The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz
The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz |
| Spoilers don’t ruin stories or films, study claims Posted: 14 Aug 2011 03:16 AM PDT  Knowing how it all ends beforehand was preferable for some, the study found. — Reuters pic A new study by researchers from the University of California at San Diego shows spoilers may enhance enjoyment, even for suspense-driven story lines and film plots. After studying three types of stories — ironic-twist, mystery and literary — by authors such as John Updike, Roald Dahl and Agatha Christie, they found readers preferred versions with a spoiling paragraph written into the story. "I was quite surprised by the results," researcher Nicholas Christenfeld said in an interview. "Like most people, I don't turn to the end of a book to see who dies or what happens." For the study each story was read by up to 30 people and presented in two formats — in the original version and with a spoiling paragraph inserted in the story. Readers of all three story types preferred the spoiled versions of the stories more than the unspoiled originals. "Plots are just excuses for great writing," Christenfeld explained. "Nonetheless, plots are important, like a skeleton or a coat hanger. You need it to display the things that are important but the plot itself isn't critical." Christenfeld said in many cases a book or movie can be re-read or seen multiple times and still be enjoyable. "As a film director, your job isn't really to come to the conclusion that the butler did it. A single line would do that," he said. Once viewers know the ending of a film, they may want to view if again to see things that had meaning or didn't have meaning the first time they saw it. The researchers said in the study, which will be published in the journal Psychological Science, they found that the success of entertainment does not rest on suspense alone. "Stories are a universal element of human culture, the backbone of the billion-dollar entertainment industry, and the medium through which religion and societal values are transmitted," they wrote in the report. Christenfeld and his co-author Jonathan Leavitt added that the findings could mean that commonly held perceptions about suspense may also be incorrect. "Perhaps," they said in the study, "birthday presents are better when wrapped in cellophane and engagement rings are better when not concealed in chocolate mousse." — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| ‘Don’t Stop Believin’ — ‘Glee’ cast will be back Posted: 14 Aug 2011 03:11 AM PDT  The female cast members of "Glee" pose at the Golden Globe Awards in Beverly Hills, California, January 16, 2011. — Reuters pic For a show that has been on summer break, it's been an active few months for the popular series about the high school singing choir. The cast members have been on a live concert tour that is now part of the feature length "Glee: The 3D Concert Movie," which opened in theatres on Friday, and they have been the subject of massive fan speculation over who will "graduate" from the show after the third season, which premieres on September 20. For all those Gleeks wondering just who is in, and who is out, the cast members say it will all clear up, soon enough. "Everything is going to be revealed in the very first episode," Amber Riley, who plays Mercedes, told Reuters while promoting the Glee concert feature film. "You'll see who are juniors and you'll see who are seniors." Much has happened to the show's performers during their summer break. They travelled across the North America and the UK for the "Glee Live! In Concert" tour where cast members — including Lea Michele, Chris Colfer, Corey Monteith and Heather Morris — sang many of the memorable songs from the series' first two seasons including "Don't Stop Believin,'", "Teenage Dream" and "Slave 4 U". The concert movie not only showcases the tour, but goes backstage to get some behind-the-scenes glimpses of the stars, and it throws the spotlight on some extraordinary fans. But neither fan fervour over the live tour or movie release seem able to stop the incessant buzz about which students will be leaving the show since creator Ryan Murphy told show business website The Hollywood Reporter in July that in order to keep the high school setting credible, actors Michele (Rachel), Colfer (Kurt) and Monteith (Finn) would not be back for season four. Murphy fuelled even more speculation about the upcoming season when he said the show would return to some of the darker comedy and plotlines that marked the first season in 2009. The news stunned fans and even the actors. "Glee" producers then scrambled to get out the news that plans were underway for the three stars to appear in a spin-off — an idea from which they later retreated. While promoting the concert movie, the actors also tried to play down any controversy. "Just because people are graduating doesn't mean they're not gonna be on the show anymore," said Kevin McHale, who plays the wheelchair bound Artie. "Graduation is a normal part of high school so people don't need to freak out." Colfer wouldn't confirm his fate at the end of next season, saying only that things have "completely blown out of proportion", while Monteith said he was "looking forward to reading the script and seeing who's there." Regardless of her own fate, Michele already has ideas on how she'd like to see the new season unfold for Rachel. "I think it's seriously time to meet my dads," said the actress of her character's gay fathers, who have not so far been seen on screen. "To see what its like to be a young girl living in Lima, Ohio being raised by two gay men is a really important topic," said Michele. "To focus on that would be very helpful to young girls and boys who are raised in households with same-sex marriages." — Reuters Full Feed Generated by Get Full RSS, sponsored by Used Car Search. |
| You are subscribed to email updates from The Malaysian Insider :: Showbiz To stop receiving these emails, you may unsubscribe now. | Email delivery powered by Google |
| Google Inc., 20 West Kinzie, Chicago IL USA 60610 | |
0 ulasan:
Catat Ulasan