# Films broken up into segments/chapters/topics/etc. etc. **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [August 28, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006 "2005-08-28T19:19:38Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [August 28, 2005, 7:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/1 "2005-08-28T19:19:38Z")
I have an idea for a student film that involves a group of guys working at the grocery store one summer, which breaks down into 10 surreal segments, preceded by a title, of different film-genres or something similar, in which the characters go through that segment in that way, but none having an influence on the next (they can die in one and be back in the next 😃 ), all taking place in and around the grocery store. Here are the segments in order as planned right now: [ul] [li]Situational Comedy[/li][li]Action/ Kung-Fu[/li][li]Hip-Hop/ You Got Served[/li][li]Horror[/li][li]Musical[/li][li]Transcendental/ Philosophical[/li][li]Gross-Out/Sex/Teen Comedy[/li][li]Romance[/li][li]New Wave/Godard/Woody Allen/Dialogue-Driven[/li][li]Random[/li][/ul] The primary influences for the goodness of this film would be Xena and Buffy, b/c both shows were so skilled at changing from one type of entertainment (humor, light dialogue, even musical) to the darkest or frightening or bloodiest type. And the point of this OP is to ask for films that are broken up into segments, either similar to mine or not so much. Pulp Fiction (and Tarantino’s other work) Clerks (not really) Sin City All come to mind. Segment films became much more popular after Pulp Fiction, right? Discuss. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 2:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/2 "2005-08-29T02:49:45Z")
Tarantion again: Kill Bill, Vol 1 and 2 Does what I call the “sketch anthology” films count? this would include movies like “Amazon Women on the Moon” and “Kentucky Fried Movie”. What about other anthology films like “Twilight Zone: The Movie”, “Creepshow” and “Cat’s Eye”? ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 2:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/3 "2005-08-29T02:51:57Z")
OK, make that “Taran **tino** ” :smack: ---
**Author:** ![pesch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pesch/32/4925_2.png) [@pesch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pesch)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 3:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/4 "2005-08-29T03:01:08Z")
“Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Sex.” As in the book, each began with a question (such as “What is bestiality?” featuring Gene Wilder and a sheep.) ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 3:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/5 "2005-08-29T03:11:14Z")
> [@pesch](#): > > such as “What is bestiality?” featuring Gene Wilder and a sheep You just broke my brain. ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 3:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/6 "2005-08-29T03:27:17Z")
Jeffrey Go ---
**Author:** ![andrewdt85](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/71e660/32.png) [@andrewdt85](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/andrewdt85)\ **Post date:** [August 29, 2005, 3:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/7 "2005-08-29T03:34:24Z")
Coffee and Cigarettes ---
**Author:** ![mbh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a6a055/32.png) [@mbh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/mbh)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/8 "2005-08-30T17:06:58Z")
[Four Rooms](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0113101/) consists of four almost-independent short films, plus a frame story linking them together. It’s another Tarantino film, but if I remember right, each of the segments was done by a different director. Many of [Peter Greenaway](http://www.imdb.com/name/nm0000425/)’s films have a very formal episodic structure. Ones that I have seen: The Pillow Book; Prospero’s Books; The Cook, the Thief, his Wife, and her Lover; Drowning by Numbers; The Draughtsman’s Contract. ---
**Author:** ![Stephe96](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Stephe96](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stephe96)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 5:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/9 "2005-08-30T17:11:23Z")
As I recall, \ ***Breaking the Waves** \* was divided into chapters. ---
**Author:** ![John\_Mace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/john_mace/32/185_2.png) [@John\_Mace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/John_Mace)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 5:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/10 "2005-08-30T17:37:42Z")
Two films with the simplest of segmentation come to mind: _In the Company of Men Sideways_ Both are segmented by time, and very effectively, too. This is not just a simple matter of chronologic plot development-- the segmentation serves as an important plot **element** , adding to the tension or funniness, as the case may be. ---
**Author:** ![Big\_G](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/a88e4f/32.png) [@Big\_G](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Big_G)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 5:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/11 "2005-08-30T17:53:51Z")
_Monty Python’s The Meaning of Life_ is broken up in segments about the various stages of life. ---
**Author:** ![Walloon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/fbc32d/32.png) [@Walloon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Walloon)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 6:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/12 "2005-08-30T18:06:59Z")
The biographical movie _Mishima_ was divided into four parts, each directed and photographed in a different style to portray a different aspect of the Japanese author’s life, via his autobiographical novels. ---
**Author:** ![rjk](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/ed655f/32.png) [@rjk](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rjk)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 9:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/13 "2005-08-30T21:58:14Z")
[Rashômon](http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0042876/) might be relevant to what you want to do, even though it’s the same incident viewed four ways instead of independent bits. And you need a noir segment as well. ---
**Author:** ![marque\_elf](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/71c47a/32.png) [@marque\_elf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/marque_elf)\ **Post date:** [August 30, 2005, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/14 "2005-08-30T22:18:05Z")
This is a very old cinematic conceit. D.W. Griffith’s _Birth Of A Nation_ was divided into chapters. It almost certainly not the first silent film to use the technique. A very recent use of the concept is _Donnie Darko_. \*The Four Seasons \* also used this idea. In a sense, any film that’s ever used a clock or calendar to show the passage of time does this. Hope this is of some use. ---
**Author:** ![critter42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/7ba0ec/32.png) [@critter42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/critter42)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/15 "2005-08-31T16:07:31Z")
While not necessarily being broken up into specific chapters, one movie that plays with the clock in the most brilliant matter is _Memento_. Maybe _Mulholland Drive_ also. ---
**Author:** ![CalMeacham](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/calmeacham/32/35_2.png) [@CalMeacham](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CalMeacham)\ **Post date:** [August 31, 2005, 6:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/films-broken-up-into-segments-chapters-topics-etc-etc/319006/16 "2005-08-31T18:40:56Z")
Stanley Kubrick’s film of **The Shining** is broken into titled segments. For no good reason that I can see.