The Matrix(1990-2000)

Origin: This film, according to IMDb, was released in 1999, and directed by the Wachowski Brothers. Keanau Reeves plays Neo, a computer hacker who gets pulled into an adventure of escaping his life in a simulation known as the matrix. During this time period, there were many popular movies that were science fiction, and this film is part of this era.

Purpose: This film is an action packed film that was popular in the 1990's and is still popular today. It warns about the usage of advancing technology while providing an interesting plot. This film used a lot of new technology and special effects. The evolution of CGI was crucial to this film and many of the scenes use it to enhance the image. Bullet time, a now popular technique used, was a huge part of this film and its famous bullet dodging scene that involves several cameras and complicated movement.

Value: This film gives insight to the era of technological advancement in the time period. It also gives insight to political issues like power plays and fights to gain control, which echo the collapse of the Soviet Union earlier in the decade.. Also the different stories told by the characters mirror propaganda and stories told by the government.

Limitations: This film tells a lot about technology and politics of the time period, however, social and racial issues during the time period, like gender inequality, drug usage issues, and racial problems.  It also fails to mention world politics during the time such as the conflict between Israel and Palestine. 

Fun fact: In the film, all the scenes generated by the matrix are tinted green in order to show that they are not real .

Sources:
http://mediaburn.org/video/the-90s-raw-race-and-racism/
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0133093/
http://www.dogcanyon.org/2009/10/15/lessons-we-could-learn-from-the-matrix-about-politics/
http://www.madisonhorror.com/movie-effect-7.html

Ferris Bueller's Day Off (1980-1990)

Origin: This film was released in 1986 and directed by John Hughes, according to Letterboxd. It stars Matthew Broderick as a high school student who skips school with his best friend and girlfriend and instead explores the city, while avoiding being caught by his parents, sister, and principal. It is one of many popular teenage films of the time period.

Purpose: The film is showing American life style and is from the perspective of the average American. It was made to entertain a large group, so it shows average people in order to make it relateable. It is part of the pop culture of the time period started by the baby boomers.

Value: This film shows the average American life style in the time period to be one of indulgence. The 80's are know as the "decade that created us" according to National Geographic. The average life portrayed here gives insight to the American consumerist society of the 1980's. It also shows the influence of the baby boomer culture.

Limitations: This film doesn't really mention political events that were going on during the time period. No part of the Cold War, a major event, is shown. It also doesn't talk about social and political issues from the United States itself. It is mostly a comedic film that is meant to entertain and show the average lifestyle.

Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0091042/
http://letterboxd.com/film/ferris-buellers-day-off/
http://channel.nationalgeographic.com/channel/the-80s-the-decade-that-made-us/
http://www.banddirector.com/article/pg-concert-band/cultural-reflections-how-band-music-grew-over-time?productguide=534
http://www.weeklystandard.com/articles/popular-culture-and-baby-boomers_614772.html

Star Wars (1970-1980)

Episode IV: A New Hope

Origin: This first film in the famous set of movies was released in 1977, and according to IMDb, it was written and directed by George Lucas. It stars (no pun intended) Mark Hamill as Luke Skywalker, and follows his story of attempting to rescue a Rebel Leader, Princess Leia from the Empire.

Purpose: This film was created primarily to entertain. Unlike many popular films, it was not based off a novel, but a novel, The Adventures of Luke Skywalker was published about 6 months before the release of the film. This film had several new special effects, and required a whole new team to be set up for in order to create these ground breaking sci-fi effects. The director didn't follow the traditional sci-fi perspective, and instead created a future world that had been "used up" according starwars.com. This broke the template for many previous norms of sci-fi films.

Value: This film gives us insight to what was happening in the time period. The Cold War was still going on in the 70's, as was the Space Race. The film, with lots of science and astronomy, relates to the attention surrounding the Space Race. In fact according to thecoldwar.org, the Space Defense Initiative was dubbed Star Wars, which shows the effect this film had on the space race.

Limitations: This film  doesn't really accurately describe any conflict or race between the USSR and the USA. It's helpful by showing the mentality surrounding the time period, but gives no insight to how the real life conflict occurred.

Side Note: Interested in more about the space race? Well, check out this other project that I have done for this class!

Sources:
http://www.coldwar.org/articles/80s/SDI-StarWars.asp
http://www.tor.com/blogs/2013/01/weird-differences-between-the-first-star-wars-movie-and-its-preceding-novelization
http://starwars.wikia.com/wiki/Star_Wars
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0076759/

Mary Poppins (1960-1970)

                                                     
Origin: This movie was released in 1964 by Walt Disney, and directed by Robert Stevenson. Julie Andrews plays Marry Poppins. It tells about a nanny who is hired to work for some impossible children in an upper class home. Magic is what sets her apart, along with her creativity and imagination. At this point in film making, sounds and color have been established strongly. A new technique used here is the cross between real action with real actors and cartoon in the same frame

Purpose: Mary Poppins is based on the series by P.L. Travers. However, like most Disney movies, it is watered down to make it somewhat less morbid. It was meant to be an adaptation of the books, but at the same time give insight to life in the time period.

Value: This film is a gold mine of social and historical issues from the 60's! First, social class is an overarching theme in the film, According to Nina Ponier, comparing the rich Banks family to other less wealthy characters in the film to show division of class during the time period. Also, the film touches on family affairs, as at the beginning, Mr. Banks (the children's father) has a bad relationship with his family and wife. Mary Poppins points it out and seeks to mend it. Gender roles are also prevalent in the movie, with the father working and the son managing the money and the daughter in pink, which gives insight to the gender roles that were still very strict in the 60's (references to the feminist movement are made).

Limitations: The movie fails to tell us about more political problems that occurred during this time period, like the ongoing cold war. It also doesn't talk about the rise of feminism and other movements. It also doesn't talk about the changing of family structure that psychologist Molly Castelloe says started in the 60's and continues today.

Fun fact: Some speculate that this entire movie is about the rise of the popularity of drugs, with the songs "A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down" and "Let's go fly a kite" being about drug usage. This could be part of the values section, but Disney, whi made films for kids had no intention of drug refernce. That's why it's just speculation!

Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0058331/
http://www.fandango.com/marypoppins_21569/plotsummary
http://angam.ang.univie.ac.at/class/ko/mary%20poppins-class/class_in_mary_poppins.htm
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-me-in-we/201104/changes-in-the-american-family

Invasion USA (1950-1960)

Origin: This film was released in 1952, and IMDb reports that it was directed by Alfred E. Green. It stars Gerald Mohr, Peggy Castle, and Dan O'Herlihy. It tells the story of a Soviet invasion of the United States and shows the struggle of the characters. This film is still in black and white, but contains sound and dialogue. It was during this decade that color was being tested and introduced, but it was costly, and black and white films worked just fine.

Purpose: The film was released during the Cold War, where rising tension and fear of invasion were common between the US and the USSR. During this time, a lot of anti-soviet and anti-communist film was being released, which made this film one of many Hollywood cold war films. The film portrays people in a bar who end up being hypnotized to believe that the Soviets have invaded the US, and shows their struggle and misery because of it. At the end of the film, the characters wake up and thy hypnotist tells them that this s what will happen if there isn't action taken against them.

Value: This film talks a lot about the Cold War. The enemy is really unnamed in the film but is clearly the Soviet union. The film shows the feeling of fear during the war and the protest against invasion. It hints at the encouragement of the US that Hollywood produces anti soviet propaganda films. People turn their factories into places that produce tanks, and other things that help the US effort, in order to show what citizens should be doing to help. It also touches on the fear of nuclear war, with many references to nuclear weapons made in the film.

Limitations: This movie doesn't talk a lot about many aspects of the Cold War, such as the space race. It also doesn't discuss fear of espionage, and the battle between the US and the USSR of gaining countries to either side (where the concept of third-world countries appeared). It also doesn't talk about other countries participation, along with pre existing conditions that lead up to the war.

Sources:
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0044750/technical?ref_=tt_dt_spec
http://tradshad.wordpress.com/writings/cold-war-influences-on-american-culture-politics-and-economics/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9C72ISMF_D0