Rethinking the "Evolution" of Film

In this book Janet Harbord "examines the reasons why we should be studying film in the twenty-first century, connecting debates from philosophy, anthropology and new media with historical concerns of film studies." This book shows us how the world works instead of how film represents different culutres in some way shape or form. Because with every sarcastic or witty remark a writer makes or an actor changes there is always some truth to those statements, The world can be a cruel place or a place to think and grow and film demonstrates that thought to people.

The Difference

This is a movie theater in the 1920s. There was usually only one or two movies showing at a time. The atmosphere had a lot to do with the whole experience of going to the movies. Almost everyone that went to the movies has an exciting time.




This is a movie theater now. It looks like it could be anything like a mall or even an office building, if it weren't for the huge sign that reads "NCG Cinema". Some people find actually going to the movies and paying the $10 for a ticket to be a not-so-fun task. Now there are sometimes 15 different movies to choose from and loads of people to go through, When did the act of going to the movie theater turn in to something we don't find exciting anymore?

Crossroads

Picture the movie "Annie" and go to the scene where Annie, Daddy Warbucks, and Grace go to the movies. They were all so excited. And slowly that excitement has faded. The experience of go to the theater to watch the movie is still present, but people are opting for a different way to watch the newest flicks. The Internet has once again ruined something sacred, Viewers are now choosing to go to websites to watch the newest movies from the comfort of their own la-z-boys. And when the movies are released to DVD some people are choosing to use websites like Netflix to watch them instead of going to the movie store to rent them. In the article "Movies At A Crossroads" addresses these issues and also mentions how Disney has created an entirely new software that will track the ownership of digital television shows and movies as people are streaming them. Almost every movie production company is looking for a new way to distribute movies other than theaters and movie rental stores, like Blockbuster.

Influence

With almost every movie there is a hint of another director or another film. In this article Scott Dickerson, Christian director addresses this and applies it to famous director Steven Spielberg. But he brings up solid points and says that all directors are influenced by directors both American and international. But he also says that directors must assess the social impact on audiences and that some of the best movies were made to push those boundaries. Some movie are still made to push those boundaries, but mostly movies are to make people laugh or blow something up. As a Christian, Dickerson says that some of his fellow Christians may not really love the cinema, they just love the power of cinema. But in Hollywood directors and audiences alike have to tackle messy topics like sex and violence, but not in excess. In the movie "Some Like It Hot" the topics of sex and murder are dealt with, but with a comical spin. But in an '80s classic, "Boogie Nights" issues like sex and drugs are shown in positive and negative lights. Even though both movie are from completely different eras and are of two different genres, they could have been influenced by the some of the same movies or directors.