Gaining prevalence in the 1970’s, exploitation films challenged the accepted standards of film at the time. Taking away more power from mainstream Hollywood, audiences were introduced to previously censored, controversial and disturbing content in film for the first times. Multiple factors contributed to the rise of exploitation; some even credit the films with the final decline of the major studio system. Many famous directors of the last decades got their starts in exploitation, using popular culture of the time to advance their influence in the film industry, eventually leading to the rise of independent studios.
Exploitation films owe much of their credit to cautionary films of the 1930’s. Skirting the established morals of the time by showcasing subjects such as drug use and premarital sex in a negative light, films like Reefer Madness were presented as educational pieces, dramatizing the horrible things that would happen to deviant pot smokers of the time. Similar films such as Sex Madness soon followed suit, showcasing the horrors of venereal diseases plaguing those who engaged in premarital sex. Maintaining Hollywood’s wholesome and clean image was a strict production code, devised to censor many films containing content that one might find disturbing. With the total vertical integration of the studio system, it was almost impossible to distribute a film containing anything objectionable.
The Paramount Decree of 1948 forced the major studio to divest their exhibition holdings including their monopoly over theaters. Soon, an increasing number of smaller theatres began appearing. This rise in independent theaters greatly contributed to a growing number of independent productions, and a widespread introduction of European a...
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... budget film would manage to bring in audiences. Some moralistic individuals viewed films simply to see just how grotesque they could possibly be, but it didn’t matter to directors—a ticket sale was a ticket sale.
Exploitation didn’t end with the rise of the blockbuster film. Even today we see forms of the exploitation film that are immensely popular with audiences. The Evil Dead remake was one of the most popular films of 2013, despite the fact that it featured hipsters being slaughtered in grotesque ways. Yes, I was offended while watching the film, but it didn’t matter to me, the comedic level of violence was entertaining. Something seemed satirical about watching a group of twenty-something hipsters fighting drug addiction and falling victim to angry poltergeists in the woods. I guess the appeal of watching alt-culture individuals getting wrecked lives on today.
However, after the dust settled, it was widely accepted that the blacklist was unjust, which enabled many film workers to pursue the movie studios in civil courts through the 1950’s for unpaid contracts and wages (Lewis, 2008). While the studios were initially impacted by the Paramount decision, the breadth of competition and independent successes of smaller studios gave rise to the advancement of innovative filmmaking that may not have been possible if it were not for the Paramount decision. Filmmaking is one of the riskiest and most profitable ventures in modern day society, and without these events, the studios and the film workers may not share the successes that they do
Furthermore, the films themselves were more often than not, directed at certain sections of society, for example women, immigrants and the youth. This often aided in attracting such sections of society to the cinema.
...s have been regaining ownership of theaters due to the reluctance of anyone filing suit against them, “new Hollywood it is just like the old days before divestiture only better” (Lewis, 2008, p. 406). In conclusion, the giant head of the studio system monster was cut off only for a bigger more powerful one of the new Hollywood to have grown back in its place. Ultimately, Hollywood studios remain more interested about making money, than making better films and “The independent producer does what a movie producer has always done: choose the right stories, directors and actors to produce quality films” (Lewis, 2008, p. 502).
Racist characteristics in films and stories are something that can be perceived in this generation, but was something that was normal and expected in the 1930’s. Sexuality and raciness were items that made films a commodity in the 30’s and King Kong uses both of these to attract a wide audience. These qualities are also a factor as to why King Kong remains a classic throughout the generations.
Beginning the mid 1920s, Hollywood’s ostensibly all-powerful film studios controlled the American film industry, creating a period of film history now recognized as “Classical Hollywood”. Distinguished by a practical, workmanlike, “invisible” method of filmmaking- whose purpose was to demand as little attention to the camera as possible, Classical Hollywood cinema supported undeviating storylines (with the occasional flashback being an exception), an observance of a the three act structure, frontality, and visibly identified goals for the “hero” to work toward and well-defined conflict/story resolution, most commonly illustrated with the employment of the “happy ending”. Studios understood precisely what an audience desired, and accommodated their wants and needs, resulting in films that were generally all the same, starring similar (sometimes the same) actors, crafted in a similar manner. It became the principal style throughout the western world against which all other styles were judged. While there have been some deviations and experiments with the format in the past 50 plus ye...
... middle of paper ... ... Larry Ceplair and Englund stated in the book The Inquisition in Hollywood, “The destruction of the motion picture Left not only transformed the political atmosphere in Hollywood, but also adversely affected the kind of product which the studios turned out. “ In the early 20th century Hollywood reframed from producing politically controversial films in fear of becoming a target of McCarthy or the HUAC.
Due to a federal antitrust law, production companies and distributors lost power and profits, and independent companies, such as the United Artists Corporation, gained traction. The antitrust law, combined with “the postwar downturn and above all the imperative of competing effectively with television,” led to the implementation of various widescreen formats, 3-D, and Technicolor in order to innovate film and engage the spectator. In doing so, this period imbalanced the emerging power of narrative with the resurgence of spectacle. Widescreen, especially, also contributed to a sense of realism, actively engaging the audience in the visual expanse of cinema. As a result, Some Like It Hot’s mode of spectatorial address, though not as focused on “attraction” as early cinem...
Largely influenced by the French New Wave and other international film movements, many American filmmakers in the late 1960s to 1970s sought to revolutionize Hollywood cinema in a similar way. The New Hollywood movement, also referred to as the “American New Wave” and the “Hollywood Renaissance,” defied traditional Hollywood standards and practices in countless ways, creating a more innovative and artistic style of filmmaking. Due to the advent and popularity of television, significant decrease in movie theater attendance, rising production costs, and changing tastes of American audiences, particularly in the younger generation, Hollywood studios were in a state of financial disaster. Many studios thus hired a host of young filmmakers to revitalize the business, and let them experiment and have almost complete creative control over their films. In addition, the abandonment of the restrictive Motion Picture Production Code in 1967 and the subsequent adoption of the MPAA’s rating system in 1968 opened the door to an era of increased artistic freedom and expression.
In 1922 the Motion Picture Producers and Distributers of America (M.P.P.D.A.) was created in response to national protest by several parent groups who feared that films suggested provocative messages to children, which would cause negative influences. Fearful that the...
While Price does make a persuasive argument I cannot agree with the theme of his commentary. I have been a fervent viewer of television and films for years on end. Admittedly, much of what I watch on television qualifies as escapism or mere entertainment. I do not have a high degree of respect for the medium; however my love and admiration of film is intense. One could easily dismiss movies as superficial, unnecessarily violent spectacles, although such a viewpoint is distressingly pessimistic and myopic. In a given year, several films are released which have long-lasting effects on large numbers of individuals. These pictures speak to us as people and convey messages that are timely and timeless. Words are powerful, but visual images are overwhelming.
Movies have been one of the most popular pastimes for Americans for decades. They are the topics of conversation, a place for lovers to go on dates, and an industry that the general public seems to have a fascination for. However although we think of movies as another entertainment source, they were not always as socially accepted by the people. In 1904, Harry Davis opened the first freestanding moving-picture theater. Although he was met with much skepticism, his idea would have a lasting effect on America's culture. When they first opened, the people were not immediately accepting. Safety, cleanliness, and price were a few of the concerns the public had. After a few changes however, the "nickelodeons", as they were called, started booming. Flashing lights were put up wherever there was room on the façade of the buildings. Ventilation systems assured people that they were br...
Thompson, K 2003, ‘The struggle for the expanding american film industry’, in Film history : an introduction, 2nd ed, McGraw-Hill, Boston, pp. 37-54
Wyatt, Justin. “The Stigma of X: Adult Cinema and the Institution of the MPAA Ratings System.” Controlling Hollywood: Censorship and Regulation in the Studio Era. Ed. Matthew Bernstein. New Jersey: Rutgers University Press, 1999. (238-264).
The film industry has always been somewhat of a dichotomy. Grounded firmly in both the worlds of art and business the balance of artistic expression and commercialization has been an issue throughout the history of filmmaking. The distinction of these two differing goals and the fact that neither has truly won out over the other in the span of the industry's existence, demonstrates a lot of information about the nature of capitalism.
Film was meant to show the traditions and customs of specific cultures to the rest of the world. However, because of Hollywood's need for a large market to sell a movie ...