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Recently, I also saw Jaws for the first time. (Yeah, I know). I was amazed at how well it still held up after 43 years! This film is credited with beginning huge changes in cinema and marketing, and for revolutionizing a genre. Between being one of the first movies advertised on television, to knocking The Godfather from its pedestal in 78 days, to casting the Great White as a pariah in the public eye, this film altered every aspect of the moviegoing experience. Specifically focusing on the impact Jaws made in its genre and the changes it introduced to cinematograpghy (i.e. the introduction of more subtle horror, larger budgets, and the importance of a good cinematic score) would be interesting.

Boredom is invariably portrayed in both film and literature as something that is painful or to be avoided at all costs. Are there any positive portrayals of boredom? What is it about boredom that hurts us so much? Is there something useful in being bored and, if so, how would that be portrayed and made entertaining to a reader or cinema goer?

This time of year is filled with the macabre–from movies to haunted houses. Why do people enjoy this kind of entertainment? Is it because it makes us value our humanity as we know we are safe? I would love to see an exploration of this topic perhaps through a few specific popular horror films (slasher, demonic, etc).

A broad scope to go over, but in the wake of films like The Florida Project and Beasts of the Southern Wild from this decade, films about the downtrodden in America are often debated in circles of critics who read from a socioeconomic perspective upon their veracity. The discussion of whether a film is being authentic in its portrayal of poverty, or if it's being artificial and dishonest for the sake of appeasing a middle-class audience is an interesting one, and analyzing the contexts of aspects like class and race while looking over a few select films given/saved from this criticism are worth attempting. What appear to be the common criticisms? What keep the better films from being given the label?

When reading books or watching movies, it's rare that plot twists or events will catch people by surprise anymore. Almost every plot twist has been done in multiple books or movies. Is there any originality left in the world? What does everyone else think? Has humanity run out of ideas? There are thousands upon thousands of books and movies in circulation, so have we exhausted all possible ideas?

In honor of this month of spooky stories here's a little topic for fun.

What is the best type of spooky story? – Is it the thriller that makes your skin crawl, or is it the bloody killer that seems unstoppable, or is it the monster that appears making you jump in your seat?
What makes a spooky story effective?
Are visual narratives (film and television) better at evoking fright or are written narratives (short stories and novels)?
What are the best all time scary stories in film and novel form?

I'm sure you could turn this into an interesting article, even just engaging in a discussion between the different types of scary stories (thriller vs horror) or even by examining the different trends in scary films (stalker vs serial killer).

But I thought perhaps in the comments we could also add our favourite Halloween scary stories….

With three significant reboots and refocuses we are seeing what is hopefully a significant shift:
Female cast reboot of 'Ghost Busters'
Female cast for 'Oceans 8'
Female lead for Doctor Who

Across film and television we are seeing the shift in the trends to finally reflect a better equality of story telling. Whether this is in fact simply a trend that reflects the demands of today, or (hopefully) a fundamental shift in acknowledging the need for more diverse story telling still remains to be seen.
We are also seeing the re-portrayal of over sexualisation in the structure or rebooting of other films. For example the new 'Tomb Raider' features a less busty (padded) version of Lara Croft, who also makes her own decisions and the film does not include a focal love interest narrative. Although it is a slow process it is a positive one, yet there are still some difficult questions inherent in these portrayals, and it is largely centered around the particular messages and meanings that are expressed through these portrayals – are they subvertive? Or do they still confirm to gender normalisation and fail to offer new interpretations?
What do you think?

One of the most dramatic but equally difficult acts is to kill off a main character. From a viewer's experience this is traumatic, dramatic and endlessly memorable – I will always remember when Buffy killed Angel at the end of Season 2. However, it is a very difficult task for a writer to engage in, we spend so much time building our character and imbuing them with a level of personality that becomes real to us. Yet it can be such a powerful tool to engage the reader. On the other hand, it can also be detrimental to a reader's engagement, some may check out in frustration, others will become less engaged emotionally with the characters – for example, the developing death-exhaustion of those following 'Game of Thrones.' So what are the pros and cons of killing a main character? Should it be done at the start or end or midway in the book? When is the right time to kill a main character? What are the pros and cons of the "return" (as in Angel coming back in the next season), or leaving it as permanent? So many questions: Discuss.

As more young adults surpass their teens and move into their early adult lives, the books that they are reading are not moving with them. YA books have become universally loved by age ranges of all kinds, striking a chord in the heartstrings of people of all ages. That's what makes it so great. However, in a genre that is specifically titled "Young Adult", it poses the question: What defines the young adult genre? Is it the age of the protagonist or the backdrop of the story or is it simply just a marketing tactic that doesn't have much substance to it at all?

Channel Zero, a new anthology series based off of popular stories on Creepy Pasta (a horror "microfiction" platform), has two seasons available on Shudder, a media platform similar to Netflix that caters to horror fans. Analyze various themes within the first season of Channel Zero, "Candle Cove," or compare and contrast Candle Cove with the following season, "No-End House." For example, while Candle Cove draws the viewer in with a murder-mystery approach that is later muddled by supernatural forces, No-End House seems to dive right in with the other-worldly approach.

Has digital art and its open sourcing made it harder for artists to sell their work? if everyone can make a print of your work after downloading it how can you truly make a profit off of the work.

In the book the Shack by William P Young, Mack has major trauma after his youngest daughter is murdered during a camping trip. The author uses Spirituality as the main force to help Mack overcome his guilt and to help him work through his grief and trauma. Explore how spirituality is used in the book/film.

In the early 1990s, Yasumi Matsuno directed a game titled Tactics Ogre; a dark, high-fantasy strategy RPG whose deep and complex plot was inspired by the events of the Yugoslavian Wars at the time. The game forces the player to make significant choices during the course of his campaign, some leading to horrific war crimes and political manipulation. However, can video games truly reflect the scarring and atrocities of war like literature and cinema can?

A classic supernatural/mystery trope is the voice from the beyond – meaning the voice (in some form) from beyond this world, either they are dead, or from the past/future, or from another world. The point of this is either central to the narrative or a secondary feature to provide information. The entire concept is a fascinating example of humanity's yearning for more than what is present in our own world. To reach beyond the veil and access another plane of existence is a wonderfully tempting concept. Depending on the genre this can either be a positive or negative experience. Meaning that sometimes these voices are there to help, while other times they are the harbingers of great dangers. Either way it is an exciting narrative convention.

There are two questions I would pose to those who would undertake this topic: 1) Where has our love of this concept come from? Can it be tracked to the original god myths of the Greeks? Is it merely an aspect of explaining the unknown? Is it part of our yearning to reach out to the dead?; and 2) what are the best (and maybe worst) examples of where this has been done in film? Or perhaps someone might look at this through comics or literature – it is a concept across genres.

'The pen is mightier than the sword' was first said by Edward Bulwer-Lytton. This saying sounded strange to me at first until I began to think about some more and realised how true it was because a pen has the ability to murder someone or to save someone, to hate someone or to love someone. Many wars have been started with just a signature so this saying still rings true today. Bringing this saying into the 21st century and we see the true power that written (or typed words) can have on someone.Many people are now basing their whole life around what someone may have or have not typed about them on FaceBook and sometimes the hurt things that are being said are being led to our younger generation having mental health issues and parents having to attend the funerals of their very young children. So even though this saying was written over 150 years ago it is still as relevant in today's climate and I do not think that it will ever loose its meaning because it has just as much value in the fiction world as it does in the non-fiction world.

Ever since the meteoric rise of mobile gaming, microtransactions have plagued the world of modern video games. Games are being released with DLC content available from day 1, leaving many to consider such games incomplete upon release. DLC used to be used as a way of extending the playability of games after they have been out for a while. However, it is now being used as a cash grab for developers who sell game content separately. Is this trend leading to the downfall of video games? How long will players continue to shell out wads of extra cash to play a game that they already bought?

Paranormal romance is a new genre of literature that is identified as being a story that predominantly focuses on the romance between characters who are either both, or at least one, supernatural beings. For example, 'Twilight' falls into this category as it focuses on the developing relationship between a human and a vampire. There are many examples that range from werewolves, vampires, dragons in human form, fairy-creatures, etc. Largely this genre is making use of the growing popularity and interest in supernatural creatures in a less monstrous form and more as a form of sexual taboo. However, this genre is also of concern for the perpetuation of rape fantasies and the lack of consent. Part of the problem is that it is handled in a manner that can be argued as being due to supernatural influences rather than a true "rape" as we understand it. However, rape is considered as an act without ongoing consent. Just because a character is under thrall, or a spell, or under the "animalistic drives" of their other form, this does not diminish the importance of consent. The use of statements such as "she couldn't resist," are very similar to the style of romance novels known as "bodice rippers" which are historic novels where women are "freed from their social constraints by the presence of a real man." Regardless of the supernatural presence, a number of these paranormal romance novels perpetuate the normalisation of rape culture and this needs to be called out.

Within feminist discourses there are a number of texts and authors who are held up as the exemplars and originates of the movement. Some of the most famous are Mary Wollstonecraft, who wrote the first seminal text 'The rights of women,' then we have Virginia Woolf with 'A room of one's own,' Simone de Beauviour with 'The second sex,' and Germaine Greer's explosive 'The female eunuch,' and so many more. Yet how well do these texts still speak to the women of today? What would Wollstonecraft, Woolf, de Beauviour and Greer think of the behaviours and portrayals of women today? Especially those that perpetuate some of the behaviours these women originally fought against. Has the social context changed so significantly that these texts no longer offer a valid perception? I would argue not, but perhaps there is a need for a new voice to frame the next wave of feminism?

Pop-culture is infamous for questionable portrayal of romance. What does a healthy relationship look like and what pieces of fiction do a good job at portraying it? A recent good example I can think of is Violet and Tony in The Incredibles 2. While we have yet to see the relationship take off, the fact that he is attracted to her for her confidence sends a positive message. By working on herself first and being strong and independent, Violet was able to attract a nice guy. I think we need more media that sends that message of self-fulfilment being an important ingredient in a healthy relationship.

Traumatic pasts are de rigeur across mediums, perhaps especially books. Many, if not all, of our favorite protagonists have traumatic pasts. They've been orphaned, bullied, imprisoned, raped, or had any number of other tragedies visited upon them (sometimes a combination of many). Trauma is often a good tool in the hands of the writer, as it incites sympathy for characters and explains some motivations.

However, trauma in fiction is often handled poorly. When this happens, you tend to get one of two reactions. The first is what TV Tropes calls "Angst? What Angst," wherein a character seems to function entirely separately of trauma, never mentioning it or letting it influence his or her life. Sometimes, the character suppresses the trauma so much, he or she finally has a melodramatic breakdown, or two or three.

But on the other side of that coin, you have characters defined by trauma. This can be extremely obvious, as in the character who acts like a victim and wallows in self-pity, or it can be a bit more subtle. See, for instance, the abused person who grows up to be an unrepentant abuser, or the military veteran who gives up on life and people after losing a limb or sense.

The question becomes then, how can writers write trauma, and do it justice? What is the best way to write a victim who incites sympathy, yet also incites true likability? How much trauma is too much or too little, and in what situations can/should it play a part? Discuss.