LFTVD - Stranger Things Media Language Flashcards
How would we describe the narrative?
Complex and ambigious
Intertextuality: ST is explicitly a recreation of what?
1970s-80s cinema especially Spielberg in style and tone
What is a serial narrative?
A narrative in which the story develops from episode to episode leading to a narrative conclusion in the final episode
What are multiple narrative strands?
A narrative with several parallel storylines progress that may or may not affect one another.
How is the Barthesian myth of small town America constructed?
The juxtaposition to the opening sequence, the white picket fences and houses, close up of a sprinkler
Give examples of how the Duffer Brothers use props to create a 1980s America.
Cathode ray tube TV with indoor aerial and record player
How would we describe the genre of ST?
Hybrid genre or generically complex
Give examples of the genres that are alluded to. There are 7!
Sci fi- the disruption emerging from the science lab, Horror - the monster, Conspiracy Thriller - sinister agents, Family Drama - relationship in the families, Romance - Nancy and Steve, Coming-Of-Age - boy gang, Police Drama - Hopper’s investigation
How does it link to ET?
A suburban location, boys on bikes, missing fathers and ambiguous government agents in hazmat suits
What other films does it link to?
Jaws (peril implied not seen), Carrie (girl with special powers), Stand By Me (boy gang), Close Encounters (an adult obsessed)
What film does the title of Stranger Things play homage to?
The Dead Zone
What perspective is the narrative from?
Multi-perspective narrative
What does the multi-perspective narrative suggest in terms of ideologies?
A less individualistic ideology as there is many voices and the boys are a gang, which drives the narrative
What lone perspectives are there in the narrative?
Hopper and Joyce’s
How is consumerism represented?
Through references to popular culture and consumer goods
How is the ideology of pro-family represented?
Through the social realism and the narrative disruption being the loss of a family member
How is the anti-authoritarian ideology represent?
Ruthless violence of the state is defeated by a small girl
Todorov: what are there three parts?
Equilibrium: settled and safe suburban lifestyle (albeit with inadequate fathers)
Narrative disruption; monstrous event at the start and Will’s abduction
Narrative drive; search for Will, the monster and Eleven’s powers
How does ST start?
Opening sequences starts with a tilting exterior establishing shot then as a series of interiors.
How does the opening sequence connote the Barthesian myth of The Monster?
The animal noises in the soundtrack, a striking overhead shot connoting the immense size of the attacker (as it’s from the attackers point of view) and the attacker is UNSEEN
What 1960s track was playing when Eleven escapes the Diner?
White Rabbit
What is the enigma at the end of episode 1 in place of a resultion?
Where is Will
Levi-Strauss: What are the binary opposites?
Monstrous vs ordinary, violence vs nurturing etc
Boudrillard: how is ST hyperreal?
Through intertextual references referring to representations of the 80s but also films that are representations of other times eg The Thing which was a remake of a 1950s film
How do we describe the m-E-s in the opening sequence?
Expressionistic - oppressive corridors and flashing lights
The next scene is shot at night with low-key lighting in naturalistic Suburburban m-E-s. What does this connote?
A sense of security and threat at the same time
How do the Duffer Brothers create a “gang of individuals”?
Through the physical dissimilarity of the four boys, emphasised by their constumes
How does ST meet the contextual requirement for high production values?
Consciously emulating the lush cinematography and use of enigma characteristic of Spielberg films such as ET
How does it explicitly link to The Thing?
The poster in the basement and the sound effects
How does it explicitly link to Poltergeist?
Plot that suggests being sucked into another world
Why do LFTVD delay the narrative resolution?
This creates anticipation by combining multiple narrative strands
What other narrative strands are there?
The romance between Nancy and Steve
