Matching Items (9)
Filtering by

Clear all filters

133643-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Drawing on existing scholarship as well as primary analytical materials, the research within this report demonstrates Wile E. Coyote's character is reliant on human connectivity and is evocative of the human condition, reflecting his disciplined and stylized design he possesses. Comprised of literary, film/media, and rhetorical elements, this report illustrates

Drawing on existing scholarship as well as primary analytical materials, the research within this report demonstrates Wile E. Coyote's character is reliant on human connectivity and is evocative of the human condition, reflecting his disciplined and stylized design he possesses. Comprised of literary, film/media, and rhetorical elements, this report illustrates how Wile E. is an individual whose character holds various influences that provide dimensionality to his existence. The research within this report is both primary and secondary through observational recordings about the cartoons Wile E. appears in and through thorough analysis of texts elaborating on the elements comprising Wile E.'s character. Primary research from the initial observational recordings provides direction for the secondary research after viewing multiple cartoons and films containing Wile E. Coyote in his Warner Brothers Studios appearances and noting unique moments in his cinematic career. The notes from this viewing of Wile E. in his natural "habitat" drive the secondary research to focus on specific aspects of Wile E.'s character through the analysis of supporting texts which ultimately leads to the findings within this report. Research in the fields of literature, film/media studies, and rhetoric shape the analysis of Wile E.'s character as this report studies the various components compiled within the cartoon coyote. As a multifaceted individual, Wile E. illustrates a complexity within a stylized character that allows viewers to connect to his plights and to identify with his struggles. Through his emulative form, Wile E. embodies vital elements of character creation that allow him to become a memorable and prominent character that resonates in viewers and artists. From Wile E. Coyote's example, future generations of story tellers, regardless of their medium, can learn how to create similarly iconic and timeless characters within their works. Such stories can then contribute significant additions to popular narrative and characterization.
ContributorsGarza, Christopher Aaron (Author) / Baldini, Cajsa (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Sandler, Kevin (Committee member) / Department of English (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2018-05
132314-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
Horror films are typically comprised of three specific features: jump scares, gore, and suspense shots of a shadowy figure creeping up on an unaware victim. These three elements are some of the hallmarks of what defines the horror genre as they are methods that have proven successful in eliciting a

Horror films are typically comprised of three specific features: jump scares, gore, and suspense shots of a shadowy figure creeping up on an unaware victim. These three elements are some of the hallmarks of what defines the horror genre as they are methods that have proven successful in eliciting a bodily response within audience members, which is crucial to a horror movie being considered successful. However, these elements are also very polarizing. Individuals that enjoy horror often like these three things, while those who don’t appreciate the genre often cite over the top gore, distain for jump scares, and the anxiety that accompanies those suspenseful shots as primary reasons for avoiding horror. Due to the fact that those spectators who like horror tend to be in the minority, horror tends to have a very weak crossover appeal, thus limiting the audience interest while also being very unpopular among critics as well.
Interestingly, three recent horror films have achieved both critical acclaim and popularity among all audiences, horror and non-horror fans alike. Get Out, A Quiet Place, and It Follows are all noticeably lacking in the three features that commonly make a horror film “successful”, and yet it would be difficult to argue that they aren't successful horror films given that they have received critical acclaim, impressive box office returns, and have a strong crossover appeal. Therefore, they must use alternative methods to achieve the bodily response of fear that is necessary to be successful in the genre. I argue that these films put the audience member in a position that mirrors what Forced Lacanian Hysteric Neurosis and that this positioning produces the bodily response that is necessary for a horror movie to be successful. This manifestation has the additional benefit of allowing those spectators who do not like the fundamental aspects of horror (jump scares, gore, and suspenseful shots) to find the pleasure of horror without experiencing on-screen events that might cause them notable distress.
ContributorsStevens, Summer Charis (Author) / Mack, Robert (Thesis director) / Miller, April (Committee member) / Department of Psychology (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
Description
Whether fights to the death, or a masked murderer chasing an unwilling teen, viewers are seemingly drawn to human suffering. This thesis will examine the blurring of lines between traditional horror and crime films to better understand how both films provide a similar experience, as well as apply traditional film

Whether fights to the death, or a masked murderer chasing an unwilling teen, viewers are seemingly drawn to human suffering. This thesis will examine the blurring of lines between traditional horror and crime films to better understand how both films provide a similar experience, as well as apply traditional film theories on pleasurable viewership to both genres, in an attempt to discover viewers’ attraction to the perverse.
ContributorsBenavidez, Markus A (Author) / Miller, April (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / School of Criminology and Criminal Justice (Contributor) / School of Politics and Global Studies (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2020-05
132680-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
This study examines four films from Sollosi’s 2018 list of the top fifteen grossing box office romantic comedies. The films analyzed include Crazy Rich Asians, The Proposal, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Pretty Woman whose release dates range from 1990 to 2018. This study observes how these films seemingly

This study examines four films from Sollosi’s 2018 list of the top fifteen grossing box office romantic comedies. The films analyzed include Crazy Rich Asians, The Proposal, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, and Pretty Woman whose release dates range from 1990 to 2018. This study observes how these films seemingly defy stereotypical gender roles, but more often reaffirm them by incorporating stereotypical characteristics. Stereotypical gender roles are expectations of gender that is based off of one’s sex, and stereotypical meaning a widely held and fixed idea or image of a person (Krijnen & Bauwel, 2015).
It is problematic for these films to be reaffirming stereotypical gender roles because of the influence forms of mass media can have on society. According to Hammer (2009), society learns what acceptable and normal roles are through mass media. The films in this study are not only portraying to society what exactly women’s roles are but also how women should be fulfilling those roles. Hall claims, “Stereotyping reduces people to a few, simple, essential characteristics, which are represented as fixed by Nature” (as cited in Krijnen & Bauwel, 2015, p.44). When films place women in stereotypical roles, and perpetuate the idea that the roles are fixed by Nature, they make it difficult for women to transition out of those roles in future films and, in turn, in life. In this study, categories of analysis derived from previous literature reviews as well as observation are used to identify specific roles that are being portrayed repeatedly throughout each film.
ContributorsGargano, Abbey (Author) / Barca, Lisa (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Dean, W.P. Carey School of Business (Contributor) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor)
Created2019-05
166152-Thumbnail Image.png
Description

An analysis of the relationship between haunted house films and economic anxieties of different cultures and time periods.

ContributorsRobertson, Travis (Author) / Miller, April (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Comm (Contributor) / The Sidney Poitier New American Film School (Contributor)
Created2022-05
166048-Thumbnail Image.png
Description
If you've spent any amount of time in fan circles, or even any community that discusses media, you've no doubt heard of the Mary Sue. A Mary Sue is a character who, through positive personality traits, skills, and aspects of their appearance, warps the story so that they are the

If you've spent any amount of time in fan circles, or even any community that discusses media, you've no doubt heard of the Mary Sue. A Mary Sue is a character who, through positive personality traits, skills, and aspects of their appearance, warps the story so that they are the most interesting thing in the story's universe. The Mary Sue stereotype, however, can be used for good as a good basis for an engaging and intriguing story, provided the author considers more than simply their own interests - in fact, so can many stereotypes, whether existing solely in fan communities or branching out into more mainstream fiction. As such, I present a short story starring "M.S.", a very basic Mary Sue who is aware of her status and utterly despises the lack of meaningful action in her life. When one of her close friends shows symptoms of becoming a Sue herself, M.S. brings together a group of equally stereotypical friends - from the Gay Best Friend to the Spicy Latina - and, through their impromptu intervention, learns some things about them - and about herself.
ContributorsNorris, Kimberly (Author) / Van Engen, Dagmar (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / Historical, Philosophical & Religious Studies, Sch (Contributor) / Department of English (Contributor)
Created2022-05
Description

This story ---Under Still Faces--- is a horror fiction story. It is influenced primarily by classic, gothic literature with themes from the horror and true crime genres. The story includes critical/theoretical concepts, literary devices, and techniques from gothic literature primarily including Freud’s Uncanny, uneven framing, and an unreliable narrator. It

This story ---Under Still Faces--- is a horror fiction story. It is influenced primarily by classic, gothic literature with themes from the horror and true crime genres. The story includes critical/theoretical concepts, literary devices, and techniques from gothic literature primarily including Freud’s Uncanny, uneven framing, and an unreliable narrator. It employs themes from Edgar Allan Poe’s novels as well as his thesis regarding plot in The Philosophy of Composition. Particular descriptive themes in conjunction with the use of gothic elements surprise the reader about the story’s true ending similar to Poe’s The Oval Portrait. Included is an analysis of the literary decisions made in the piece to evoke specific reactions and feelings from the reader.

ContributorsRaines, Elliana (Author) / Fette, Don (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor) / Department of Economics (Contributor) / Department of Finance (Contributor)
Created2022-05
165752-Thumbnail Image.png
ContributorsRaines, Elliana (Author, Co-author) / Fette, Don (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2022-05
165753-Thumbnail Image.png
ContributorsRaines, Elliana (Author, Co-author) / Fette, Don (Thesis director) / Mack, Robert (Committee member) / Barrett, The Honors College (Contributor) / School of International Letters and Cultures (Contributor)
Created2022-05