"Shogun" The Miniseries: Cultural Significance
[ send me this paper ]
5 pages in length. The cultural significance of the miniseries "Shogun" as it relates to this particular period in Japanese history addresses two of the most defining elements of one's existence: power and pride. Clearly, the manner by which Richard Chamberlain's character – John Blackthorne – is involuntarily thrust into the middle of an impassioned battle between two mighty opponents demonstrates just how important omnipotent power was during feudal Japan. No additional sources cited.
Filename: TLCshogn.wps

"Shortbus"
[ send me this paper ]
This 3 page paper discusses some of the issues raised in the new film "Shortbus." Bibliography lists 2 sources.
Filename: HVShrtBu.rtf

"Singin' In The Rain": Establishing A Genre Movie
[ send me this paper ]
9 pages in length. Love abounds when Don (Gene Kelly) expresses his love for Cathy (Debbie Reynolds) in the deserted stage room while singing "You Were Meant For Me" in the 1952 musical Singin' in the Rain. Understanding how the scene's theatrical presence seems to exemplify the workings of a genre movie encourages one to refer extensively to the specific textual characteristics such as lighting, framing, editing, camera work, as well as indicating how textual features may be related to broader questions such as ideology, generic conventions, visual style and narrative structure. Experiencing this particular scene is much more than merely watching two actors complete their routine; rather, everything about that stage -- from the lighting to the sets to the scenery -- plays an enormous role in the overall genre appeal. Without appropriate appearances to effectuate the scene's depth, there would exist little cohesion with regard to musical characterization so prevalent to all four genres that this film represents: Classic, Comedy, Music and Romance. Bibliography lists 5 sources. TLCsingn.wps
Filename: TLCsingn.wps

"Sling Blade"
[ send me this paper ]
3 pages in length. Brilliantly characterized by Billy Bob Thornton, Karl Childers' mild mental retardation sets his life on an unexpected - and undesirable - course straight to prison. The inability to decipher what he saw when he came upon his mother and her lover, Karl's thought process runs amuck and he ultimately kills them both, costing him twenty-five years of his life behind bars. He learns a great deal in these more than two dozen years that help to guide him once regaining his freedom, however, the extent to which he has the capacity to absorb the same complex thought processes as those without mental handicaps is limited, and this limitation affords him only a simple - if not realistic - perspective of what goes on around him. No bibliography.
Filename: TLCSlingBlade.rtf

"Smoke Signals" and "The Lone Ranger and Tonto Fistfight in Heaven"
[ send me this paper ]
This 7 page report compares Sherman Alexie's 1993 book with the 1998 movie "Smoke Signals" directed by Chris Eyre tht it inspired. Both comment on the contemporary Native American experience and consider stereotypes about Indians. Both offer the outsider a glimpse of life in a truly "outsider" culture.
Filename: BWsignal

"Splendor in the Grass"
[ send me this paper ]
An 8 page paper which discusses the movie "Splendor in the Grass" and further illustrates the works of Elia Kazan, who directed the movie, and William Inge, who wrote the screenplay. Bibliography lists 8 sources.
Filename: RAsplendor.wps

"Star Wars" - Crossover Development
[ send me this paper ]
12 pages in length. Reaching the heights of merchandising and crossover development that other entertainment franchises only aspire to in their dreams, George Lucas's "Star Wars" enterprise has long tipped the moneymaking scale when it comes to spinning off his science fiction saga into a multitude of other factions. Bibliography lists 14 sources.
Filename: TLCStarWars.rtf

"Story of an Hour," "Araby," and "Casino"
[ send me this paper ]
A 5 page paper which discusses similarities in Kate Chopin's "Story of an Hour," James Joyce's "Araby," and the film "Casino." The similarity focused upon is that which illustrates the realization of a truth, often a painfully accepted truth. Bibliography lists 7 sources.
Filename: RAchpnhr.rtf

"Tap"
[ send me this paper ]
A 3 page paper which examines the film "Tap" starring Gregory Hines as it relates to tap dancing. Bibliography lists 1 source.
Filename: RAtap.rtf

"Teta I La Luna" – Catalan Identity
[ send me this paper ]
5 pages in length. At first glance, one might not readily associate Bigas Luna's Teta I La Luna with Catalan cultural identity, however, the comedy goes well beyond its farcical façade to address Catalonia's long, arduous progression from past to present. That Luna's leading character – a young boy upset by the attention and suckling his new baby brother gets from his mother – seeks out other women upon which he can suckle illustrates through metaphor how Catalan's identity has long been associated with other cultural and social relationships; the boy's inability to stand on his own two feet and instead revert back to infantile behavior indicates the difficulty Catalans have had letting go of their oppressive past. Clearly, fortifying Catalan identity is much like breaking the bond between inherent to mother and child: It is not something accomplished with one abrupt effort but rather requires a weaning process the same as breast suckling. Bibliography lists 3 sources.
Filename: TLCCatalan.rtf