy. But I would agree that for the most part yes they are very strong, autonomous, independent women! – Jason0527149 years ago
would be interesting to chart Leia and Padme's growth through their respective trilogies; as Jason052714 points out Leia does initially require some help but moves on to become a general while Padme seems to move in the opposite direction, becoming less of a leader/action oriented character. – tlbdb8 years ago
Over the last century the man of steel has soared through the American collective consciousness. Since his first appearance in Action Comics, Superman symbolized freedom, justice, faith, perseverance and triumph over evil. But in 1978 the hero's story received a script treatment and director Richard Donner turned it into a Hollywood blockbuster. However, subsequent sequels suggested that it was a property with diminishing box office returns. Though television shows such as "Smallville" and "Lois Clark" had many successful seasons, the efforts to bring Superman back to the big screen in a meaningful way have failed horribly. The Kevin Smith and Tim Burton proposal disaster, the hugely unpopular Superman Returns and now the Zack Snyder version(s), may have mortally wounded the son of Jor-El. Is this a nuanced observation? No. However, what is significant is that people have stopped caring about Superman. Why does this matter? Children won't be adorning red capes to jump off their beds and try to save the world. Thus not as many people will think twice before saying something hurtful. Others might not hold a door for the next guy or extend that hand to a struggling neighbor. It is not just about another bomb at the multiplex, it's really society's rejection of a loving steward of the human race that protected us from dark forces and brought us a joyful uplift to our spirit. And this will prove deadlier than all the kryptonite in the galaxy.
I never liked Superman. I am a Spiderman, Captain American and Black Panther fan, in that order. I have been watching Superman from the 1950s show with George Reeves. I think the reason is that the character of Lois has to be more appealing. The love interest always makes the movie. Take MJ in Spiderman or Gwen Stacy. Instead of focusing so much on Superman, we need a really great Lois Lane too. Think of when Superman turned back time to save Lois, a truly romantic scene. – Munjeera9 years ago
Yea I think even shifting the perspective from Superman to Lois's would be very interesting. – Jason0527149 years ago
You can also argue whether if the Superman franchise would've been much better, more popular, and more symbolic of righteousness if they stuck to the routine comics. Or are you suggesting they should've abandoned the story to keep it a memorable experience? Or are you simply suggesting that the movies could've been better? You have to be clear about what you're up against. – Abhimanyu Shekhar8 years ago
Pee-Wee Herman: the hyperactive man child widely popular in the eighties. His popularity included a tv show and two movies. After several attempts at a revival, Paul Reubens is coming back with his character in a new movie titled Pee-Wee's Big Holiday. Why now? What is it about this character that fits into pop culture as we know it today? Is this just an attempt at rehashing an old formula as can often occur with studios or is this a fresh take for a new generation?
Been awhile since some conversations about Pee Wee Herman! Good stuff! – Jason0527149 years ago
I have recently started re-watching Pee Wee's Playhouse on Netflix with my child, and am pleasantly surprised at how well it still works today. In some ways it may even be more progressive than today. Eg: Many of the actors are POC without implied stereotype, and traditional gender roles are often flipped too. The character of Pee Wee is enduring, I think, because he is so good and kind, yet still fun and recognizable to kids. A good example without being preachy. Maybe the show doesn't require a "fresh take" to work today. – KimMannix8 years ago
Phillip Noyce's Salt is an action film starring Angelina Jolie as Evelyn Salt, a CIA officer accused of being a Russian spy. Examine both the positive depiction of a female action hero and possible ways the movie could have improved on its gender representation.
Points to possibly explore: The main role was initially conceived as a man. The movie subverts the male gaze in certain sequences, such as the opening torture scene. While the main character is an active woman and her male spouse takes a passive role, the supporting cast is predominantly male with very few positive or meaningful interactions between two women. There is also a scene involving Salt going undercover as a man, which also challenges the heterosexual male cinematic gaze.
I think I read somewhere that Brad Pitt was offered the role but he recommended Angelina Jolie. – Munjeera9 years ago
Explore the works of Doris Wishman. Can films like Dildo Heaven, Nude on the Moon and Satan is a Lady be deemed feminist in nature or can they only be considered sexploitation. Explore the claims that Wishman was a proto-feminist
Interesting take. The representation of women in the storyline will defiantly help us understand the filmmaker's position. Sometimes it is not easy to differentiate between exploitation and representation. While the filmmakers might aim to do one thing, it is often the audience that will decide. – Arazoo Ferozan9 years ago
Obviously low-budget horror films make studios a lot of money because they're easy to produce and there's always a market for them. There's also a lot to be said about the low-budget horror film, many of which have been extremely successful. However this mass-production of low-budget horror films has lead to a lot of poor quality horror films to infiltrate the market. I challenge that studios would be able to make a larger profit off higher-quality and high-profile horror films if the invested more into the project. Films like The Exorcist, Silence of the Lambs, Shutter Island and The Shining all benefited for larger budgets and in affect created some of the most successful horror films in the past decades.
It's wise to say what we mean by 'good' horror films. Most horror films follow a typical formula that makes them very easy to guess and insanely predictable. I remember one in particular called Cabin in the Woods Couldn't get through it. – Adnan Bey9 years ago
I made it through Cabin in the Woods, with anticipation that it would get better. I also watched because of Chris Hemsworth. So in addition to the quality over quantity in the low-budget horror films perhaps, you can also look at the cast. Which would probably fall into the category of the higher budget to pay an actor who has a following. So good writing, directing, acting and location would be some factors to examine in this article regarding quality and quantity. – Venus Echos9 years ago
It's certainly complicated. As you mentioned, in the short run, cheaper horror movies like ones filmed on a handheld (found footage films) tend to make A LOT compared to their meager budgets, no matter if they're actually competent. They attract audiences who seek potential thrills and make back what little they spend and then triple that profit, which encourages studios to produce them. It's less about the money to me and more of a) the intentions behind creating the film and b) where the money actually goes. Not going to name names, but a movie can have a lot of money poured into it and still have an incomprehensible script and an over-reliance on CGI. (Not going to name Gods of Egypt, which isn't a horror movie unless you consider that its director was the same director as The Crow and his current film work is horrific.) If I were to advise anyone who writes this topic, I would suggest addressing not just encouraging higher quality in terms of equipment and effects, but taking the time to consider the script and purpose of the film, as well as, like Venus Echos mentioned, casting the right people and not necessarily relying on facial/star recognition. – Emily Deibler9 years ago
The Blair Witch Project (1999) should be one of the films covered. This was a haunting film. Perhaps due to the psychological fear of the unknown, our own imagination can be better than a formulaic production. This example would fit with the categories of unknown actors, script, and director. This low budget film made by film students had an estimated budget of $60,000 with an opening weekend made $1,512.054 per IMDb. – Venus Echos9 years ago
I think that you make a good point! Horror films that are low budget, but still not good in quality are really not worth making! And if I were you, I'd probably get some advice from people who write, produce, or direct horror films. (Like Stephen King for instance.) If you e-mail him, he could probably give you some good advice as to why and how the horror film making industry works, and how it could work better! – autena9 years ago
Several films, shows, and other media have posited the idea of Clean Energy for all and an advancement for the future. This is quickly is shown to be false when all that potential for energy becomes a WMD. Destroying the weapon and returning to the status quo (traditional energy sources) is usually the happy ending. Solar and wind don't seem to be picked out (although apparently I should see Sahara, it's got something with concentrated solar); rather, it's usually something new, sci fi-fantasy, and explosive.
I have a few theories to talk about: the dark turn of saving the world, the fear of the unknown, the possible connection to nuclear power's "betrayal," do we just want more epxlosions, etc. But I'd like to sample more work. Here's what I have so far, with spoilers in the list: The Dark Knight Rises – fusion reactor made bomb Spiderman 2 – "mini sun" made bomb The Legend of Korra – spirit vines The Flash (comics) – Speed force for public transport/energy, starts tearing up time Sahara – Concentrated solar power used as a weapon (Bonus: Snowpiercer's attempt at derailing global warming causing an ice age)
More suggestions are super welcome!!
How about clean energy in TV with Scylla in Prison Break in the final season 4? This is a good topic. Also, make note of a new battery powered by an energy source in Arrow that helps Felicity walk again. – Munjeera9 years ago
Adding cosmic cube to list (an obvious "too much power..." one). – IndiLeigh7 years ago
