ISU - Fantasy/Adventure Film Study

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MOVIE GENRE STUDY: Fantasy-Adventure movies

The genre of fantasy is a large, vast genre, and one of the most versatile, commonly mistaken for horror or sci-fi. It can be paired with any other genre, which gives great freedom of creativity in creating a movie. The most common sub-genre for Fantasy movies is fantasy-adventure, with movies such as How To Train Your Dragon, Harry Potter, Alice in Wonderland and Avatar.

The codes and conventions of Fantasy-Adventure movies are common and repeated amongst the films of this genre, and are easy to detect and expect while watching.

CODES AND CONVENTIONS:

CHARACTER:
Fantasy movies are defined by their setting which, in turn, defines their characters. For example, because Pirates of the Carribbean is based in a fantasy world where sea creatures and monsters are common, we in turn get characters such as Davy Jones and his Kraken. The same applies to Star Wars and their aliens and space creatures, built around the setting of the film. The type of setting in a movie defines what their character looks and acts like.

A common feature of the main character in fantasy-adventure movies is that he/she is an underdog, different from the rest in an obvious way. Be it they are much weaker and smaller in comparison to their peers (Harry Potter), or they have much stronger abilities and are cast out because of it (Percy Jackson). Or sometimes, they are just plain-out different. The main character usually stands out, in a positive or a negative way. Sometimes they even have a side kick who is just as different, or who has been assigned to them to watch them (Digimon, Lord of the Rings)

PLOT:

Fantasy-Adventure movies are based around a main character, or hero, who has to partake in an adventure or some form of quest, and the movie centers around this. Commonly seen quests in movies are: To save the world (Eragon), Save someone they love (Golden Compass), or just to make it home (Spirited Away). All plots are based around a quest, the end of which has a bad guy and something the character is hoping to achieve.

Often in Fantasy-Adventure movies, there is also a sub-plot, a personal quest or goal for the character, that they will achieve during their adventures. This sub-plot could be romantic, where the main character seeks to win the heart of their love, a search for knowledge (ex. To find out where you came from or who your father is; percy jackson), to gain courage from the adventures, or to gain some sort of realization from their travels. The main character goes on their quests/journeys to save the day, as well as achieve their personal goal.

SETTING:
The setting is often what makes a fantasy movie what it is, because it gives the freedom of having the movie based in any sort of world or place imaginable, or one that is based on our own with supernatural aspects. Some movies hold the same qualities or a resemblance to our world, with a fantastical twist on setting or characters (Such as How To Train Your Dragon, which is based in a world similar to ours just with dragons and over-exaggeratedly muscular vikings). Others are based in a world outside, or parallel to, our own, which can be found by entering a portal of some sort, such as a rabbit hole or a wardrobe (Alice in Wonderland), or by being able to see this different world. (For example, Harry Potter, where they live amongst normal humans, but are able to see Magic and Wizardry because they are wizards).

The construction of reality in fantasy movies can be next to normal, with different species living in our world, or one similar to ours (Narnia), or can be very obscure, strange, and completely fantastical (Alice in Wonderland, Avatar). The artistic boundaries of the Fantasy Genre are unlimited, and can be as realistic or as obscure as the creator wishes.


VALUES AND CREEDS:
Most fantasy-adventure movies have a strong moral in the end, that the main character learns from his struggles. The most commonly seen are:
-You can accomplish anything if you put your mind to it (How to Train your Dragon)
-Never doubt yourself (Big Fish)
-Always do what you believe is right; Don't let anyone alter your opinion. (Charlie and the Chocolate Factory)

CONCLUSION/REPEATED FILM TECHNIQUES

Modern day computer animation technology has opened these movies to a world of possibilities, that may have been too challenging decades ago. This has led to an influx of movies in this genre, with stunning special effects, and creatures that reach beyond the imagination.

In contemporary fantasy-adventures, the trend has been to create sequels as the audiences are often left wanting to see more of their hero and their adventures. For example the Harry Potter series, Lord of the Rings Trilogy, Star Wars, and the Chronicles of Narnia.

The 'spirit' of classic comic book plots - Media Review No. 5

The Spirit is a classic comic book with one of the best typical plot lines - good guy falls in love with bad girl, but they are torn apart by their place in society. It's a typical action/romance, one that was made even better by including the classic "Spirit" hero.

The only problem that I had with this comic was the childish drawing style. It was a major put-off for me, because its hard to take the story seriously when all the characters looked like bad cartoons. The dialogue itself was above the drawing style, which made it hard to follow along the story. When you saw the drawings, you'd assume that it'd be dumbed down and easier to understand, because it seemed to be drawn for children; but it turns out it wasn't. I had a hard time getting into reading this story because it wasn't as fun to read as it appeared it would be, and it was only until I was sitting at home and focussing solely on the story could I get myself to read it.

By the time the end came along, I came to appreciate the classic plotline and drama of this comic. Cartoon-y drawing style aside, it's still a classic, and I suggest anyone who appreciates a good comic should take the time to read it.

Independant Music - A Music Genre Study

Indie Music: a constant controversy on whether or not it can be labeled as a genre. The definition of indie music is "music produced by artists that haven't signed to a major label, and produce their own music, or are signed to a minor indie label". This definition doesn't exactly classify a genre of music, does it? But the fact is, it is a genre, because all of these "indie bands" share a lot in common. All indie bands share the same aspects of artistic liberty, freedom from the control of large companies, as well as the ability to make their music the way they want and how they want it. That's how you define indie music; freedom of expression and taste.

All indie music has a series of sub-genres, in fact, it's these sub-genres that form the music. Indie music, considering it has no particular sound besides whatever unique twist an artist puts into it, has to be based off of some sort of other genre. Such as Indie-Rock (Arcade Fire), Indie-Folk (Such as Bon Iver), and Indie-Ska (Bedouin Soundclash)... The list goes on and on. The instruments of this genre can vary from the most simplistic (basic guitar-drums-base), to a wide variety of obscure, and less common instruments (such as the xylophone, glockenspiel, harp, accordion, hurdy-gurdy, and the series of classical instruments used in bands like Arcade Fire). Indie music is the pure definition of artistic freedom; the artists can do whatever they want, because the only thing representing them is themselves. These artists make their music more for expression than money, considering a number of these indie artists, who are signed to minor labels or none at all, do not make as much money as their commercial counterparts. They rely solely on their fans purchasing their music to gain any profit.

Indie music began to emerge in the 1980's, when alternative bands such as Soundgarden and Pearl Jam broke into the mainstream and gained widespread exposure. When this happened, "alternative music" lost it's name and began to refer to a new form of music that was now achieving mainstream success. As a result, "indie music" emerged, and began to refer to the bands that remained underground (which is the difference between alternative and indie).  Indie artists used at-home studios with simplistic recording techniques, and had a full-out disinterest in giving out to the mainstream alternative scene.
So Indie music began to emerge, and became widely popular amongst college radio stations, where bands such as R.E.M. became popular and well-known. During the 1980's, the first indie charts in US and UK were formed, and were trapped under the watchful eye of big labels, eager to exploit the growing popular underground scene and make a profit off of the "new sound" they had discovered. But the true indie artists remained unsigned and unfazed by these labels, to keep their true independence. Only music produced at home or by means of a small label was considered "independent". Between college radios and the internet (which enabled indie artists to post their music on sites such as myspace to get their sound out to the world), indie music began to be more and more popular.

The Indie scene soon began to adopt its own look. An "indie" person, also known as a "hipster", is typically a person with straight/skinny jeans, stretched ears, sometimes beanie hats and beards, choppy hair and unique, vintage/old school clothes. As the genre grew, so did the fashion expressions of the fans.

Canada has a large indie rock scene. Arcade fire, for example, were forerunners in Canadian Indie music, Indie-rock in particular. They began as a small band in Montreal, and grew to where they are now, nominees and winners of numerous and honorary awards including a Grammy for best album in 2010. I remember seeing Arcade Fire when they were still a minor band at Hillside Festival, getting photos with them, and sitting in the crowd watching them, the crowd small in comparison to what their fan base is now.

Arcade Fire, though one of the most popular, is only one piece of Indie Music. It is Indie-rock, the most basic indie sound, but this style of music can vary far more then their simplistic sub-genre. Bon Iver, an Indie-Folk band, is revered for its originality and unique, obscure sound, that differs so much from other genres that you usually hear today and brings folk music into popularity.

Another renowned Indie Band is Bright Eyes, a band with such a soothing, basic sound, that it has won the hearts of many. Mixed with gentle and basic music, rough recording job and a shakey voice, Bright Eyes is the epitome of Indie Music.

Eternal Sunshine of a Fantastic Movie - Media Review No. 4

For anyone who had an average romantic movie in mind, Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind would be far from expected. Along with it's fantastical concept of being able to erase memories, as well as the unique film structure and quirky romance, this movie was the best love story I've seen. The plot was interesting and the concept was intriguing, and it was done in such an artistic way that it captured my attention immediately. No doubt Jim Carrey did not make big bucks for this movie, but he performed it anyways, and he did an excellent job considering the previous roles I've seen him in. As surprising as it is for me to say it, I don't think anyone could've done better in this role than Carrey. He added a well-fitting quirkiness and awkwardness that brought a smile to my face, and fit the role fantastically. The cast was well chosen, the plot was near-perfect, and the special effects were believable and fit in perfectly to what they were representing (ex. the spotlight and darkness representing fading memories). Overall, I truly enjoyed this movie, and will no doubt sit down and watch it again myself just to properly appreciate it out of classroom curriculum.

Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice, Beetle Juice! - Media Review No. 3

No doubt Tim Burton can be listed as one of the most intriguing and unique directors of our time - a definite favourite of mine. He opens our minds to new, dark and twisted worlds that we never would've thought of without his help. From Edward Scissor Hands, to Nightmare Before Christmas, to Corpse Bride - he has never let his audience down. One of the highlights of his career is the beloved 'Beetle Juice'. Jam-packed with Burton's twisted views and humour, as well as creepy and dark creatures that we could never imagine, this movie will go down as one of my all-time favourites. Undoubtedly, this is not a movie for everyone; though the movie's elements of fear and macabre were toned down to suit more audiences, it is still a rather frightening concept with equally frightening imagery and animation. It is not a movie for all ages, despite the type of humour included that could appeal to all; for example, when the two ghosts Adam (Alec Baldwin) and Barbara (Geena Davis) try to chase off the humans who are now living in their home, and make them dance to the Day-o Banana song:

This film is paired perfectly with an excellent cast, an all-ages humour and Burton's dark twist that seems to be found in all his work. Undoubtedly, if you don't like Burton's style, this movie will not be your cup of tea; but if you do, it is a definite must-see in his collection of creepy films. All of Burton's films seem to be an acquired taste, and this is no exception. For a person who appreciates a darker, twisted style of art, I strongly recommend this movie.

One Momento - Media Review No. 2

I started watching Momento without having any idea what it was going to be about, nor the plot line to it. In watching the film, I was very confused as to what I was watching, until I came to the end and the pieces somewhat fit; even then, I had to ask what it was about. It was confusing - and a bit dull starting - and I could easily see a viewer getting impatient or annoyed to the point of not following through to the end. The concept of the movie was an interesting one, one that, had I read about it, would be interested in seeing; but the way the plot was presented is what put me off. I found the movie a bit plain and uneventful. The plot is shown going in bits and pieces backwards to add more intensity, but had it been played forwards, I think it would've been rather boring. Playing it in reverse isn't going to change that. In my opinion, the movie concept was intriguing, but it had so much more potential than the way it was portrayed. Not to mention the main actor could've been quite the stud, sans the bleached hair.

Seriously, look at the difference:

No wonder Rebecca Black didnt take the bus.. with all the seating options she would of had a panic attack. - Media Review No. 1

Never in my life have I stumbled upon a song that can bring me this much irritation, as well as get stuck in my head for hours on end. Although I must salute Rebecca Black for managing to get over a million hits on her video, despite the fact that most were earned in mocking her. I mean: pairing an irritating voice with horrid lyrics and a bad melody? Not even throwing in an older man to rap badly could save this video; in fact, it just made it worse. One of the worst parts is the fact that Rebecca Black could have potential, maybe, had she not been paired up with the horrid elements that formed this song. On the upside; the song is so bad that she has managed to become well-known in modern culture, so kudos to you Rebecca Black.