Research catalogue of 10 referenced and analysed items

1. Research Catalogue

2. Pan’s Labyrinth
Pan's Labyrinth: del Toro, Guillermo, 2006. Pan's Labyrinth,
Estudios Picasso.
Pan’s labyrinth is the epitome of films in an alternative
reality and also the epitome of a fantasy. It is a key primary
text for my area of research. It is useful because it displays
all the conventions, iconography and ideas behind a film in
an alternate reality. It makes the audience question whether
or not the world Ofelia is living in is real or not. Pan’s
labyrinth makes a clear distinction between the real world
and an alternate one, but it does so in a way that we can
believe that the alternate world can be real. One way in
which is does this is by the use of believable characters, i.e.
the evil villain in the film is actually in the real world.

3. Donnie Darko
Donnie Darko: Kelly, Richard, 2001. Donnie Darko, Pandora
Cinema
Donnie Darko shares many characteristics that are similar
to Pan’s Labyrinth. Like Pan’s it displays many useful
characteristics and conventional ideas. However, it not
display the fantastical elements that Pan’s does. This is
because Donnie Darko is set in the real world and a world
very similar to the real one. This makes it harder to
recognise the difference between worlds.

4. Interview with Guillermo Del
Toro
Guillermo Interview: Unknown Author, 2010. Guillermo
del Toro Interview on BBC Film 2010 on YouTube. Accessed
on 08/12/14:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VD4kspP5hRs
In this interview Del Toro talks about his lucid dreaming
and how that was key to Pan’s Labyrinth. However when
watching pans labyrinth, it is not clear that lucid dreaming
is the reason behind the world Ofelia seems to be living in.
It could perhaps be visions or hallucinations, or perhaps
not even imaginary of any sort. This shows that the
director’s intention is not always put across to the audience
and explanations are not black and white. This therefore
means that the film is open to interpretation.

5. Alternative Worlds in Hollywood
Cinema: Resonance Between
Realms
Walters, James, 2008. Alternative Worlds In Hollywood
Cinema: Resonance Between Realms, Bristol, Intellect Books.
This book analyses imagined world’s in cinema and looks
at genre, history and construction and development across
periods. The book also looks at The Wizard Of Oz, which is
remarkably similar to Pan’s Labyrinth.
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jumhNWN8BxUC&printsec=
sec=frontcover&dq=alternative+worlds&hl=en&sa=X&ei=jdWFV
dWFVIeRHMG9UeJV&ved=0CCIQ6AEwAA#v=onepage&q=alt
ternative%20worlds&f=false

6. The Freud Reader
Gay, Peter, 1989. “The Freud Reader”. London; Vintage
http://www.amazon.co.uk/Freud-Reader-Peter-
Gay/dp/0099577119/ref=sr_1_16?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1417443
005&sr=1-16&keywords=freud
This book on Freud provides some useful information about
dreaming. Freud, who is known for his observations on
dreaming, says some interesting points relevant to my area of
study. Freud talks about lucid dreaming among other aspects
of dreaming and their interpretation, which give explanations
and theories as to why these alternate realities exist within
dreams.
.

7. The Interpretation Of Dreams
Freud, Sigmund, 1997. The Interpretation Of Dreams,
Hertfordshire: Wordsworth Editions Limited.
This, like the previous title, gives an insight into how dreams are
put together and why. This book is specifically on dreaming
rather than a general book on Freud. In this book Freud talks
about dream interpretation. Dream interpretation is a concept
whereby meaning is assigned to dreams. This is useful to my
research because psychological explanations can give a reason to
why these worlds are being created. Psychological illness is
touched upon in Donnie Darko, we know Donnie is suffering
from schizophrenia and is taking various treatments.
Psychological reasons could also maybe give a reason to why
Ofelia puts herself in an alternate world
http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=-
pB1UoFnjZcC&dq=freud&source=gbs_navlinks_s

8. Un Chien Andalou
Buñuel, Louis, 1929. Un Chien Andalou, Unknown Production
Company
This by Buñuel had input from Salvador Dali and was
controversial when released. It made the audience question
what art was. The reason it is relevant to my investigation is
because it also touches on the idea of alternate reality(ies). It is
believe the film is the subject of a lucid dream. The film has
essentially no plot, which is the reason for this theory.

9. Donnie Darko Script
Kelly, Richard, 2003. The Donnie Darko Book, London: Faber
and Faber.
This book by the writer and director of Donnie Darko, Richard
Kelly, will give me an insight into the film. It will help me
understand Kelly’s intention or intentions in regards to how
the film makes the audience think in terms of the alternative
reality aspects of his film.
With the knowledge that I will learn from this source, I can
compare Kelly’s intentions with my interpretation of what
happened .

10. Interview With Richard
Kelly
Murray, Rebecca, Unknown Date. ‘Inside Donnie Darko with
writer/director Richard Kelly’ on Moviesabout.com. Accessed on
8/12/14: http://movies.about.com/cs/donniedarko/a/donniedarkork.htm
“I think that the image of Frank that you see prior to that is a different
entity altogether, right?”
This quote shows that even Kelly doesn’t really know if Frank is real or
not. Even the writer of the film cannot tell the difference between the
real world and the world he created. The way he asks a question also
suggests that he wants the film to be open to interpretation.
This source overall is useful as Kelly never gives a black and white
explanation as to what happened, leaving me room to analyse his work.