The media plays a very important role in the communication and passing of information to its viewers, readers, and listeners. One of these forms of communication relayed by the media is provided by the film industries where most films are produced to communicate to those who watch them. The messages these films offer can either be positive or negative; therefore may result in people acquiring certain trends or even stopping the performance of particular activities commonly described in these films. The influential nature of the movie Terminator, in the various aspects of the society and popular culture will subsequently be identified, discussed and analyzed in the paper.
Terminator, which has been considered to be of high influence in society, is a science fictional film which was a great success and became quite popular between 1984 and 1986. A clear indication of this fact is that Terminator is listed under the top one hundred iconic movies of all times. Terminator also played a vital function in the influence of the popular culture and society in general with regards to provision of lessons concerning morals as well as admirable characters that individuals should attain in the society. In summary, the film can be used to shape the attitudes of individuals as well as society.
The Terminator can be categorized as a science fiction, horror as well as an action filled thriller movie. The movie was produced in 1984 during which it gained immense success. The opening scene reflects that of the future in Los Angeles where a great deal of technology which includes presence and ruling of the world by Al machines. This plus the timing of the movie is a huge technological influence to society and popular culture. An incredible shift of ...
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Movies are the biggest time killers in the United States of America, where an average person watches about 20-30 movies a year. They are separated and categorized into many category, but one of the biggest category is science fiction. Science fiction is fiction based on imagined future scientific or technological advances and major social or environmental changes, frequently portraying space or time travel and life on other planets. One of the biggest and most famous science fiction movie is Jurassic Park, which is a science fiction-adventure-drama film directed by Steven Spielberg, based upon the novel of the same name, written by Michael Crichton. The story involves scientists visiting a safari amusement park of genetically engineered
Society tends to associate propaganda films with issues such as Nazi Germany and their film messages for their country; however, it is also possible for small independent companies, groups of like-minded people and individuals to use the media of film to incorporate messages for our society (The Independent, 2010). These messages are often in relation to changes that individuals should make in order to improve the standards by which they live their lives and changes to everyday habits that will benefit the individual, the individual’s family, a group of individuals or even a single person (Barnhisel and Turner, 2010).
The 1980’s brought about a change to movies after Americas’ loss in the Vietnam War. In the light of this, America felt that their masculinity was in question. In result, Hollywood responded to these feelings by making movies that had strong male characters, known as “hard bodies” (Sklar 346). Furthermore, according to Movie Made America, the characteristics of a hard body are “heroic, aggressive, and determined” (Sklar 346). One such movie that exhibits this is the Terminator, directed by James Cameron and released in 1984. The movie is about Sarah Conner, a teenager, who is being hunted by the Terminator, a robot sent from the future to kill her. In the first and the last scene featuring the Terminator, two hard body characteristics, aggression
The science fiction film, Blade Runner, directed by Ridley Scott, first released in 1982 and loosely based on Philip K. Dick's novel, Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep?,1 has continued to fascinate film viewers, theorists and critics for more than fifteen years. Writings include Judith B. Kerman's Retrofitting Blade Runner, a collection of academic essays;2 Paul M. Sammon's book on the making of the various versions of the film;3 and an extensive network of publications are available via the World-Wide Web.4 A student colleague has just seen the film for the eighteenth time.
Many people who grew up in 1960s and 70s with watching the Japanese animated television series by Tatsuo Yoshida would be very familiar with Speed Racer by Andy and Larry Wachowski in 2008 (American Film Institute Catalog, 2008). As a big hit in the summer of 2008, Speed Racer was considered as a box office bomb because it failed to break even at the box office and received generally negative reviews from film critics such as A.O. Scott and Jim Emerson. The Wachowski brothers were criticized in the conventional sense of cinema; however, it did succeed in its technological innovation and digital novelty (Emerson, 2008). As the rise of subculture in the American popular culture, Speed Racer did appear to satisfy and entertain the certain group of people who enthusiastic about the film including fans of Wachowski and gamers. Therefore, this refers to the reading of a film. Different approaches to read a film will result in different perceptions and conclusions. The French New Wave director Francois Truffaut argued that the authorship should be presented in the works of the best filmmakers. Nonetheless, this essay will focus on why the semiotic approach to read a film offers a better way to understand the American popular culture than the auteur theory even the semiotic theory may contain bias sometimes.
Film critic, Michael Medved is aware that by publishing his book, "Hollywood verses America," he will not only enrage mostly everyone in the show business industry, but he will also loose some of his friends because of what he wrote. His strongly opinionated critique of popular culture examines the recent shift in the content of today's television, films, music and art. He has gathered statistics and opinions as well as shared personal experiences, all to illustrate one major point; popular culture has taken a turn for the worst.
It should be noted that the way a film is planned, designed and the environment and culture in which the film is acted are very important in understanding the theme, message and the purpose of a movie. A poorly planned movie or film, for example, may not pass the right message. Using the movie entitled Boys N the hood, this paper will exemplify how why planning, design, environment, culture and society are crucial towards understanding the general message, theme and purpose of the movie. The analysis will be based on thesis statement that the movie entitled Boys N the Hood is a high quality movie because it is well-planned, designed, contextualized and should at that it at least express one cultural or societal issue. The key areas
Today, American film is among the most internationally supported commodities. Financially, its contributions are enormous: the industry is responsible for the circulation of billions of dollars each year. Since its explosion into the new media markets during the mid-twentieth century, film has produced consistently growing numbers of viewers and critics alike. Sparking debate over the nature of its viewing, film is now being questioned in social, political, and moral arenas for its potential impact on an audience. Critics claim that watching films is a passive activity in which the viewer becomes subconsciously absorbed, and creates a reliance or "addiction" to the medium, and thus can be influenced by any perpetual concepts or images. Advocates, however, argue that viewing such programs is an active process in which audience members are able to choose to what they are exposed, and interpret messages based on their individual needs and background. Perhaps both views are too extreme. Film from the 1950s to present, as will be explored in this essay, is an extremely useful medium, often underestimated within the label of "entertainment"; unfortunately, it may be partially responsible for current socio-cultural problems, too. The critical question, then, is whether film has fostered the progress of a more open-minded America, or rather hindered its development through the perpetuation of antiquated concepts of stereotypes, densensitized violence and breeding of normalcy.
The television's new “golden age” is now upon us. As the internet continues to make filmmaking more accessible to public, Hollywood will continue being one of the biggest and greatest influences on today’s society and politics. It is much easier to create and share your ideas through film than ever before. Independent studios before, greatly expanding the number of debates and arguments people have access to. Never has the power to express yourself and your views through film been so great, and we are better off for it.
Have you ever had one of those days that were so bad that you desperately needed a night at the ice cream or candy store? The 1970’s was that really bad day, while the night of self- indulgence was the 1980’s. Americans love to escape from our daily stress, and of all the products that allow us to do so, none is more popular than the movies. Movies are key cultural artifacts that offer a view of American culture and social history. They not only offer a snapshot of hair styles and fashions of the times but they also provide a host of insights into Americans’ ever-changing ideals. Like any cultural artifact, the movies can be approached in a number of ways. Cultural historians have treated movies as a document that records the look and mood of the time that promotes a particular political or moral value or highlights individual or social anxieties and tensions. These cultural documents present a particular image of gender, ethnicity, romance, and violence. Out of the political and economic unrest of the 1970’s that saw the mood and esteem of the country, as reflected in the artistry and messages in the movies, sink to a new low, came a new sense of pride in who we are, not seen since the post-World War II economic boom of the 1950’s. Of this need to change, Oscar Award winner Paul Newman stated,
Motion Pictures have always had a strong influence in today’s culture, but maybe none as prevalent as Star Wars. Originating with Episode 4 A New Hope, the series boomed from 1977 to 2005 with yet another addition coming in 2015. The strongest of the series was the original trilogy episodes 4, 5, and 6, all generally released in the 1980s. As one of the strongest film francaises still today, it’s impact within the 1980s was only the tip of the iceberg. Children and adults alike still anticipate the new edition of this seemingly endless journey. If any singular film series still holds prevalence in its future decades it is Star Wars: Original Trilogy.
Cyborgs are portrayed as an evil force in Terminator and Bladerunner. In Terminator, the cyborg is a killing machine sent back in time from the future. The mission of the cyborg is to terminate the mother of a rebellion leader before he is born. Throughout the movie, the Terminator takes many gunshots and withstands punishments that would destroy a human’s frail body. The Terminator experiences a high-speed car crash and walks away nearly unharmed. His layer of flesh is damaged, but he proceeds to cut the damaged portion away and continues his mission. Near the end of the movie, the Terminator is in a fiery explosion involving a...
Looking solely at the first concept, technological singularity is the most pressing in today’s society especially with multiple films depicting apoc...
How do movies affect our brain? Is the movie culture directing our thoughts in a certain path? Do movies change our behavior? Do movies carry a certain message? Perhaps a warning? These are all questions that we don’t normally give much thought to when we watch a film. However, it is important to employ our critical thinking skills when we analyze a movie we just watched.
With the popularity of film culture experiencing a drastic increase, a large amount of what happens on screen is mirrored in our society. Movies can evoke thoughts and emotions that shape the average man’s ideals, sometimes even stirring up propaganda that pressures governments to create new laws.