Why are movies so...well, bad? - Page 2

[quote]Originally posted by Artman @_@:
<strong>Get yer asses away from the Metro Plex and go see some real movies. You expect those bloated movie theatres to give you good movies? Forget it.

I have the sheer luck of living in the city and have five great movie theatres that show real movies...for example:

Amelie - French film by Jean-Peirre Jeunet (Delicatessen). A beautiful movie. Actress Audrey Tautou is fantastic, too.

The Endurance: Shackleton's Legendary Antartic Expedition - Amazing documentary film based on the true story of this ill-fated expedition.

The Man Who wasn't There - The Coen Brother's new film, nuff said.

Waking Life - Richard Linklater's (Slacker) digitally enhanced fim is groundbreaking. Amazing work.

Honestly, the good movies are out there...just got to find them. They aren't at the malls...</strong><hr></blockquote>This is the kind of attitude that really rubs me the wrong way. I'm the first to admit that 99% of what come out of Hollywood is trash, but they do fairly regularly put out a movie that is at least enjoyable, if not a great piece of art. I watch my share of indie flicks and have seen some really crappy ones in that scene as well. Just remember this: all generalizations are wrong.

Trust me: I've argued this point in overly verbose threads before, indisputably making my point, as always -- namely: THe Thin Red Line is a masterpiece: it is unusual and it takes risks such as showing the world of the imagination of a soldier when that imagination is itself cliche and sacchrine-romantic --but believe me, it does not indulge in these romantic cliches without an ironic (or should I say self-consiouse) distance. . it uses these cliched imaginings to make us feel how naive the soldier truly is.

Its cliches are used by the film, within the film, it does not, itself, become the cliche.

Also, as far as the odd interspersing of nature scenery: this is a major theme throughout the film, how large scale human activities, such as war may very well be part of larger motions such as those of the Will or the blind strivings of Nature.

It is also difficult because its pacing in no way panders to the typical Hollywood time frame. It's long and takes its time, and dares not to have a typical (Aristotilian) plot curve: not the overwrought dramatic finally that seems requisite in any other film.

The man who wasnt there was a brilliant movie. AMAZING cinematography. Up there with Kurosawa and Arnofski.

Here in Vancouver we have this theater called 5th avenue, GREAT place, but latley its kinda gone to hell. However it did have American History X playing before the ads for it came out.

But why are movies bad? Pop culture sucks, it plays its self out by trying too hard to be good. By trying so hard it becomes wannabe art, and not art.
Examples? Snatch, it was trying so hard to be a Arnofski/Fincher style flick that it just lost it. Of course not having a plot kinda killed it too.

[ 12-12-2001: Message edited by: The Toolboi ]</p>

2001 was a rather week year for Hollywood.

I have a feeling I'm not going to like most of the Academy Award Best Picture nominations...

I can see it now:
Moulin Rouge (whatever, what a crap movie)
Mulholland Drive (same)
*Monster's Ball (Billy Bob usually finds his way into the Oscars.)
Ocean's Eleven (star power)
Memento (GREAT movie)

Interchangeable with The Man Who Wasn't There.

[quote]Originally posted by pscates:
<strong>Regarding Kevin Bacon: I always thought he was a solid, well-rounded character actor. Something about him keeps him from probably ever attaining Cruise/Hanks/Ford status, but he's made TONS of mediocre, so-so movies way more interesting and enjoyable by his mere presence in them ("A Few Good Men", "JFK", "Wild Things", "Tremors", etc.).</strong><hr></blockquote>

You didn't see Hollow man, did you? I wish I could take back that experience. That way I might still be able to enjoy KB...

[quote]Originally posted by Eugene:
<strong>I have a feeling I'm not going to like most of the Academy Award Best Picture nominations...

I can see it now:
Moulin Rouge</strong><hr></blockquote>

I liked this movie a lot. I grew up with watching the great musicals of the thirties/fourties on up (Thanks Mom & Dad!) and this was a fantastic new twist to the genre. It will be on the list probably because Nichole Kidman will tell them to.

My take on Best Film is even scarier...

1. Pearl Harbor - Obviously for its "patriotic/historical" perspective...bleh.
2. Moulin Rouge - This was a sleeper movie. It originally died at the box office but when that music video took off the public wanted more and the movie was re-released...and it's an International/cult hit.
3. The Man Who wasn't There - That's the Indie one. It's a Coen brother's film.
4. The Majestic - I know, this was just released but its the one everyone's buzzing about...it's Jim Carrey's time...
5. Insert another heartwarming/lockbuster movie here: _______________________.

I really think Carrey's going to walk away with the Best Actor Oscar this time. Since they gave an Oscar last year to a gladiator movie and the B. A. to an Australian actor playing a Spanish Roman general with a British accent was stretching things. Russell Crowe is good but that wasn't the movie.

I think the whole thing is wacked now. Probably won't even watch. <img src="graemlins/hmmm.gif" border="0" alt="[Hmmm]" />