We have finally came up with a theme for our group presentation project, and this is appropriation in film. And we shall post updates on our project as they develop.
Difference between appropriation in films and Re-makes of films...... Appropriation tends to take certain texts or parts pr something else and uses them in a new way. Whereas a re-make of a film is another way of telling one particular story.
Find me a film that hasn't appropriated another cultural text!....are you going for the most overtly appropriated films such as Kill Bill, or perhaps those films that use appropriation politically, such as Team America, World Police? Why does animation lend itself so well to borrowing from so many other texts (Family Guy/ The Simpsons/ Futurama etc)...
I think that animation lends itself so well to appropriation because its is so blatant about using it. Animators don't shy away from the fact they are using appropriation. Where as a lot of feature length films will try got avoid making it obvious. With the exception of films like kill bill.
Shall we include films which appropriate from real life events? Because if so, I have found one or two. The original 'Scarface', for example, appropriates from the criminal life of Al Capone (in particular, there is a scene based on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre). The villains in 'Psycho', 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' are based on Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. 'The Great Dictator' which satirizes Adolf Hitler, 'Citizen Kane' is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. 'District 9' satirizes Apartheid South Africa. As for animation and appropriation, they seem to do it well because (in the case of 'The Simpsons' or 'Family Guy') they use the appropriation for comedic effect after establishing the characters. For example, When the Simpsons appropriated the beginning of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' Bart is playing the role Indiana Jones (trying to steal Homer's money) and Homer plays the role of the Boulder (rolling down the stairs).
Top 10 suggestions so far...
ReplyDelete- Kill Bill
- Star Wars
- West Side Story
- Kiss Me Kate
- Honey/ Bring it On
- Scary Movie
- Blazing Saddles
- Kick Ass
Difference between appropriation in films and Re-makes of films......
ReplyDeleteAppropriation tends to take certain texts or parts pr something else and uses them in a new way. Whereas a re-make of a film is another way of telling one particular story.
indiana jones
ReplyDeleteFind me a film that hasn't appropriated another cultural text!....are you going for the most overtly appropriated films such as Kill Bill, or perhaps those films that use appropriation politically, such as Team America, World Police? Why does animation lend itself so well to borrowing from so many other texts (Family Guy/ The Simpsons/ Futurama etc)...
ReplyDeleteI think that animation lends itself so well to appropriation because its is so blatant about using it. Animators don't shy away from the fact they are using appropriation. Where as a lot of feature length films will try got avoid making it obvious. With the exception of films like kill bill.
ReplyDeleteShall we include films which appropriate from real life events? Because if so, I have found one or two. The original 'Scarface', for example, appropriates from the criminal life of Al Capone (in particular, there is a scene based on the St. Valentine's Day Massacre). The villains in 'Psycho', 'The Silence of the Lambs' and 'The Texas Chainsaw Massacre' are based on Wisconsin serial killer Ed Gein. 'The Great Dictator' which satirizes Adolf Hitler, 'Citizen Kane' is based on the life of William Randolph Hearst. 'District 9' satirizes Apartheid South Africa. As for animation and appropriation, they seem to do it well because (in the case of 'The Simpsons' or 'Family Guy') they use the appropriation for comedic effect after establishing the characters. For example, When the Simpsons appropriated the beginning of 'Raiders of the Lost Ark' Bart is playing the role Indiana Jones (trying to steal Homer's money) and Homer plays the role of the Boulder (rolling down the stairs).
ReplyDelete