· The representation of women in the past differs from the present because of the changes in society’s way of thinking and because of historical events that have taken place.
· Women are constantly portrayed in the media as sex objects to attract the male audience (male gaze – Laura Mulvey)
· Women who write magazines for women are trying to portray across a specific message to the women in the public: those concerned with home making and childcare and those aimed at marketing one to catch a mate.
· Historically, women were classed into two categories, Madonna which was the term used to describe more pure women and whore, which was used to describe women who were seen as impure and sexual.
· Women have been more successful in comedy dramas as they have more of a purpose in those types of television shows whereas in previous movies, their roles were limited to small roles.
· Women in movies previously were limited to smaller roles because of the expectations and stereotypes that were placed on women before the second wave of feminism.
· Eve has been related to the problem of how and why women are being objectified and stereotyped in a particular manner.
· The role of the woman has become more influential to every member of society with men now becoming more feminine with gays, heterosexuals and the portrayal of the ‘new man’.
· One of the most common stereotypes of women in the media is women being portrayed as sex objects and not being bright and clever, focussing on the ‘blond bimbo’ stereotype which has lasted a number of years.
· After the second wave of feminism kicked in women were beginning to take an upheaval against the dominance of the male gender and it began to show in later movies as women were getting more noticeable roles in movies and were beginning to have more of and impact on audience worldwide and most of all producers.
· Women in the public have been seen to be getting manipulated by women in more powerful positions as the glossy magazine line has women in charge of them and it can be said that they manipulate the female target audience.
· Even though women were making a high rising call for fame and equality in the media, men were still the dominant gender when it came to leading roles especially in television.
Tuesday 28 April 2009
Friday 24 April 2009
Question: Genre texts have sometimes been criticised for being predictable and unimaginative. Discuss.(January 06)
Intro-
Introduce the fact that films are sometimes predictable, but that is what audiences expect to see (codes and conventions) but however, directors do try to change it making it imaginable for audiences, depending on the particular genre of the film.
Para 1:
Talk about how audiences have certain expectations when watching a film. And how directors are just meeting the needs of their audiences. for example, through-out a horror film audiences expect there to be murders and blood and gore- otherwise it just wouldn't meet the typical conventions of a slasher film.
Para 2:
talk about the fact that genre has actually changed over time, due to the fact that there are now changes in: target audience, changes in audiences expectations, censorship and codes of conduct
Para 3:
talk about a the changes in society, ideologies, values and representations- and how this is changing films and making them more imaginable and not so predicable because there are less rules they have to follow. (Relate to slasher films in general, and how they have changed). For example psycho and switchblade romance- look at how time is making the genre different.
Conclusion: At the end-Look at the points why genre is seen as predictable and why it is not (look at both arguments) and then make a judgement for myself saying what i believe.
Introduce the fact that films are sometimes predictable, but that is what audiences expect to see (codes and conventions) but however, directors do try to change it making it imaginable for audiences, depending on the particular genre of the film.
Para 1:
Talk about how audiences have certain expectations when watching a film. And how directors are just meeting the needs of their audiences. for example, through-out a horror film audiences expect there to be murders and blood and gore- otherwise it just wouldn't meet the typical conventions of a slasher film.
Para 2:
talk about the fact that genre has actually changed over time, due to the fact that there are now changes in: target audience, changes in audiences expectations, censorship and codes of conduct
Para 3:
talk about a the changes in society, ideologies, values and representations- and how this is changing films and making them more imaginable and not so predicable because there are less rules they have to follow. (Relate to slasher films in general, and how they have changed). For example psycho and switchblade romance- look at how time is making the genre different.
Conclusion: At the end-Look at the points why genre is seen as predictable and why it is not (look at both arguments) and then make a judgement for myself saying what i believe.
Compare two examples, from different decades, of any media genre of your choice. Describe and account for the major differences and Similarities betwe
Intro
I will talk about the narrative, and TA. E.g. they are both different because the 2nd one changes slightly to appeal to the current audience. E.g. they are going to the concert and not to see their relative’s graves. TCM1 historical and eco changes occurred
Para 1:
The killer and differences and how the mask is better in the newer one. I will also mention the advancement of technology, phallic objects
Para 2:
The same genre codes, e.g. final girl and the mad house/ Have group of friends- which get lost
Para 3:
Blood and more gruesome in the new one, censorship etc... Deaths scenes are more visible etc..
Para 4:
The family members-younger wants to save the friends, Propp theoryTodorv theory- Ending is diff
Conclusion: the changes are differ, because the TA was different, diff era, TCM1 was following Psycho – the granddaddy of slasher, and TCM2 was more modern to show the era diff
I will talk about the narrative, and TA. E.g. they are both different because the 2nd one changes slightly to appeal to the current audience. E.g. they are going to the concert and not to see their relative’s graves. TCM1 historical and eco changes occurred
Para 1:
The killer and differences and how the mask is better in the newer one. I will also mention the advancement of technology, phallic objects
Para 2:
The same genre codes, e.g. final girl and the mad house/ Have group of friends- which get lost
Para 3:
Blood and more gruesome in the new one, censorship etc... Deaths scenes are more visible etc..
Para 4:
The family members-younger wants to save the friends, Propp theoryTodorv theory- Ending is diff
Conclusion: the changes are differ, because the TA was different, diff era, TCM1 was following Psycho – the granddaddy of slasher, and TCM2 was more modern to show the era diff
Outline Recent Significant Developments in One Genre Of Your Choice. Illustrate Your Answer With Examples. (June)
Introduction:
Explain what this essay will be including and the main purposes for this essay. State the genre that I have selected to write upon as well as the different examples of films that I will be writing about. The films I will choose have obviously been watched by me and are well linked to the genre that I will be writing about.
Paragraph one:
Explain the genre that I will be talking about and Hybrid genre proving that “genre is not fixed” meaning it can always be changed around or adding certain things to that genre. I will have to include information about the different texts that I will be writing about showing basic changes that have occur in the genre through technology and audiences wants.
Paragraph two:
This paragraph can start to talk about the different films in more detail by comparing them to each other. Another thing I Will be doing this paragraph and the next is comparing the two films that have had a remake such as TCM and Friday 13th
Paragraph three:
Talk about the audience and what their expectations are link it to why their has been a change in genre to link to the audiences needs and that the audiences are getting younger therefore they are expecting different things than they did expect.
Paragraph four:
This paragraph can be the discussion of SHEP and how it links to the genre changing. The idea of the final girl can relate to feminism and the social issues around us to do with women etc.
Paragraph five:
Coming towards the end of the essay round the points up by adding points to prove your point such as certain examples. Throughout the whole essay I will be back and forward comparing the different texts that I have chosen stating the similarities and the differences that they have towards each other.
Conclusion:
conclude the points made in different paragraphs and explain how genre is changing according the evidence and talk about how it is still changing however also see both sides of the argument by explaining that some aspects of the basic traditional genre still exits.
Explain what this essay will be including and the main purposes for this essay. State the genre that I have selected to write upon as well as the different examples of films that I will be writing about. The films I will choose have obviously been watched by me and are well linked to the genre that I will be writing about.
Paragraph one:
Explain the genre that I will be talking about and Hybrid genre proving that “genre is not fixed” meaning it can always be changed around or adding certain things to that genre. I will have to include information about the different texts that I will be writing about showing basic changes that have occur in the genre through technology and audiences wants.
Paragraph two:
This paragraph can start to talk about the different films in more detail by comparing them to each other. Another thing I Will be doing this paragraph and the next is comparing the two films that have had a remake such as TCM and Friday 13th
Paragraph three:
Talk about the audience and what their expectations are link it to why their has been a change in genre to link to the audiences needs and that the audiences are getting younger therefore they are expecting different things than they did expect.
Paragraph four:
This paragraph can be the discussion of SHEP and how it links to the genre changing. The idea of the final girl can relate to feminism and the social issues around us to do with women etc.
Paragraph five:
Coming towards the end of the essay round the points up by adding points to prove your point such as certain examples. Throughout the whole essay I will be back and forward comparing the different texts that I have chosen stating the similarities and the differences that they have towards each other.
Conclusion:
conclude the points made in different paragraphs and explain how genre is changing according the evidence and talk about how it is still changing however also see both sides of the argument by explaining that some aspects of the basic traditional genre still exits.
Thursday 2 April 2009
TCM (1974) Vs TCM (2003)
Texas Chainsaw Massacre(1974) was possibly one of the greatest slasher films of its time as it was the first film which began to reveal the horrific traits and repertoire of elements which are now so commonly viewed in slasher films today. The success of the film induced a remake to be created in 2003 which with the new technology was able to capture the horror and the graphic detail to its full extent making it just as successful. This essay will compare and contrast both versions and attempt to make a judgement as to which one is more successful in achieving its purpose.
The 1974 film is about a group of teenagers who are stalked and hunted down by a deformed killer with a chainsaw in order to sustain his poor family who can only afford to eat what they kill. During the time the first version of TCM was produced, there was an economic decline and a fuel crisis. The film highlights the fact that these things lead to terror. Therefore it reflects the zeitgeist. The main similarity between both films is that it has a final girl. Clover theory suggested that every horror film, especially slasher films have a final girl who survives at the end of the film after everyone else is killed. This could be linked to the fact the women are becoming more independent and strong and no longer rely on men. Also at the time that the film was produced there was the second wave of feminism which had an influence on the way women were represented on screen.
Both films have a hitchhiker at the beginning who causes the disruption of the film. The hitchhiker is the one who leads the group to the place where they all end up getting killed. The cinematography used in both films is similar. For example both films use fast paced shots, for example when the killer is running after the girl. Also there is a use of tracking camera, where the camera follows the characters around. This tends to create suspense and tension within the audience which makes them want to watch the film more in order to find out what happens. However the new version does differ from the old version in some ways. For example the new version of TCM shows a lot of blood and the murder scenes are very explicit. This shocks the audience however some may also gain sadistic pleasure from these scenes. Also some characters in the new version have different roles, for example in the old version of TCM the granddad is unable to do anything and literally dead, however in the new version we see that it is the granddad who also takes part in the killing of the group of teenagers.
The remake has different character types in the film, one way they differ is that now the audience see the teenagers, picking up a female hitch hiker who shoots her self in the van. This differs from the original on how previously it was a male but this time the character is represented as a traumatised victim most definitely of leather face.
One of the major changes between the two sets of characters was the willingness not to give up on life and carry on fighting until they died. In the 1974 version it seemed that not one member of the group put up a decent fight to survive and all died in weak and feeble circumstances, in the new version Michael bay gave some of the group more fighting personalities as they didn’t die straight away and tried to carry on clinging for life as much as they could for instance when Morgan was kept on his own in a cell instead of perishing he managed to stay alive and get free with the help of Erin, also Andy after having his leg cut off and being dropped on a massive hook still managed to stay alive for the course of the film before asking Erin to put him out of his misery. Moreover the final girl actually managed to fight back against leather face and ended up chopping his arm off with a hack which was an aspect which played a massive role in leather face inability to kill her off. The characters improvement in strength and desire to fight off the killer is used by the director to give the audience a sense of the times that we are living in; audiences would not expect characters to be killed so easily as they were in past slasher a movie without thinking it is realistic.
The 1974 film is about a group of teenagers who are stalked and hunted down by a deformed killer with a chainsaw in order to sustain his poor family who can only afford to eat what they kill. During the time the first version of TCM was produced, there was an economic decline and a fuel crisis. The film highlights the fact that these things lead to terror. Therefore it reflects the zeitgeist. The main similarity between both films is that it has a final girl. Clover theory suggested that every horror film, especially slasher films have a final girl who survives at the end of the film after everyone else is killed. This could be linked to the fact the women are becoming more independent and strong and no longer rely on men. Also at the time that the film was produced there was the second wave of feminism which had an influence on the way women were represented on screen.
Both films have a hitchhiker at the beginning who causes the disruption of the film. The hitchhiker is the one who leads the group to the place where they all end up getting killed. The cinematography used in both films is similar. For example both films use fast paced shots, for example when the killer is running after the girl. Also there is a use of tracking camera, where the camera follows the characters around. This tends to create suspense and tension within the audience which makes them want to watch the film more in order to find out what happens. However the new version does differ from the old version in some ways. For example the new version of TCM shows a lot of blood and the murder scenes are very explicit. This shocks the audience however some may also gain sadistic pleasure from these scenes. Also some characters in the new version have different roles, for example in the old version of TCM the granddad is unable to do anything and literally dead, however in the new version we see that it is the granddad who also takes part in the killing of the group of teenagers.
The remake has different character types in the film, one way they differ is that now the audience see the teenagers, picking up a female hitch hiker who shoots her self in the van. This differs from the original on how previously it was a male but this time the character is represented as a traumatised victim most definitely of leather face.
One of the major changes between the two sets of characters was the willingness not to give up on life and carry on fighting until they died. In the 1974 version it seemed that not one member of the group put up a decent fight to survive and all died in weak and feeble circumstances, in the new version Michael bay gave some of the group more fighting personalities as they didn’t die straight away and tried to carry on clinging for life as much as they could for instance when Morgan was kept on his own in a cell instead of perishing he managed to stay alive and get free with the help of Erin, also Andy after having his leg cut off and being dropped on a massive hook still managed to stay alive for the course of the film before asking Erin to put him out of his misery. Moreover the final girl actually managed to fight back against leather face and ended up chopping his arm off with a hack which was an aspect which played a massive role in leather face inability to kill her off. The characters improvement in strength and desire to fight off the killer is used by the director to give the audience a sense of the times that we are living in; audiences would not expect characters to be killed so easily as they were in past slasher a movie without thinking it is realistic.
TCM - similarities and differences
Similarities between the two texts are:
· In both texts there are a group of young adults on a road trip.
· Same method of killing which is an Icon of the TCM series.
· Setting of the house in an isolated place.
· Friends go missing and the others try to find them unwary of the terror around.
· A hitchhiker is given a lift and in both versions of the film, the characters realise that the hitchhiker is part of the plan.
· Audience Sadistic pleasure.
· Same binary opposition Madness Vs Sanity.
. Final Girl.
Differences between the two texts are:
· The hitchhiker in the 1974 version is a male character and in the 2003 version it a female showing the developing roles of women in society.
· In both texts there are a group of young adults on a road trip.
· Same method of killing which is an Icon of the TCM series.
· Setting of the house in an isolated place.
· Friends go missing and the others try to find them unwary of the terror around.
· A hitchhiker is given a lift and in both versions of the film, the characters realise that the hitchhiker is part of the plan.
· Audience Sadistic pleasure.
· Same binary opposition Madness Vs Sanity.
. Final Girl.
Differences between the two texts are:
· The hitchhiker in the 1974 version is a male character and in the 2003 version it a female showing the developing roles of women in society.
Scary movie Franchise
Scary Movie is a 2000 film directed by Keenen Ivory Wayans, as part of Wayans Bros. Entertainment. It is an American dark comedy which parodies the horror, slasher, and mystery genres. Several mid- and late-1990s movies are spoofed, including the more subtle horror film parody series Scream trilogy, The Sixth Sense, I Know What You Did Last Summer, The Usual Suspects, The Matrix, and The Blair Witch Project, while it also parodies many of the classic horror films, most notably Halloween.
The tagline is "No mercy. No shame. No sequel.", with the last reference being to the tendency of popular horror movies to become long-running franchises. However, in 2001, Scary Movie 2 was released (with the tagline "We lied"). The film was followed by a series of sequels Scary Movie 3 (2003), and Scary Movie 4 (2006). The original title for the film Scream was "Scary Movie" which ironically was later used to parody it. Both films were released through Dimension Films.
Pastiche-A media text made up from other media text pieces or of imitations of other styles.
Irony- Irony is when humour is based on using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning.
Intertextuality- The practice of purposely including a reference of one text in the narrative of another, it can generate levels of meaning for the viewer.
Parody: A parody is in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, or author, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation.
Spoof: a composition that imitates or misrepresents some body's style, usually in a humorous way.
Other movies in scary movie:
Scream
I know what you did last summer
The sixth sense
Halloween
Matrix
The tagline is "No mercy. No shame. No sequel.", with the last reference being to the tendency of popular horror movies to become long-running franchises. However, in 2001, Scary Movie 2 was released (with the tagline "We lied"). The film was followed by a series of sequels Scary Movie 3 (2003), and Scary Movie 4 (2006). The original title for the film Scream was "Scary Movie" which ironically was later used to parody it. Both films were released through Dimension Films.
Pastiche-A media text made up from other media text pieces or of imitations of other styles.
Irony- Irony is when humour is based on using words to suggest the opposite of their literal meaning.
Intertextuality- The practice of purposely including a reference of one text in the narrative of another, it can generate levels of meaning for the viewer.
Parody: A parody is in contemporary usage, is a work created to mock, comment on, or poke fun at an original work, its subject, or author, or some other target, by means of humorous, satiric or ironic imitation.
Spoof: a composition that imitates or misrepresents some body's style, usually in a humorous way.
Other movies in scary movie:
Scream
I know what you did last summer
The sixth sense
Halloween
Matrix
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