Jump to content

don't look up

henrygandorf

By henrygandorf
in Movies and TV

 Share

Recommended Posts

Guest Lobo

Guest Lobo

Posted
Posted
25 minutes ago, TrashMaster G said:

I recently watched DLU and was underwhelmed.

Mars Attacks played for 100% comedy and Dr. Strangelove played it 100% straight.  This could have been a good movie if it had gone either direction, but it was too busy being condescending to those it mocked to be truly funny (there were funny bits, for sure) and as a result could not be completely straight and as good as Dr. Strangelove.

Hollywood loves to condescend to "flyover country" bumpkins and then pat itself on its back for being so clever.  That's why this got nominated for Best Picture.  If it wins, I'll puke.

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't all that.

I agree with most of your posit.  However, I think the nudges towards absurdist were used as filmmaking techniques.  Not necessarily commentary on "flyover country."  Shouldn't get best picture, we agree.  

But if you hang back, sometimes Hollywood's thinking actually presents itself more cleanly in "the opposite."  They thought when they made "Syriana", it was gonna be too complex for us to figure out, and that was their point.  That the geopolitical dominos of a waning O&G landscape was so complex with so many players trying to prolong the inevitable, that we couldn't possibly understand it and therefore would assume that this beautiful cinematic experience was a lesson to us in some form or fashion.  I didn't find it condescending at all.  It was incredibly easy to figure out if you just follow the right character (kinda like "The Usual Suspects, but this time with Oil & Arabs).  They fuck up when they try to get to clever, I think we agree on that.  What's curious to me though is when they try to dumb it down for us, that's when I get confused...at least me personally.  Like big summer popcorn flick "Avatar."  Yes, there's an environmental message in there, like "Syriana."  But there are two huge question marks at the start of "Avatar" that confused the fuck out of me.  Unlike Syriana, which I got as both a script and as a climate message instantly, Avatar's climate message stumped me because I was too busy with the major plot holes (not the science or the space travel or any of that fictional shit) to absorb the proper message.  

When Hollywood tries to be clever with indoctrination, they fail.  As you pointed out.  But they also have another gaping flaw.  

Link to comment
Share on other sites
TrashMaster G

TrashMaster G 17551

Posted
Posted
18 minutes ago, Lobo said:

I agree with most of your posit.  However, I think the nudges towards absurdist were used as filmmaking techniques.  Not necessarily commentary on "flyover country."  Shouldn't get best picture, we agree.  

But if you hang back, sometimes Hollywood's thinking actually presents itself more cleanly in "the opposite."  They thought when they made "Syriana", it was gonna be too complex for us to figure out, and that was their point.  That the geopolitical dominos of a waning O&G landscape was so complex with so many players trying to prolong the inevitable, that we couldn't possibly understand it and therefore would assume that this beautiful cinematic experience was a lesson to us in some form or fashion.  I didn't find it condescending at all.  It was incredibly easy to figure out if you just follow the right character (kinda like "The Usual Suspects, but this time with Oil & Arabs).  They fuck up when they try to get to clever, I think we agree on that.  What's curious to me though is when they try to dumb it down for us, that's when I get confused...at least me personally.  Like big summer popcorn flick "Avatar."  Yes, there's an environmental message in there, like "Syriana."  But there are two huge question marks at the start of "Avatar" that confused the fuck out of me.  Unlike Syriana, which I got as both a script and as a climate message instantly, Avatar's climate message stumped me because I was too busy with the major plot holes (not the science or the space travel or any of that fictional shit) to absorb the proper message.  

When Hollywood tries to be clever with indoctrination, they fail.  As you pointed out.  But they also have another gaping flaw.  

Solid post.  I like your take.

Another point that occurs to me... I wonder if anyone in the Hollywood bubble really gets the irony of their roasting the social media obsession.  Is there a segment of society that is more hyper-focused on and plays to the social media world more consistently than celebrities?  Yeah, I understand that Hollywood celebrities are only a portion of that population, but still... If they are pretending they are all that different from other celebrities they are fooling themselves.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Biff Tannen

Biff Tannen 45673

Posted
Posted
On 3/1/2022 at 9:38 AM, Lobo said:

Like big summer popcorn flick "Avatar."  Yes, there's an environmental message in there, like "Syriana."  But there are two huge question marks at the start of "Avatar" that confused the fuck out of me.  Unlike Syriana, which I got as both a script and as a climate message instantly, Avatar's climate message stumped me because I was too busy with the major plot holes (not the science or the space travel or any of that fictional shit) to absorb the proper message.  

Go watch Ferngully.

Link to comment
Share on other sites
Hermanator

Hermanator 7039

Posted
Posted
On 3/1/2022 at 9:07 AM, TrashMaster G said:

I recently watched DLU and was underwhelmed.

Mars Attacks played for 100% comedy and Dr. Strangelove played it 100% straight.  This could have been a good movie if it had gone either direction, but it was too busy being condescending to those it mocked to be truly funny (there were funny bits, for sure) and as a result could not be completely straight and as good as Dr. Strangelove.

Hollywood loves to condescend to "flyover country" bumpkins and then pat itself on its back for being so clever.  That's why this got nominated for Best Picture.  If it wins, I'll puke.

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't all that.

It's not mocking "flyover country" it's mocking idiots who eschew scientific evidence and blow off what we're facing. Whether they're in middle America or not. Plenty of those people on the coasts and in Florida for sure. 

  • Hook 'Em 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites
Michael Knight

Michael Knight 12977

Posted
Posted
On 3/1/2022 at 9:07 AM, TrashMaster G said:

I recently watched DLU and was underwhelmed.

Mars Attacks played for 100% comedy and Dr. Strangelove played it 100% straight.  This could have been a good movie if it had gone either direction, but it was too busy being condescending to those it mocked to be truly funny (there were funny bits, for sure) and as a result could not be completely straight and as good as Dr. Strangelove.

Hollywood loves to condescend to "flyover country" bumpkins and then pat itself on its back for being so clever.  That's why this got nominated for Best Picture.  If it wins, I'll puke.

It wasn't horrible, but it wasn't all that.

If you think this movie was being condescending to you, you're probably a moron

  • Hook 'Em 5
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Paste as plain text instead

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

×
 Share
Go to topic listing


Football ... Basketball ... Baseball ... Other Sports ... Futbol ... 🤫995🤫 ... Gambling ... Movies & TV ... Music ... Hobbies ... Lulz ... Food & Travel ... Daily Texan ... Business and Markets ... Cloak Room ... Help ... For Sale ... Board Discussion ... Subscribe!... Donate!... Advertise... COOKIE MONSTER!

×
×
  • Create New...