For this week's blog, I'd like you to focus on contemporary film. What trends do you see forming over the last few years? What kinds of films are the new blockbusters? What are the current controversies? How have you seen film change over the course of your life? In short, what's going on in American cinema right now? Anything goes!
Also, here's the trailer for the film we'll be watching, Ex Machina. Enjoy!
Also, here's the trailer for the film we'll be watching, Ex Machina. Enjoy!
Some trends that I have noticed recently are the fact that a lot of new movies tend to be futuristic, or about some drastic end of the world scenario. For example, movies like divergent, The Hunger Games and The 5th wave all take place in the future, after an apocalyptic type event. I think that movies often represent what society cares about/ is worried about. So, this recent influx of futuristic movies could be a sign that society is concerned about the future or interested in how the world will end. Another thing that I noticed about films, is that a lot of them are about our history. Like, there have been a lot of movies made about past presidents, such as Jackie. And movies about historical events, like Selma or more recently, the Nat Turner movie. I think movies like this have become more popular because we as society have a new interest in what took place in the history of our country.
ReplyDeleteThe only thing that I have noticed as a change in film in my life time, is the fact that graphics have gotten a lot better. Im sure many other things have changed but that is the only noticeable difference. I have seen the update in graphics and animation especially in cartoons. Like, growing up the graphics for cartoons weren’t that great. But, now when I watch cartoons they are so much clearer and the animations seem much more real.
i agree with you, it seems like the most popular movies take place way in the past or way in the future. it seems like the only movies that happen in present context are witty comedies or drama films. then again, I may be wrong, considering i've only watched about 5 movies so far this year.
DeleteOver the course of my life I have noticed a slight change in the direction of film. A lot more heroic movies are being made nowadays. Spiderman, Superman, Batman, Batman vs Superman, Iron Man, Doctor Strange, Captain America, Avengers, and more. Film has went away from animated films like Lady and the Tramp, 101 Dalmatians, Space Jams, and Looney Tunes. The films of today are more futuristic and creative. Also the movie making industry is more competitive competing for Oscars and Emmy awards. I like that aspect of the industry because it calls for better and more diverse movies to be made. Biopics, war films, adventure, drama, and comedy movies come out on the same weekend these days. I like the diversity and having the option to choose from a wide variety of movies. The difference in the quality of film today and “back then” can be seen by comparing the first Mickey Mouse show (1928) with any cartoon today. There is a major difference. There is more competition for attention in the movie industry. That is a real challenge.
ReplyDeleteI agree with Catherine when she says “I think movies like Nat Turner, Selma, and Jackie have become more popular because we as a society have a new interest in what took place in the history of our country.” If the movie industry wants to make it money it has to make movies that the people who will be buying the tickets to go watch the movie want to actually go see it.
I agree with you, I think it is important that historical movies are becoming more popular because it allows us to view these events in different ways other than the ways in which we are taught in school. It is much more interesting to learn about things visually than to read about it in a textbook and it also allows for the directors to show all sides of the story and not just the biased ones taught in textbooks.
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ReplyDeleteAmerican cinema is an expansive and diverse industry that has produced major blockbuster movies. However, there is an overall trend with American films. The trend began in 2008 with the movie, Iron Man, where a billionaire engineer creates a suit of armor to fight evil. Before the release of Iron Man, there were an abundant amount of super hero films to hit theaters. Most of these films, however, fell short, but Iron Man allowed comic fans and non-comic fans to enjoy this heroic feature film. Since then, the American film industry has focused primarily on super hero films. Every year since then, at least one super hero film is produced. Millions of viewers spend their cash to be captivated by the illusion of grandeur that these films hook Americans on. The new blockbusters are these action-packed and narrative driven super hero plot lines that most Americans can relate to. Be that as it may, modern film production is not just narrowly focused on super hero films, but also action adventure films are abundant. Action adventure films are a genre of film in which the protagonist has to overcome obstacles that include violence and exaggerated feats of strength. Examples of these films would be X-Men: Apocalypse, The Legend of Tarzan and Ghostbusters. These films have the most advertising backed behind them, which means they usually have a huge budget. Due to their huge budget action adventure films are able to infatuate Americans with special effects and destructiveness. Heroic feature films and action adventure films are one in the same; both genres of film are the new blockbusters and will be an ever-growing trend.
ReplyDeleteContemporary film is definitely one of the most booming businesses of our generation. We have seen film evolve tremendously within the past few decades due to advancements in technology as well as using a broader spectrum of actors. In the past, film was very limited to simply a camera and actors because of the lack of technology to better enhance it. Now, the possibilities of what we can include in movies are endless. Movies like Iron Man or Avatar which heavily rely on special effects and graphic design are great examples of this. I have noticed a constant trend of movies that use futuristic technology as a main component in the film. Obviously no human has been able to successfully pull off creating a super suit with a built in program/human that helps control it yet, so it is appealing to us because we are fascinated with the idea of someday being able to possibly have the technology to do so. In addition, recently there have been a ton of super hero movies that have been remade or newly created. This causes quite a lot of controversy with the public because a lot of people don’t like the way that the films are recreated in comparison to the classic films. For example, the movie Suicide Squad incorporated the classic role of the Joker, but portrayed him completely differently than the classic Heath Ledger originally did. Changes in recreations like this are extremely controversial and difficult to pull off due to the fact that some people just love the classic movies too much to see the characters portrayed other ways. I think the world of film is a constant cycle of recreating classic movies as well as creating movies that pry on our obsession with the future and enhancements in technology and I am excited to see where we will be in the future.
ReplyDeleteIt is becoming easier to get into the field industry. Decades ago it was relatively hard to get into the industry. To become an actor or actress you had to fit into the narrow look of what a movie star was which was traditionally young, white, good looking, and straight. Now you can be just about anything with the recent growth in diversity. Once to be a producer or a script writer or a director you had to know someone to get your foot in the door. Now becoming one of those things all you need is a passion and a camera phone. Since the internet is so easily accessible, film makers can reach any audience for a very small fee. In addition to that, since the internet is so widespread, filmmakers can make any and everything and it will appeal to someone somewhere. The options are almost unlimited for anyone with a dream but it comes a few obstacles. One being, online pirating sites. Though pirating copyrighted works is illegal in every state, it is one of the easiest and most frequently committed crime there is. And with free access to pirating cites such as putlocker, megashare, and 123movies, it makes it almost ridiculous to pay $10- $17 dollars to pay for a movie ticket or to rightfully buy access to the movies on legitimate streaming sites like Hulu or Netflix. Though in the favor of consumers, pirating, puts filmmakers at an disadvantage because they are not getting the rightful credit for their work nor the revenue they should since it can be consumed anonymously and free.
ReplyDeletePirating is very common and is definitely keeping people from making a trip to the theater, but as all technology evolves it gets easier to do illegal stuff like this sadly.
DeleteMovies have been around since the early 20th century and have always been a good source of entertainment. With the recent increases in technology and professional acting, movies have become more thrilling than ever before. But, beyond using them as a means of entertainment, why do we watch movies? We watch them in part because they offer us an escape from reality. With the constant calamity brought about by terrorists, the asinine political events and election season, and other personal tribulations that ensue each and every day, many look to find an escape in any way possible. Movies offer an escape from the troubles of real life. As you walk in the theater with friends smelling the buttered popcorn and hearing the fizzle of soda while talking about previous movies and how this one will be your mind slowly forgets about what’s going on outside of the theater. As you and your friends take your seats the lights dim and the screen illuminates and your mind focused only on what is happening on the screen you are viewing. Going beyond being an escape movies also allow us to observe new wonders we have not seen and partake in the life of individuals completely different from who we are essentially teleporting us to a new reality. No longer are you just sitting in a chair but you feel as though you are a part of the action taking place. Overall, movies are more than just something we go watch to entertain ourselves for an hour or two. They provide and escape into something new and exciting that is much more enjoyable than everyday life.
ReplyDeleteI agree I think movies are a lot more than just a movie! They let you believe you are not in reality for a few hours.
DeleteOh escapism, the greatest thing to run away from your problems and priorities. Top Things that utilize this: Drugs, Media and any Work of Fiction
DeleteMovies now are mostly remakes of older movies. There are not many new ideas for movies anymore. If you look at all the big box office movies in the last couple of years most of them are not original material. You got all the Marvel and DC movies that are awesome movies. The great thing about those movies are that they take the 30-40 year olds back to their childhood. All of these characters are all from comic books that they all read as a child. Then you got Star Wars that has been around since 1977. Every time a Star Wars movie comes out it is at the top of the box office. If you look back at the top movies of the past six years none of them are original material. They are either a sequel, a movie about a book, a movie based on a true store, or a movie based on a comic book. Here is a list of the top movies from 2010-2016: 2010 Toy Story 3, 2011 Harry Potter and the Death Hallows, part 2, 2012 Marvel’s The Avengers, 2013 The Hunger Games: Catching Fire, 2014 America Sniper, 2015 Star Wars Episode VII, and 2016 Finding Dory. American Sniper is the only movie on this list that is some what an original idea. I believe that our movie industry is going full circle and is scared to come up with original ideas. They are just continuing to produce what has proven to make money.
ReplyDeleteI agree completely that a lot of the movies today are remakes. they have brought in a lot of people, especially to movies like star wars. they have started to add little pieces of new stuff to them and they are not complete copies, but yes they are money makers for sure.
DeleteI agree that most movies are remakes in some way. This is not always bad though, because sometimes they are modernizations with better effects and film techniques that make a classic film even more enjoyable. I definitely see the trend though.
DeleteI totally agree with this and it makes me question if Hollywood is just that simply out of ideas? Great movies don't need remakes because they are already great.
DeleteMovies have been around a very long time and the have evolved over time. Today’s movies tend to focus on the imagination for the future. The focus has been on life changing experiences like the world ending or the world completely changing like ex Machina. We see that people love the view of a futuristic and altered world like star wars. Also, in things like superhero movies we have started to see a more vulgar and less filtered approach to heroes. Movies like Dead pool were not the traditional superhero movie. It had a lot of "comedy" and less of a filter. The movie industry has now been seen to attempt to incorporate comedy into a lot of movies and I think this is because a lot more people tend to want to watch it simply because it’s funny. Another huge thing that has come up in the past few years is the explosion of movie remakes. We can all see that movie technology is big now and they are using this to recreate the movies that were super popular in earlier days and bringing it back with way better technology. This has actually worked a lot in the movie industry because people have really liked coming back to classic movies one more time. Although I see the trend of remakes calming down a little over the next few years, I believe it will never completely die out because people love the old movies and they really like seeing them in a whole new and improved light. Overall, the movie industry has begun to start new trends, but I don’t think the old ones are going anywhere any time soon.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the shift to more futuristic movies is purely because not only do we have a substantial amount of historical and present day movies, it's because the technological improvements in cinema have enabled us to create whole cities and sceneries purely from computers, rather than having to create innumerable sets like in the past. In addition to the remakes, I agree with you that people would love a reimagining of their classics, but it's also a good way to ruin them. Some that come to mind are the remakes of our disney-fied adaptations of fairy tails such as alice in wonderland, and snow white, there have been recent adaptations such as alice in wonderland and the huntsmen, but they've taken the oh so popular "dark and gritty" adaptation. This is also the route that DC have taken for their recent films and juxtaposed against their counterparts, Marvel and their "MCU" (Marvel Cinematic Universe), it's hardily a fair comparison in terms of fan reception. Everyone loves their classics, but no one likes remakes that aren't true to the core.
DeleteThe movies have certainly evolved in just the short amount of time that is my life. When I was young, they were many movies that utilized practical effects and used them splendidly, then as technology evolved, we began implementing more and more CGI into our films, albeit at first with mixed success it's pretty much commonplace now to implement it extensively. As more and more technologies came out, such as 3D, it began more as a gimmick for the longest time (whoa the image jumped out into me), where it was barely even utilized but now it's used to further depth and scenery detail. As for the Genres and subjects of Movies, I didn't watch that many movies when I was younger, but it seemed to be more of movies about the present and the past, or alternate presents. Then movies about futuristic environments became more and more commonplace, almost correlating with advanced technology, as it became easier to make detailed and beautiful scenery with it. The Genres have stuck with comedy, romance and "historical" movies, but the rise of "Super hero movies" in the past 2 decades is one to definately be of note. in addition to these super hero movies, there has been a huge surge of movie adaptaions of popular book series that vary between adult and young adult fiction, but are mainly the young adult books such as The Hunger Games, Twilight, Divergent, and most notably Harry Potter. There are more "artistic" movies such as Avatar and Inception, where they are either showing off their cinematopgraphic skills with visual effects, or have a plot that will ripple across the viewers for months. There will always be the action movies, and the rom-com movies, but there are few original movies in this current day. Movies such as Inception and the Matrix are few and far between, but become staples and icons in history. Movies that are adaptations, such as the superhero movies and book adaptations are just that, adaptations. Words that we read that we utilized our imagination are now layed out in front of us for easy consumption, more or less just eye candy for the readers and a TL:DR (too long didn't read) for the masses; they're also a source of griping if it was an especially poor adaptation such as Electra, Eragon, or a source of pop culture, such as Deadpool and everything he stands for.
ReplyDeleteThe Movies we see nowadays are simply the same as before, with the occasional gem amongst the usual clutter. The only difference is instead of stunning practical effects, we have stunning computer generated effects. The scenarios and plot almost always have the same plotline and sequences, because it's not only a tried and true method (such as the hero's journey) but also the most ubiquitous and applicable template for any movie or book.
As a woman, I have noticed an increase in discussion about females and femininity as a whole. We see women represented by all kinds of figures and in all different lights. The definition of femininity has changed and we see an increase in powerful female characters. Instead of the love interest being the women, we see an increase in male love interest and leading ladies. In the Hunger Games series, Katniss is the lead and has two male love interests. In the comedy film Sisters, which is not only starring but also produced by Tina Fey, there is a majority female cast with men existing only as love interests. Despite controversy, the all female casted reboot of the classic film Ghostbusters, the film itself shows the desire of the public for this switch over to these significant female characters, who actually serve a purpose to the storyline. In The Girl on the Train, which is currently in theaters, Emily Blunt shows the side of the modern married women that is not usually displayed. The movie shows the struggles, instead of the joyous suzy homemaker figure we are so familiar with. This is an exciting change for me, because growing up I did not see as many powerful women to look up to on the big screen, but now the younger generation does. Especially in the comedy field we see a female takeover. First the first time, we see female writers of comedy films that have gained respect. I see this as a very welcomed change, and a long overdue one as well.
ReplyDeleteI agree that there has been an increase in female leads lately. I think the controversy with Ghostbusters having an all female cast for the remake lies in the fact that people often times dont want hollywood to mess with 'classics.
DeleteI agree with you both. From Ghostbusters to the Hunger Games series, woman are being cast as the leads in movies in a way that is reflecting the slight shift in our society from being all about men to more women involved.
DeleteI agree with you. I think that romance is still a big part in the movie industry but I agree that the tables have turned a lot , and men are now in many cases the love interest.
DeleteHey don't forget about the new Star Wars and Mad Max movies, especially Mad Max with how women are completely the key strength in the whole movie.
DeleteI don't think that movies are as popular as they used to be. No one goes to the movies like they used to do. Movies are usually watched on Netflix Or people wait until they come out on DVD or blue ray. I think romantic movies will always be a popular genre. They have always made romantic movies, whether they are romantic comedies or sad love stories, they always seem to play a big part in the movie world. I don't see that changing any time soon. In recent years there have been a lot of movies about the world. Whether it be wars or futuristic views, they some how end up with the world ending. I think the movie industry has to pay close attention to what is going on in the world. Movies can also influence the minds of the viewers because they make it so realistic that the people believe it. Movies have been and always will be, not only entertainment for the people, but also influence on the world.
ReplyDeleteOver the last few years, Hollywood has taken an interest in movies that are more action packed futuristic like the Divergent series and Tomorrowland. There have been a lot of reboots of classic movies like Jurassic Park, Terminator, Star Wars and Mad Max. We have also been seeing a plethora of Disney remakes and sequels, which takes everyone back to their childhood. In addition to those Marvel and DC have been bringing all of our favorite comic book characters to life on the big screen. Comedies have also had a huge impact on the industry and we see both male and female comedians shine, and although romance isn’t a genre that just became popular it is one that hasn’t really died down either. As far as controversies are concerned, the biggest ones come when producers try to move away from the norm when doing reboots. For example, when Michael B. Jordan was cast to play flash in the remake of Fantastic 4 and when Leslie Jones was cast in the ghostbusters reboot there was nationwide uproar, in Michael’s case because of race and in Leslie’s case it was the combination of race and gender. We also have much more movies about slavery being made. All of these genres have continued to be successful because society has taken an interest in what has happened in the past and what will happen in the future, and maybe somehow we think that movies can help us to better put the pieces of the puzzle together.
ReplyDeleteRecently film in America (popular film - Hollywood) has started to produce more and more films that are action packed and mostly filmed with CGI (computer generated images). Some popular films that fall into this trend would be most films produced by Marvel Comics (superhero movies have also come to dominate the silver screen), Star Wars Episode VII, Batman v Superman, etc. Movie goers love the idea of sci-fi fantasy films and Hollywood has been honing in on that interest for a while now but their efforts have increased with the advancements that have been made in computer technology that help give films better CGI. In my opinion, the increasing quality in CGI graphics has been the main improvement in Hollywood over the course of my life. Another significant improvement in film has been the increased success in regards to diversifying Hollywood (yes, the Oscars are still crap but whatever) in regards to an increased number in successful racially diverse (or films regarding race, etc.) films and even movies such as the rebooted Ghostbusters with an all female cast of main characters. Hollywood is entering a new social change and it is interesting to see where the race towards equality will take film. I myself am excited to see this shift in Hollywood because race, etc. has been so...white and unauthentic for so long.
ReplyDeleteI completely agree on the fact that the Oscars are crap and I would also like to see the shift of an almost all white Hollywood to diverse place it should be.
DeleteI think we are in a whole new generation of movies. The one movie that I know producers 50 years ago would not have ever even fathomed of thinking of is Sausage Party. It’s a cartoon for adults, but it is completely breaks the scale of inappropriate. It’s about dirty mouthed, sexual food products but it is hilarious. There has been a couple of movies that do resemble past movies, or that continue stories from other movies. For example, Finding Dory is of course a sequel to Finding Nemo but even in that movie there are some noticeable scenes that express the newly found culture. In one scene, there is a lesbian couple shown with a child, which makes Finding Dory the first Disney movie to show a gay couple. There are of course many different feelings about this scene. I think the biggest issue is on whether or not parents want their child to view gay couples as a normal thing or not. It is 2016, we’ve legalized gay marriage, therefore it obviously it going to become a normal thing but this is not the time for that argument. Another trend in movies that I have seen is the rivalries of super heroes. There’s Captain America: Civil War and Batman vs. Superman: Dawn of Justice. I for one found the battle between Captain America and Iron Man very surprising, but as the movie continued it made since. The idea of superheroes going against each other period is a surprising thing, and I thing that’s why the writers of both movies decided to bring this to life. It made people curious and got them into theaters.
ReplyDeleteThe film industry is constantly going through a familiar cycle. Around the time I was growing up many years ago, there was a rise in the popularity of vampire and werewolf movies with films such as the Twilight series. This fantasy genre expanded far beyond films to books and television as well during this time period. This phase of fantasy creatures then gave way to the popularity of super hero movies. The Avengers, Captain America, Ant Man, and Thor are a few examples of some of the most popular movies from this phase. There was also However, emerging from this phase is the rise of the popularity of movies based on technology and droids. This phase seems to be a reflection of present day society and our hopes for the future. With the rise in the complexity of our real life technology, there is a reflection of highly complex technology in the movies that surpasses our own, such as the technology present in films like Ex Machina or Her. Another trend I see in our present day film industry are the films that depict a post apocalyptic world. Starting with films such as Independence Day and 2012, this trend has only seemed to expand and become more creative with films like Avatar, the Hunger Games, and Divergent.
ReplyDeleteOkay, so our film industry is just going through a cycle of just repeating the past. The problem is just that the producers are only going to put out something that they know will already have a following of fans. No one has faith in new ideas anymore and instead, they invest their money into something that they know works, only because it's worked before in the past. I feel like nowadays, it's almost too easy for producers because as technology grows, of course the visual effects and sound quality and even how the resolution of the screen is constantly changing, they just know that it's going to make even more than what they spend. They've turned it into a business, a money pit, and there's no room for imagination anymore. Actually, I recall the last movie I saw was Deep Water Horizon, regular screening- was about 12.50 per ticket. Now I noticed the menu items and i saw that a standard nachos was 14$. Then there was a hamburger with fries and a milkshake for I think 30$. I mean come on.
ReplyDeleteThe movies themselves should have everyone's opinion be different same with perspective. Movies are doing okay, but i have yet been wowed in quite a long time.
I believe that the film industry is running out of ideas so they are repeating cliche story lines that have been around or produced for years. The types of trends that I see forming over the years are turning classics such as Cinderella, Beauty and the Beast, the Lion King and many more into reality films with great detailed to nature. I see trends of many films related to when kings and queens reign many many years ago describing what their life were like when they were powerful during their reign.Another trend and or blockbuster would be anything that is either Marvel or DC bringing characters stories to life. I guess the new blockbusters would be these trends that were listed or discussed above. The changes that I have seen over the past few years of my life would be better technology and better ideas on how producers try and express the same cliche roles in different ways or somewhat different approach or storyline. Everyone has a story that makes them unique or makes them the person that they are and it's just the matter of how it make them who they are as a person. I've seen a lot of this within every producer trying to express this within their work of art. Yes I do agree that many of them could try something new but then again no one wants to leave their comfort zone if they aren't sure if it would be profitable from their consumers. I believe this is where American cimnema is right now in today's society.
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