Parody Film Genre Research

1. Parody Film Genre Research

2. Parody Film Genre • Examples: • Scary movie • Shaun of the dead • Epic movie • Think • Life of Brian • 21 jump street • The adventure of Sherlock Holmes’ smarter older brother • Hot fuzz • Mars Attacks • Austin Powers • Kung Pow! • Kung fu hustle • Superhero movie • The starving games

3. 1. Genre Conventions • Are classed as comedies • Mocks the original genre • Loosely based on the original genre but often with comedy elements. • E.g. Shaun of the dead & Dawn of the dead are zombie apocalypse set in a city, but has extra comedy and less action/horror elements • Lead character mocks main characters in original • E.g. Main in an action film is tough and cunning, in a parody is a stupid coward

4. Steve NealeGenre Evolution: Parody • The form finds itself: • Abbot and Castello: A series of parodies, the first parody film, very successful. Mocks the usual “monsters” in the horror genre like Frankenstein • The classic: • Monty Python: Old films, still funny today • Stretching the boundaries: • Shaun of the dead: Mixes in drama and romance elements instead of being completely without meaning • Team America: Has a serious element behind the silliness • Parody: • Not another not another movie: Mocks the other parodies • Homage: • Epic Movie: Makes a parody of a lot of films at the same time and intertwines their storylines

5. Rick Altmen research

6. 2. Audience Conventions • Audience would be similar to the original film, since people who have watched the original are more likely to watch a parody • People who have a crude sense of humour in some cases • Aimed more towards young people. • People who have satirical view of the original films

7. 3. Representation • A more light hearted view on the world than the original • People are generally less intelligent and take small things too seriously • Things are super exaggerated • People in the film often oblivious to their surroundings • Really exaggerates stereotypes

8. 4. Narrative • Something serious happens in the world and the main character is almost completely oblivious • Villain is the opposite of a conventional one • e.g. not smart, stupid • Aids can often hinder the main character instead of help • Takes the premise behind another film or the storyline of another film and turns it on a slant making it silly • E.g. Shaun of the dead – a bunch of survivors in a zombie apocalypse take refuge, but in a pub so they can drink through the apocalypse • A lot of bad things happen but eventually works out

9. Richard Dyer on Scary movie • Film is not made to be a utopian, people are going around getting murdered, and the main villain gets of without any repercussions at the end of the film yet the main protagonists life is ruined. However it shows the antagonist character as being silly, not a conventional villain, he hangs out with one of the main characters for example, could be said through the mockery of the world it’s an escape from the serious world to a world world of pure silliness

10. Blulmer and Katz on Scary Movie • The film obviously aims to make the consumer laugh which is a need of the audience the film has identified • Entertainment & Diversion • Allows the consumer to escape to a silly world where even in seriousness there’s silliness. Diverts you from your problems with humour • Personal Relationships & social interactions • Shows people betraying each other at the end, nothing the audience would want to relate to. But everyone will find the film silly, so it gives common ground to talk about with friends • Personal Identity • Makes you seem smarter, since everyone in the film is stupid in some way. Characters themselves are non relatable • Information/Education • Lets you look at genres from a different perspective, not a real moral behind the story