THRILLERS

**__Thrillers__** In the late '80s and early '90s, psychological and crime thrillers, often referred to as neo-noirs, began gaining popularity. They banked on lust, betrayal, and murder, typically using serial killers. These films sought to make their audience nervous while still demanding they think about the plot, motivation, and mystery that was presented. Neo-noirs such as //Pulp Fiction// and //Fatal Attraction// used some of the key elements from this decade--sexuality, sensational violence, and obscene language--to target their audience of young adults. **Teachable Moments** It would be difficult to watch these films in class; however if you are careful, clips could be used. Most of them are rated R because of violence, language, and sex. Neo-noir films often commented on modern society, consumerism, and the repercussions of technology. These elements are can be seen in //Wall Street//, which comments on American capitalism and greed. After watching the "Greed is Good" speech from //Wall Street//, students could respond to Gordon Gekko's thoughts. Then, students could tie that in with something like //The Great Gatsby// or //Great Expectations// where the characters often exhibit "greedy" traits or actions. Film stills could be used without any problems. Instead of reading the film, students could dissect film stills depicting product placements and consider them as a sort of advertisement for those products and society at large, much as you would do with commercial advertising. **TV:** //America's Most Wanted ('88-'11)media type="youtube" key="R8y6DJAeolo?rel=0" height="390" width="480" align="right"// **Movies:** //Wall Street (’87)// //Fatal Attraction (’87)// //Tremors (’90)// //Goodfellas (’90)// //The Silence of the Lambs (’91)// //Pulp Fiction (’94)// //Se7en (‘95)//

**Literature To Tie In:** //The Great Gatsby// by F. Scott Fitzgerald //Great Expectations// by Charles Dickens //The Hunger Games// by Suzanne Collins "The Most Dangerous Game" by Richard Connell

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