Even though drug films are not a genre in it of itself, but it is a part of a much bigger genre known as counterculture films. According to Yinger, “ On the ideological level, a counterculture is a set of beliefs and values which radically reject the dominant culture”. This in turn makes the meaning of counterculture films are films that go against the norm of society and in a way are challenging the status quo of society. Some of the films that are well known in this particular genre and that are consistent with the main topic of my blog are Easy Rider (1969), which was directed by Dennis Hopper and the main premise of the film was about two bikers who sell drugs and then travel across the country and have different encounters throughout their trip some encounters being hatred from other communities that they traveled through and other encounters such as a LSD trip that went wrong, which is more coercive with the topic of this blog. Another more recent film that is considered a counterculture film is the film Requiem for a Dream (2000), which was directed by Darren Aronofsky. Requiem for a Dream follows the lives of several individuals and the different addictions that these individuals are facing. These addictions range from marijuana, cocaine, heroin, and speed. These two movies are known as counterculture films because they go against the norms of society. Some people may disagree with some of these films because of the many different things that are depicted and portrayed in the films that are drug-related.
In my eyes though there are other genres as well that incorporate drug films. One of the genres that I would also incorporate with drug films is the genre of comedy. The first film that pops in my mind is the comedy, How High (2001), which was directed by Jesse Dylan. This movie follows two inner city guys who both really enjoy smoking weed. This fixation with weed ends up helping them when they smoke this “special” weed. This “special” weed helps them get perfect scores on their college entrance exams and they end up getting a full ride to Harvard. In my eyes this movie is absolutely hilarious and is a movie that I always get a laugh out of. Now, would I recommend children to watch this movie? Absolutely not, but I would recommend it to adults that I may feel would enjoy this type of movie. It is definitely a movie for a mature audience because of it contents whose main focus is about weed and the funny different experiences that the characters encounter when they smoke throughout the film. The last genre and the most obvious genre in my eyes that can be incorporated with drug films is the drama genre. Many films try to emphasize the dark side of drugs and drug addictions. According to Carter, “The message in this entertainment -- seen by millions -- has become clear: Doing drugs may be "in" to many, but it's also a fast track to oblivion for many more ... which means the American entertainment industry is finally beginning to play up to its potential as a force for good”. Some of these films include: Requiem for a Dream (2000), Thirteen (2003), and The Basketball Diaries (1995).
Yinger, J. M. (1982). Countercultures: the promise and the peril of a world turned upside down. New York: Free Press.
Carter, R. (1999). Drugs and movies: Kicking the habit. New York Amsterdam News.
No comments:
Post a Comment