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Help/Support ► Need help for research (college homework)



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Naught

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So my teacher in media said we could do a forum for research, so I'll give it a go.

I'm researching into science fiction films and how they portray social anxieties and I'd like your opinion on it. How do you think it does or why do you think it doesn't? Explain your opinion if you can, it'd be much help to me.

My first primary resource is Children of men or Cloverfield, I haven't decided yet.

And keep it on topic please, this is vital research for my course.
What are your views on the subject?


Edit: Sorry guys, I'm a little confused where to post stuff. Should have put this in the homework thread...

Wasn't sure what to ask of first but here we go: What effects (related to social anxieties) do science fiction films have on you? Do they make you scared, insecure or make you want to take action?
 
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Nostalgia

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If you could be more specific about what you mean by 'social anxieties', I'll see what I can come up with. Are you referring to Dystopian futuristic settings like 1984?
 

Naught

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If you could be more specific about what you mean by 'social anxieties', I'll see what I can come up with. Are you referring to Dystopian futuristic settings like 1984?

I'm referring to; as a society we have worries about the future. Like whether or not new technologies or cures to illness's will cause us problem. An example being Children of Men: The birth rate has decreased and humanity is worried that they won't be able to carry on. My teacher has also explained that Cloverfield is supposed to portray social anxieties too. The film is supposed to be all about terrorism and the worries of invading countries.
 

Naught

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That film 'Repo', where they have the bionic organs. Exploring how medicine could be privatised and used solely to make money, and how people would be at the mercy of private corporations. Essentially losing control of your own life, or something like that...

Sounds like a good idea, I'll keep that in mind. Thanks.
(Good film too)
 

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I'm not sure if this is relevant to what you want, but I often have this problem when watching alien movies. Watching Independence Day for the first time was something that struck me really hard. I guess the idea of any extra-terrestrial beings coming to exterminate mankind for their own needs is what stirs this. The idea of an end of the world, the idea of worldwide panic. Any of those make me shudder.
 

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As soon as I read this thread, I immediately though of "Back to the Future". I think this film is perfect for your research.

You could talk about time travel and how its a double edge sword. People have the desire to change certain events or things they might have done in the past. But as we've seen in BTTF and many other science films (even in Dragon Ball Z) messing around with the space time continuum could have catastrophic repercussions.
 

Naught

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I'm not sure if this is relevant to what you want, but I often have this problem when watching alien movies. Watching Independence Day for the first time was something that struck me really hard. I guess the idea of any extra-terrestrial beings coming to exterminate mankind for their own needs is what stirs this. The idea of an end of the world, the idea of worldwide panic. Any of those make me shudder.

Yes, great input I need stuff like this. I just didn't know how to explain what I wanted...
 

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Science Fiction films usually do not incite any sort of anxiety, insecurity, fear, or drive to take action with me. Movies can thrill me with emotion, but once they are done they are pretty much absolutely out of my concern since it is just a fictional piece of work that is not any part of reality. Cloverfield didn't phase me at all, though I thought it was an interesting movie (besides it just being horrible to watch in theater due to shaky filming). I've never seen Children of Men.

However, I saw Contagion last night, and I'm still thinking about it today. It doesn't stir me to change my lifestyle at all or anything, but the fact that it was something that very well could happen and it was a (somewhat) realistic portrayal of what would happen in a situation like that, it got me thinking and kind of anxious. The scenes where the ill were dying were especially disturbing.
 

Naught

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Science Fiction films usually do not incite any sort of anxiety, insecurity, fear, or drive to take action with me. Movies can thrill me with emotion, but once they are done they are pretty much absolutely out of my concern since it is just a fictional piece of work that is not any part of reality. Cloverfield didn't phase me at all, though I thought it was an interesting movie (besides it just being horrible to watch in theater due to shaky filming). I've never seen Children of Men.

However, I saw Contagion last night, and I'm still thinking about it today. It doesn't stir me to change my lifestyle at all or anything, but the fact that it was something that very well could happen and it was a (somewhat) realistic portrayal of what would happen in a situation like that, it got me thinking and kind of anxious. The scenes where the ill were dying were especially disturbing.

The science fiction genre is really 'what if' situations and a lot of the time, our portrayal of how we think the world will end up. What if's seem to scare to some people, or make them feel without ease, like you explained then. I'm looking for more stuff like this. How it makes people feel.

Is that the only sci-fi film that really struck you?
 

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Cloverfield is hardly exploratory. Drop it.
Back to the Future is shallow and barely speculative. Don't touch it.
Watching Gattaca cannot be recommended enough.
 

Naught

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Cloverfield is hardly exploratory. Drop it.
Back to the Future is shallow and barely speculative. Don't touch it.
Watching Gattaca cannot be recommended enough.

And what of Children of Men?
 

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It's not a movie but look into A Brave New World. That certainly makes me uncomfortable.
 

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Well I think a basis of the two co-relating is, and this has been somewhat iterated already, is they usually represent what could be and the consequences of such. More importantly, some of these pieces reflect the author or director's historical context which is a really cool thing to do. Example, The Incredible Hulk was created in an era where nuclear energy was the big hot topic. Limitless, a movie, in the modern period where pharmaceutical business is a focus. So I think linking those together might help.
 
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Star Wars is kinda super socially anxious when it comes to Han Solo, Leia and Luke.
 

Naught

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Star Wars is kinda super socially anxious when it comes to Han Solo, Leia and Luke.

At the time, were people worried about things like that happening in society?
Also, Star Wars is considered a fantasy, that's what all my media teachers say anyway, but it's still a sci-fi.
 
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