Pop Culture Timelines Go-To Thread
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I'm most clued into the art house scene but France has definitely seen a strong performance for drama and historical films examining matters of immigrant identity, feminism, and justice with some very interesting crime and courtroom films coming out over the past few years. Saint Omer was one of my favorite films of 2022. Great emphasis on social thrillers.
Not quite sure what you mean by change of political regime, though, unless you mean the changeover from the 4th to the 5th republic.
Again it depends how modern you mean. I'm very familiar with the foundational period of Japanese cinema, most prominently Kurosawa, but the developed Asian markets (Korea, Japan, Taiwan) have had a very strong and growing presence in cinema of late. 2022's Drive My Car was quite fantastic, for instance. 1977's House is one of my favorites.
In short, the communists came to power in the early eighties. Among other things, there is a factor here - on the one hand, closer ties with the USSR. At the same time, I note that in the Soviet Union, European cinema was in great demand. At the same time, protectionism towards local film producers is increasing.
Oh. Uh, I mean, if that's your POD then you can pretty much do as you please, since that's a radical enough change.
I can suggest investigating Jean-Luc Godard, who besides being one of history's greatest filmmakers and the creator of some of my favorite movies. spent a period as a radical Maoist that would roughly coincide with your communist takeover, though it really depends what shade of communist France is. Godard's Maoism could be seen as revisionist.
Definitely watch Godard's La Chinoise. Great film, came out right around the events of 68, excellent encapsulation of the radical zeitgeist in the air.
Well, here you just need to create a fulcrum - until the eighties, France had a powerful tradition of mass cinema, so I’m interested in what direction and what genres might receive priority - especially when the USSR is for France what the PRC was for Hollywood.
Well, initially there will be “classical Marxism-Leninism”, then there will be an analogue of the “Yugoslav Rupture” under which “French Socialism” will be framed, one of the features of which will be reliance on trade unions and similar organizations - here we are talking not only about opposing oneself to the USSR, but and to ensure the stability of the regime (because parliament is fickle, and it makes sense to create bodies of “workers’ democracy” that could at least institutionalize the policies of the Communist Party).
At the same time, firstly, the PCF existed for too long under the conditions of “liberal democracy” (although in the timeline there was more likely a fifteen-year conservative government, after a two-year socialist president, but there was still relative “freedom of speech”). So the government does not have the desire or ability to carry out too large-scale “purges” among cultural figures - also because otherwise they may be left without cultural infrastructure in principle. Secondly, because of the butterflies, Maoism is not considered “revisionism”. By the time events began, the Soviet-Chinese split had been resolved, and some of the Maoists went into isolation, but some returned to the ranks of the Communist Party. At the same time, according to the new strategy, Maoists (and other radicals) are perceived as the militant wing and the most active part in protests - in cases where the opposing regime is openly dictatorial, or when there is high activity of the ultra-right in the country. So Godard is considered an “eccentric”, but quite acceptable - especially since OTL he collaborated with communist trade unions.
I don’t promise anything - to be honest, my aesthetic ideal of cinema is “Golden Hollywood”, so I don’t perceive art house and avant-garde cinema well. I am a philister and place much more emphasis on entertaining film production.
I mean it's avant garde but it's very good. I strongly recommend giving it a try.
That being said, what you're describing sounds not unlike otl Eurocommunism, so checking into the currents that the OTL PCT swam in, culturally, will be worthwhile.
I mean ultimately it depends on the views of the alt-PCF on arts and media. There's been an impulse in many ruling left parties to systemize and heavily regulate the production of art and culture, rejection of anything perceived as too 'bourgeoise' in sentiment. The ebbs of repression, the strength of state control over media, all will impact the development of film. You could get a Solaris or you could get something much heavier on socialist realism.
Past twenty years Japan has definitely been outshone by Korea for worthwhile, well-received cinema. Chock that up, in part, to the post-bubble hangover and the slow decline of the country into a sort of grinding malaise. There's some good fare to be had in the drama department, but the Golden Age of Japanese cinema has yet to be topped. Look to the 50s and 60s.
In the Simpsons universe, Poochie is made as a foil to Itchy and Scratchy, rather than grinding each cartoon to a halt. So much so that the cat and mouse team up to both eradicate the yapping mutt.
Then, when Marge sees Maggie's gaudy behavior after watching too many Itchy and Scratchy shorts, the FCC forces Krusty to voice an age restriction. Think of the Freeform disclaimers whenever The 700 Club comes on for what I was imagining here.
Then, when Marge sees Maggie's gaudy behavior after watching too many Itchy and Scratchy shorts, the FCC forces Krusty to voice an age restriction. Think of the Freeform disclaimers whenever The 700 Club comes on for what I was imagining here.
I thought in-universe pop culture utopias were doable. If it only applies to real life media, I apologize.
Well, the left has different views here - but yes, in this case we are talking about a party with a “Stalinist” background.
In general, there are currently three cases that I have in my head. The first one was put forward by my colleague (who came up with all this) - this is the distribution of thrillers and action films about how intelligence officers expose “fascist conspiracies”, given that after coming to power the likelihood of a right-wing coup will be far from illusory. The other is “guerrilla cinema.” France is one of the countries where communists have an identity associated with the partisan movement, so the appearance of films where "Maquis" fight the occupiers is quite expected. Third, I'm interested in comic book films here, especially since the French communists have Vaillant/Pif Gadget, and France has a very rich and interesting tradition of graphic stories. And I’ll be honest - when I was little I watched Astérix et Obélix: Mission Cléopâtre 10 times. I still remember how I literally repeated scenes with pirates in the bathtub.
As for socialist realism - as a person who is interested in Soviet culture (in fact, as a citizen of one of the former Soviet republics, I can say that this is part of my cultural background), I still see that this is not really a thing. That is how it works - the Stalinist authorities used this label not as a designation of artistic method or style, but as a label for approved or exemplary cultural figures. That is, in literature, in theory, we are talking about the combination of the Russian realistic tradition with socialist propaganda or didactics. And this really exists, but on the same shelf you may find a book written in the spirit of neo-romanticism and also have the same label. In painting we can see the tradition of “Peredvizhniki”, but portraits of statesmen are already pure academicism, and if we look at the entire period from the 30th to the 90th, we have a range from impressionists to postmodern stylization. It's the same situation in movies.
Ok, so here’s something I thought of: What’ll happen if Pixar cuts their ties with Disney after showing the Black Friday cut of Toy Story to them? Well, after Disney gets angry with John Lasseter for the Black Friday cut, he (and the rest of Pixar) have a fallout with Disney, leave them behind, and try to pitch their movie to another company. One wonders how that will go.
How about they pitch their new (more wholesome) version of Toy Story to 20th century fox outside of Don Bluth they could use another animation studio
Here’s some food for thought: let’s say we had a magic door that could take us to any alternate timeline diverging from our own by just thinking what world we could enter. Some of these worlds have a different technological development.
Now here’s where the pop culture part comes in: what if say media technology developed in our world (i.e. filmstock, video signals/videotape, digital media standards like JPEG or MPEG) is incompatible with that of the various alternate worlds?
For example, if American electrical grids had adopted 50 Hz instead of 60 Hz for utility frequency around the late 19th Century (possibly as a butterfly from larger POD like a different Civil War outcome) - that would have technological knock-on effects that would mean that a standard similar to OTL’s PAL (used in Europe, Asia, and to this day some parts of Africa) being adopted worldwide (assuming 50 Hz utility frequency is).
Now here’s where the pop culture part comes in: what if say media technology developed in our world (i.e. filmstock, video signals/videotape, digital media standards like JPEG or MPEG) is incompatible with that of the various alternate worlds?
For example, if American electrical grids had adopted 50 Hz instead of 60 Hz for utility frequency around the late 19th Century (possibly as a butterfly from larger POD like a different Civil War outcome) - that would have technological knock-on effects that would mean that a standard similar to OTL’s PAL (used in Europe, Asia, and to this day some parts of Africa) being adopted worldwide (assuming 50 Hz utility frequency is).
I plan on creating a new AU sometime this year (sooner than later though). It will be mostly collaborative (basically everything is fine except if it interferes with my major plans for the whole thing). It's an AU of television animation but with three changes
1. What if Hanna-Barbera continues their 50s-60s output level of quality compared to their lesser 70s-80s output
2. What if the WB-Seven Arts studio didn't close and began television animation production
3. What if theatrical cartoons don't die out and companies like HB and WB made a whole new generation of theatrical productions (WB with the Looney Tunes, HB using ended television characters like Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear)
there are a few other major changes later on like
or
the whole thing is inspired by the fact we got Disney timelines, we got WB timelines, but we don't have one centered around Hanna-Barbera
1. What if Hanna-Barbera continues their 50s-60s output level of quality compared to their lesser 70s-80s output
2. What if the WB-Seven Arts studio didn't close and began television animation production
3. What if theatrical cartoons don't die out and companies like HB and WB made a whole new generation of theatrical productions (WB with the Looney Tunes, HB using ended television characters like Huckleberry Hound and Yogi Bear)
there are a few other major changes later on like
what if WB kept Nickelodeon
Turner buying Paramount instead of being gobbled up by WB
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First, I used to make a Hanna-Barbera timeline, but that was when I was still new to this website.
Second, this new AU is something I'll keep tabs on if it comes out this year. I just think the continuation of HB's 60s output would require for Bill Hanna and Joe Barbera to maintain the company themselves, even sticking with Screen Gems if they have to. I think selling the studio to Taft kinda did them in early.
The question is: when can we talk about the mass distribution of the import of television shows?
Pretty interesting! I even encouraged @TheFaultsofAlts to make a Hanna-Barbera TL.
And Nickelodeon timelines as well. See signature.