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Rise (and fall?) of Trilogies

David Goerz Com 329 Dr. Neuendorf. Rise (and fall?) of Trilogies. Background. A Trilogy can refer to nearly any related set of three works, although they are often the product of the same creator. Trilogies themselves have existed for thousands of years, occurring in ancient theater

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Rise (and fall?) of Trilogies

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  1. David Goerz Com 329 Dr. Neuendorf Rise (and fall?) of Trilogies

  2. Background • A Trilogy can refer to nearly any related set of three works, although they are often the product of the same creator. • Trilogies themselves have existed for thousands of years, occurring in ancient theater • Ancient Greek theater made extensive use of the trilogy format, including Sophocles' famous Oedipus trilogy, and Aeschylus' Oresteia trilogy. • Trilogies in novels are quite common, though not quite as old as their theatrical counterparts, and often (though certainly not exclusively) fall into the Science Fiction and Fantasy genres.

  3. Background • Film trilogies, of course, are somewhat more “modern” • As with novels, film trilogies have a rich history in Science Fiction and Fantasy. • Film trilogies are sometimes part of a longer series (which can create a degree of contention as to what is and is not a trilogy) • Although they have always been a part of film, many of film's best-known trilogies can be grouped together by era. • For the sake of poetry, let us organize these into a trilogy of groups: Early Trilogies, Middle-Era Trilogies, and Modern Trilogies

  4. Early Trilogies: Frankenstein • Frankenstein (1931)Bride of Frankenstein (1935)Son of Frankenstein (1939) • The trilogy follows the classic tale of Dr. Frankenstein and his undead monster. • Although the third installment had a different director Boris Karloff's recurring role as the Monster, and arc of the stories, tie the films together • As with many early trilogies, this was a trilogy of opportunity, wherein a film which did well is given a sequel, which then is given another if the market allows.

  5. Middle-Era Trilogies • Roughly stretching from the 60's through to the early 90's. • Characterized by an increased number of trilogies which wander more often from the bounds of Sci-Fi/Fantasy, and are intended to be trilogies. • Included a significant number of action trilogies (The Dollars Trilogy, The Lethal Weapon Trilogy, The Indiana Jones Trilogy)

  6. Middle-Era Trilogies:Star Wars • A New Hope (1977)The Empire Strikes Back (1980)Return of the Jedi (1983) • Tells the pseudo-Arthurian story of a young man from a desert planet who discovers his destiny as a Jedi Knight. • Not only originally imagined by George Lucas as a trilogy, but imagined as a sequence of trilogies. • In many ways encapsulates the trilogy's ability to create a cohesive story arc.

  7. Modern Trilogies • Marked by a further broadening of the possibilities of a trilogy. • Coincides with a sharp rise in comic book films, creating a number of comic book trilogies. • Coincides also with the advent of the “reboot”, allowing for trilogies like the Dark Knight to show a new take on established series.

  8. Modern Trilogies:The Lord of the Rings • The Fellowship of the Ring (2001)The Two Towers (2002)The Return of the King (2003) • A young Hobbit sets out to save a magical land from a being of unspeakable evil. Aided by brave warriors, and a great wizard, he must navigate a perilous landscape filled with savage foes – and a few treacherous friends. • Re-kindled the trilogy's role as the home of the epic narrative, and tells a story in which the individual parts, while strong on their own, truly rely on each other for completion.

  9. The Death of the Trilogy? • Many trilogies are finding themselves extended beyond three films. • In some cases, this seems to serve to genuinely supplement the narrative of the existing trilogy (The Hobbit [2012]) • In others, this seems extraneous, and detracts from the overall experience (Indiana Jones and the Kingdom of the Crystal Skull [2008]) • Still more trilogies are seeing reboots and even remakes of their stories, which (The Amazing Spider Man [2012], The Evil Dead [2013])

  10. The Death of the Trilogy? • With more franchises seeing a fourth part, and the juggernaut that is the Summer Blockbuster Comic Book Movie, the prominence of the trilogy seems to be fading once more. • Whether franchises will begin to trend toward the three-part format again in the near future is anyone's guess, but the potential remains.

  11. References • http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/trilogy?s=t • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trilogy • http://www.huffingtonpost.com/quora/why-is-the-second-movie-i_b_2370654.html • http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0021884/?ref_=sr_5 • http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_wars

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