Horror Movie Genre - A Deconstruction essays

Horror Movie Genre - A Deconstruction essays "I've always thought that there are great similarities between directing horror and directing comedy. With both, you're building up tension and curiosity. The audience is asking, 'what possibly could the punchline be here?' It's the exploitation of tension and that's what horror is all about. You've got to create a situation that's unbearably tense and the audience knows that something's going to happen. That the guy in the black is suddenly going to leap into the frame. It's a very unifying thing in a cinema" These are the words of Wes Craven, director of the 1984 movie A Nightmare on Elm Street. Some would say he is one of the initiators of the horror/slasher genre that spurned a flurry of unnecessary sequels and myriad clones. Others would say that he helped implement a level of excellence on the teen horror flick that was only ever reached again recently. Horror films are designed to invoke our worst hidden fears and to draw out our human insecurities that lie deep within. Horror effectively focuses on the strange and forbidden side of life that alarms us. They deal with our most basic instincts of fear and survival: our nightmares, our vulnerability, our fear of the unknown, of death and our loss of identity. Whatever force lies behind the horror genre, it simultaneously attracts and repels us. We yearn to see the monster defeated and life return to its stagnant normality whilst we are terrified by the forces of chaos or horror which threaten our peaceful existence. Alfred Hitchcock's Psycho was a groundbreakingly important film. Until then no one ever dreamed of killing off the heroine in the first half-hour of the movie. Rarely nowadays do you see a movie's opening scene without an innocent teen in some sort of peril. Psycho paved the way for Night of the Living Dead which in turn influenced The Texas Chainsaw Massacre which culminated in the "slasher" films finest hour - John Carpenters Halloween. Without Halloween we ...

Ghost Dance, Amerindian Rebellion and Religious Ritual

Ghost Dance, Amerindian Rebellion and Religious Ritual The ghost dance was a religious movement that swept across Native American populations in the West in the late 19th century. What started as a mystical ritual soon became something of a political movement and a symbol of Native American resistance to a way of life imposed by the U.S. government. A Dark Moment in History As the ghost dance spread through western Native American reservations, the federal government moved aggressively to stop the activity. The dancing and the religious teachings associated with it became issues of public concern widely reported in newspapers. As the 1890s began, the emergence of the ghost dance movement was viewed by white Americans as a credible threat. The American public was, by that time, used to the idea that Native Americans had been pacified, moved onto reservations, and essentially converted to living in the style of white farmers or settlers. The efforts to eliminate the practice of ghost dancing on reservations led to heightened tensions which had profound effects. The legendary Sitting Bull was murdered in a violent altercation sparked by the crackdown on ghost dancing. Two weeks later, the confrontations prompted by the ghost dance crackdown led to the infamous Wounded Knee Massacre. The horrific bloodshed at Wounded Knee marked the end of the Plains Indian Wars. The ghost dance movement was effectively ended, though it continued as a religious ritual in some places well into the 20th century. The ghost dance took a place at the end of a long chapter in American history, as it seemed to mark the end of Native American resistance to white rule. Origins of the Ghost Dance The story of the ghost dance began with Wovoka, a member of the Paiute tribe in Nevada. Wovoka, who was born about 1856, was the son of a medicine man. Growing up, Wovoka lived for a time with a family of white Presbyterian farmers, from whom he picked up the habit of reading the Bible every day. Wovoka developed a wide-ranging interest in religions. He was said to be familiar with Mormonism and various religious traditions of native tribes in Nevada and California. In late 1888, he became quite ill with scarlet fever and may have gone into a coma. During his illness, he claimed to have religious visions. The depth of his illness coincided with a solar eclipse on January 1, 1889, which was seen as a special sign. When Wovoka regained his health, he began to preach of knowledge which God had imparted to him. According to Wovoka, a new age would dawn in 1891. The dead of his people would be restored to life. Game which had been hunted nearly to extinction would return. And the white people would vanish and stop afflicting the indigenous peoples. Wovoka also said a ritual dance which had been taught to him in his visions must be practiced by native populations. This ghost  dance, which was similar to traditional round dances, was taught to his followers. Decades earlier, in the late 1860s, during a time of privation among western tribes, there had been a version of the ghost dance which spread through the West. That dance also prophesied positive changes to come to the lives of Native Americans. The earlier ghost dance spread through Nevada and California, but when the prophecies did not come true, the beliefs and accompanying dance rituals were abandoned. However, Wovokas teachings based on his visions took hold throughout  early 1889. His idea quickly spread along travel routes, and became widely known among the western tribes. At the time, the Native American population was demoralized. The nomadic way of life had been curtailed by the U.S. government, forcing the tribes onto reservations.  Wovokas preaching seemed to offer some hope. Representatives of various western tribes began to visit Wovoka to learn about his visions, and especially about what was becoming widely known as the ghost dance. Before long, the ritual was being performed across Native American communities, which were generally located on reservations administered by the federal government. Fear of the Ghost Dance In 1890, the ghost dance had become widespread among the western tribes. The dances became well-attended rituals, generally taking place over a span of four nights and the morning of the fifth day. Among the Sioux, who were led by the legendary Sitting Bull, the dance became extremely popular. The belief took hold that someone wearing a shirt that was worn during the ghost dance would become invulnerable to any injury. Rumors of the ghost dance began to instill fear among white settlers in South Dakota, in the region of the Indian reservation at Pine Ridge. Word began to spread that the Lakota Sioux were finding a fairly dangerous message in Wovokas visions. His talk of a new age without whites began to be seen as a call to eliminate the white settlers from the region. And part of Wovokas vision was that the various tribes would all unite. So the ghost dancers began to be seen as a dangerous movement that could lead to widespread attacks on white settlers across the entire West. The spreading fear of the ghost dance movement was picked up by newspapers, in an era when publishers such as Joseph Pulitzer and William Randolph Hearst were beginning to champion sensational news. In November 1890, a number of newspaper headlines across America linked the ghost dance to alleged plots against white settlers and U.S. Army troops. An example of how white society viewed the ghost dance appeared in the form of a lengthy story in the New York Times with the subheadline, How the Indians Work Themselves Up to a Fighting Pitch. The article explains how a reporter, led by friendly Indian guides, trekked overland to a Sioux camp. The trip was extremely hazardous, owing to the frenzy of the hostiles. The article described the dance, which the reporter claimed to have observed from a hill overlooking the camp. 182 bucks and squaws participated in the dance, which took place in a large circle around a tree. The reporter described the scene: The dancers held on anothers hands and moved slowly around the tree. They did not raise their feet as high as they do in the sun dance, most of the time it looked as though their ragged moccasins did not leave the ground, and the only idea of dancing the spectators could gain from the motion of the fanatics was the weary bending of the knees. Round and round the dancers went, with their eyes closed and their heads bent toward the ground. The chant was incessant and monotonous. I see my father, I see my mother, I see my brother, I see my sister, was Half Eyes translation of the chant, as the squaw and warrior moved laboriously about the tree.The spectacle was as ghastly as it could be: it showed the Sioux to be insanely religious. The white figures bobbing between pained and naked warriors and the shrill yelping noise of the squaws as they tottered in grim endeavor to outdo the bucks, made a picture in the early morning which has not yet been painted or accurately described. Half Eyes says the dance which the spectators were then witnessing had been going on all night. On the following day the other side of the country, the front-page story A Devilish Plot claimed that Indians on the Pine Ridge reservation planned to hold a ghost dance in a narrow valley. The plotters, the newspaper claimed, would  then lure soldiers into the valley to stop the ghost dance, at which point they would be massacred. In It Looks More Like War, the New York Times claimed that Little Wound, one of the leaders at the Pine Ridge reservation, the great camp of the ghost dancers, asserted that the Indians would defy orders to cease the dancing rituals. The article said the Sioux were choosing their fighting ground, and preparing for a major conflict with the U.S. Army. Role of Sitting Bull Most Americans in the late 1800s were familiar with Sitting Bull, a medicine man of the Hunkpapa Sioux who was closely associated with the Plains Wars of the 1870s. Sitting Bull did not directly participate in the massacre of Custer in 1876, though he was in the vicinity, and his followers attacked Custer and his men. Following the demise of Custer, Sitting Bull led his people into safety in Canada. After being offered amnesty, he eventually returned to the United States in 1881. In the mid-1880s, he toured with Buffalo Bills Wild West Show, alongside performers like Annie Oakley. By 1890, Sitting Bull was back in South Dakota. He became sympathetic to the movement, encouraged young Native Americans to embrace the spirituality espoused by Wovoka, and apparently urged them to take part in the ghost dance rituals. The endorsement of the movement by Sitting Bull did not go unnoticed. As the fear of the ghost dance spread, what appeared to be his involvement only heightened tensions. The federal authorities decided to arrest Sitting Bull, as it was suspected he was about to lead a major uprising among the Sioux. On December 15, 1890, a detachment of U.S. Army troops, along with Native Americans who worked as police officers on a reservation, rode out to where Sitting Bull, his family, and some followers were camped. The soldiers stayed at a distance while the police sought to arrest Sitting Bull. According to news accounts at the time, Sitting Bull was cooperative and agreed to leave with the reservation police, but young Native Americans attacked the police. A shoot-out occurred, and in the gun battle, Sitting Bull was shot and killed. The death of Sitting Bull was major news in the East. The New York Times published a story about the circumstances of his death on its front page, with subheadlines described him as an old medicine man and a wily old plotter. Wounded Knee The ghost dance movement came to a bloody end at the massacre at Wounded Knee on the morning of December 29, 1890. A detachment of the 7th Cavalry approached an encampment of natives led by a chief named Big Foot and demanded that everyone surrender their weapons. Gunfire broke out, and within an hour approximately 300 Native men, women, and children were killed. The treatment of the native peoples and the massacre at Wounded Knee signify a dark episode in American history. After the massacre at Wounded Knee, the ghost dance movement was essentially broken. While some scattered resistance to white rule arose in the following decades, the battles between Native Americans and whites in the West had ended. Resources and Further Reading â€Å"The Death of Sitting Bull.† New York Times, 17 Dec. 1890.â€Å"It Looks More Like War.† New York Times, 23 Nov. 1890.â€Å"The Ghost Dance.† New York Times, 22 Nov. 1890.â€Å"A Devilish Plot.† Los Angeles Herald, 23 Nov. 1890.

Work on Economics Essay Example | Topics and Well Written Essays - 3000 words

Work on Economics - Essay Example It therefore, gives a measure of responsiveness of quantity demanded depending on the changes of prices of the Justcookbooks.com while the other factors are held constant. Price elasticity of the demand = Proportionate change in quantity demanded Proportionate change in price Price elasticity of the demand = Q1 – Q2 (Q1 + Q2)/ 2 P1 – P2 (P1 +P2)/ 2 Price elasticity of the demand = -305,000 +215,000 (-305,000 + 215,000)/ 2 Price elasticity of the demand = 35– 25 (35 – 25)/ 2 Price elasticity of the demand = 2/2 = 1 Since, the price elasticity of the demand is equal to one, the demand for the online Justcookbooks.com have a unitary elasticity. This is because small changes in price undertaken do not affect the total revenue generated from the books demanded. As a result, an increase in the price further than the price of $ 35 will not affect the demand for the books. With a unitary elasticity, it is not business worth to undertake the business from its curre nt state as the price increases will not affect the revenues generated (Mankiw, 2012). ... + 16,000 = $456,000 Marginal Cost More than often, the marginal cost is calculated, as the additional cost incurred when an extra one more unit of the Justcookbooks.com is produced (Mankiw, 2012). With the equation total cost = 20 Q + 16000, the total cost goes up by $20 each and every time an additional good is sold. Therefore, we take the coefficient of Q which indicates the quantity demanded that gives a constant marginal cost is $20 per unit sold. Implications of Long Run and Short Run Period In most cases, companies face a lot of challenges while carrying out its operations in both the long run and short run period. This is because in the short run, one factor of production remains constant as it is always assumed to be in fixed supply. Therefore, the essential capital inputs for example, the cost of equipment remains fixed while the other costs incurred remain varied over time (Mankiw, 2012). More than often, the law of diminishing returns applies in the short run period, as mo re units of a variable input is added to the fixed amounts of equipment, which brings about the change in total output that rises at first and thereafter falls with time. Nonetheless, in the long run, all factors of production are considered to vary with the quantity of goods sold over time. In the long run, the output of the business will respond to changes in factors of production inputs that are usually referred to as returns to scale. This ranges from increasing, constant and diminishing returns to scale. Diminishing Marginal Returns and Economies of Scale Both the diminishing marginal returns and economies of scale are phases under which a product in the market has to undergo over time. Under the law of diminishing returns, an addition of one type of production input while the other

Comparing and contrasting Beyonce Knowles and Kelly of Destiny child Essay

Comparing and contrasting Beyonce Knowles and Kelly of Destiny child - Essay Example Since these two popular artist started in the same group of singing, therefore, their close relationship that can be determined from their past to present through comparison and contrasting their current popularity and new ventures. Remaining relevant in the music industry is a key issue for both artists. The two artists have remained relevant in the music industry in different ways. From their group of four, they are the two popular artists who can still be identified from the group. Despite remaining relevant, Beyonce has hit the music industry in a major way. This can be seen from hits after hits that she releases annually when compared to Kelly. Although Kelly also has some hits to identify with, they cannot be compared to the number of hits that Beyonce has had since the group broke up. Beyonce is currently known at least to have released hits that are not yet even been performed. Some of the music that Beyonce has recorded has hit the airwaves before she has even performed the songs to her funs. It is thus vital to note that, Beyonce remains to be more popular than her childhood friend Kelly whom they formed the popular group with and went on separate ways after deciding to go for single records. Over one millions likes in the media like facebook, twitter and you-tube videos for Beyonce are evident unlike those of Kelly Rowland. Marriage, relationship and venture into different career paths are also a key role that has determined the relevance of Kelly and Beyonce in the music industry. For Kelly, she has taken more of a different path in popular music when compared to Beyonce. Kelly has taken advertisements of major industries as her major. She has done more advertisement related gigs from her music talent when compared to Beyonce. In her music career, she remains relevant in most instances due to the adverts and the reality shows that she takes part in. More so, both have been involved in one or two movies that have been aired globally. Beyonce has the main actress in the ‘dream girls’ while Kelly has also been part of American black films that has maintained her relevancy in the popular music industry. For Kelly, nothing much has been heard of her successful relationships after the singles while Beyonce has hit a record of being a wife to a well represented artist globally called Jay-z. Beyonce has maintained a good marriage relationship when compared to Kelly who has no clear records of dating or marrying anyone through her music life (Arenofsky 5). Therefore, both have diverse preferences when it comes to marriages and ventures in to other forms of careers. Did their singles make a hit or collaboration was the main idea as to why they have remained relevant after their separation from the group? Well, it is evident that for Knowles, she had single hits that made her even more famous after her going single. She has had albums that have not featured any famous popular singer but still remaining very popular to her fu ns. For example, even after releasing songs like, ‘If I was a boy’ and ‘all the single ladies’ alone, she still attracted a large crowd of funs who could demand for more and more of her single album. She has given her funs the best of hits ever since she parted from her group. From my perception, it is like her being in the group was suppressing her talents and popularity. She could not have been known to be such a famous popular

Servant Leadership Essay example -- Religion Faith Religious Vocation

Servant Leadership Vocation is our call to be the best that we can be, each of us in our own way, so that we may better ourselves and society. Servant leadership is the truest fulfillment of our responsibility to charity and social concern. Servant leadership provides a charismatic self-identification, and thus we can better define our lives and commit ourselves to a fruitful vocation. Christ came into the world as the King of all humanity. He came as the redeemer of our world. However, Jesus did not come into this world to be served, He came to serve. Although Christ is no longer with us, His mission and his legacy live on in us, the Church. We are called to be the Body of Christ by fostering the brotherhood of all men (Dulles 85). We are called to be Christ to one another and to act as the suffering servant. Dulles tells us that we too are called to serve, to heal, to reconcile, and to bind up wounds. We are called to bring about the Kingdom of God. In being Christ to all around us, Pope John Paul II tells us that â€Å"we must make the poor feel at home. Without this form of evangelization through charity and without the witness of Christian poverty, the proclamation of the Gospel, which itself is the prime form of charity, risks being misunderstood† (Wojtyla 4). Pope John Paul II tells us that we are to be Christ to all we meet, so that we may make all people feel dignified and wholly human. We must value the sacredness of each individual person so that we may transform this earth into the Kingdom of God. We are given a divine mission to reach out to all others in our lives, and if we do not serve others as Christ has served us, then we risk misinterpretation of the m... ...Models of the Church. Garden City, NY: Doubleday & Company, Inc., 2002. - New American Bible, The. Grand Rapids, MI: Catholic World Press. 1991. - Nouwen, Henri J.M. In the Name of Jesus. New York: The Crossroad Publishing Company, 1989. - Smith, Christian, and Jerry Z. Park. â€Å"’To Whom Much Has Been Given†¦Ã¢â‚¬â„¢: Religious Capital and Community Voluntarism Among Churchgoing Protestants.† Journal for Scientific Study of Religion. 39 (2000): 272-286. - Velander, Peter. "Reflections on Christian Leadership." Clergy Journal 78.8 (2002): 19-22. - Wojtyla, Karol (Pope John Paul II). â€Å"In All Things Charity: A Pastoral Challenge for the New Millenium.† Catholic International. 12.3 (2001): 10-17. ---. â€Å"Novo Milennio Ineunte: ‘Time for a New Creativity in Charity.’† Catholic International. 12.3 (2001): 3-10.

Japanese Pearl Harbour Bombing

By the end of WWI, Japan had emerged as a global superpower gaining recognition from Western Powers like the British and Americans. Japan’s influence in the Asia Pacific region during WWII was of particular concern to the Americans and European powers especially in regards to Japan’s imperialistic activities. With growing opposition from the US who were against Japan’s policies of nationalism, militarism, and imperialism, tension built up to a Pacific war. In response to a series of US foreign policies and the breakdown of international diplomacy, the Japanese decided to attack the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour Hawaii on December 7th 1941. The Japanese hoped that this surprise attack would prevent war with the US for at least two years, allowing time to conquer the Asia Pacific. Ultimately, the bombing of Pearl Harbour is a result of the growing tension in Japanese – American relations due to conflicting interests, and triggered when a compromise between these countries could not be agreed upon. One significant factor that led to the bombing of Pearl Harbour is the Nationalistic and militaristic attitudes of the Japanese. Japans desire for recognition as a strong military power saw the implementation of many aggressive foreign policies. The outbreak of WWII provided an opportunity for Japan to conquer Eastern Asia since the European powers were focused on war with Germany, leaving the USA as the only country that could thwart Japanese goals. Along with adopting nationalistic policies, Japan also saw that militaristic policies were needed to maintain its power status. The militaristic nationalists rise to power in the 1930s like PM Tojo, saw Japan inclination towards military action should there be conflict in the Pacific, and this inclination was enhanced by the rivalry between the Army and the Navy. The Navy wished to match the glory of the Army who succeeded in many military campaigns, which eventually led to the bombing Pearl Harbour, a plan developed by Admiral Isoroku Yamamoto. Finally, Japan sought to end the restrictions placed on their navy at the Washington Conference in 1922 and entered the Tripartite agreement with Germany and Italy which increased tension with the US and Allies. Thus based on these policies, when Japan implemented martial law in 1938 the militarists and nationalists who supported Japanese expansion urged an attack on Pearl Harbour to increase Japanese world status and maintain colonial interests. Japan’s introduction of imperialism in the late 1800s stemmed for the Japanese sense of nationalism and desire to build empires like the West is the driving factor that resulted in the Pearl Harbour attack. The main imperialistic aim was to create the Greater East Asia Co-prosperity Sphere. This was to end Western influence in Asia but was in fact an excuse to conquer Asia and facilitate the growth of the Japanese empire. Japan’s invasion of China and Indo-China resulted in the establishment of embargoes and economic sanctions by the US. With little resources left because of these sanctions, Japan began preparing for Pacific war. Peace talks failed and the Japanese now certain that the US would enter the war wanted to achieve their imperial aims of conquering the resourceful lands of Malaya and Dutch East Indies before the Americans intervened. This lead to the bombing of Pearl Harbour to destroy the US Pacific Fleet in order to postpone American interference with Japanese imperial expansion. Knowing that the US would recover within two years the Japanese believed that they would have conquered South East Asia by then, obtaining resources like rubber and oil for war, and a strategic position to fight the US. Ultimately, the attack on Pearl Harbour was a tactic used by the Japanese to postpone war with the US as to achieve imperial aims. After WWI, the US attempted to remain neutral to international conflicts that did not concern them under their Isolationism policy. This policy allowed the Japanese to expand their empire without American intervention and also led to the Pearl Harbour attack. Despite the isolationist stance many including President Roosevelt wanted to intervene, as Japan’s invasion of China violated America’s Open Door policy whereby China was to be left independent so that trade was to be left unimpeded by other dominant powers. Since Japan’s resources came mainly from America, the US implemented a series of sanctions and embargoes, attempting to pressure the Japanese into stopping their expansionist activities. This began in 1938 with the ‘moral’ embargo to restrict aircraft support. By 1941 all Japanese assets in US were frozen and oil exports reduced by 90%. Having lost their primary supplier of war resources and left with a minimal amount of resource, Japan had to make a decision of whether to give in to American demands or conquer South East Asia for its resources. The militaristic Japanese government decided to respond to these US policies bombing of Pearl Harbour, hoping to prevent the US from thwarting their imperialistic goals. By the time the Americans recovered, Japan hoped to have gained a large empire and resources thus no longer requiring American trade and hoped that the Americans would realise war would be to costly. Reaching the height of tension between the Japanese and Americans diplomatic dialogue may have prevented the bombing of Pearl Harbour and thus preventing a Pacific war. However in 1933, Japan left the League of Nations thus destroying any platform for international dialogue to resolve disputes. With the establishment of the American embargoes, the Japanese took a dual approach on the situation. This was to negotiate with the Americans for peace agreements whilst preparing for war. The Japanese High Command offered to withdraw from Indo-China and in exchange they would maintain control of the Chinese regions they have conquered and America would reopen trade and unfreeze assets. The American Secretary of State Cordell Hull refused this offer, stating that trade and unfreezing assets would only happen if Japan left Indo-China and China and abiding the US Open Door Policy in China. Feeling unsatisfied, the High command of Japan rejected this offer on December 1st 1941 during the Imperial conference and so proceeded to bomb Pearl Harbour on December 7th. As mentioned, this was a dual approach; the breakdown of international diplomacy triggered the Japanese Navy to proceed with the bombing of Pearl Harbour hoping that this surprise attack would prevent the Americans from entering war before Japan could conquer South East Asia. Governed by a nationalistic and militaristic government that focused on the imperialism, tension between Japan and the US accumulated during the 1930s. The outbreak of WWII saw Japan’s desire to conquer South East Asia for resources. To accomplish this the Japan needed a tactic to prevent US intervention with their expansion for two years and this attack on the American Pacific Fleet at Pearl Harbour was a reasonable plan. While many argue that the US government’s foreign policy forced the Japanese to attack as an excuse to go to war, ultimately the build up of tension between the two countries due to conflicting interests based on nationalism, militarism and imperialism and the inability to reach a compromise due to lack of diplomacy is what caused the bombing of Pearl Harbour in 1941.

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