Thanks to those of you who showed up to support "Writers with Drinks" up in San Francisco. Had a terrific time, except that my contact lenses fogged up, and I couldn't read until someone found me a flashlight to lift the gloom. Dicey moment. ## "District 9" looks to be a fabulous SF film. It is an alternate history in which aliens landed in South Africa in 1982. I know more than that, but don't want to say...except that people have been raving about this 30-million dollar extravaganza for months now. I've heard great amounts about how this operates as a racial and cultural metaphor, but have some trepidation. Peter Jackson, executive producer, has demonstrated little racial sensitivity that I am aware of, either in the Rings films or Kong. Neill Blomkamp, the first-time director, is an Afrikaaner. My guess is that his attitudes are either enlightened or contain some serious subterranean assumptions about human beings that will unconsciously emerge. Racial "message" movies created without members of the target group behind the camera often have bizarre nonsense like minorities dying to ennoble and enlighten white people, minorities played by whites in makeup, minorities conforming to white stereotypes at the exact time the film supposedly decries them. The worst case scenario: the aliens are created sympathetically at the exact same time blacks are presented negatively, allowing the filmmakers to prate about how advanced their social awareness is at the exact time they are demonstrating themselves to be the opposite. But I have to admit to being fascinated by what I've heard. A question I'll have...if the aliens landed in 1982, how would thataffect Nelson Mandela's election in 1994..? Best case scenario: real wisdom underlying a terrific SF film. Worst case: white people acting like game wardens, the source of all good, while black characters have no inwardness, no hopes and dreams, and are all either helpless, stupid, or evil. We'll see. Right now, I'm optimistic. Very. ## We had a little emergency on this board last week, and everyone involved knows what it was. I wanted to express my gratitude to all involved. People responded in a very positive fashion...and I hope that will continue. ## Because of travel, my yoga program has been a little off. It is interesting to actually feel the changes in my body that take place when I don't take care of it properly. Overall stiffness. My knees twinge a bit. My back starts feeling like someone poured concrete down my spine. Just a bit. Most obvious conclusion: this stuff feels like what most people complain about as "normal aging." Yow. Screw THAT. ## Saw "G.I. Joe" and it was a hoot. As people have said, if you gave a bunch of kids 150 million dollars worth of Hasbro toys to play with, if they were in the right kind of manic mood, this is what they would make, and I mean that in a (mostly) good way. Really enjoyed it, and would offer a strong "B". Some of the dialog is bad, some of the effects imperfect. But there are also a half-dozen DAMN! moments, and that's worth the price of admission. ## Also saw David Twohy's "A Perfect Getaway" about a honeymooning couple possibly stalked by killers in Hawaii. Everyone talked about the "big twist" so I went to see if I could figure it out. Unfortunately, I'd figured it out from the coming attractions. Fortunately, Timothy Olyphant is huge fun to watch chew the scenery, so I had a pretty damned good time. ﾠ But really, people...will you please stop daring me to guess the twist? I'd rather just get hit with it. If I'd known "The Usual Suspects" had a twist when I went in, I doubt the story of Kaiser Soze would have knocked me on my butt. I would have been sitting there going: "Hmmm...could X mean Y? Could Z lead back to A?" Instead of enjoying the damned movie. ## And speaking of movies: what film are you most looking forward to this year? And/or...what was your favorite film so far?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Filmmakers: Please stop warning us!
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12 comments:
Thoughts on the black dude\white chick dynamic in GI Joe?
On the plot twist - That's why I stopped seeing M. Night Shamaylan's (spelling?) films. Once you know that there is going to be a twist, you spend the entire time trying to figure out the twist instead of just enjoying the movie.
Enjoyed the hell out of G.I. Joe. That was the heir to the James Bond movies of the 60s & 70s with Spectre and every mountain hiding a secret villian's lair (Rockets waiting to launch in the background, squads of minions running around in jumpsuits, the villian going on about their plans, etc) Big dumb fun. Pure pulp- I love it. I hope they can go on a 1-2 year sequel cycle.
As Master Plan asked, what did you think? I thought that Wayans was going to end up as only the comic relief. (Spoiler- and ends up saving the day by complete competence and deliberate action (not Jar-Jar accidental success))
If they do get a sequel or two, Austin Powers will have something new to come back and spoof.
Bus driver's holiday, if you are a writer. You are always working. What tickles me is when it's not quite on-the- nose, I didn't expect the twist, and it is a clever one.
On-the-nose is when, while you are listening to dialog, you can pretty much say the next line every time before the character does. Words, intonation, everything.
From The Player, with the writer having a fine ole time playing funny with the concept, movie-in-a-movie: Julia Roberts is in the gas chamber about to die. Bruce Willis bursts in to save her: "What took you so long?" she says.
And Willis says, "Traffic was a bitch."
Incredible movie, by the way, rent it if you haven't seen it. Worth it for the opening shot alone, and Buck Henry pitching the sequel to The Graduate had me howling ...
Sometimes, they have to write it on-the-nose, because the audience wants it; sometimes, they can tweak it.
You knew in the second Terminator movie that somebody was gonna say "Ah'll be back." sooner or later.
And when Indiana Jones grins and reaches for his revolver against the second swordsman and realizes the gun is gone, that's funny because it's the second time they twisted a genre cliche.)
Really good writers can sweep you up, but the not-so-good writers sometimes lean too hard on the cliches. If you are in the biz, you know the tropes, and if somebody fools you honestly, it's a treat. Is for me, anyway ...
I'm looking forward to "9". That's really about it. I didn't care for too much this year. Book of Eli next year.
Also, I just had MAJOR knee surgery and want some tips on how to keep sane. Can't work out. Can't play with my daughter or cuddle with my wife. I'm about to go nuts and I'm not even halfway through the healing. Help?
Shawn
I agree with Reluctant Lawyer!!
It's a pity, because then you don't really enjoy the movie!!
I've only seen two movies this year. Star Trek and GI Joe. Trek was bigger but Joe was better.
People in NYC are just too annoying so I go to work, maybe a club, that's it.
Then there's the problem of women having to be love interests. I'd rather see them kick ass with no emotion - like the men.
GI Joe had two hot chicks who looked much better in tight leather, whereas Trek had all of them in short skirts.
I hope Joe can stay away from a romantic story line. They're superheroes let them be heroic because they're teammates not because one has a nice ass and is prettier than Channing.
As far as plot twists, they're almost as innocuous as character arcs. Shyamalan did start it back up with Sixth Sense but it didn't use a plot twist, it used a missing scene. You don't actually KNOW Willis' character died.
Minorities helming is one of the reasons why you have to go for it.
I mean cheap crap on YouTube gets people noticed. And now with the paranoia about "known quantities" the thought of a 40 year old in a football jersey directing British actors is probably a hard sell.
Until black men become Americans it will continue to get worse. Especially in places like NYC, where you ain't down if your pants are up around your waist.
And you can ask my older brother about my relationship with whites in AmeriKKKa. There is no love lost but life is about accomplishment and you will work with and for white men.
Having a minimum wage sub-culture is not going to get respect. Tatting up beautiful women will not get them out of the strip clubs.
God, here I go again. Never mind.
"People in NYC are just too annoying so I go to work, maybe a club, that's it."
If you think NYC's vapid and annoying, try Orange County, CA. Imagine beach-side property full of well-off, idle Asian and White kids, who romanticize and impersonate Black gangstas to add excitement to their boring, pointless lives. Personally, I 'd choose NYC over The OC anyday. In the skyscrapers towering above the gangsta deadheads, humanity's future's being decided.
Ethiopian_Infidel
"Also, I just had MAJOR knee surgery and want some tips on how to keep sane. Can't work out. Can't play with my daughter or cuddle with my wife. I'm about to go nuts and I'm not even halfway through the healing. Help?"
I had knee surgery a few years back for OCD and may need to have it again. Are you able to do any upper body workouts? That might help. Or you could just take the time to work on other things-reading, writing, etc.
In my case they had me doing rehab too early (IMO) which was pretty painful so if the doctors don't want you using your knees right now, count your blessings.. =)
I was looking forward to "District 9" but maybe now, not so much. I wasn't bothered by racial imagery in LOTR *except* for the dreadlocked Uruk-Hai.
My favorite movie so far this year was "Watchmen".
GI Joe played the racial romantic interest really rather straight-forwardly, with very little sense that there was controversy involved other than the angle the kiss was filmed at. Fine.
##
If your knee is out of it...can you work abs? Back? Chest and shoulders? Arms? The other leg? It must be frustrating, but athletes work about injuries all the time. Do a bit of research to find exercises that won't hurt the healing body part.
If you think NYC's vapid and annoying, try Orange County, CA. Imagine beach-side property full of well-off, idle Asian and White kids, who romanticize and impersonate Black gangstas to add excitement to their boring, pointless lives. Personally, I 'd choose NYC over The OC anyday. In the skyscrapers towering above the gangsta deadheads, humanity's future's being decided
Well, when I get everything together, you can have my apartment and I'll take yours.
1000 sq ft - $1600
I can guarantee you would run back to OC after 2 weeks in Brooklyn or Manhattan where you'd get 500 sq ft for $1600.
Maybe it's the extra expense for the extra dirty streets. Sometimes I feel like I'm in a third world country.
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