Movies Flashcards
Differences between going out verses staying in.
Act of going out is an intrinsic to the event of cinema. Sense of release and separation from reality. Escapism. Vicarious involvement (full sensory experience). Feel the message more, becomes very apparent to you as you leave the movie theater.
Unique aspects of the movie theater experience:
You are out of your comfort zone, you can’t turn the movie off in the theater. No distractions, it seems like you are there.
Eadweard Muybridge:
Laid foundation for modern tv/movies. First film ever: still pictures pieced together of a moving horse.
Early Film Development:
1889 early technologies. Nickelodeons (early 1900s), talkies(1920s), Fox Studio’s newsreels.
Nickelodeons:
1900s- white tarps thrown over walls. If you pay five cents you can watch a movie on them. Silent movies, but usually the places had a piano player. Immigrants liked them because the were cheap and silent so anyone could like them.
Talkies:
When sound was added to movies. 1927 Warner Brother’s Film the Jazz Singer. Some people did not like talkies because they take away from the imagination.
Birth of a Nation:
1915 D.W. Griffith. “Birth of a Nation” was a three hour long, racist, sexist, movie that the KKK used as a recruitment video. People protested and tried to ban it. But it used to be a book, but no one cared about that. What was the difference? It suggests that video has a bigger impact than print.
Movie Palaces:
Extravagant movie theaters. Were not for the lower class by any means.
Movies as mythmakers:
They tell communal stories (narratives). Movies distract us from our daily struggles. Encourage us to rethink contemporary ideas. Creates cult of celebrities. Reflect societies myths and values.
Film and National Identity:
Breakfast at Tiffany’s: ‘Yellow Face’ racist. Stereotypes of asians. Top Gun- Created a better image for the military. Two views of history: Abraham Lincoln VS Django Unchained.
Films and Cultural Norms:
The dominant viewpoints of film narratives are masculine. Films visual pleasures are primarily for men. Zoe Saldana as Nina Simone: Turned a black women darker. Thelma and Louise: Controversial because of its progressive portrayal of gender stereotypes. Sundance Film Festival: movies not agreeing with Utah’s values. Films have a function within popular culture. Films are part of a wider argument about representation.
“The Male Gaze”:
“The Male Gaze” by Laura Mulvey. Cinema constructs the audience as voyeurs.
The Golden Age of Films:
1930s to 1950s: Characteristics: film dominated the visual realm. Stars were born. Efficient visual tech was available. Began to integrate visuals with sound (more lifelike movies). Appealed to diverse markets.
Hollywoods Golden Era:
In the 1950s. A star was born- Humphrey Bogart, etc…
TV VS Film:
Film started to decline because of TV. Why? Demographics changed, people worked longer hours. Dealing with the new medium on the block: Why would TV be such a threat to movie?
