4 more in. 27 for the year.
La Strada
Masculine feminine
2 or 3 things I know about her
Ugetsu (re-watch)
The way I see it, ill keep posting my progress, but every other post or so will actually be a blog about something, like my film club post or new wave post.
By the way Dave, I gave “drag me to hell” 3 ½ stars. Atypical in most ways except a few major ones, like the banging of pots and pans and crashing tea cups. Mostly a creative film that I enjoyed.
Monday, January 25, 2010
Friday, January 22, 2010
Still Going Strong
23 films in now - im surprised. Here are the next 5.
contempt
the brothers bloom
drag me to hell
the sweetest thing
broken embraces
Broken Embraces is simply brilliant by the way. Contempt is also very strong, and then they go down from there until you hit The Sweetest Thing - one of the worst films ever made.
contempt
the brothers bloom
drag me to hell
the sweetest thing
broken embraces
Broken Embraces is simply brilliant by the way. Contempt is also very strong, and then they go down from there until you hit The Sweetest Thing - one of the worst films ever made.
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
The Film Club
Right now I’m reading a book called “Film Club”. It’s a true story written by a man who let his 16 year old son drop out of school as long as he promises to watch 3 movies with him each week. The dad gets to choose the movies. The 16 year old kid, Jesse, likes movies alright, but is no film scholar and hasn’t really seen most of the classic and important films in history. Essentially, the father has a clean slate to work with and can choose anything. His choices are interesting, films like; The 400 Blows, Breakfast at Tiffany’s, The Shining, Notorious, Last Tango in Paris, On the Waterfront, and many more.
This got me thinking, if that was me, what would I choose? It’s a more difficult question to answer than I thought it would be, and then I decided to narrow it to ten, and the decisions became even more difficult. Would I choose ten films that teach about life? Maybe ten that reveal film from various eras’ or various countries from around the world? Then I just sat down and thought about it without a real criterion, and ten films just came to me. To be clear, these ten films are NOT my ten favorite films of all time. In fact, only two of these films make my personal top ten. But when it came time to pick ten films I would show someone wanting to know more about great films, these are the ten I came up with.
1) Casablanca
The ultimate film. Solid performances by an iconic cast, great dialogue, and the best romance ever put onto film. Bogart and Bergman were larger than life and ever supporting cast member delivers perfectly. This is a great example of how to make a war film without showing a battle or even taking place in a country where the war was being fought. As far as America goes, there is no more important film ever made. Directed by Michael Curtiz.
2) Seven Samurai
The greatest action film ever made, without question. Seven samurai battle 40 bandits to save a village that none of them live in, and they aren’t even being paid well. The 3 ½ hour running time isn’t a problem for this film that simply flies by. Each time I watch it I love it more, which is why every time a new transfer of the film is released I buy it, even if it’s expensive. I don’t mind owning multiple copies of this film at all. Shimura and Mifune get a lot of praise for their performances, but the entire cast is perfect and Kurosawa directs this film way ahead of its time. This film has been remade many times, and no one has come close to duplicating it.
3) Roshomon
The second Kurosawa film in a row, and its well deserved. This is the first film to introduce an important plot style to serious audiences. The film is about a murder being told from various perspectives, so we see the same murder scene multiple times from each person’s perspective but everyone’s story is different. Who is telling the truth? Mifune is excellent in the lead role, playing a villain, and the layout of the story is simply brilliant. Philosophies play an important role in the start and end of the film.
4) The Godfather
This is an obvious choice, but for me, the reasons are different than most. Coppola’s direction is flawless as we move from scene to scene getting into the midst of a powerful mafia family. Many people love this film for its gritty crime story and shocking violence, I love this film for its beautiful and haunting cinematography, equally haunting musical score, and superb acting from everyone but especially Brando. Perfect movie making.
5) Le Doulos
Melville made much more popular films, but I think this is his best. Jean-Paul Belmondo has probably never been better than in this crime drama where one moment you think he’s our hero, the next our villain, and then back and forth through the film until we finally get the real story. The thing is, in the end, I’m not sure if I would have cared whether or not he was our antagonist or protagonist, I just loved the ride to find out. In this film, the script is the standout. Simply brilliant.
6) Tokyo Story
Roger Ebert once said that all true fans of film eventually end up at Ozu, and this is his best film. Ozu is that rare director who can make essentially the same film many times over, and have each and every one of them be simply brilliant. Not all of his films are alike, Tokyo Twilight, Ohayo, and Floating Weeds for example are fairly unique, but Tokyo Story is actually very similar to a few of his other films, its just better than the rest of those which are already very good films. Ozu is a master at family drama, drawing in emotion that films rarely accomplish. Despite the fact that Ozu is the most “Japanese” of all great Japanese directors, I still feel myself completely resonating with his characters from all the way across the globe.
7) The Seventh Seal
Ingmar Bergman can get a little tedious to watch at times because his pacing and temperament doesn’t change much from film to film, but this is by far his most intriguing and unique film, and also his most profound. The film gives us some iconic images, greatest of which is our knight played brilliantly by Max Von Sydow playing chess with the Grim Reaper (yes the one copied in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey). The film is about Death chasing down a knight to end his life, and the knight attempting to keep himself alive. The dialogue is brilliant despite being a bit too chatty at times, and the philosophical questions that arise as a result of close evaluation of the dialogue make the film worth many viewings.
8) 8 ½
I have an up and down relationship with Fellini’s films, but lately I have been nothing but up on this film. The film is shot beautifully despite being in black and white, and like Anotnioni’s “L’ Avventura” the film has so many perfect shots that they can be frozen and placed on postcards. The film seems semi-autobiographical, although Fellini has denied that to some degree, in that it is a film about a movie director making a film, but doesn’t know what he wants to make. He has no real script, no real vision, and is simply throwing things together as he goes in order to appease his producers. Many have speculated that Fellini made this film because he needed to make another movie, and was out of ideas himself, so why not make a movie about a director making a movie who is out of ideas? Whether this is true or not, the result is wonderful. Guido, our main character, takes us on a ride through his relationships with various women (who are no doubt autobiographical to some degree), as well as taking us through dream sequences and visions of his past as they are blended in with reality. The first time I saw this film I was a bit confused, the second time I was awestruck.
9) The Third Man
This British film Noir is my favorite example of a truly excellent style of film. A crime story starring Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles, the film centers around a man (Cotton) trying to figure out how and why his friend Harry (Welles) died. He’s been told the death was an accident, but he knows better. He gets a little too close to the truth, and the realities he uncovers are truly shocking if you haven’t already had them spoiled for you through the various pop culture references to the film over the past 50 years. Carol Reed directs the film beautifully, capturing haunting images through a perfect use of lighting. The sewer scene at the end is one of my favorite scenes in film history.
10) Raiders of the Lost Ark
What else can be said – Its Indiana Jones. This film seems to endure better with each passing year, and despite a strong misstep from the fourth film in the series, this film remains one of my favorite action-adventure films of all time. The way the journey is paced in accordance with the music just sounds off as adventurous, and the story and execution of the story are absolutely perfect. Probably the best film in the careers of two brilliant men, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.
This got me thinking, if that was me, what would I choose? It’s a more difficult question to answer than I thought it would be, and then I decided to narrow it to ten, and the decisions became even more difficult. Would I choose ten films that teach about life? Maybe ten that reveal film from various eras’ or various countries from around the world? Then I just sat down and thought about it without a real criterion, and ten films just came to me. To be clear, these ten films are NOT my ten favorite films of all time. In fact, only two of these films make my personal top ten. But when it came time to pick ten films I would show someone wanting to know more about great films, these are the ten I came up with.
1) Casablanca
The ultimate film. Solid performances by an iconic cast, great dialogue, and the best romance ever put onto film. Bogart and Bergman were larger than life and ever supporting cast member delivers perfectly. This is a great example of how to make a war film without showing a battle or even taking place in a country where the war was being fought. As far as America goes, there is no more important film ever made. Directed by Michael Curtiz.
2) Seven Samurai
The greatest action film ever made, without question. Seven samurai battle 40 bandits to save a village that none of them live in, and they aren’t even being paid well. The 3 ½ hour running time isn’t a problem for this film that simply flies by. Each time I watch it I love it more, which is why every time a new transfer of the film is released I buy it, even if it’s expensive. I don’t mind owning multiple copies of this film at all. Shimura and Mifune get a lot of praise for their performances, but the entire cast is perfect and Kurosawa directs this film way ahead of its time. This film has been remade many times, and no one has come close to duplicating it.
3) Roshomon
The second Kurosawa film in a row, and its well deserved. This is the first film to introduce an important plot style to serious audiences. The film is about a murder being told from various perspectives, so we see the same murder scene multiple times from each person’s perspective but everyone’s story is different. Who is telling the truth? Mifune is excellent in the lead role, playing a villain, and the layout of the story is simply brilliant. Philosophies play an important role in the start and end of the film.
4) The Godfather
This is an obvious choice, but for me, the reasons are different than most. Coppola’s direction is flawless as we move from scene to scene getting into the midst of a powerful mafia family. Many people love this film for its gritty crime story and shocking violence, I love this film for its beautiful and haunting cinematography, equally haunting musical score, and superb acting from everyone but especially Brando. Perfect movie making.
5) Le Doulos
Melville made much more popular films, but I think this is his best. Jean-Paul Belmondo has probably never been better than in this crime drama where one moment you think he’s our hero, the next our villain, and then back and forth through the film until we finally get the real story. The thing is, in the end, I’m not sure if I would have cared whether or not he was our antagonist or protagonist, I just loved the ride to find out. In this film, the script is the standout. Simply brilliant.
6) Tokyo Story
Roger Ebert once said that all true fans of film eventually end up at Ozu, and this is his best film. Ozu is that rare director who can make essentially the same film many times over, and have each and every one of them be simply brilliant. Not all of his films are alike, Tokyo Twilight, Ohayo, and Floating Weeds for example are fairly unique, but Tokyo Story is actually very similar to a few of his other films, its just better than the rest of those which are already very good films. Ozu is a master at family drama, drawing in emotion that films rarely accomplish. Despite the fact that Ozu is the most “Japanese” of all great Japanese directors, I still feel myself completely resonating with his characters from all the way across the globe.
7) The Seventh Seal
Ingmar Bergman can get a little tedious to watch at times because his pacing and temperament doesn’t change much from film to film, but this is by far his most intriguing and unique film, and also his most profound. The film gives us some iconic images, greatest of which is our knight played brilliantly by Max Von Sydow playing chess with the Grim Reaper (yes the one copied in Bill and Ted’s Bogus Journey). The film is about Death chasing down a knight to end his life, and the knight attempting to keep himself alive. The dialogue is brilliant despite being a bit too chatty at times, and the philosophical questions that arise as a result of close evaluation of the dialogue make the film worth many viewings.
8) 8 ½
I have an up and down relationship with Fellini’s films, but lately I have been nothing but up on this film. The film is shot beautifully despite being in black and white, and like Anotnioni’s “L’ Avventura” the film has so many perfect shots that they can be frozen and placed on postcards. The film seems semi-autobiographical, although Fellini has denied that to some degree, in that it is a film about a movie director making a film, but doesn’t know what he wants to make. He has no real script, no real vision, and is simply throwing things together as he goes in order to appease his producers. Many have speculated that Fellini made this film because he needed to make another movie, and was out of ideas himself, so why not make a movie about a director making a movie who is out of ideas? Whether this is true or not, the result is wonderful. Guido, our main character, takes us on a ride through his relationships with various women (who are no doubt autobiographical to some degree), as well as taking us through dream sequences and visions of his past as they are blended in with reality. The first time I saw this film I was a bit confused, the second time I was awestruck.
9) The Third Man
This British film Noir is my favorite example of a truly excellent style of film. A crime story starring Joseph Cotton and Orson Welles, the film centers around a man (Cotton) trying to figure out how and why his friend Harry (Welles) died. He’s been told the death was an accident, but he knows better. He gets a little too close to the truth, and the realities he uncovers are truly shocking if you haven’t already had them spoiled for you through the various pop culture references to the film over the past 50 years. Carol Reed directs the film beautifully, capturing haunting images through a perfect use of lighting. The sewer scene at the end is one of my favorite scenes in film history.
10) Raiders of the Lost Ark
What else can be said – Its Indiana Jones. This film seems to endure better with each passing year, and despite a strong misstep from the fourth film in the series, this film remains one of my favorite action-adventure films of all time. The way the journey is paced in accordance with the music just sounds off as adventurous, and the story and execution of the story are absolutely perfect. Probably the best film in the careers of two brilliant men, Steven Spielberg and Harrison Ford.
Monday, January 18, 2010
A film per day
Add 6 more films to the list for this year. I’m on a staggering pace, but oddly, I don’t feel that I've neglected my other more important responsibilities. The secret is in finding clever times to fit a film in really. Like getting up earlier in the morning or staying up slightly later than normal. Maybe fitting in a flick when you would normally watch T.V. or play a video game. So far it’s going well. Here are the next six.
8 ½ (a re-watch)
Au hazard Balthazar
Green lantern: first flight
Made in USA
Pierrot le fou
The book of Eli
18 days in and 18 films down. Ill have to slow down at some point I know.
8 ½ (a re-watch)
Au hazard Balthazar
Green lantern: first flight
Made in USA
Pierrot le fou
The book of Eli
18 days in and 18 films down. Ill have to slow down at some point I know.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Godard and the French New Wave
Two weeks in and things are going well. Add three more to the tally to make twelve.
All About Steve
A Woman is a Woman
Band of Outsiders
Six per week is a blistering pace, and I’m sure I won’t keep it up.
Something I am doing right now is going through the films of the great French director Jean-Luc Godard. Godard is one of the pioneers of the French New Wave film movement that began in the late 50’s and ran through the middle of the 60’s. The French New Wave was very influenced by Italian neo-realism which was a movement in Italian cinema about a decade earlier where films were more “real” and a little less literary and polished. Old Hollywood also influenced this movement quite a bit, especially directors like John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock.
The point of French New Wave was to make excellent films about real people on small budgets. Dialogue is huge in this movement, as well as doing wonderful things with simple cameras and being very creative in the editing room. Godard specifically did what was called a “jump cut” where he would cut a scene seemingly in the middle of it and jump to the next scene, but without compromising the script in anyway. He did this a lot in his film “Breathless” which was a New Wave pioneer film from 1959. Godard also did some really creative if not risky things with music in his films where he would stop a song right in the middle of it for effect, then pick the song back up again, almost as if a record skipped, but its obviously intentional.
Francois Truffaut was another director that was very influential in New Wave cinema, especially with his first feature film, “The 400 Blows”. After I watch my way through Godard’s films, I’m going to watch more Truffaut, and I'll write about my experiences with both as I go. I’m excited about diving more into this movement.
All About Steve
A Woman is a Woman
Band of Outsiders
Six per week is a blistering pace, and I’m sure I won’t keep it up.
Something I am doing right now is going through the films of the great French director Jean-Luc Godard. Godard is one of the pioneers of the French New Wave film movement that began in the late 50’s and ran through the middle of the 60’s. The French New Wave was very influenced by Italian neo-realism which was a movement in Italian cinema about a decade earlier where films were more “real” and a little less literary and polished. Old Hollywood also influenced this movement quite a bit, especially directors like John Ford and Alfred Hitchcock.
The point of French New Wave was to make excellent films about real people on small budgets. Dialogue is huge in this movement, as well as doing wonderful things with simple cameras and being very creative in the editing room. Godard specifically did what was called a “jump cut” where he would cut a scene seemingly in the middle of it and jump to the next scene, but without compromising the script in anyway. He did this a lot in his film “Breathless” which was a New Wave pioneer film from 1959. Godard also did some really creative if not risky things with music in his films where he would stop a song right in the middle of it for effect, then pick the song back up again, almost as if a record skipped, but its obviously intentional.
Francois Truffaut was another director that was very influential in New Wave cinema, especially with his first feature film, “The 400 Blows”. After I watch my way through Godard’s films, I’m going to watch more Truffaut, and I'll write about my experiences with both as I go. I’m excited about diving more into this movement.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Solid start to 2010's movie journey
So far the first part of week two on my mission for 2010 has gone well. Here is a recap of the films I've seen in the past few days.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Road
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Nine
Precious
Il Postino
Brothers
Nine films in for the year and none are films of 2010. 6 of them are from 2009, and my movie watching for 2009 films is almost finished. No 5 star films, one 4 ½ star film (Nine), five 4 star films (The International, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Road, Precious, and Il Postino), one 3 star film (Brothers), one 1 star film (Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), and one ½ star film (In the Name of the King). When 6 of 9 films are 4 stars or higher, it’s the beginnings of a good year.
The Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus
The Road
In the Name of the King: A Dungeon Siege Tale
Nine
Precious
Il Postino
Brothers
Nine films in for the year and none are films of 2010. 6 of them are from 2009, and my movie watching for 2009 films is almost finished. No 5 star films, one 4 ½ star film (Nine), five 4 star films (The International, The Friends of Eddie Coyle, The Road, Precious, and Il Postino), one 3 star film (Brothers), one 1 star film (Imaginarium of Doctor Parnassus), and one ½ star film (In the Name of the King). When 6 of 9 films are 4 stars or higher, it’s the beginnings of a good year.
Wednesday, January 6, 2010
Journey in 2010
After a long break, I’m back to blogging for the New Year.
This year in film watching is exciting to me. I can’t wait to navigate through the plan I have in place. Every year I watch almost exactly 200 new films, which works out to about 4 films per week. In 2009 I saw 218 of them, and I rewatched another 20 or so films that I had already seen in years past. Usually how it breaks down is as follows; I try to watch around 50 new releases in theater’s, meaning about one per week, and then about 150 films from across various previous years. Of these films, I try to make at least 50 of them films that were made outside of my own country here in the U.S.
This year, I have a large list of films I'm anticipating to watch as they hit theaters, and my netflix queue for older films is at 219 films. My goal: get through them all. That means upping my film intake to about 250 or so. It might not happen, but we’ll see.
I also plan to make 2010 the year of Kurosawa. I know, I know, according to Jason EVERY year is the year of Kurosawa for me. Well this year I plan on going more over the top than ever before. I plan on rewatching all 30 of his films at least once each, as well as read his autobiography and at least 10 other books written about his life and career. I will be writing about this adventure here on the blog as I go, and may even create a schedule for navigating all of this and post the schedule here. Ill also update the blog with each of the films I watch in this calendar year. So far I have a late start – Only two films the first week –
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
The International
What do you plan on doing this year with film?
My journey begins.
This year in film watching is exciting to me. I can’t wait to navigate through the plan I have in place. Every year I watch almost exactly 200 new films, which works out to about 4 films per week. In 2009 I saw 218 of them, and I rewatched another 20 or so films that I had already seen in years past. Usually how it breaks down is as follows; I try to watch around 50 new releases in theater’s, meaning about one per week, and then about 150 films from across various previous years. Of these films, I try to make at least 50 of them films that were made outside of my own country here in the U.S.
This year, I have a large list of films I'm anticipating to watch as they hit theaters, and my netflix queue for older films is at 219 films. My goal: get through them all. That means upping my film intake to about 250 or so. It might not happen, but we’ll see.
I also plan to make 2010 the year of Kurosawa. I know, I know, according to Jason EVERY year is the year of Kurosawa for me. Well this year I plan on going more over the top than ever before. I plan on rewatching all 30 of his films at least once each, as well as read his autobiography and at least 10 other books written about his life and career. I will be writing about this adventure here on the blog as I go, and may even create a schedule for navigating all of this and post the schedule here. Ill also update the blog with each of the films I watch in this calendar year. So far I have a late start – Only two films the first week –
The Friends of Eddie Coyle
The International
What do you plan on doing this year with film?
My journey begins.
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Disappointing year
So far 2009 has been a pretty terrible year for film. 2006 and 2007 were both amazing years in an otherwise weak decade, but 2008 and now 2009 have been pretty bad. At the start of the year I set a top 10 most anticipated films of the year, and now with just 5 weeks to go I have seen 8 of those 10 films. Only 1 of those 8 is in my top 10 films for this year, and that’s the Coen Bros. film “A Serious Man”.
When I look at my top 10, thankfully there are some surprises I wasn’t expecting. I’m not going to give them away because we are going to reveal those picks in an upcoming episode of FilminFocus. When I look at the end of the year, there are still 20 films I really want to see, so there is great chance for redemption as the year closes.
Here are the films I am most looking forward to as we close out the year:
Invictus
Everybody’s Fine
The Princess and the Frog
The Road
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Nine
Red Cliff
What films are you most looking forward to that will be released before the end of the year?
When I look at my top 10, thankfully there are some surprises I wasn’t expecting. I’m not going to give them away because we are going to reveal those picks in an upcoming episode of FilminFocus. When I look at the end of the year, there are still 20 films I really want to see, so there is great chance for redemption as the year closes.
Here are the films I am most looking forward to as we close out the year:
Invictus
Everybody’s Fine
The Princess and the Frog
The Road
The Fantastic Mr. Fox
Nine
Red Cliff
What films are you most looking forward to that will be released before the end of the year?
Sunday, November 15, 2009
What is a film buff?
Have you ever had this conversation before? You’re talking to someone about movies and they declare themselves to be a major film buff, so you start talking flicks. In the process of the conversation you mention a film, say Lawrence of Arabia. They look at you with sort of a puzzled look so you can tell they have no idea what you’re talking about. So you say, “You know, Lawrence of Arabia. The David lean film starring Peter O’Toole?” They’re lost. “I’ve never heard of that movie” they say. You say, “It’s only considered by most to be one of the greatest films in history.” They respond, “When did it come out?” You then say, “1962”. Then they say, almost with relief, “Well of course I haven’t heard of that, it came out like 15 years before I was born.” My response is always the same. “Have you ever heard of George Washington?” I say. They say “Well of course”; then I say “Interesting, he died WAY before you were born.”
There are those that innocently have yet to explore films outside of those noticed by popular culture. While I get this to some degree, it’s hard to say you’re a film buff when you haven’t seen most of the truly great films in history. There are others, like my wife, who actually refuses to watch anything made in a different language than her own or anything before 1980. Now for my wife, she escapes my mockery because she doesn’t call herself a film buff even though she watches a lot of movies. She likes what she likes and she’s cool with that. But I can’t count the amount of times I've had the above conversation with self proclaimed film buffs who haven’t seen the majority of important works. I don’t mean this to sound self righteous, but it works with all manners of discipline. It’s hard to proclaim yourself a football buff if you’ve never heard of Johnny Unitas, or a music buff if you’ve never listened to Robert Johnson, a man declared by many great musicians to be the most influential musician of the past 100 years.
Again, I’m not attempting some form of snobbish elitism. I actually hate that kind of thinking. But this is a matter of importance to me because its sad to see so many great films, that are so accessible through DVD, go so unnoticed even by people who think they really “know” film. If you don’t want to explore the great treasures of film than that’s your choice and I have no problem with that, but just be honest about the extent of your fandom and know that to be a film buff means to broaden yourself out through the scope of film both historical and international.
There are those that innocently have yet to explore films outside of those noticed by popular culture. While I get this to some degree, it’s hard to say you’re a film buff when you haven’t seen most of the truly great films in history. There are others, like my wife, who actually refuses to watch anything made in a different language than her own or anything before 1980. Now for my wife, she escapes my mockery because she doesn’t call herself a film buff even though she watches a lot of movies. She likes what she likes and she’s cool with that. But I can’t count the amount of times I've had the above conversation with self proclaimed film buffs who haven’t seen the majority of important works. I don’t mean this to sound self righteous, but it works with all manners of discipline. It’s hard to proclaim yourself a football buff if you’ve never heard of Johnny Unitas, or a music buff if you’ve never listened to Robert Johnson, a man declared by many great musicians to be the most influential musician of the past 100 years.
Again, I’m not attempting some form of snobbish elitism. I actually hate that kind of thinking. But this is a matter of importance to me because its sad to see so many great films, that are so accessible through DVD, go so unnoticed even by people who think they really “know” film. If you don’t want to explore the great treasures of film than that’s your choice and I have no problem with that, but just be honest about the extent of your fandom and know that to be a film buff means to broaden yourself out through the scope of film both historical and international.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Genres and formulas
I really love to view films through the lens of genres. I have certain genres that I love more than others, and there are usually reasons other than simply taste that I rank genres the way I do. Taste certainly plays a factor, but one of the things about film that I pay close attention to is formula. Not all formula’s are bad, for instance the standard “3 act” formula that many films follow usually works quite well (although its not always necessary). This formula can be misused, as in “Australia” where the 3 acts felt more like 3 different movies, bust most films use this formula so effectively that most people don’t even notice that the formula is in play (which is often proof that it’s being used effectively).
However, some formulas are very much damaging to a film when they are used too often in other films released within a few years of it. And this plays in with genres because some genres are guiltier of rehashing formulas over and over again than other genres are. For example, the horror genre is terribly guilty of using the “gore/porn” formula far too much over the past ten years. What this has done is that it has made the entire genre too predictable and watered down, meaning most horror films released in the past ten years are unwatchable, and when a horror film is released that doesn’t follow the “gore/porn” formula it is probably praised and welcomed more than it should be simply because it is refreshingly different in this era than most films of its genre.
Romantic comedy (although more of a sub genre) is also very guilty of formula abuse. Think about it: guy meets girl, guy and girl don’t like each other much, circumstances put guy and girl in unrealistic awkward situations where they have to get to know each other, guy and girl almost let love escape them, guy and girl realize their love for each other and pull it together in the end (Recently think “The Proposal” and “The Ugly Truth”). Romantic comedies are even guilty of more than one formula being used all too often. Then when a romantic comedy comes along like “500 Days of Summer” it’s easy to love because it’s different.
The list goes on. How many recent disaster flicks have used the whole “normal guy evades natural disaster to save his family…and accidentally saves the world at the same time” formula? How many sports films have used the “underdog beats the odds to take down a team fifty times more talented then them to win the title” formula?
Some people don’t mind these formulas, but for me, I’ve found that when I rank genres from favorite to least favorite that the genres that are the guiltiest of an overuse of formula are also the genres that end up at the bottom of my list. I guess, like many people, I just get tired of the same old thing.
Maybe sometime soon we will do a show on Film in Focus where we rank our favorite genres and sub genres. What are yours?
However, some formulas are very much damaging to a film when they are used too often in other films released within a few years of it. And this plays in with genres because some genres are guiltier of rehashing formulas over and over again than other genres are. For example, the horror genre is terribly guilty of using the “gore/porn” formula far too much over the past ten years. What this has done is that it has made the entire genre too predictable and watered down, meaning most horror films released in the past ten years are unwatchable, and when a horror film is released that doesn’t follow the “gore/porn” formula it is probably praised and welcomed more than it should be simply because it is refreshingly different in this era than most films of its genre.
Romantic comedy (although more of a sub genre) is also very guilty of formula abuse. Think about it: guy meets girl, guy and girl don’t like each other much, circumstances put guy and girl in unrealistic awkward situations where they have to get to know each other, guy and girl almost let love escape them, guy and girl realize their love for each other and pull it together in the end (Recently think “The Proposal” and “The Ugly Truth”). Romantic comedies are even guilty of more than one formula being used all too often. Then when a romantic comedy comes along like “500 Days of Summer” it’s easy to love because it’s different.
The list goes on. How many recent disaster flicks have used the whole “normal guy evades natural disaster to save his family…and accidentally saves the world at the same time” formula? How many sports films have used the “underdog beats the odds to take down a team fifty times more talented then them to win the title” formula?
Some people don’t mind these formulas, but for me, I’ve found that when I rank genres from favorite to least favorite that the genres that are the guiltiest of an overuse of formula are also the genres that end up at the bottom of my list. I guess, like many people, I just get tired of the same old thing.
Maybe sometime soon we will do a show on Film in Focus where we rank our favorite genres and sub genres. What are yours?
Friday, October 16, 2009
Viewing styles
Well here we are friends, blogger world.
I’m excited about these blogs that Jason and I will be writing. There promises to be a lot of variety between the two of us, so I hope you all find something interesting in at least one of our posts each week. I can’t wait for feedback, so please engage. Ill respond to what I can.
One film conversation that has always interested me is what I call “viewing style”. Many people who watch film regularly may not know that they have a viewing style but everyone does. We all bring our philosophies and presuppositions into anything we do, including the way we watch movies. The way I see it there are two major viewing styles, and then a third is created when the two styles are blended together into a hybrid style of viewing.
The first viewing style is what I call the “objective viewing style”. This style is characterized by people who watch films and judge them according to their elements and execution. This would include judging things from within the film like cinematography, art direction, acting, sound, editing, etc… The objectivist need not even like a film to rate it very high if they can say that they believe that on an objective level the film was done well. The objectivist usually looks for a standard as far outside of themselves as possible, appealing to consensus of those that are knowledgeable about the movie making process to determine what constitutes good filmmaking versus bad filmmaking. The more knowledgeable a viewer becomes about film the easier it is to recognize which films meet these objective standards and which ones fall short.
I have a friend that is as true of an objectivist when it comes to viewing styles as I have ever seen. When he watches a film that is an objective masterpiece, he can easily hand it a 5 star rating – even if he didn’t care for the film. But when a film like “Rush Hour” comes along, one he really enjoys, he can rate the film at around 3 stars without conviction because he knows that while he enjoys the film much more than the previous film he gave 5 stars to – Rush Hour is not really a good movie from an objective prospective.
The 2007 film “There Will Be Blood” was a great benefactor of this style of viewing. The film was nominated for multiple Oscars because it met every objective standard. No one viewing the film objectively could ignore the brilliance of the cinematography, art direction, score, and perfect acting. But when I asked people if they enjoyed the film, most said that they didn’t.
The vast majority of film critics would fall into this first group.
The second viewing style is one that I call “subjective viewing style”. This style is very much the opposite of the previous one. People who watch films subjectively care far more about their enjoyment of a film that they care whether or not the film is actually any good. The elements and execution of the film are far less important than whether or not you were entertained. The objectivist could outright reject a film like “2001: A Space Odyssey” because they were bored or didn’t get it, but they could readily embrace a film like “The Fast and the Furious” because it was fun and kept their attention.
Obviously the vast majority of the movie going public falls into this group, which is why Oscar nominated films don’t make much money and critics slam on films that make more money than the national debt. (And yes this is the real reason – not because critics don’t know anything).
So which do I ascribe to? I fall into the third group which is a hybrid of the two. I was recently watching a movie review given by the great film critic Michael Phillips on the film “Whip It”. He said, paraphrasing – “The critic in me hated this film for being formulaic and predictable, but the fan in me loved this film for being charming, fun, and entertaining, so I say see it!” This is a very healthy way to see film. Phillips knew that the film wasn’t any good, but he decided to like it anyway.
Sometimes I lean towards the objectivist in me when a film makes too many mistakes, but I also want to be able to give 4 stars to “Cant Buy Me Love” simply because of the nostalgia of what that silly little movie means to me. If a film missteps too much, its death. But some films misstep just enough to keep it from death and the fan in me embraces the film despite its problems.
Here is how it works for my ratings. A film has to meet both standards – my objective and subjective standards – to receive 4 ½ or 5 stars. If a film is brilliant but I don’t enjoy it, I can’t give it more than 4. If I enjoy a film but it’s not very good, I can’t give it more than 4.
What about you? Where do you lean?
I’m excited about these blogs that Jason and I will be writing. There promises to be a lot of variety between the two of us, so I hope you all find something interesting in at least one of our posts each week. I can’t wait for feedback, so please engage. Ill respond to what I can.
One film conversation that has always interested me is what I call “viewing style”. Many people who watch film regularly may not know that they have a viewing style but everyone does. We all bring our philosophies and presuppositions into anything we do, including the way we watch movies. The way I see it there are two major viewing styles, and then a third is created when the two styles are blended together into a hybrid style of viewing.
The first viewing style is what I call the “objective viewing style”. This style is characterized by people who watch films and judge them according to their elements and execution. This would include judging things from within the film like cinematography, art direction, acting, sound, editing, etc… The objectivist need not even like a film to rate it very high if they can say that they believe that on an objective level the film was done well. The objectivist usually looks for a standard as far outside of themselves as possible, appealing to consensus of those that are knowledgeable about the movie making process to determine what constitutes good filmmaking versus bad filmmaking. The more knowledgeable a viewer becomes about film the easier it is to recognize which films meet these objective standards and which ones fall short.
I have a friend that is as true of an objectivist when it comes to viewing styles as I have ever seen. When he watches a film that is an objective masterpiece, he can easily hand it a 5 star rating – even if he didn’t care for the film. But when a film like “Rush Hour” comes along, one he really enjoys, he can rate the film at around 3 stars without conviction because he knows that while he enjoys the film much more than the previous film he gave 5 stars to – Rush Hour is not really a good movie from an objective prospective.
The 2007 film “There Will Be Blood” was a great benefactor of this style of viewing. The film was nominated for multiple Oscars because it met every objective standard. No one viewing the film objectively could ignore the brilliance of the cinematography, art direction, score, and perfect acting. But when I asked people if they enjoyed the film, most said that they didn’t.
The vast majority of film critics would fall into this first group.
The second viewing style is one that I call “subjective viewing style”. This style is very much the opposite of the previous one. People who watch films subjectively care far more about their enjoyment of a film that they care whether or not the film is actually any good. The elements and execution of the film are far less important than whether or not you were entertained. The objectivist could outright reject a film like “2001: A Space Odyssey” because they were bored or didn’t get it, but they could readily embrace a film like “The Fast and the Furious” because it was fun and kept their attention.
Obviously the vast majority of the movie going public falls into this group, which is why Oscar nominated films don’t make much money and critics slam on films that make more money than the national debt. (And yes this is the real reason – not because critics don’t know anything).
So which do I ascribe to? I fall into the third group which is a hybrid of the two. I was recently watching a movie review given by the great film critic Michael Phillips on the film “Whip It”. He said, paraphrasing – “The critic in me hated this film for being formulaic and predictable, but the fan in me loved this film for being charming, fun, and entertaining, so I say see it!” This is a very healthy way to see film. Phillips knew that the film wasn’t any good, but he decided to like it anyway.
Sometimes I lean towards the objectivist in me when a film makes too many mistakes, but I also want to be able to give 4 stars to “Cant Buy Me Love” simply because of the nostalgia of what that silly little movie means to me. If a film missteps too much, its death. But some films misstep just enough to keep it from death and the fan in me embraces the film despite its problems.
Here is how it works for my ratings. A film has to meet both standards – my objective and subjective standards – to receive 4 ½ or 5 stars. If a film is brilliant but I don’t enjoy it, I can’t give it more than 4. If I enjoy a film but it’s not very good, I can’t give it more than 4.
What about you? Where do you lean?
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)