Dark Film Research Articles

Encouraging Undergraduate Interdisciplinary Engagement: A Case Study of Biology in Text and Film

ABSTRACT In this article, we describe an interdisciplinary course entitled ‘Biologies in Text and Film,’ co-taught by a literary historian and biological scientist. In our course, we use dark science fiction film and texts, as well as biology content, to unpack the ways scientific knowledge is entangled in social and narrative paradigms and vice versa. We first describe our course’s theoretical positioning, which adapts a medical humanities framework. Our positioning breaks from an existing science-via-fiction approach that prioritises the teaching of science at the expense of a more holistic discussion of narrative and science’s social entanglements. Our course uniquely and substantively meets both literary and biology learning outcomes. We provide our four-stage course structure: breadcrumbing, deep-diving, interpretation, and application. We believe this approach can help humanities and STEM students to engage with high-stakes wicked problems through a disciplinary blending that leads students to a more robust understanding of how our real and imagined world(s) are entangled.

Dark Humour in Moving Frames: A Discourse Analysis of Bollywood Black Comedies

ABSTRACT The present study delves into the portrayal of dark humour in the Hindi films produced in Mumbai, popularly known as Bollywood films. The dark humour films of Bollywood mainly focus on prevalent social issues such as violence in the underworld, corruption, prostitution, and persistent poverty in India, while socially conscious Bollywood films have often sentimentalised these issues by depicting impoverished individuals as virtuous and hardworking. This study investigates the emerging trend of intermingling serious and comic elements in an attempt to create a more impactful narrative. While employing Critical Discourse Analysis (CDA) as a tool to dissect the dialogues and storylines and aiming to identify instances of humour, irony, satire, and social critique, the current study attempts to analyse two Bollywood films—Dev D (2009) and Lipstick Under My Burkha (2017). The findings highlight how these films utilise dark humour to unveil the double standards and hypocrisy prevalent in Indian society. By challenging established norms, the identity constructed through dark humour in these films seeks to provoke critical reflection and initiate social change. Through this examination, Bollywood’s evolving approach to addressing social issues becomes evident, providing insights into the power of dark humour in shaping the prevailing social context.

DARK IS THE NEW LIGHT: A PARADIGM SHIFT IN THE VISUAL NARRATIVE OF INDIAN CINEMA AND WEB SERIES

Indian ancient scriptures contain a rich array of rules, instructions, daily rituals, and customs, which is particularly suitable for a diverse country with its multiculturalism and diverse beliefs. Rasa theory, a fundamental concept in Indian aesthetics that has strong connections to early Indian performing arts such as dance and theater. Contemporary dark films explore themes of violence, crime, moral ambiguity, and the darker aspects of human nature. They often aim to evoke intense and unsettling emotions in the audience. Indian audiences have shown a growing interest in films that challenge conventional storytelling and explore complex and unconventional themes. Films and web series like "Gangs of Wasseypur," "Paatal Lok," "Sacred Games," and "Asur" etc. have received critical acclaim and have been embraced by audiences for their bold narratives and portrayal of darker elements. While there is an audience that enjoys dark narratives, the appreciation of dark cinema among Indian viewers is not universal. However, it has undoubtedly gained momentum and contributed to the evolving filmmaking culture in the country. The goal of this study is to analyze & explore the visual semantics applied in web series with dark themes, aiming to understand their influence on the audience. An exploratory study examines the visual elements employed in popular Indian cinema and web series that portray dark narratives.

The Influence of Reflective Screen Color and Surface Film Treatment for Single-Sided Holographic Projection on Imaging Quality

This study explored the effects of reflective screen material color and film treatment in holographic projection on image quality. Employing an experimental approach, algorithmic analysis of images captured after projection was conducted to examine image quality. Image analysis was performed using OpenCV software, focusing on quantifying values of average color (RGB), contrast, sharpness, and saturation. The results revealed that changes in the reflective screen material color led to a decrease in average RGB values, by approximately 50%, compared with the transparent colorless screen. A light brown colored material demonstrated more satisfactory sharpness performance compared with the transparent colorless and black color screens. However, differences in contrast and saturation among different colored screens were not particularly noticeable. Regarding film treatment, a decrease in average RGB values for black and dark silver surface films was observed. However, light black and dark silver surface films showed a significant improvement in sharpness. Differences in contrast were not pronounced, and saturation slightly increased after film treatment. The experimental findings further showed that as the thickness of the reflective screen increased, ghosting and blurring became more noticeable at image edges. Nevertheless, tinted materials and film treatment reduced ghosting and blurring. Film treatment with low light transmittance increased surface reflectivity, which resulted in a glare effect around the images on the reflective screen, affecting the viewing experience. The results of this research may be helpful for understanding image qualities and the setting up of holographic projection reflective screens.

Transient flameout process of boron-magnesium agglomerates during combustion in oxygen-rich atmospheres

In this study, boron–magnesium agglomerates with varying mass ratios were prepared by drying a micron-sized boron–magnesium mixed suspension, and the combustion process of these agglomerates under different oxygen-rich concentrations were investigated using a laser ignition system. The test results showed that when the mass fraction of magnesium powder in boron-magnesium agglomerates exceeded a certain threshold (between 2% and 5%), flame extinction and reignition occurred after a significant reduction in the agglomerate volume during combustion. This process is referred to as the transient flameout process, which is affected by the magnesium content of the agglomerate and the oxygen concentration in the ambient atmosphere. An increase in the magnesium content or oxygen concentration makes this phenomenon more pronounced. During weakening of the flame intensity, a dark film gradually covered the particle surfaces. X-ray diffraction and elemental analyses of the cross-section and outer surface of the condensed combustion product suggested that the dark film is primarily composed of Mg-B-O ternary oxides. This film prevents direct contact between boron and oxygen, thereby inhibiting surface and gas-phase reactions and leading to the occurrence of the transient flameout phenomenon.

Microstructure and High-Temperature Properties of Cr3C2-25NiCr Nanoceramic Coatings Prepared by HVAF

The study examines the microstructure and high-temperature properties of Cr3C2-25NiCr nanoceramic coatings on 316H high-temperature-resistant stainless steel that were prepared by high-velocity air–fuel spraying (HVAF) technology. The micromorphology, phase composition, fracture toughness, high-temperature hardness, high-temperature friction, and wear properties of the coating were studied by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), X-ray diffraction (XRD), high-temperature Vickers hardness tester, high-temperature friction and wear tester, and surface profiler. The results show that the Cr3C2-25NiCr coating prepared by HVAF presents a typical thermal spraying coating structure, with a dense structure and a porosity of only 0.34%. The coating consists of a Cr3C2 hard phase, a NiCr bonding phase, and a small amount of Cr7C3 phase; The average microhardness of the coating at room temperature is 998.8 HV0.3, which is about five times higher than that of 316H substrate. The Weibull distribution of the coating is unimodal, showing stable mechanical properties. The average microhardness values of the coating at 450 °C, 550 °C, 650 °C, and 750 °C are 840 HV0.3, 811 HV0.3, 729 HV0.3, and 696 HV0.3 respectively. The average friction coefficient of the Cr3C2-25NiCr coating initially decreases and then increases with temperature. During high-temperature friction and wear, a dark gray oxide film forms on the coating surface. The formation speed of the oxide film accelerates with increasing temperature, shortening the running-in period of the coating. The oxide film acts as a lubricant, reducing the friction coefficient of the coating. The Cr3C2-25NiCr coating exhibits exceptional high-temperature friction and wear resistance, primarily through oxidative wear. The Cr3C2-25NiCr coating exhibits outstanding high-temperature friction and wear resistance, with oxidative wear being the primary wear mechanism at elevated temperatures.

The White Knight: Batman as esoteric hero for the dissident right

This paper examines how white-nationalist and identitarian fan communities read The Dark Knight film series as a coded attack on liberal values by the secretly sympathetic writer-director Christopher Nolan. In a classic esoteric reading, white nationalists posit super villains like Ra's al Ghul and Bane as giving voice to the true message of the trilogy, namely, that liberal countries have become decadent and must be destroyed so as to give rise to archeofuturistic ethnostates. We examine the white nationalists' criticisms of traditional media critics on both the left and the right in a way that helps differentiate esoteric hermeneutics from more conventional professional critical readings. We highlight the peculiar capacity of pronoiac, fan-based esotericism to resignify and circulate pop-cultural memes for radical, right-wing ends and to do so in ways that avoid the strategies of cultural censors.

Structural and thermal study of CuInSe2 films

Ternary copper indium Di-selenide (CISe) thin film has been deposited by spin-coating on non-conducting glass slide substrates and a solution prepared by the sol-gel process. At room temperature, correspondingly, CuCl2·2H2O, InCl3·3H2O, and H2SeO3 were employed as precursor source chemicals for Cu, In, and Se ions. The dark brown films adhered effectively to the glass substrates. Energy dispersive X-ray analysis is utilized to assess the thin film's chemical composition, which revealed that the film was close to the stoichiometric ratio and proved the proper elemental composition. The thin film's tetragonal unit cell structure was validated by XRD analysis, and all of the derived lattice parameters (a = 5.8512 A and c = 11.7268 A) are excellent consistent with the previous results. Scherrer's formula yields a crystallite size of 5.94 nm. SEM microtopography of the film surface revealed that the film is homogeneous on the substrate surface, and AFM revealed that the film has a spike-like morphology. UV–Vis spectroscopy was performed in the 300–1400 nm region. The obtained values of the absorption coefficient and band gap are 1.2eV. The thermal analysis is carried out by TGA.

Study on electronic transport performance of Ag-ZnO film by photoassisted conductive atomic force microscopy

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to study the electronic transport performance of Ag-ZnO film under dark and UV light conditions. Design/methodology/approach Ag-doped ZnO thin films were prepared on fluorine thin oxide (FTO) substrates by sol-gel method. The crystal structure of ZnO and Ag-ZnO powders was tested by X-ray diffraction with Cu Kα radiation. The absorption spectra of ZnO and Ag-ZnO films were recorded by a UV–visible spectrophotometer. The micro electrical transport performance of Ag-ZnO thin films in dark and light state was investigated by photoassisted conductive atomic force microscope (PC-AFM). Findings The results show that the dark reverse current of Ag-ZnO films does not increase, but the reverse current increases significantly under illumination, indicating that the response of Ag-ZnO films to light is greatly improved, owing to the formation of Ohmic contact. Originality/value To the best of the author’s knowledge, the micro electrical transport performance of Ag-ZnO thin films in dark and light state was firstly investigated by PC-AFM.

Ce-Pr-Nd]:CsPbI1.8Br1.2: Stability enhanced light harvester in perovskite solar cells, energy storage material for batteries, and an OER/HER electro-catalyst

Current work for the first time investigates the impact of the lanthanide co-doping strategy on the fully inorganic cesium lead halide (CsPbI1.8Br1.2) perovskite by using oxides of cerium, praseodymium, and neodymium forming [Ce-Pr-Nd]:CsPbI1.8Br1.2. The doped perovskite material expressed an enhancement in the opto-electronic, crystalline, and morphological aspects upon lanthanide addition besides gaining an impressive stability at the ambient conditions. The dark brown doped thin films heated at 200 °C succeeded in acquiring a bandgap energy of between 1.66 and 1.73 eV showing stable response for 28 days revealed by ultra-violet spectrophotometry. Furthermore, the desired black phase cubic crystalline geometry was exposed by x-ray diffraction with an average crystallite size of 62.61 nm. In terms of morphology, the doping treatment not only enhanced the performance of CsPbI1.8Br1.2 but also it acted as a passivator for curing the surficial defects. The performance of the pristine and doped perovskite material was assessed by utilizing it as the light trapping material inside perovskite solar cells where highly improved performance was obtained for the doped absorber layer with 15.53 % efficiency, 68 % fill factor, 15.01 mA cm−2 short circuit current, and an excellent open circuit voltage of 1.14 V. Furthermore, the perovskite undoped and doped materials were fabricated in the form of an electrode for assessment of charge storage potential for battery application. With the electro-active behavior signifying surficial faradic redox process, there was an augmentation in the battery capacity with doping which boosted from 228 to 311.3 mAh g−1. With the series resistance as lows as 0.62 Ω, faster reaction kinetics were revealed for doped electrode. The oxygen and hydrogen evolution potential of the developed pristine and doped materials as bifunctional catalysts was assessed by estimation of the overpotential values and Tafel slope values. The Tafel slope values of the doped electro-catalysts were lower in comparison to the pristine material suggestive of the synergism between perovskite and dopants giving rise to an excellent energy generation capacity. The Tafel slope for oxygen and hydrogen generation of the doped electrode were 256.4 and 120.6 mV dec−1 indicating excellent hydrogen evolution. The stability and endurance of the developed material reflected from their original characteristics retention makes them excellent materials for use in energy application, specifically, [Ce-Pr-Nd]:CsPbI1.8Br1.2 excelled over pristine material showing the profound impact of doping on host lattice.

Application of Poultry Gelatin to Enhance the Physicochemical, Mechanical, and Rheological Properties of Fish Gelatin as Alternative Mammalian Gelatin Films for Food Packaging.

This study aimed to describe the properties of cold water fish gelatin (FG) blended with poultry gelatin (PG) for a production of a sachet containing olive oil. To find a desirable film, the different ratio of FG-PG-based films were characterized in terms of mechanical properties. As the proportion of PG in PG-FG-based increased, the tensile strength and Young's modulus were increased, and the elongation at break and heat seal strength of the films were decreased. The 50-50 film had favorable characteristics to use as a sachet. The amount of acid index and peroxide of the oil stored in the sachets after 14 days showed that there is a significant difference (p < 0.05) between the films. The barrier properties of the films including the water vapor permeability and oxygen permeability of films were increased from 1.21 to 4.95 × 10-11 g m-1 Pa-1 s-1 and 48 to 97 cm3 mµ/m2 d kPa, respectively. Dark, red, yellow, and opaque films were realized with increasing PG. Fourier transform infrared (FTIR) spectra approved a wide peak of approximately 2500 cm-1. The rheological analysis indicated that, by adding PG, viscosity, elastic modulus (G') and loss modulus (G'') were increased significantly (p < 0.05) about 9.5, 9.32 and 18 times, respectively. Therefore, an easy modification of FG with PG will make it suitable for oil sachet packaging applications for the food industry.

Situational Archetype Analysis On Main Characters In Nikolaj Arcel’s The Dark Tower Film

This study explores the study of situational archetypes and has the objective to investigate how situational archetypes are described in the main characters in The Dark Tower film. In literary work, the situational archetype is defined as the image or the character that the readers want to pursue. Situational archetypes have the function to build the character by appearing the certain condition and the situation that the main characters face in the film. By using the situational archetype, it will be explained the detail why the character may do the quest.The objectives of this study are to find situational archetype on main characters in Nicolaj Arcel’s The Dark Tower film and how do the situational archetypes build the main character in The Dark Tower film.This study is typical library research with descriptive qualitative method. This study used archetype theory by Carl Gustav Jung (1942), Hero archetype by Joseph Campbell (2004), and also movie analysis.The results reveal that there are seven types of situational archetypes find in The Dark Tower film. This results consist of the Departure, the Initiation, and The Return. The departure describes how the characters introduced as they are presented with and prepare for their journey. There is often a rite of passage or quest in which the hero must prove or in order to achieve their certain goals. It can be seen that the task in the film increase and the character may finish several tasks through the journey. While the character have the journey, the character will face the unpleasent life and pleasent life.Keywords: archetype study, situational archetype, the dark tower film

Modulating chemical composition of the D-π-D-A-D type copolymers to obtain soluble Neutral-state green or dark Yellowish-black films with Multi-color electrochromism

Novel high-performance D-π-D-A-D type polymeric electrochromic materials consisting of phenylene π-bridged core alternated with the donor cyclopentadithiophene derivatives and the D-A-D moiety thiophene-diketopyrrolo[3,4-c]pyrrole-thiophene (TDPPT), differing by the ratio of donor to acceptor units incorporated, were achieved by Suzuki cross-coupling reaction. The polymer films displayed intense dual visible absorptions in their neutral states, which were modulated both in the positions and relative intensities by regulating the chemical composition as well as the donor-to-acceptor ratio in the polymer backbone, allowing the facile manipulation of the neutral-state colors. The polymer PBDC-1 exhibited a deep green neutral-state color. PBDC-2 and PBDC-3 also demonstrated two strong and broad absorptions, but a relative small gap of transmission in the orange-yellow region, giving the films dark yellowish-black color. In situ optical monitoring revealed that all the polymers underwent surprising multi-color variations upon the redox cycling, simultaneous with fast switching speeds, high coloration efficiencies, and large optical contrasts.

(Digital Presentation) Synthesis of Conjugated Polymer Alloy Prepared By Electrochemical Polymerization in Chiral Liquid Crystal

In this research, we synthesized polymer alloy by electrochemical polymerization in chiral liquid crystal. Homopolymers and the copolymer can be synthesized when electrochemical polymerization was conducted in the presence of several types of monomers. The polymer alloy thus prepared contains both blend of homopolymers and copolymers. The polymer alloy shows optical activity. The chirality derived from transcription of liquid crystal during the polymerization reaction results to show optical activity. The polymer alloy can show optical activity with no asymmetric centers. The optical activity is due to existence of charge carriers (polarons) in the main chain as a form of conjugated polymers. This is called chiral charge carrier “chiralions”. This research found that the chiral polymer alloy has chiralions.Polymer alloys have been prepared by blending several kinds of polymers in the reaction. Polymer alloys also can be prepared by melt method. Unsubstituted conjugated polymers have poor solubility and fusibility because of the rigid π-bonds in the skeleton, which is drawback for preparation of π-conjugated polymer-based alloys. We have studied on preparation of chiral conjugated polymer alloys with combination of achiral polymers and chiral polymers.In the present study, conjugated polymer alloys were synthesized with the method described in Figure 1a. Cholesteryl acetate (chiral inducer), 2,7-di(2-thienyl)fluorene (mono1), N-methyl-3,6-di(2-thienyl)carbazole (mono2) and TBAP (supporting salt) were dissolved in 4-cyano-4'-pentylbiphenyl (5CB) as a host liquid crystal to prepare a chiral liquid crystal electrolyte. The electrolyte exhibited a fingerprint structure under observation of polarizing optical microscopy. For the electrochemical polymerization reaction, the electrolyte solution is charged in the cell consisted of two indium-tin-oxide (ITO) glass plates as electrodes and a poly(tetrafluoroethylene) spacer (200 μm thickness). Next, dc voltage of 3.0 V was applied to the ITO glass cell for 30 min for electrochemical polymerization. The polymer was deposited on the anode electrode as a thin film form. After polymerization, the remaining electrolyte solution on the ITO glass electrode was carefully washed with a large amount of hexane, yielding dark blue film. This film is abbreviated as Alloy1. The molecular structure was confirmed by infrared spectroscopy with the KBr method. Alloy1 shows a fingerprint structure under POM observations (Figure 1b). The macroscopic structure of cholesteric liquid crystal was transcribed from the liquid crystal electrolyte solution to Alloy1. Synchrotron XRD measurement was carried out. The peak at 10.3 Å is derived from monomer repeat units. The XRD signal at 5.1 Å and 3.4 Å can be derived from π-stacking of Alloy1. Alloy1 shows UV-vis absorption due to the three signals derived from π-π* transition of the main chain, polarons (radical cations) and bipolarons (radical dications). Electrochemical properties of Alloy1 were evaluated by the cyclic voltammetry (CV). Alloy1 film deposited on the ITO glass was used as a working electrode. An Ag/Ag+ electrode and a platinum wire served as the reference and counter electrodes, respectively. A propylene carbonate solution with 0.1 M of TBAP was employed as an electrolyte solution for the CV measurements. Cyclic voltammograms of Alloy1 shows the oxidation peak and reduction trough (Figure 1c). Plots of the oxidation peak current (I pa) and the reduction peak current (I pc) as a function of the square root of the scan rate show a linear shape of the anodic and cathodic peak current values when scan rates from 10 to 100 mV/s with intervals of 10 mV/s. This result indicated that the redox reaction of Alloy1 was reversible and controlled by electron transfer processes. In-situ circular dichromism (CD) and in-situ optical rotatory dispersion (ORD) spectra of Alloy1 with application of voltages were examined in a propylene carbonate solution with 0.1 M of TBAP. The application voltages were between 0-1.2 V (vs. Ag/Ag+) with intervals of 0.1 V. A negative Cotton effect was observed from the in-situ CD, indicating Alloy1 has left-handed helical structure. The ORD shows negative signals, and changes with applied voltage. The ellipticity signal in the CD and optical rotation in the ORD could control in the electrochemical method, accompanied by electrochemical redox process.We synthesized the polymer alloy by electrochemical polymerization in chiral liquid crystal. The conjugated polymer alloy showed chirality with no chiral centers in the main chain. The CD and ORD bands at NIR range are assigned to doping band as a form of polarons (radical cations). This research evaluated electrochemical control of “chiralions”. Figure 1

Batman as Modern Revenge Tragedy: The Shakespearean Dark Knight

Batman as Modern Revenge Tragedy: The Shakespearean Dark Knight Both Bob Kane’s Batman and Shakespeare’s Hamlet, lose parents, dress in black, put on antic dispositions, and go on personally motivated, violent missions for justice and revenge. The characters enter what seems to be an infinite mourning, where their innately flawed visions of obtaining justice are paired with unstoppable determinations. With my presentation, I intend on using video to demonstrate the historical trends of the revenge tragedy genre, and analyze their potential connection to the comic book medium, especially Batman. Using video, I can explore “adaptation” and all its nuances by implementing costume and visuals that mirror both the bard and the bat. Comics like The Dark Knight Returns (1986) and feature films like Batman V Superman, The Dark Knight Trilogy, and other Batman films act, in my view, as modern revenge tragedies; perhaps “Batman” becoming the entity that it is today has something to do with a legendary play, Hamlet, or at the very least, the legendary renaissance drama theatrics that might be hidden within it. Additionally, in light of Coen’s latest film, The Tragedy of Macbeth (2021), and Reeves’s The Batman (2022) release around the corner, themes of darkness, “dark knights,” and revenge continue to rivet contemporary consumers of the theatric and the cinematic.

Cambrian edrioasteroid reveals new mechanism for secondary reduction of the skeleton in echinoderms.

Echinoderms are characterized by a distinctive high-magnesium calcite endoskeleton as adults, but elements of this have been drastically reduced in some groups. Herein, we describe a new pentaradial echinoderm, Yorkicystis haefneri n. gen. n. sp., which provides, to our knowledge, the oldest evidence of secondary non-mineralization of the echinoderm skeleton. This material was collected from the Cambrian Kinzers Formation in York (Pennsylvania, USA) and is dated as ca 510 Ma. Detailed morphological observations demonstrate that the ambulacra (i.e. axial region) are composed of flooring and cover plates, but the rest of the body (i.e. extraxial region) is preserved as a dark film and lacks any evidence of skeletal plating. Moreover, X-ray fluorescence analysis reveals that the axial region is elevated in iron. Based on our morphological and chemical data and on taphonomic comparisons with other fossils from the Kinzers Formation, we infer that the axial region was originally calcified, while the extraxial region was non-mineralized. Phylogenetic analyses recover Yorkicystis as an edrioasteroid, indicating that this partial absence of skeleton resulted from a secondary reduction. We hypothesize that skeletal reduction resulted from lack of expression of the skeletogenic gene regulatory network in the extraxial body wall during development. Secondary reduction of the skeleton in Yorkicystis might have allowed for greater flexibility of the body wall.

REPRESENTASI SISI KEMISKINAN DALAM FILM PARASITE (ANALISIS SEMIOTIKA CHARLES SANDERS PEIRCE)

Parasite (Korean: Gisaengchung) is a South Korean movie directed by Bong Joon-Ho. This movie, which is presented in 2019, is a dark humor film genre filled with tense scenes and dramas. Themes of social problems or problems that occur in South Korean society, namely poverty, are also presented in this movie. This research aims to analyze the poverty of a thriller drama movie. The meaning of poverty can be observed from several scenes through the relationship between signs and semiotic meanings using Charles Sanders Peirce's model with the concept of a triangle of meaning, namely sign, object and interpretant. Qualitative research in the form of Charles Sanders Peirce's semiotic analysis is used as a method in this research. Five of the entire scenes of the movie are selected as representations of poverty. The five scenes are analyzed through the relation of signs, objects and interpretant depicted in each scene. There are signs and meanings which describe poverty in several scenes in accordance with the type of poverty, namely relative poverty. The results of this study concluded that there are several scenes that represent poverty which is categorized into relative poverty as seen from the aspect of social inequality. This is because there are several characters who can make ends meet their minimum basic needs but they are still far lower than their surrounding society.

A fine line between red and dark: Anti-communist film-induced tourism

This study explores the ‘30 September Movement’ that staged a communist coup in 1965 as travel motivation for an anti-communism museum. ‘Framing’ and ‘uses and gratifications’ theories were used for this case study. The findings concluded that negative film plots and scenes are signature themes that can be used as attributes of red or dark film motivations for tourism. The use of theories, such as ‘framing’ and ‘uses and gratifications’, along with reflexive thematic analysis has provided unique and valuable theoretical insights that may be overlooked by other analyses.

Death and the Plague in The Story of Wanderings

ABSTRACT Little known beyond the Russian speaking world, The Story of Wanderings is a dark fantasy film produced in the late period of the Soviet cinema. The film was classified as a children’s film by the director, film critics, and the state. Produced by Mosfilm, the third oldest and the most influential film studio in Soviet Russia, it is a rare example of Soviet children’s horror, featuring several death scenes and a personified plague. Death’s presence in The Story of Wanderings stands in contrast to idealised Soviet pioneers self-sacrificing themselves for the good of others, by presenting a world of flawed characters stymied by the ambient ever-presence of death. In post-Soviet Russian-speaking territories, the film is understood critically as a masterfully constructed ‘adult’ horror disguised as a state-sponsored family film. This article examines the way Alexander Mitta’s film serves a ‘dual audience’ in the context of a socialist ‘cultural industry’ that lacked an established horror genre. It also highlights how the contradictions of late Socialism are revealed in the specific power dynamics between the adult and child characters of the film.

An In Situ Film-to-Film Transformation Approach toward Highly Crystalline Covalent Organic Framework Films

An In Situ Film-to-Film Transformation Approach toward Highly Crystalline Covalent Organic Framework Films