Expert: Popcorn Guy - 4/21/2005

Question
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Followup To
Question -
I'm an American ESL teacher in China. I've been asked to present a lecture on "Western Movie Culture". WOW! Any suggestions? Eddie
Answer -
Hi, Eddie...

First of all... congrats on the assignment!

Now, tell me exactly how you want to work this... I'm assuming we're not talking about Western movies, a.k.a., cowboys and Indians... I'd love to help, but I need some direction here... send me a follow-up and let me know exactly how we need to proceed....
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How to proceed...that's the problem since I'm not really a movie buff.  I absolutely have no idea of where to start when thinking of "Western Movie Culture".  Western means movies from the West and not the East where I'm located.  All the Eastern students are amazed, surprised and fastinated by movies from the West.  Our movies are much more open to fantasy, action, drama, science fiction, etc.  Their movies are just beginning to evolve into other themes besides Patriotic or Kung Fu.

Anyway, I need something that helps a Chinese student from the East to understand the culture behind Western films.  Now that's asking a lot, isn't it?

By the way, my lecture date is April 28.  

Of cours, I will give you credit at the lecture...send a picture...the students will have a blast knowing someone from the USA helped!

Eddie

PCG

Answer
Hi, Eddie...

Sorry this has taken so long.. been wracking my head, trying to figure out how to sum up western movie culture in a few select examples... not the easiest tack to take, you know?

Almost think I would have to start with "The Grapes of Wrath." Show the poor and downtrodden still looking for the America they know is out there... I would hold Tim Burton's "Batman" up as an example of our own mythology, vs. the Chinese mythology of the lone warrior fighting for justice. Definitely "Rebel Without A Cause" to show the disparity of the youth in the fifties, struggling to find their own place in the world. "The Right Stuff," showing the building of the heroes of the modern era, turning a blind eye to the danger because the thril of going faster, farther, and higher than anyone had ever dared.

Now, go a bit further - introduce the aspect of horror and fantasy, showing how the West took the basic principles of myth and built on them, from Greek to Roman to Asian to Norse. Original "Frankenstein" with Karloff, Lugosi's  
"Dracula," even the original "King Kong." Ease into the Vincent Price/Corman horrors of the '50's that were done with a pinch of humor to make them easier to take, something we all needed after WWII and Korea. Into the internal horrors of the 80's and 90's, like "The Shining," and maybe Carpenter's "The Thing," where the horror is based more on not knowing who to trust or turn your back on, rather than some "monster", per se... fantasy? Gotta throw "Star Wars" in, as it is the whole story of myth, as seen by Joseph Campbell's "The Power of Myth." It has every element of any country's mythology wrapped into one story, and you can point to any of the ideals with a stick, they are so obvoius. And, for my money, "ET," which blends the myth into a children's story...

Religion? "What Dreams May Come," one of the most lyrical of the analogies of HEaven and Hell and what lies beyond life. Don't know how much of this you can get into...

Any of this helping? Lemme know...

Don't worry about crediting me... just call me Popcorn Guy, a fan of all things celluloid, and let them know they can ask me anything thru this website.. I'd love to talk to them! (If they can, that is...)


Send me a follow-up for more ideas... didn't want to flood you....

PCG