Possible Questions for my Small Scale Research Project
The question I set myself must have something to do with the following topics: Genre,
Gender, Ethnicity, Star, Auteur, Social, Political and Cultural Studies (SCHP), Industry or
Technology
I have narrowed this selection down to Auteur, SCHP, Industry and Genre. I want to
choose a question that focuses around a topic I enjoy, will have a range of sources to
investigate and a answer that will need backing up with statistics and primary research.
The question should be focused enough to have plenty to write about, and include
references to at least three films. It should to be too broad.
Some possible questions I came up with include:
1. Is Stanley Kubrick an Auteur?
[Auteur]
Look at films such as “A clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket Space Odyssey”
2. In what ways does the film industry in the late 90’s reflect pre millennium public
fears and ideas about the future?
[Industry/Genre]
(the emergence of the genres: alien invasion, disasters, Sci Fi, futuristic technology,
Epidemics and natural disasters). Ie. “The Matrix, Jurassic Park, Independence day, fight
club, Men in Black, Judgment Day, Star Wars, Star Treck, Start Gate, Spaced Invaders,
The X Files, Inspector Gadget, Godzilla, Asteroid, The Lost World, Terminator,
Armageddon, Night of the Twisters, Tornado, Dante’s Peak, Virus, Deep Impact, Apollo
13, Gattaca, Alien 3, Fire Storm, Without Warning, Godzilla Vs Space Godzilla, Alien
Intruder, Tycus, Alien Resurrection”- [in the top 5 highest grossing films that decade, 3 of
them fall under this genre]
3. What effect does Hollywood have when it gets involved with British Films?
[Industry]
Look at the difference between “Hot Fuzz” and “Shaun of the Dead” compared to “Run Fat
Boy Run”?
4. Do war films about real conflicts made by countries that play a role within the
films narrative, propagate national pride and morale towards their military forces?
[Genre, SCHP]
Films made shortly after a war such as “Sands of Iwo Jima (1949) and The Alamo (1960)
All Quiet on the Western Front (1930)”
Other Films: Saving Private Ryan, Full Metal Jacket, Platoon, The Hurt Locker, Green
Zone
http://www.filmsite.org/warfilms.html <Link to a site discussing various ideas about war films, including this
question.
5. To what extent does the film industry use “hybrid genres” as a way of re-making
films and narratives?
[Genre/ Indusrtry]
Shuan of the Dead, Spaceballs, Scary Movie,
6. An investigation to find out wether adapted films are better recepted critacally
than their original format [book/ comic/ television series or play?]
[Industry]
Harry Potter, Lord of the Rings, It, The Golden Compass, Twilight, The Lion, The Witch,
and the Wardrobe, The Lovley Bones, A Clockwork Orange, Sherlock Holmes, A series of
unfortunate events, Batman, Spiderman, Ironman, Oliver. South Park bigger longer and
uncut, The Inbeetweeners film, Shakespear Works, The X Files, X Men.
7. An investigation into the critical reception of films based on literature
[Industry]
Harry Potter, X Men, A Clockwork Orange
8. How and why has the slasher genre changed over time?
[Genre]
Psycho (1960)- Alfred Hitchcock, Halloween (1978)- John Carpenter, Scream (1996)-Wez
Carven