Touchstone Pictures

In 1930 a code known as the Motion Picture Production Code was established. The Production Code was the determining factor of what could be shown on screen. The Code preached that films were to never corrupt the moral standards of the viewers, every film must present realistic standards of life, and the films were to never disrespect the law. Nudity, references to sexuality, sexual behavior, rape, children’s sex organs, white-slavery, sex hygiene and miscegenation were not to be shown. Subjects…

Writing for an audience was not my strong suit before coming to UMass. My writing always focused on speaking to whoever stumbled upon it. To me, literature, in any form, was always meant for the masses. I composed my words in a manner anyone could understand. That my ideas were understood was always more important than impressing my audience. Why place your ideas on top of a tower of words built from the depths of your lexicon? People only do it to build the tower so high its onlookers…

Human beings are by nature, more visual learners than anything else. They say that a picture is worth a thousand words, and that’s true. Visuals are seen everywhere in the media and on the internet to grab the audience’s attention and to draw emotion needed in order to be effective. Effective visuals must contain the right combination of argument, purpose, and tone. A powerful and effective visual is the one that grabs at the audiences heart strings or emotion and makes them sympathetic to the…

Horror Picture Show. The pinnacle of openmindedess. A place where people of all genders, races, and creeds can safely explore their sexualities without fear of judgment or bullying. Right? To outsiders, absolutely. For those of us in the Rocky Horror Picture Show community, not so much. While we project fun, silliness, and freedom onstage for audiences every Saturday night at midnight, backstage is a completely different story. For my part, I joined my cast of The Rocky Horror Picture Show a…

“The Ransom of Red Chief” has a theme that is crime doesn't pay. He shows this through the actions and dialogue of Sam and Bill throughout the text. The whole story is about how Sam and Bill kidnap Johnny. But in the beginning of the story Sam drops a big hint of what is going to happen later on in the story. On page 11 paragraph 1“It looked like a good thing: but wait till I tell you.”Right away they tell you that all isn't as good as it seems.So somethings gonnna happen to the criminals all…

The rocky horror picture show is more than just a movie, its an interactive experience. As the clock strikes nine, every walk of life in las vegas begins to form a line to wait for the show. Walking down that line, you will come across people pulling up their stockings, adjusting their corsets, wobbling in their 6 inch stilettos, touching up their hair-rising makeup, and some talking with their loved ones. But all share one thing in common- their faces flushed with "antici...pation" waiting for…

In 1937, Walt Disney Pictures produced its first princess film. Almost seventy-nine years later, a total of twelve Disney princess movies have been completed, with each one bringing a captivating narrative to life. These classic tales feature a female protagonist that aspires to discover herself. Along the way trials are uncovered and, by the conclusion of the story, it makes the princess a better person overall. Villains normally create these obstacles and are an essential part of these movies;…

Kirby Dick’s documentary This Film is Not Yet Rated is an investigation into the Motion Pictures Association of America and its movie rating system. Through Dick’s examination, it becomes clear that the MPAA has several biases concerning sexuality, violence, and film producers. Because of these biases and a lack of definite ratings standards, Dick argues that the MPAA is not the moral backbone of the film industry it claims to be; it is a “subtle form of brainwashing,” censorship, and propaganda…

A film is an art form. Composer, Henry Mancini, once said, “the real creative power is in the mind and heart of the composer.” Henry Mancini was the composer for Touch of Evil and Breakfast at Tiffany’s. While these two films may seem like they don’t connect with each other at any point, they do and it is with Henry Mancini. By examining Touch of Evil and Breakfast at Tiffany’s through the lens of Henry Mancini’s music choices we can see that Mancini’s music choices were just as important as…

Since the start of filmmaking, sex has been a heavily debated topic, both on and off the screen. In the early 1970s, a kiss on screen or the mention of a sexual activity would be enough to convince parents to keep their children away. Not half a decade later, though, sexual acts were being displayed on camera for all to see, demonstrating a rapid progression in the acceptance of sexual acts over time in the film industry. Over time, a change has occurred in the regulation of content of American…