Dear Avid Reader,
I kind of enjoy getting behind and cranking 'em out. Gives me some energy.
Tricked you!
D'Artagnan! How Dare You Talk To Me Like That, You!
In Waiting for Guffman, people are center stage. Literally. Oh I kill myself sometimes. What wit! But seriously.
Folks are weird. They are. They're unaware of how truly funny, cruel, or stupid they are. Guffman how truly self-centered we all are is laid bare for the audience. The humor comes from how discompassionate the characters are toward each other. And isn't that what living is all about? My crap is grander than your crap. Let's talk about it. Over Facebook.
This is turning into another romp into zaniness. The center refuses to hold.
Like How Many Babies Fit In A Tire, You Know, That Old Joke
Guffman. Right. Guffman. The flick doesn't hold up after the twentieth viewing. The fact that I didn't enjoy the movie this time around probably has something to do with the fact that I'm watching it alone. The happiest I've been watching this movie is college. All me friends huddled around a TV...laughing...quoting lines. Nostalgia. It can make one sad. Curse you nostalgia!
Great. Now I feel wistful, but in a bad way. I'm not sure why romanticizing the past is so easy. I mean it's just like the present but you already know the ending. That of course is the whole problem I suppose. The current chapter of life hasn't finished, and that's scary. It could be a heart-warming family movie, or a horror, or a tragedy, but it's never known until it's in the rearveiw. This is bumming me out.
But I continue!
I Got Off That Boat With Nothing But My Dancers Belt And A Tube Of Chapstick
Something in the mind nudges belief about the future into negative or positive shades. Those who tend to color with the poo-poo brush are usually cooler. This is a fact. But why be a hip cynic? "Because it feels truer" says the person with black fingernails. Well I say screw that pal! Everything is great or everything is terrible, either way you're lying. Why not pick the one that feels good?
And that's what the characters in Guffman do. The fact that they will never be revered artists doesn't faze them. They plug along. And they are happy to be diluted. Who cares about the truth when my fantasy is so much better?
Ignorance is truly bliss. So don't freak out if I point at your smart phone and scream, "Witch". I'm just following my bliss.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Friday, December 31, 2010
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Week 16: TiMER
Dear Avid Reader,
Tick, tock. Ticky-i-ty tock. Yeah there's clocks in this movie. And you should watch this movie of clocks.
Otherwise you're wasting everyone's time.
Stop wasting everyone's time.
In The Service We Had A Name For Men Like That
In a way I want to explain the world of TiMER. Because I'm sure no one except me has seen it. I don't want to ruin the movie, but it's kinda of hard to write about the flick without the reader having some context. Let's for get about this and just proceed how about?
Guarantees would be awesome. At least I think so. I'm not talkin' about "promise to replace your throw pillow" guarantees. I mean "should I take this job" guarantees. Knowing rather than assuming you're making the right decision. Doesn't that sound nice? Certainty is very attractive.
This is starting to feel like a short essay.
Some People Lead, I Follow
One can probably figure out from the previous paragraph that guarantees are available in the world of TiMER. I'm not going to reveal more than that. Nice try.
See I'm defying the expectation that I should write a coherent blog post. For in reality, there are no guarantees. Like the suffering of the rest of life, those who read this blog will suffer. Suffer dear reader, suffer.
You're The Most Inappropriate Person I've Ever Met And Now You're Gettin' All Appropriate On Me
I will not relent. I will not make sense. My written thoughts will remain raw. Jagged.
Excuse me Monsieur Meaningful Discourse, I shall not join you at the club today. And I can only imagine your disappointment. Your tears plinking into your warm shrimp cocktail while your muscles tense under a too white tennis shirt. Weep not for me but for the countless readers still waiting for the chaos to collapse under its own enormity, crushing itself into a filament of pure reason. Weep not!
There are no guarantees sir, no sir, can not understand that there is none sir, no sir, none at all sir! Guarantees would mean that all people are actors playing their parts for an audience of ghosts. This is not the case. The actors can break the fourth wall. They can change the script. They can haunts those ghosts.
But TiMER is a great flick. Try and watch it.
I sure said "guarantees" a lot in this post.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Tick, tock. Ticky-i-ty tock. Yeah there's clocks in this movie. And you should watch this movie of clocks.
Otherwise you're wasting everyone's time.
Stop wasting everyone's time.
In The Service We Had A Name For Men Like That
In a way I want to explain the world of TiMER. Because I'm sure no one except me has seen it. I don't want to ruin the movie, but it's kinda of hard to write about the flick without the reader having some context. Let's for get about this and just proceed how about?
Guarantees would be awesome. At least I think so. I'm not talkin' about "promise to replace your throw pillow" guarantees. I mean "should I take this job" guarantees. Knowing rather than assuming you're making the right decision. Doesn't that sound nice? Certainty is very attractive.
This is starting to feel like a short essay.
Some People Lead, I Follow
One can probably figure out from the previous paragraph that guarantees are available in the world of TiMER. I'm not going to reveal more than that. Nice try.
See I'm defying the expectation that I should write a coherent blog post. For in reality, there are no guarantees. Like the suffering of the rest of life, those who read this blog will suffer. Suffer dear reader, suffer.
You're The Most Inappropriate Person I've Ever Met And Now You're Gettin' All Appropriate On Me
I will not relent. I will not make sense. My written thoughts will remain raw. Jagged.
Excuse me Monsieur Meaningful Discourse, I shall not join you at the club today. And I can only imagine your disappointment. Your tears plinking into your warm shrimp cocktail while your muscles tense under a too white tennis shirt. Weep not for me but for the countless readers still waiting for the chaos to collapse under its own enormity, crushing itself into a filament of pure reason. Weep not!
There are no guarantees sir, no sir, can not understand that there is none sir, no sir, none at all sir! Guarantees would mean that all people are actors playing their parts for an audience of ghosts. This is not the case. The actors can break the fourth wall. They can change the script. They can haunts those ghosts.
But TiMER is a great flick. Try and watch it.
I sure said "guarantees" a lot in this post.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Week 15: The Warriors
Dear Avid Reader,
Yo cats and kittens. How's it flowing? You picking up what I'm putting down? You dig? Righteous. Right on.
Blogging time is nigh.
Warriors! Come Out To Pla-i-ay!
Everyone but my wife should like The Warriors. She hates it. I'm sure it's punishment from a past life. I'm sure of it. Everyone else should like the movie. But she is supposed to hate it. Just trust me.
The key question this flick brings up is if looking cool is enough to excuse criminal behavior. And the movie makes a pretty good case. You got, Electric Eliminators, Moonrunners, Rouges, The Freaking Awesome Baseball Furies, all of them violent, extortionist, thieves, but also impeccably costumed. Street crime dressed to the nines. America rules.
For All You Boppers Out There In The Big City
Now, real gangs don't go all out on the uniform. Obviously. Usually it's a color and that's all. After all, they have coke deals to get to. They haven't the time to be bothered on whether sequins or feathers gives the correct blend of intimidation and class when it comes to accessorizing their pork pie hats.
It's really a shame too that so little sophistication goes into modern criminal attire. Wouldn't the public be more sympathetic to a gang that had some flash? A crew that had matching green sweater vests would been seen as a little more interesting than thugs that simply had matching bandannas. The perception would be that the vested gang would be more adult, more organized, better. These aren't just some punk kids, they have their crap together. This gang is going places.
Can You Count Suckas?
Maybe better costumes would lead to less violence. If the fashion caught on, other gangs would engage in a arms race to see who could out-festoon who. Hand-held steamers would replace 9mm pistols. Runway walks instead of drive-bys. No more gang signs, only designer labels. This is the future!
But alas, this isn't how contemporary drug syndicates operate. Real gangsters would abandon this idea. After all, Cyrus also tried to bring order from the chaos and he was shot. Perhaps bringing sophistication to gang culture would end the same for me. Or maybe it isn't so much that street criminals can't handle high level thinking and constructs, rather the fact that these gangs are made up of the poor may prove the true roadblock to felonious haute couture. Picking the shotgun over the vinyl pants is a no-brainer when you are planning a heist on a tight budget. At least it is for now.
Well, Good! I'm Sick Of Runnin' From These Wimps!
Looking to the film's most intense moment we see the truth of how gangs live. During the final leg of the journey back to Coney, some teenagers board the subway car that the Warriors are on. They are laughing and joking, looking like they have just left their prom. The happy group meets eyes with Swan and Mercy. Both of them are marked and worn. Clothes wrinkled and loose. Swan's vest looks more like an attempt at a joke than an indication that he is ready to "bop" an enemy. The kids fall silent. They realize how wealthy they are, even though they aren't rich. They soften. Shame and guilt rip away at them. They are naked in the reality that they will always have more.
Mercy is also ashamed. She knows how poorly she looks. After all, poverty doesn't mean you're dumb. She understands. And as she moves to brush an errant hair from her face, Swan stops her. He refuses to show weakness. Swan also understands what is going on, but also realizes that if he accepts the pity, he admits that they have won. He continues to stare down the kids. He wants them to know that while his world has less, he is king of it. His stare seems to ask the question, "Which world are you in now?"
The teenagers blink first and get off at the next stop. Even though it has more treasure, their kingdom is smaller. They bow and walk out.
Long live the king of the subway.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Yo cats and kittens. How's it flowing? You picking up what I'm putting down? You dig? Righteous. Right on.
Blogging time is nigh.
Warriors! Come Out To Pla-i-ay!
Everyone but my wife should like The Warriors. She hates it. I'm sure it's punishment from a past life. I'm sure of it. Everyone else should like the movie. But she is supposed to hate it. Just trust me.
The key question this flick brings up is if looking cool is enough to excuse criminal behavior. And the movie makes a pretty good case. You got, Electric Eliminators, Moonrunners, Rouges, The Freaking Awesome Baseball Furies, all of them violent, extortionist, thieves, but also impeccably costumed. Street crime dressed to the nines. America rules.
For All You Boppers Out There In The Big City
Now, real gangs don't go all out on the uniform. Obviously. Usually it's a color and that's all. After all, they have coke deals to get to. They haven't the time to be bothered on whether sequins or feathers gives the correct blend of intimidation and class when it comes to accessorizing their pork pie hats.
It's really a shame too that so little sophistication goes into modern criminal attire. Wouldn't the public be more sympathetic to a gang that had some flash? A crew that had matching green sweater vests would been seen as a little more interesting than thugs that simply had matching bandannas. The perception would be that the vested gang would be more adult, more organized, better. These aren't just some punk kids, they have their crap together. This gang is going places.
Can You Count Suckas?
Maybe better costumes would lead to less violence. If the fashion caught on, other gangs would engage in a arms race to see who could out-festoon who. Hand-held steamers would replace 9mm pistols. Runway walks instead of drive-bys. No more gang signs, only designer labels. This is the future!
But alas, this isn't how contemporary drug syndicates operate. Real gangsters would abandon this idea. After all, Cyrus also tried to bring order from the chaos and he was shot. Perhaps bringing sophistication to gang culture would end the same for me. Or maybe it isn't so much that street criminals can't handle high level thinking and constructs, rather the fact that these gangs are made up of the poor may prove the true roadblock to felonious haute couture. Picking the shotgun over the vinyl pants is a no-brainer when you are planning a heist on a tight budget. At least it is for now.
Well, Good! I'm Sick Of Runnin' From These Wimps!
Looking to the film's most intense moment we see the truth of how gangs live. During the final leg of the journey back to Coney, some teenagers board the subway car that the Warriors are on. They are laughing and joking, looking like they have just left their prom. The happy group meets eyes with Swan and Mercy. Both of them are marked and worn. Clothes wrinkled and loose. Swan's vest looks more like an attempt at a joke than an indication that he is ready to "bop" an enemy. The kids fall silent. They realize how wealthy they are, even though they aren't rich. They soften. Shame and guilt rip away at them. They are naked in the reality that they will always have more.
Mercy is also ashamed. She knows how poorly she looks. After all, poverty doesn't mean you're dumb. She understands. And as she moves to brush an errant hair from her face, Swan stops her. He refuses to show weakness. Swan also understands what is going on, but also realizes that if he accepts the pity, he admits that they have won. He continues to stare down the kids. He wants them to know that while his world has less, he is king of it. His stare seems to ask the question, "Which world are you in now?"
The teenagers blink first and get off at the next stop. Even though it has more treasure, their kingdom is smaller. They bow and walk out.
Long live the king of the subway.
Until Next I Blog,
James
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Week 14: Halloween
Dear Avid Reader,
Skip it. Just get to it already.
Well, Kiddo, I Thought You Outgrew Superstition
Fear. It's really powerful. And the fear of something is ALWAYS more intense than the actual experience. There are times when fear is appropriate. If held at gunpoint...start being terrified. If being chased by lizard-people...freak out. But a lot of times we should not be so scared. A lot of times, here in this country at least, our fear is just a complacent mind that is bored. Contentment, it seems, darkens the shadowy corners of the mind.
This is why Halloween was so scary at the time. It wasn't a European remake ala Dracula or Frankenstein. There were no demons like Rosemary's Baby. It wasn't an epic monster like Godzilla or King Kong or natural disaster like The Birds. The monster was a kid. From the suburbs. The monster was one of us.
But You Can't Kill The Boogie Man
Just look at the opening scene. The camera is behind the mask of the killer. The audience is made to feel complicit with the murder. This movie struck to the heart of the biggest fear in America...the good times are soon to be over. No more than right now can we feel this fear. No jobs, skyrocketing national debt, Glenn Beck has still not been brought up on crimes against humanity, and the list goes on. In essence, the fear of losing grip of wealth is the biggest unexplored terror of this country. Thanks a whole lot riches! You suck.
You Must Think Me A Very Sinister Doctor
Micheal Myers never explains why he is killing. He never says anything. He is just a maniac...end of story. A boy born in a tract home with easy middle-class privilege, just all of a sudden snaps. Not touched by drugs or some poor choices that he made, he just is evil.
And I argue that this movie is not about punishing the kids that have sex. Au contraire. I mean Laurie, the hero, smokes weed. Sure she coughs on the harsh, but that is beside the point. The point is that when it was her turn to be served, she snatched that spliff and took the hit. She seemed pretty adept at handling philly blunts for a "good kid". Maybe she coughed up da indo smoke cuz shawty can't take down a jay like east-sidaz! Cannonball! Yeaaaaaaaah boy! See, It's not so much that the sinners are killed, it's that the babysitters in the neighborhood are smokin' out and gettin' down. And that's gonna totes freak dem crazy white folks.
I Hate A Guy With A Car And No Sense Of Humor
And that is what fear really is...that beneath the surface something really bad is brewing. America has had crazy freaking growth in the past 20 years, but never once did anyone feel like they were high on the happy wave. But here in the burst, which follows EVERY bubble, folks are acting like it's the end of it all. Maybe it is. Maybe the fall will continue and America will become the next third world. The fact that we can conceive of that reality shows how tenuous we think things are, or is it how tenuous that we KNOW things are.
Or maybe it's just the fear talking.
Until Next I Blog,
James
P.S. Yes I know this would have been perfect for Halloween week. Just shut it smart alec.
Skip it. Just get to it already.
Well, Kiddo, I Thought You Outgrew Superstition
Fear. It's really powerful. And the fear of something is ALWAYS more intense than the actual experience. There are times when fear is appropriate. If held at gunpoint...start being terrified. If being chased by lizard-people...freak out. But a lot of times we should not be so scared. A lot of times, here in this country at least, our fear is just a complacent mind that is bored. Contentment, it seems, darkens the shadowy corners of the mind.
This is why Halloween was so scary at the time. It wasn't a European remake ala Dracula or Frankenstein. There were no demons like Rosemary's Baby. It wasn't an epic monster like Godzilla or King Kong or natural disaster like The Birds. The monster was a kid. From the suburbs. The monster was one of us.
But You Can't Kill The Boogie Man
Just look at the opening scene. The camera is behind the mask of the killer. The audience is made to feel complicit with the murder. This movie struck to the heart of the biggest fear in America...the good times are soon to be over. No more than right now can we feel this fear. No jobs, skyrocketing national debt, Glenn Beck has still not been brought up on crimes against humanity, and the list goes on. In essence, the fear of losing grip of wealth is the biggest unexplored terror of this country. Thanks a whole lot riches! You suck.
You Must Think Me A Very Sinister Doctor
Micheal Myers never explains why he is killing. He never says anything. He is just a maniac...end of story. A boy born in a tract home with easy middle-class privilege, just all of a sudden snaps. Not touched by drugs or some poor choices that he made, he just is evil.
And I argue that this movie is not about punishing the kids that have sex. Au contraire. I mean Laurie, the hero, smokes weed. Sure she coughs on the harsh, but that is beside the point. The point is that when it was her turn to be served, she snatched that spliff and took the hit. She seemed pretty adept at handling philly blunts for a "good kid". Maybe she coughed up da indo smoke cuz shawty can't take down a jay like east-sidaz! Cannonball! Yeaaaaaaaah boy! See, It's not so much that the sinners are killed, it's that the babysitters in the neighborhood are smokin' out and gettin' down. And that's gonna totes freak dem crazy white folks.
I Hate A Guy With A Car And No Sense Of Humor
And that is what fear really is...that beneath the surface something really bad is brewing. America has had crazy freaking growth in the past 20 years, but never once did anyone feel like they were high on the happy wave. But here in the burst, which follows EVERY bubble, folks are acting like it's the end of it all. Maybe it is. Maybe the fall will continue and America will become the next third world. The fact that we can conceive of that reality shows how tenuous we think things are, or is it how tenuous that we KNOW things are.
Or maybe it's just the fear talking.
Until Next I Blog,
James
P.S. Yes I know this would have been perfect for Halloween week. Just shut it smart alec.
Thursday, December 2, 2010
Week 13: Willy Wonka & The Chocolate Factory
Dear Avid Reader,
A Little Nonsense Now And Then Is Relished By The Wisest Men
It's about to get real. You're about to feel my kung-fu. Put your hands up! Defend yourself!
KEEEEE-YAH!
Up The Airy Mountain, Down The Rushy Glen
This is kind of a conversation that may have gone differently but this is how am writing it:
James: Is this movie about drugs?
Robyn: No.
J: Drug use was at a high during the 70's, it stands to reason...
R: James, you've never read the book. The book is different. It's better.
J: Spalin how.
R: Charlie in the book is shown as a very humble and kind boy. His father is also alive. Charlie never steals the Gobbstopper, the whole Gobstopper thing in this move is totally wrong.
J: I see that the book may have been about something else, but this movie is obviously influenced by the drug culture of the day.
R: *exasperated sigh*
J: Wonka is totally high.
R: Stop ruining this for me.
J: The truth can't ruin things, it can only be.
R: Truth? I don't think so. I think that...oh I hate this scene.
J: Oh yeah, the Fizzy Lifting Drinks scene. It's not in the book right?
R: Of course it isn't. *pause* This is ridiculous.
J: Ah, but in the reality of this film, it does exist. It is as welcome to the Wonka canon as...
R: Arrgh! Seriously? You do this every time we watch this.
J: I'm just trying to present the film as a legitimate work at least on par with the book.
R: No you're not. You're just trying to get a rise out of me.
J: Perhaps. But I really thought you would enjoy the dialogue about how the work impacts culture and...
R: Oh please. You're just taking this very nice movie that was made for children and filtering, no, perverting it through cynical, snarky blog voice.
J: Oh! Oh-ho! So now it begins! I'm incredulous. I am seriously incredulous.
R: Calm down. You just got burnt. Rub some lotion on it.
J: Oh you are gonna get this back in spades, lady. Just wait until you're watching Bones again. Comments will be flying. FLYING!
Until Next I Blog,
James
A Little Nonsense Now And Then Is Relished By The Wisest Men
It's about to get real. You're about to feel my kung-fu. Put your hands up! Defend yourself!
KEEEEE-YAH!
Up The Airy Mountain, Down The Rushy Glen
This is kind of a conversation that may have gone differently but this is how am writing it:
James: Is this movie about drugs?
Robyn: No.
J: Drug use was at a high during the 70's, it stands to reason...
R: James, you've never read the book. The book is different. It's better.
J: Spalin how.
R: Charlie in the book is shown as a very humble and kind boy. His father is also alive. Charlie never steals the Gobbstopper, the whole Gobstopper thing in this move is totally wrong.
J: I see that the book may have been about something else, but this movie is obviously influenced by the drug culture of the day.
R: *exasperated sigh*
J: Wonka is totally high.
R: Stop ruining this for me.
J: The truth can't ruin things, it can only be.
R: Truth? I don't think so. I think that...oh I hate this scene.
J: Oh yeah, the Fizzy Lifting Drinks scene. It's not in the book right?
R: Of course it isn't. *pause* This is ridiculous.
J: Ah, but in the reality of this film, it does exist. It is as welcome to the Wonka canon as...
R: Arrgh! Seriously? You do this every time we watch this.
J: I'm just trying to present the film as a legitimate work at least on par with the book.
R: No you're not. You're just trying to get a rise out of me.
J: Perhaps. But I really thought you would enjoy the dialogue about how the work impacts culture and...
R: Oh please. You're just taking this very nice movie that was made for children and filtering, no, perverting it through cynical, snarky blog voice.
J: Oh! Oh-ho! So now it begins! I'm incredulous. I am seriously incredulous.
R: Calm down. You just got burnt. Rub some lotion on it.
J: Oh you are gonna get this back in spades, lady. Just wait until you're watching Bones again. Comments will be flying. FLYING!
Until Next I Blog,
James
Wednesday, November 24, 2010
Week 12: Red Dawn
Dear Avid Reader,
Art imitates reality imitates art. Chicken and the egg. You dig what I'm putting down. I can tell.
Tell Me What's The Difference Between Us And Them
An action movie rarely mirrors life. Usually a dude or group o' dudes takes on a huge army and overcomes using controlled explosions and snappy one liners. There are few examples of this actually happening. And I find it hilarious that our action movies cast the scrappy band of insurgents as heroes and the large advanced army as the villains. I guess maybe we should have blamed the unrest in Iraq on movies like Red Dawn.
And why single out Red Dawn? Because it is a movie that I remember watching as a kid and taking it in as a how-to-film. No seriously. I didn't watch it as much as study it. The thought was not IF the Russians (or anyone) was going to attack, but WHEN. In the initial hours of the invasion, children needed to run away and gather as much supplies as you could. Then setting up camp was vital. And all survivors who made it for a month or so, MUST start a counter attack from behind enemy lines. Never surrender. What happened to my childhood Patrick Swayze? You stole it!
All That Hate's Gonna Burn You Up, Kid.
The characters showed a young generation that they could be extraordinarily successful at harassing the enemy with lightning raids. They used the familiar woods to their advantage, and set traps and stole equipment. And what kid wouldn't want to be in a Red Dawn scenario? No parents, calling your own shots, shooting guns, fighting for...something...America, maybe? Hey why are we killing all these people Pony-Boy*?
*Watch "The Outsiders" to get that joke.
The youngsters in the movie go Lord of the Flies and start slaying people real early in the movie. Why is this? Easy, the adults are too lazy/smart/dumb/awful-human to fight and they get the kids to do it for them. And they start working on the kids early. Mr. Morris is the first adult they meet and he gives them guns and tells them to never come back. Mr. Mason gives them more weapons and gives Jed the impression that he is able to care for his girls. He even tells him that he is a famous "leader". All of this is very attractive to the boys. They so want to please these men, that they are literally willing to die for them.
The Chair Is Against The Wall, John Has A Long Mustache
The prime moment is when does Mr. Eckert screams "Avenge Me". This is the most selfish thing to tell anyone. I'm about to die but I want to die knowing that someone else is gonna die. And this is all after he tells them that his brutal parenting style was to prepare them for this moment of invasion. This post is starting to have shades of The Cowboys post. I'll move on.
Now that the kids are fully brainwashed, they solidify into a very lethal strike force. But in addition to showing kids how to prepare for fights and surviving off the land/enemy, Red Dawn also prepare the viewer for the harsh realities of guerrilla warfare. Don't trust someone claiming to be a friendly solider right off the bat. Turn your grief into rage. Violence is your new therapy. Shoot traitors, period. Never leave a wounded squad member behind, in fact, kill them if you have to. Discipline is king. And it's O.K. to give a woman a gun...it's an emergency after all.
Wolverines!
This is why Red Dawn stands out as an action movie. It is fiction that tries to impact the reality of the audience. It isn't simply entertainment. Red Dawn tries to get the viewer to ask if they are prepared for an invasion. And if they aren't prepared, then the movie provides the novice with what World War III might look like. It will be hard, it will be tough, but in the end America will win through perserverance and loyalty to the Grand Ole Flag. Just sacrifice your life and your grave rock will be turned into a national park.
And isn't the promise of glory after death the best way to recruit martyrs?
Until Next I Blog,
James
P.S. Nice move stoking the fear of Gun Rights Activists by having the enemy use the gun registry to track down the gun owners and kill them. I thought that was hilarious.
Art imitates reality imitates art. Chicken and the egg. You dig what I'm putting down. I can tell.
Tell Me What's The Difference Between Us And Them
An action movie rarely mirrors life. Usually a dude or group o' dudes takes on a huge army and overcomes using controlled explosions and snappy one liners. There are few examples of this actually happening. And I find it hilarious that our action movies cast the scrappy band of insurgents as heroes and the large advanced army as the villains. I guess maybe we should have blamed the unrest in Iraq on movies like Red Dawn.
And why single out Red Dawn? Because it is a movie that I remember watching as a kid and taking it in as a how-to-film. No seriously. I didn't watch it as much as study it. The thought was not IF the Russians (or anyone) was going to attack, but WHEN. In the initial hours of the invasion, children needed to run away and gather as much supplies as you could. Then setting up camp was vital. And all survivors who made it for a month or so, MUST start a counter attack from behind enemy lines. Never surrender. What happened to my childhood Patrick Swayze? You stole it!
All That Hate's Gonna Burn You Up, Kid.
The characters showed a young generation that they could be extraordinarily successful at harassing the enemy with lightning raids. They used the familiar woods to their advantage, and set traps and stole equipment. And what kid wouldn't want to be in a Red Dawn scenario? No parents, calling your own shots, shooting guns, fighting for...something...America, maybe? Hey why are we killing all these people Pony-Boy*?
*Watch "The Outsiders" to get that joke.
The youngsters in the movie go Lord of the Flies and start slaying people real early in the movie. Why is this? Easy, the adults are too lazy/smart/dumb/awful-human to fight and they get the kids to do it for them. And they start working on the kids early. Mr. Morris is the first adult they meet and he gives them guns and tells them to never come back. Mr. Mason gives them more weapons and gives Jed the impression that he is able to care for his girls. He even tells him that he is a famous "leader". All of this is very attractive to the boys. They so want to please these men, that they are literally willing to die for them.
The Chair Is Against The Wall, John Has A Long Mustache
The prime moment is when does Mr. Eckert screams "Avenge Me". This is the most selfish thing to tell anyone. I'm about to die but I want to die knowing that someone else is gonna die. And this is all after he tells them that his brutal parenting style was to prepare them for this moment of invasion. This post is starting to have shades of The Cowboys post. I'll move on.
Now that the kids are fully brainwashed, they solidify into a very lethal strike force. But in addition to showing kids how to prepare for fights and surviving off the land/enemy, Red Dawn also prepare the viewer for the harsh realities of guerrilla warfare. Don't trust someone claiming to be a friendly solider right off the bat. Turn your grief into rage. Violence is your new therapy. Shoot traitors, period. Never leave a wounded squad member behind, in fact, kill them if you have to. Discipline is king. And it's O.K. to give a woman a gun...it's an emergency after all.
Wolverines!
This is why Red Dawn stands out as an action movie. It is fiction that tries to impact the reality of the audience. It isn't simply entertainment. Red Dawn tries to get the viewer to ask if they are prepared for an invasion. And if they aren't prepared, then the movie provides the novice with what World War III might look like. It will be hard, it will be tough, but in the end America will win through perserverance and loyalty to the Grand Ole Flag. Just sacrifice your life and your grave rock will be turned into a national park.
And isn't the promise of glory after death the best way to recruit martyrs?
Until Next I Blog,
James
P.S. Nice move stoking the fear of Gun Rights Activists by having the enemy use the gun registry to track down the gun owners and kill them. I thought that was hilarious.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Week 11: The Longest Yard
Dear Avid Reader,
Or should I just write, "What's up Jordan?"
It is so easy to get behind on this, but I'm fighting back.
Shaving Points Off Of A Football Game, Man That's Un-American
In an another movie, "The Devil's Advocate", the Devil says that his favorite sin is vanity. Vanity/pride is very tricky because it can be kinda sneaky. It can be the ninja of attributes. Because sometimes, just sometimes, what is clearly pride is named virtue. Oh yeah, that is some straight up assassin shit right there.
Paul "Ridiculous Nickname" Crewe is the embodiment of this. See Paul is a bad-ass. This makes him very likable. The way he just doesn't care. It's really attractive. Paul just casts off the beautiful woman that presumably keeps him as a man of pleasure. And rather than find contentment in the arms of carnal pleasure and the wealth that has come so easy to him, he pushes it all aside to become his own man. Whatever that means. He's a total jerk. He's a real asshole. In other words, he's the dream of men everywhere.
You've Only Got Two Things Left They Can't Sweat Out Of You Or Beat Out Of You
After his arrest and sentencing the movie is one clash of macho pride after the other. The Captain that won't relinquish control of the semi-pro guard team. The warden that needs a win in order to validate himself. The prisoners that want to hit the guards out of frustration over being jailed. The black prisoners who eventually join the team after Granny is humiliated in the prison library. The answer to every problem is giving into your pride, never backing down. This is why there is still war in the world.
And the biggest moment, the lesson of the movie, is when Pop reveals that punching the warden was worth a life sentence in jail. This of course is ridiculous. This means that you can do whatever you want so long as you accept the consequences. But that is a really awful philosophy in practice. What about when schoolyard fights escalate into gun violence? What about when getting cut-off results in road rage? What if Pop killed the warden? Would he still be thought of as endearing?
But Burt Reynolds is still a bad ass. This movie is still awesome because the underdogs overcome the bully guards. But I'm left conflicted. I mean some of these people are in jail because they are bullies themselves. These are criminals after all. Maybe they need some humility. Maybe the best thing for them would have been to lose that game.
For Nate, For Granny... For Caretaker
What is the point of this analysis? I'm not sure anymore. I started out with this really great idea, but it has gotten away from me. I guess lately I haven't been as funny in the posts as I have been in the past. That kinda sucks. Maybe I'm just in a low place personally.
Maybe it's because I hate bullies so much and this movie lightly hints at that issue for me. I want to expose that being an ultra macho, never back down guy is really dumb. It leads to pointless fighting. Rather than attack, all of these characters have a moment when they should have asked themselves, "Is this really worth it."
It's not. For me Pops, it's not worth it.
Until Next i Blog,
James
Or should I just write, "What's up Jordan?"
It is so easy to get behind on this, but I'm fighting back.
Shaving Points Off Of A Football Game, Man That's Un-American
In an another movie, "The Devil's Advocate", the Devil says that his favorite sin is vanity. Vanity/pride is very tricky because it can be kinda sneaky. It can be the ninja of attributes. Because sometimes, just sometimes, what is clearly pride is named virtue. Oh yeah, that is some straight up assassin shit right there.
Paul "Ridiculous Nickname" Crewe is the embodiment of this. See Paul is a bad-ass. This makes him very likable. The way he just doesn't care. It's really attractive. Paul just casts off the beautiful woman that presumably keeps him as a man of pleasure. And rather than find contentment in the arms of carnal pleasure and the wealth that has come so easy to him, he pushes it all aside to become his own man. Whatever that means. He's a total jerk. He's a real asshole. In other words, he's the dream of men everywhere.
You've Only Got Two Things Left They Can't Sweat Out Of You Or Beat Out Of You
After his arrest and sentencing the movie is one clash of macho pride after the other. The Captain that won't relinquish control of the semi-pro guard team. The warden that needs a win in order to validate himself. The prisoners that want to hit the guards out of frustration over being jailed. The black prisoners who eventually join the team after Granny is humiliated in the prison library. The answer to every problem is giving into your pride, never backing down. This is why there is still war in the world.
And the biggest moment, the lesson of the movie, is when Pop reveals that punching the warden was worth a life sentence in jail. This of course is ridiculous. This means that you can do whatever you want so long as you accept the consequences. But that is a really awful philosophy in practice. What about when schoolyard fights escalate into gun violence? What about when getting cut-off results in road rage? What if Pop killed the warden? Would he still be thought of as endearing?
But Burt Reynolds is still a bad ass. This movie is still awesome because the underdogs overcome the bully guards. But I'm left conflicted. I mean some of these people are in jail because they are bullies themselves. These are criminals after all. Maybe they need some humility. Maybe the best thing for them would have been to lose that game.
For Nate, For Granny... For Caretaker
What is the point of this analysis? I'm not sure anymore. I started out with this really great idea, but it has gotten away from me. I guess lately I haven't been as funny in the posts as I have been in the past. That kinda sucks. Maybe I'm just in a low place personally.
Maybe it's because I hate bullies so much and this movie lightly hints at that issue for me. I want to expose that being an ultra macho, never back down guy is really dumb. It leads to pointless fighting. Rather than attack, all of these characters have a moment when they should have asked themselves, "Is this really worth it."
It's not. For me Pops, it's not worth it.
Until Next i Blog,
James
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