Annotated Film Catalogue

Annotated Catalogue

Films

Item 1: Fight Club (1999 Dir. David Fincher)

This is my primary focus film and is a prime example of materialism and consumerism in American film. It challenges a represents the impulse to buy and own material goods that inevitably will get you know where and allows you to get owned by your objects.

Item 2: Dawn of the Dead (1978 Dir. George A. Romero)

This is my secondary film and is a good example of how Consumerist undertones can emerge in a film even if not intentional. It’s set on the brink of malls becoming massive in America and the zombies have the instinct to go to them, this can be seen as a direct link to people within society and there connection with malls and material goods.

Internet:

Item 3: IMDB “Fight Club” Information Page http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/

Provides general information on director, writers, actors and a brief overlay of plot and additional information related to the film/director.

Item 4: IMDB “Dawn of the Dead” Information Page

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0077402/

Provides general information on director, writers, actors and a brief overlay of plot and additional information related to the film/director.

Item 5: “Materialism in Fight club” by Maria Adelmann

http://www.geocities.com/aipoissac/fight_club_materialism2.htm

An internet piece discussing Fight Club’s materialistic references and underlining tone. With fight club quotes referring to materialism and a thorough explanation of scenes and dialogue related to that subject.

Item 6: The Esotericism of Fight Club” by Paraplethon

http://www.spearoflonginus.ark11.net/theestoricsmoffightclub.html

Journals:

Item 7: “Zombies, Malls, and the Consumerism Debate: George Romero’s Dawn of the Dead” by Stephen Harper

The Journal of American Culture, Volume 1, Issue 2

A text from the University of Glasgow which raises debate and evidence of “Dawn of the Dead” being a satirical film about consumerism.

Interviews/Videos:

Item 8: Brad Pitt and Edward Norton: The Fight Club

http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=7VaA6_CDRyY

An interview where Brad and Edward discuss the ideologies of the film and their characters.

IMDB Forum:

Item 9: IMDB Discussion Board

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0137523/board

A response taken from my IMDB question that challenges my hypothesis.

Rejected items:

Matthew Halls: Teaching Film and Media studies/Fight Club and male fundamentalism:

This text focused too much on the representation of men and did not touch on my subject. So couldn’t be used as evidence.

Wiki-Pedia’s Information for “Dawn of the Dead”:

This internet source is unreliable and did not provided and deep research or useful text.

Challenging Response

Finally i have found the first comment/qoute that actually is against my arguement. I have been unsuccessfull finding some qoutes that challange my question giving my research a more even balance. What i really didn't want was a biast appeal to my research with no conterversial material. But luckily on a response to my IMDB question of fight club's materialism i got an interesting view of the film wich i have not thought of. Anywho this will be a nice qoute to add to my research.
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IMDB Primary Research

I've created an IMDB (Internet Movie DataBase) account so that i can post my questions, links to my blog and get discussions going with "People of the web!" Giving me a wider range of responses and views on my subject matter.

Ch-ch-check out my account and if you have one too post some comments on my discussion.

www.imdb.com/user/ur20131579/boards/profile

Focus Group Response

I believe the focus group worked out well and i got a decent discussion going with some great comments and feedback on my research and questions.

These are two "Peer Assessments" filled in by two classmates whom were evaluating my focus group. These responses help me on knowing how the group responded to my questions and how i can alter my Focus Group to achieve better feedback.









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Focus Group Discussion Q's

I will present clips, following with questions in which respond and analyse the content of the films.




Do film's like "Fight Club" provide true social commentary?



Do you think Media and Advertisement push society to buy and Consume?



Do you believe film is a good way to voice opinions on matters such as the state of our Economy?



One YouTube user commented on this clip saying "that movie change the way i see the world" do you think that film can do this? if so is there any films which have changed the way in which you see things differently?

Secondary Film: Fight Club

Directed by David Fincher Fight club is another film with a heavy focus on america's materialistic state.

Plot Overview:
The Narrator suffers from lack of sleep, he is stuck in a job he does'nt want and surrounded by possesions he does not need. He attends night groups for the sick, terminally ill, alchoholics and such in the hope that atteneding these classes his own problems will seem lesser. This works and he gets sleep and comfort as he rakes thorugh his classes each week, this is stopped when he meets an unstable young women "Marla" he finds out that she and he both have a lot in common and they spend a lot of time together.While touring, he meets an enigmatic young man named Tyler and after a short conversation both become fast friends, and the narrator finds a new way to vent his issues as Tyler and him vent frustration through fighting, this soon becomes heard of and other men in need of this escape join the "Fight Club". The club escalates in it's intentions and without the agreement of the Narrator Tyler and the members start acting violently on combating the consumerism within society.

Small Scale Research.

"A close anallysis of whether or not American films are pre-occupied with representing the hegemony of Materialsim"

I am looking into the idea of how American films can portray americas consumerism and materialism. I am looking specifically at George A.Romero's 1978 Zombie horror classic "Dawn of the dead", this film is set in a shopping mall a place that (when the film was made) was only just becomeing big. The film reflects on americas fear of this new comeing beast and can be seen on the level of Americans becoming zombies to the prospect of buying unesscesary material goods. I will also be looking into films such as "Fight Club" which also includes a heavy consumerism narrative to the story.