By: Alex Massaad
Watch: Moon (Jones, 2009)
Read: Jenkins, Henry. "Searching for the Origami Unicorn." Convergence Culture: Searching for the Origami Unicorn. New York: NYU Press, 2006. Print.
My second week’s film is a recent sci-fi film that borrows many elements from classic science fiction films such as 2001: A Space Odyssey (1968). I felt it was a good example of a recent trans-media story that borrows from many different elements from science fiction movies. I also chose Moon (2009) because the film presents a simulated reality that only the film’s protagonist, Sam Bell, recognizes. Since Sam is the product of cloning it could be understood that this is a technology-created simulated reality. Without the cloning process there would be no need for an alternative, simulated reality. The reading that I assigned this week is mostly about the trend of films to extend across many non-cinema media. Henry Jenkins often writes about how films create worlds that can then be broken down and used by fans within fan culture or even borrowed by other filmmakers.