Tag: movies

Reverse movies meme: Popular plotlines inverted

So, there’s a bit of a meme going around where people reverse the plotline of movies – like:

127 Hours backwards – the humbling story of a young amputee who goes into the desert and finds an arm.

And this:

I reckon that’s fun. So I’ve come up with a few. Have you got any?

Titanic – The story of a huge, ship shaped, submarine that emerges from the depths to rescue hundreds of people from a frozen, watery, grave.

Romeo + Juliette – the story of two zombies, who return from the grave only to be kept apart by their feuding families.

The Wizard of Oz – A young lady is sent by a wizard to fly a house to a faraway land. First she must get rid of a bunch of weird followers, removing vital organs and personality traits, and eventually she releases a witch from her captivity under said house.

Knock yourselves out.

March 13, 2011

Hollywood is a remix, and how that changes my thinking on preaching

This year Hollywood studios aren’t being very adventurous with the type of movies they make. They, like all other forms of art, are relying on the remix.

“With that in mind, let’s look ahead to what’s on the menu for this year: four adaptations of comic books. One prequel to an adaptation of a comic book. One sequel to a sequel to a movie based on a toy. One sequel to a sequel to a sequel to a movie based on an amusement-park ride. One prequel to a remake. Two sequels to cartoons. One sequel to a comedy. An adaptation of a children’s book. An adaptation of a Saturday-morning cartoon. One sequel with a 4 in the title. Two sequels with a 5 in the title. One sequel that, if it were inclined to use numbers, would have to have a 7 1/2 in the title.”

Which, if you think about it, should provide some encouragement to preachers who just want to point people to Jesus every week. We seem to enjoy the same stories. Retold. But with bigger explosions. Next time I preach I’m taking some dynamite to church.

“But for now, let’s just admit it: Hollywood has become an institution that is more interested in launching the next rubberized action figure than in making the next interesting movie.

Which is why my church will one day need to offer these plastic Jesus toys to raise revenue. Because there’s lots we can appropriate from Hollywood.

March 2, 2011

The West Wing v The Wire

Nothing gets media studies students salivating like The West Wing. Except The Wire. They’re a bit polarising – it’s like the Canon v Nikon, or Mac v PC debate. Two products of similar qualities targetting similar demographics with slightly differently nuanced tastes.

It’s about user experience. Do you want to watch TV to feel smart? Then watch the West Wing, do you want to watch TV to feel superior to the dirty criminals running the streets and the beat-cops paid to curb the uncurbable? Then watch the Wire. Do you want wit or grit? Macroeconomics or microeconomics? Barksdale or Bartlett? McNulty or Ziegler?

A couple of people dialoguing a review of the new Facebook movie The Social Network described the difference nicely, I’ve edited out the swearing for those for whom that sort of thing is an issue:

“SFJ: Let’s compare “The West Wing” and “The Wire.”

NVC: I’d love to!

SFJ: Sorkin talk makes everybody feel smart and makes the s***y world look OK because making money and being an a*****e is fine as long as a deserving nerd wins. This appeals to nerds and anybody who fancies themselves as SMARTS. Further, he goes in hard on lexis—the act of delivering words—and lets the characters walk you through everything that would either be the job of a) acting or b) the audience using their heads. It is a way to load middlebrow content into totally fun speed talk that saves many people some hard work while feeling highbrow, because only smart people can talk that quickly. It’s like associating athletic skill with height, de jure.

SFJ: Think of how many Sorkin characters are sort of Flat Erics who talk, rapidly describing every idea that could have been acted out. The advantage is you can cram a lot of action into one episode. The downside is a weird, Aspergersy sameness to every project. Actors become court stenographers in reverse, spitting out Sorkinese and then stepping aside to let the next block of text barrel through.

NVC: Agreed.

SFJ: “The Wire,” on the other hand, doesn’t mind alienating you. It eliminates spoken exposition (lexis) in favor of mimesis. This is an entire world, it is full, and you had better take notes if you want to keep up. You have to WORK. People who don’t look like you may be in charge for a minute, maybe for a long time, and nobody has the moral high ground.

NVC: THERE IS NO PRESIDENT BARTLET IN BALTIMORE.

SFJ: Sorkin loves the abasement that is a by-product of believing in the high ground. It’s in everything Sorkin does.”

October 13, 2010

Is this the best chase scene ever?

At the very least, it is possibly the most convoluted chase scene ever… It’s like the director found this list of possible elements for movie chase scenes and hit select all.

The best bit is that the guy doesn’t look at the explosions (which don’t come until right at the end). He’s so cool.

May 28, 2010

What to see at the movies

After watching Iron Man 2 over the weekend (I was underwhelmed mostly) I’m now eagerly anticipating Robin Hood, other than that I’m not sure what I should waste my life on movie wise… I found this flow chart helpful.

From here, I can’t remember where I saw this – anybody want to claim the hat tip?

May 5, 2010

Pixar by pixel

Here’s a cool infographic. 100 Pixar characters side by side and to scale.

It’s at Flickr and is available in mega size (it’s worth a look). The main characters from each franchise are in yellow.

April 13, 2010

How to plot a blockbuster movie

We were all outraged when we figured out that Avatar was Pocahontas – but not so many of us have complained that so many of our favourite blockbusters are essentially exactly the same story. Star Wars, Star Trek, the Matrix and Harry Potter are all just about exactly the same. The full plot outline is here… below is an abstract.

Once upon a time,

Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry

was living a miserable life. Feeling disconnected from his friends and family, he dreams about how his life could be different. One day, he is greeted by

Obi Wan | Captain Pike | Trinity | Hagrid

and told that his life is not what it seems, and that due to some circumstances surrounding his

birth | birth | birth | infancy

he was meant for something greater. Deciding to leave with

him | him | her | him,

Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry

is taken to

Mos Eisley | Starfleet Academy | the real world | Hogwarts

where he meets lots of new, fascinating people. For the first time in a very long time, life is exciting, and

Luke | Kirk | Neo | Harry

explores the new life that has opened up for him. With his new friends, he starts to work hard to become the sort of man that

Obi Wan | Captain Pike | Trinity | Hagrid

said he could be. Although

Han | Spock | the Oracle | Draco

challenges his abilities, things go relatively well until suddenly,

Alderaan is destroyed | Vulcan is attacked | Morpheus is captured | Voldemort returns.

What this post doesn’t include is the obligatory montage that occurs in the bit where the main character is learning his mad skillz.

March 22, 2010

Visualisations of famous movie quotes

These are cool. From FlowingData.

March 16, 2010

How to promote a movie – don’t be boring

I could post stuff from Letters of Note forever. But then I’d never learn the Greek stuff I have to learn by Thursday. Here’s a great letter from a studio executive telling Director Errol Morris that his promotional interviews are terrible.

Some good tips can be extrapolated here for doing any sort of promotional work. I bolded the bit in the transcript that I think is the key for coming across well in interviews, and being effective.


Source

Transcript
MIRAMAX FILMS

August 23, 1988

Errol Morris
c/o The Mondrian Hotel
8440 Sunset Blvd.
Los Angeles, CA

Dear Errol:

Heard your NPR interview and you were boring. You couldn’t have dragged me to see THE THIN BLUE LINE if my life depended on it.

It’s time you start being a performer and understand the media.

Let’s rehearse:

Q: What is this movie about?

A: It’s a mystery that traces an injustice. It’s scarier than NIGHTMARE ON ELM STREET. It’s like a trip to the Twilight Zone. People have compared it to IN COLD BLOOD with humor.

Speak in short one sentence answers and don’t go on with all the legalese. Talk about the movie as a movie and the effect it will have on the audience from an emotional point of view.

If you continue to be boring, I will hire an actor in New York to pretend that he’s Errol Morris. If you have any casting suggestions, I’d appreciate that.

Keep it short and keep selling it because that’s what’s going to work for you, your career and the film.

Congratulations on all your good reviews. Let’s make sure the movie is as successful.

Best Regards,

(Signed)

Harvey Weinstein

March 8, 2010

Ten ways to win an Oscar

The Oscars are this weekend (or Monday for Australians). Here’s a handy breakdown of the role you need to play to win – and a slideshow detailing roles from this set that have won in the past.

March 6, 2010

How Hollywood computer systems are designed

Have you ever wondered why Hollywood seems to avoid Microsoft at all costs? I’ve never seen a movie character seamlessly using Windows to achieve a significant computer driven task. Mark Coleran designs user interfaces for movies. He has a collection at his website. Read about them.

Via CafeDave.

February 16, 2010

The quick are the dead

Have you ever paid close attention to duels in Westerns? The guy who gets his gun out first always loses. A scientist decided to “mythbust” this phenomena.

It turns out you do actually move quicker if you’re reacting rather than acting.

Bohr was seemingly unhappy with the Tinseltown explanation that the good guy, who never shoots first, always wins. Legend has it that he procured two toy pistols and enlisted the aid of fellow physicist George Gamow. In a series of duels, Bohr never drew first but won every time. The physicist suggested that the brain responded to danger faster than it carried out a deliberate intention.

A UK scientist named Welchman put the theory to the test.

Welchman’s team organized simulated “gunfights” in the laboratory, with pairs of volunteers competing against each other to push three buttons on a computer console in a particular order. The researchers observed that the time interval between when players removed their hands from the first button and when they pressed the final button was on average 9% shorter for the players who reacted to an opponent moving first. However, those who reacted to a first move were more likely to make an error, presssing the buttons in the wrong order. Welchman speculates that this rapid, if somewhat inaccurate, response system may have evolved to help humans deal with danger, when immediate reaction is essential and the risk of an error worth taking.

February 6, 2010

The definitive and authoritative guide to the six basic plot lines

I made a comment in my Avatar post that accusations of plot plagiarism are hollow when there are only a limited number of plots to choose from. I set that limit at six. I was called out on that limit and asked to define them. So. Here goes.

  1. Star crossed lovers – an unlikely pair meet from different tribes, nations, species etc but their love is not meant to be and ultimately leads to some sort of sacrifice. Think Romeo and Juliette, Avatar, Samson and Delilah, or any Rom-Com where a loser somehow scores his dream girl from the other side of the social tracks.
  2. Buddy movie – two friends go on a merry adventure – think Milo and Otis, any Jackie Chan comedy, Lethal Weapon 1, 2, 3…
  3. The unlikely hero thrust into an equally unlikely situation or sporting event – think The Lord of the Rings, any sporting movie, any movie about superhero (genetic mutations, spider bites etc). Basically the hero has to come to grips with their powers and then choose to say the day. This has been popular since Jesus.
  4. The “betrayal twist” – take the unlikely hero, or the buddy adventure and have the hero be betrayed, or the buddy be betrayed by a buddy – think the Matrix, Mighty Ducks, any story about Julius Caesar, Jesus and Judas etc.
  5. The tragedy – simple recipe – develop characters, get people to like the characters and then unjustly kill the character people like the most with a disease or act of unwarranted evil. Think just about any chick flick that is not a Rom Com. Think The Boy in the Striped Pajamas, just about any war movie (unless it’s a buddy movie), or anything written by Shakespeare that wasn’t a comedy. There’s a slight variation where you think there’s going to be a tragedy but the protagonist escapes through a lucky turn of events – like Apollo 13.
  6. The “alien” invasion – where the alien can be any kind of foreign species or a freak act of nature but is often an alien. Chances are an unlikely hero will need to emerge to fight off the aliens. But add something big and ground shaking to the mix and watch everybody deal with the consequences. Think Men in Black, Transformers, Alien, Predator, Alien v Predator, Independence Day, The Perfect Storm, etc…

Just about all of these can be applied to the story of Jesus. Jesus is an alien who comes to earth to be tragically killed following a betrayal by one of his buddies. His ministry involves him using his awesome powers while walking around with his band of merry disciples. He does this all because he loves the world and wants to save it – which is ultimately his downfall. Only it’s actually an untragedy because he comes back to life.

Can you think of any stories not covered by these options? I can’t. Not any that I’d want to watch anyway.

For a different set of “plot types” check out this article that features a few different ways of breaking plots down.

January 20, 2010

Avatari

I saw Avatar in 3D last night. I have nothing to add to every other review that mentions its stunning visuals and crappy storyline.

Andrew of Daily Vowel Movements summed it up like this.

I’d add Romeo and Juliette to that list. Being unoriginal is not a deal breaker. There are only six movie plot lines afterall. Take away the amazing use of light and 3D stuff and Avatar is below B grade.

But I do have this to offer – Avatar as an Atari game.

January 19, 2010

Just a spoon full of pain

This movie contains some language and the contents may be disturbing. But I watched the whole thing. And it made me laugh.

January 16, 2010