«Since the dawn of cinema, there have been numerous film directors who have garnered the reputation of innovator, auteur, even genius of the medium. Only three directors, however, have created such unmistakably identifiable styles as to warrant film...» Document abstract
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film studies
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SummarySince the dawn of cinema, there have been numerous film directors who have garnered the reputation of innovator, auteur, even genius of the medium. Only three directors, however, have created such unmistakably identifiable styles as to warrant film terminologies based on their very names. Alfred Hitchcock, with his unparalleled techniques of suspense and intrigue gave birth to the term Hitchcockian. In recent years, the phrase Spielbergian has found its way into the film-language lexicon, referring to Steven Spielberg’s ability to weave stirring, emotional themes into massive-budget, blockbuster films. Perhaps the most-coined phrase taken from a filmmaker’s name, however, is Felliniesque; based on the work of Italian director Federico Fellini. Felliniesque applies to the way Fellini masterfully blends fantasy and reality in many of his films; most notably in his revolutionary Otto e mezzo (1963). Upon its release, Otto e mezzo, which translates to 8 ½, garnered massive critical acclaim and won numerous prestigious awards, including the Academy Award for Best Foreign Film. Acclaim for the film has only grown over the years, and Otto e mezzo has, today, become routinely known as one of the greatest films ever made. While Federico Fellini’s career is full of landmark films, Otto e mezzo, stands out as one of his most undeniably intriguing films, as well as his first and clearest foray into the style that would later lead to the term Felliniesque. That Otto e mezzo would, in part, lead to such an often-coined phrase in film terminology is ironic, as the film itself is, among other things, the single greatest movie ever made about making a movie.
«Distinguishing a film as “campy” is, arguably, as difficult as determining whether or not a film is “good.” The definition of “camp” is utterly malleable and, moreover, exists almost purely in the eyes of the beholder. Similarly, a film is rarely...» Document abstract
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film studies
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SummaryDistinguishing a film as “campy” is, arguably, as difficult as determining whether or not a film is “good.” The definition of “camp” is utterly malleable and, moreover, exists almost purely in the eyes of the beholder. Similarly, a film is rarely definably solely as “good” or “bad”; these are merely opinions. It is oddly fitting, and quite unfortunate, that films which become marked as “campy” are rarely described as “good”. This can be partly explained by the fact that the majority of movies known as “camp films” are largely unintentional camp; put simply, camp films with a “so-bad-they’re-good” quality receive the most attention. The films of Edward D. Wood Jr. are examples of classic, unintentional camp; movies made famous by the degree to which they do not “work.” While unintentional camp is certainly an important part of cinema history, intentional camp often goes unnoticed, or at least underappreciated. Many intentionally campy films are quite noteworthy, and, moreover, are simply good films. John Carpenter’s They Live (1988) is an example of a camp film that not only “works,” it has something meaningful to say. It is, in fact, a campy film, a socially parodic film, and a good film. Upon its initial release, They Live was dismissed as a campy sci-fi/horror movie with dreadful special effects and poor acting.
«The United States of America is often referred as “the great melting pot”; a place where people of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and plights exist under a single title “American”. The title is simple; those living in The United States are, by...» Document abstract
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film studies
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SummaryThe United States of America is often referred as “the great melting pot”; a place where people of all ethnicities, backgrounds, and plights exist under a single title “American”. The title is simple; those living in The United States are, by definition, American. And yet, there is lot more to the term “American”. The word brings about a great deal of sentiment; ardor for some, pride for others, some consider themselves patriots, while some would say the simply live here. American culture is one of singular poignancy and countless connotations.
«As is the case with many art forms, the exact origin of Cinema is tainted with controversy. While numerous innovators played important roles in the dawn of the medium, the Lumière brothers (Louis and Auguste) of France are most directly accredited...» Document abstract
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film studies
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SummaryAs is the case with many art forms, the exact origin of Cinema is tainted with controversy. While numerous innovators played important roles in the dawn of the medium, the Lumière brothers (Louis and Auguste) of France are most directly accredited with creating the first “films”. Credited with inventing the Cinématographe, a device that could record, print, and project film, in 1895, the Lumière brothers were at the forefront of filmmaking as a technical innovation. Film’s transformation from technical achievement into valid art form, however, came at the hands of a different type of French innovator, Georges Méliès (1861-1938). Cinema, in fact, can literally be divided into two categories; pre and post-Georges Méliès. More so than any other filmmaker in the history of the medium, the roots of narrative filmmaking can be traced directly to Georges Méliès. His infusion of magic and fantasy into fledgling medium paved the way for the now-limitless possibilities of Cinema.
«The nomenclature of “disaster movie” is as difficult a classification to place upon a film as any; for its definition is extremely malleable. Many movies incorporate a disaster, or even numerous disasters, and are still not known as “disaster...» Document abstract
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film studies
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SummaryThe nomenclature of “disaster movie” is as difficult a classification to place upon a film as any; for its definition is extremely malleable. Many movies incorporate a disaster, or even numerous disasters, and are still not known as “disaster movies”; the definition is not that simple. A disaster movie is usually declared as such when, and only when, the entire essence of the film revolves around disaster. Characters, and the realities which they inhabit, seem to exist only in order to be affected by the disaster(s). Disaster movies of all types (from alien invasions to in-peril travel movies), operate within the same formulaic realm; the death toll is large, the disasters horrific, and hero(s) nearly always saves the day. The allure of the disaster movie is that of “danger at a distance”; the audience can live (and nearly die) vicariously through the characters facing the disaster, while remaining safe in the knowledge that it’s only a movie. The thrill is the heart of the disaster movie. However, there is more to the average disaster film than meets the eye; these films have a way of acutely reflecting the times in which they are created. Disaster movies are often capable of analogizing the fears and concerns of contemporary society in particularly inspired and insightful ways.
«Joan of Arc never lived to hear her own name; she never lived to see her own deliverance. Jeanne la Pucelle (Joan the Maid) died a heretic. Redeemed twenty-five years later at the nullification of the Rouen trial that sentenced her to the stake,...» Document abstract
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film studies
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SummaryJoan of Arc never lived to hear her own name; she never lived to see her own deliverance. Jeanne la Pucelle (Joan the Maid) died a heretic. Redeemed twenty-five years later at the nullification of the Rouen trial that sentenced her to the stake, Joan finally earned the honor behind the surname D’Arc, but not before cementing a dichotomy larger than the split between England and France. Was Joan of Arc truly a messenger of God, or merely a girl spawned by satanic delusions or personal vendettas? History fails Joan; it is not even known for sure her date of birth or her exact age at death. Régine Pernoud, in her book Joan of Arc: Her Story, paints a portrait of Jeanne left incomplete by lack of fact and verification. Even her accompanying collection of interviews and transcripts, Joan of Arc: By Herself and Her Witnesses, presents a one-dimensional Joan void of any emotion beyond her devotion to God. Such reckless piousness is hard to believe. Most fictional accounts of the Maid sacrifice spirituality in the name of humanity. Even William Shakespeare in his theatrical representation of King Henry VI presents Joan as the basest of villains, weak to the point of embracing Satan to save her own life. This English propaganda, common in decades following the end of the 100 Years War, presents a strikingly human Joan in comparison to the French obsession with her as icon alone: it is easier to sympathize with Joan as a lost girl torn on the eve of her death than as a devout Christian unbreakable even by the thought of fire and damnation. In his film The Messenger, Luc Besson attempts to find understanding in the story of Jeanne la Pucelle, a kind of humanity disallowed by history and Joan herself.
«The media exists for the sole purpose of entertainment, and the easiest way to bring this entertainment to the people is through television. This being said, it can be understood why the media functions the way it does; entertainment needs to be...» Document abstract
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Language : english
film studies
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SummaryThe media exists for the sole purpose of entertainment, and the easiest way to bring this entertainment to the people is through television. This being said, it can be understood why the media functions the way it does; entertainment needs to be entertaining. Isn’t it only expected that writers would strive to blow everything out of proportion? Even the news focuses mostly on the heart wrenching. So really, can television be blamed for the way in which it portrays mental illnesses? Why give viewers the boredom of a psychiatrist’s office when they can be given violent, sick people lost to the madness of schizophrenia and suicidal tendencies? Instead of striving for realistic integrity, television works toward the most violent portrayal of mental illnesses it can create.
«The play between high and low culture has become an important subject in film studies and criticism. In particular, the subject has proved a relevant context for the exploration of exploitation films, and vice versa. In looking at exploitation...» Document abstract
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Language : english
film studies
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SummaryThe play between high and low culture has become an important subject in film studies and criticism. In particular, the subject has proved a relevant context for the exploration of exploitation films, and vice versa. In looking at exploitation film, critics and theorists have paid much attention to the films of Radley Metzger, who addresses the interaction of high and low culture in a most interesting and tangible manner. Looking at an article such as Elena Gorfinkel’s “Radley Metzger’s ‘Elegant Arousal’: Taste, Aesthetic Distinction and Sexploitation,” one can see the possibilities in placing Metzger’s films in this particular area of cultural studies. In general, all of his films comment on high and low culture in one way or another: he makes “art films” that play(ed) in grindhouses. Many of the critics and theorists who study exploitation films view this fact alone as a transgression of high and low culture. But Metzger’s The Lickerish Quartet (1970) takes this transgression much farther.
«In 1959, after the unexpected death of her husband, Doris Wishman decided to begin making films. With a background in distribution, she became aware of the genre of “nudist camp” films through an acquaintance with Walter Bibo, producer of Garden of...» Document abstract
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Language : english
film studies
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SummaryIn 1959, after the unexpected death of her husband, Doris Wishman decided to begin making films. With a background in distribution, she became aware of the genre of “nudist camp” films through an acquaintance with Walter Bibo, producer of Garden of Eden (1954), a groundbreaking film in the field. Despite not having any sort of formal training in film (quite difficult for a woman to obtain at this time), she borrowed $20,000 from her family and made Hideout in the Sun (1960), one of the earliest nudist camp films. Over the next eighteen years, she made twenty-three more films, thus qualifying her as probably the most prolific female director of the sound era. She even staged a comeback in the early part of the twenty-first century, creating three more films before her death on August 10, 2002, at the age of 82.
«Good evening my fellow citizens…This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet Military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of...» Document abstract
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film studies
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SummaryGood evening my fellow citizens…This Government, as promised, has maintained the closest surveillance of the Soviet Military buildup on the island of Cuba. Within the past week, unmistakable evidence has established the fact that a series of offensive missile sites is now in preparation on that imprisoned island. The purpose of these bases can be none other than to provide a nuclear strike capability against the Western Hemisphere.” These are the exact words spoken by John F. Kennedy in his address to the nation on October 22, 1962.
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