Choose one of the following films: Arrival, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Edge of Tomor

Choose one of the following films: Arrival, 2001: A Space Odyssey, Edge of Tomorrow, Cloverfield,
Mars Attacks! E.T., Alien or 28 Days Later and answer the three (3) questions listed below. Your
response should be in MLA format, be approximately 750 words in length and use complete
sentences. However, it is not a formal essay and does not need to include a formal introduction,
body or conclusion. Please include a works cited page with the film that you have chosen. Do not do
any additional research for your response, this is your opinion on the film you have selected!
Select a film listed above and answer the three (3) questions below. Be sure to use specific examples from
the scenes you have chosen and include at least one (1) direct quote for each answer you provide (OR
citations with the timestamp if the scenes you have chosen don’t feature dialogue). Please see the attached
Evaluation page for exact format & requirements
1. Jules Verne suggested that a main difference that exists within the sci-fi genre is that some stories
“were built around tested and proven science” while others “were more fantasy”. Would you
consider your film to be a work that is built on realism or fantasy?
2. When designing aliens, some filmmakers rely upon image while others infuse their extra
terrestrials with symbolic value. Neil Blomkamp, director of District 9 wanted viewers to have an
immediate reaction to seeing the aliens, “I thought with the aliens, you’d think, ‘I don’t want to
sit next to that on the bus, they look insane, they look barbaric… And that’s why their design
reflects that. They are gross.” While with 2001: A Space Odyssey, Stanley Kubrick decided that
when it comes to his aliens, “What we’re really dealing with here is, in fact, a scientific definition
of God.” Does your film primarily focus on the use of image and design when representing the
alien (or zombies – shout out to 28 Days Later!), or does it focus on the symbolic value of what
they represent?
3. Finally, does your film offer an optimistic or pessimistic vision of the future?