Movies or "the breakdown of jasper"

[Larry B.]

I am just finishing "God Bless America" (thanks to ES for posting the video on FB). Holy shit.

Possibly the best dark comedic satire done since Network (maybe even better than Network). It felt Jonathan Swift could've written it. Simultaneously horrible and empathetic -- alienating. I said possibly, because maybe I read into it more than is there... Goldthwait seems to think he was saying something important.



... Not easy to watch.

He explains himself here: http://current.com/shows/the-young-turk ... agree-with
At one point he says: "You know, I'm not asking people to eat Irish children, you know, that's the point..."

Just saw it. Surprisingly good and entertaining. I thought the script was too 'play-like' and lacked something more filmish, but it was consistent throughout the movie. The girl's character (or portrayal, not too sure) was too cartoonish for my taste and she lacks acting skills. There were some very good moments. The part that I didn't like happened near the ending, but I'm not going to comment on it to avoid any spoilers.

I'd recommend it.

Dude... the girl was supposed to be like that. It's not a drama. It's a black comedy, and those elements are probably Brechtian. It would be bad if people actually identified with those characters.

You're right... perhaps that cartoonish taste I describe has to do with the theater quality I thought this movie had.

[SR]

I am just finishing "God Bless America" (thanks to ES for posting the video on FB). Holy shit.

Possibly the best dark comedic satire done since Network (maybe even better than Network). It felt Jonathan Swift could've written it. Simultaneously horrible and empathetic -- alienating. I said possibly, because maybe I read into it more than is there... Goldthwait seems to think he was saying something important.



... Not easy to watch.

He explains himself here: http://current.com/shows/the-young-turk ... agree-with
At one point he says: "You know, I'm not asking people to eat Irish children, you know, that's the point..."

Just saw it. Surprisingly good and entertaining. I thought the script was too 'play-like' and lacked something more filmish, but it was consistent throughout the movie. The girl's character (or portrayal, not too sure) was too cartoonish for my taste and she lacks acting skills. There were some very good moments. The part that I didn't like happened near the ending, but I'm not going to comment on it to avoid any spoilers.

I'd recommend it.

Dude... the girl was supposed to be like that. It's not a drama. It's a black comedy, and those elements are probably Brechtian. It would be bad if people actually identified with those characters.

I was hoping for a more Pirandellian effect.

[mockbee]

Dude... the girl was supposed to be like that. It's not a drama. It's a black comedy, and those elements are probably Brechtian. It would be bad if people actually identified with those characters.

Brecht created an influential theory of theatre, the epic theatre, wherein a play should not cause the spectator to emotionally identify with the action before him or her, but should instead provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of the actions on the stage.

For this purpose, Brecht employed the use of techniques that remind the spectator that the play is a representation of reality and not reality itself [...]. Such techniques included the direct address by actors to the audience, exaggerated, unnatural stage lighting, the use of song, and explanatory placards.

Hmmmm............ i love this place.

[Hype]

Dude... the girl was supposed to be like that. It's not a drama. It's a black comedy, and those elements are probably Brechtian. It would be bad if people actually identified with those characters.

Brecht created an influential theory of theatre, the epic theatre, wherein a play should not cause the spectator to emotionally identify with the action before him or her, but should instead provoke rational self-reflection and a critical view of the actions on the stage.

For this purpose, Brecht employed the use of techniques that remind the spectator that the play is a representation of reality and not reality itself [...]. Such techniques included the direct address by actors to the audience, exaggerated, unnatural stage lighting, the use of song, and explanatory placards.

Hmmmm............ i love this place.

If you've seen Monty Python, you've seen an example of epic theatre. Alabama Song (Whisky Bar), made famous by Jim Morrison, is originally from a Brecht/Weill Opera -- the Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny. It was supposed to be sung not by trained opera singers, but by actresses who couldn't really sing (heightens the alienation effect).

The song Mack The Knife is also from Brecht/Weill (Mackie der Messer).

The notion of "breaking the 4th wall" in television, film, etc., came from Brecht as well.

Re SR's invoking of Pirandello, there may be some of that... in that I think one of the things you're supposed to take from it in the end is something like "Live and let live" (ironically). It's absurd because there's nothing we can really do, nor should do, as individuals, to "fix the world", as it were.

[mockbee]

I am well aware of the practice and context of "breaking the 4th wall" just never realized it was from Brecht's work.

[Hokahey]

The other night was friday the 13th so some channel was showing the poltergeist movies.

I actually liked Poltergeist 1 when I saw it as a kid and liked it today also.

Such an amazing movie, although it almost ruined my childhood. The clown under the bed was too much for my 5 year old brain to handle. Stupid parents letting me watch that.

[Larry B.]

I tried watching it recently and it was a huge disappointment. I found nothing good about it.

[Hype]

I am well aware of the practice and context of "breaking the 4th wall" just never realized it was from Brecht's work.

This knowledge of, and love for, Brecht is one of the few valuable things I got out of a degree in German.

[perkana]

It was very scary for me, I always heard the story about the clown and I was scared about them for a long time, even without having watched the movie. It was pretty good when it came out, when I watched it later of course I found the special effects kinda lame, but it is stil a favorite of mine.

[Pandemonium]

It was very scary for me, I always heard the story about the clown and I was scared about them for a long time, even without having watched the movie. It was pretty good when it came out, when I watched it later of course I found the special effects kinda lame, but it is stil a favorite of mine.

It's a perfectly serviceable thriller. I remember seeing it at the now long-gone Cinedome in Orange on opening weekend. Jammed packed Saturday night showing and everyone was into it. Didn't really think it was scarey, although a couple moments were pretty cool (the "steak" scene). '81 was a good time for mainstream horror flicks with movies like Cat People, The Thing, Creepshow and Poltergeist among others.

[perkana]

Have you seen Dark Shadows trailer? I think I'm going to see this one. Again Depp and Bonham Carter seem to steal the movie. It will be something new for me since I've never seen the show it was based on.

Oh yeah, Johnny Lee Miller

[Pandemonium]

Have you seen Dark Shadows trailer? I think I'm going to see this one. Again Depp and Bonham Carter seem to steal the movie. It will be something new for me since I've never seen the show it was based on.

Oh yeah, Johnny Lee Miller

I like Depp, I like Burton and I'm ancient enough to actually remember watching the original Dark Shadows soap opera after school in the 60's and this looks really terrible. This kind of comedic take worked for the two Addams Family movies because.. well, that show originally was a comedy. Not so much for this one.

The original soap opera was (like all soap operas) unbearably slow but it was fairly serious in tone and the lead actor who played the Vampire Barnabas Collins was really good. After the soap was cancelled, they did a theatrical movie with the original cast which successfully telescoped the main plot into 2 hours and added R rated gore which while very dated and reeks of made-for-tv cheapness, is still worth checking out if you can find it (it was never released on dvd).

BTW, still love the old theme song:

[dali]

"Quentin's Theme" WTF, that dude on the right LOOKS like Quentin Tarantino. Eerie

[mothra665]

[Hit So Hard]
A documentary that follows Hole drummer Patty Schemel ups & downs with, you guessed it...Addiction.
The only place i was able to view it was [walmart on demand]

For Nirvana & Hole listeners it was "ok"

[SR]

I like Hole. This doc looks disjointed.

[Pandemonium]

In a weird bit of news today, the actor who originally played Barnabas Collins in "Dark Shadows," Jonathan Frid died today. I guess he had a cameo in the new Tim Burton remake.

[creep]

[Hit So Hard]
A documentary that follows Hole drummer Patty Schemel ups & downs with, you guessed it...Addiction.
The only place i was able to view it was [walmart on demand]

For Nirvana & Hole listeners it was "ok"

i downloaded it and just watched it. yeah it was ok...there was some goofy editing and i kept obsessing on eric the guitar players teeth. worth a rent or download i guess.

[creep]

i watched transsiberian last night. it was pretty good. woody harrelson is usually a good actor but i thought he went a little over the top playing a church going nerdy nice guy. i pretty much hated his character. other than that it was good.

[Hype]

i watched transsiberian last night. it was pretty good. woody harrelson is usually a good actor but i thought he went a little over the top playing a church going nerdy nice guy. i pretty much hated his character. other than that it was good.

I saw that about two years ago. It was okay.

[Jasper]

not a movie but did anyone else see "girls" last night on hbo? the previews made it look sorta dumb but i gave it a try and i really liked it.

after that Eastbound and Down joke of a series finale last night, i was done.

I'll probably watch this though. Any HBO series is worth a shot imo

I watched this show, creep, just for you, and I'm not sure it's something I could get into. I didn't like the story or any of the characters, and HBO stole one chick from Mad Men, so now if I watch this on Sundays I'd be watching two shows with this chick, one where she's a bohemian intellectual dyke in NYC in the 60s, and another where she's an idiot bimbo in modern-day NYC, and on a massively inferior show. Don't think I can do it.

[Larry B.]

But zombie series are hella neat, aren't they?

[creep]

I watched this show, creep, just for you, and I'm not sure it's something I could get into. I didn't like the story or any of the characters, and HBO stole one chick from Mad Men, so now if I watch this on Sundays I'd be watching two shows with this chick, one where she's a bohemian intellectual dyke in NYC in the 60s, and another where she's an idiot bimbo in modern-day NYC, and on a massively inferior show. Don't think I can do it.

thanks for trying.

i am going to give another hbo show a shot tonight. it looks pretty promising.

[Matz]

just watched The Shining, first time in over 10 years I think. I had forgotten how great a movie this is. The kid who plays the son is a really great talent. Sadly that was his only movie I just found out

[Artemis]

The Shining is great!
That's a good example of a book that wasn't a disappointment as a movie.

[Jasper]

But zombie series are hella neat, aren't they?

Yes, poor, dim Larry, The Walking Dead is quite good. It's not quite GREAT like Mad Men, Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire, or Game of Thrones, but it's very good. GIRLS was decent, but not very good, imo. I may try it one more time, just in case I can connect with what creep enjoyed about it. If you, Larry, don't even care to view any of these Sunday night offerings, then perhaps you should refrain from commenting - though with you being 2459 posts deep, we won't hold our collective breath.

The Shining is great!
That's a good example of a book that wasn't a disappointment as a movie.

I agree, it's a "hella neat" Kubrick flick about ESP, ghosts, and demonic possession, though Stephan King called it "an interesting failure." It may have failed his vision of the book, fine, but the only goal of a film isn't pleasing the writer. Kubrick's vision was brilliant.