tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post4625266177715940884..comments2023-10-05T07:46:44.392-04:00Comments on And Now the Screaming Starts: Movies: I don't think little big girls should go out walking in these great big woods alone.CRwMhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/07896615209770501945noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-499898347746528812007-05-13T16:45:00.000-04:002007-05-13T16:45:00.000-04:00Yo.It seems I keep starting comments on this blog ...Yo.<BR/>It seems I keep starting comments on this blog (and not just this post) and then for some reason or another, I never actually post the comment.<BR/>But I keep thinking that I <I>have</I>. So, sorry about that.<BR/><BR/>I haven't read this post because I want to see the movie, but what little peeks I have had at the post plus the comments seems like an interesting subject.<BR/>First, yeah, the NEXT trailer is a good example of how blase total destruction has become. Which is sad.<BR/>I've just finished working a whole week on a low-budget horror film called BANSHEE, produced, written and directed by Emil Novak. It's shot on digital video (DV).<BR/>And the production crew is made up of talented film geeks and everybody has an opinion on how to set-up a shot and how you should do this and that, etc., etc.<BR/>Which is good news and bad news.<BR/>Good news, passion-wise; bad news for the director because there's always kibbitzing.<BR/>Oh, and I should include myself in the gang of kibbitzers, because I freaking am.<BR/>Anyways, bla bla bla...<BR/><BR/>As a wannabe filmmaker, and not only in the horror genre and its various permutations, I really haven't much experience in actually making my own films, short, experimental or otherwise.<BR/>But I still have my opinions.<BR/>And I think it's an interesting challenge trying to craft an interesting entry in the genre with limited funds, trying to make something that may be direct to DVD but not totally disposable and will make some sort of visceral or emotional impact.<BR/>Just going to CGI with a large budget does not always succeed.<BR/>I think the GRINDHOUSE creators embraced the rejection of CGI for retro reasons AND that there's a certain quality about the effects that you achieve when done live, that the audience picks up on.<BR/>I always think that what attracts me the most about the horror genre is that the best emotions that the films of that genre trigger are the result of the intellectual use of the film images, sounds, concepts, etc. NOT by how much blood, gore, explicitness, etc.<BR/>Hitchcock helped legitimize the suspense genre because he manipulated the audiences thoughtfully and intelligently.<BR/>Yes, he also made murder slicker with the way a knife blade shines in the air when held high by a killer, but that's not the only lesson he taught. Although, that may be the only lesson later generations of suspense and horror directors may remember.<BR/><BR/>Aw, crap... did I say anything?<BR/>I want to see this HARD CANDY movie, though. Like the title alot.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-21447513361689423642007-05-03T12:29:00.000-04:002007-05-03T12:29:00.000-04:00No, I fully agree with that. All this CGI stuff ha...No, I fully agree with that. All this CGI stuff has ceased to be thrilling or impressive; we all know they can render just about anything so we're not going to wonder "how did they do that??" Even the physics are looking more and more "correct", but the probability of all these crazy physical stunts happening one after another in your typical action movie is zero - and we're aware of it.<BR/><BR/>In Hard Candy, I remember being surprised that there basically no onscreen violence at all, yet there's a ton of suspense. I think I was cringing through half the movie.spacejackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14902182763527176185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-16847941359935353692007-05-03T09:06:00.000-04:002007-05-03T09:06:00.000-04:00Brick is in the queue. I've heard good things abou...<I>Brick</I> is in the queue. I've heard good things about it and I'm looking forward to it.<BR/><BR/>Interesting point on direction being the new special effects. Personally, I'm finding that special effects have entered into this sort of pattern of diminishing returns. We expect so much of them that we now only notice when they're bad. Furthermore, there's this sort of escalation of impact that leaves me numb. I saw a horrible preview for the lame looking <I>Next</I> (poor Philip K. Dick - why does Hollywood keep pissing all over his work?) in which some city - LA, New York, Portland, Boise? - gets nuked. Things fall over, giant freight ships get tossed in the air, the air burns, etc. But at this point, we've seen it all and destroying a major city strikes us a perfectly unexceptional. There's a lesson to be learned, I think, by the fact that the car chase in <I>Death Proof</I> was good ol' stunt work and it excited me more than all these massive shots of the death of city <I>X</I>.<BR/><BR/>But I ramble on and on . . .CRwMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896615209770501945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-82084439243691062662007-05-03T08:59:00.000-04:002007-05-03T08:59:00.000-04:00Screamin' Heather,It is worth the rental, in my op...Screamin' Heather,<BR/><BR/>It is worth the rental, in my opinion. At first I was expecting something more, I don't know, sort of edgy and out-there. But once you get in the groove and treat it for what it is, it delivers the goods.<BR/><BR/>I'll look for your review.CRwMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896615209770501945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-31437617230273415612007-05-02T19:38:00.000-04:002007-05-02T19:38:00.000-04:00Yes, yes, yes! I agree with this review exactly, a...Yes, yes, yes! I agree with this review exactly, as well as your sentiments on low-budget filming. I think I wrote a short diary-review of this film some time ago.<BR/><BR/>Another good low-budgeter is <I>Brick</I> - a 1940's noir-style film set in a present-day high school. Super low-budget, but every scene is smartly shot.<BR/><BR/>I find that clever scenes are like the new special effects; what awesome model shots or tricky compositing used to do for me as a kid, intelligent direction does for me now.<BR/><BR/><I>Primer</I> is another contender in this little "genre" if we can call it one.spacejackhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14902182763527176185noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-65054643772343003692007-05-02T13:45:00.000-04:002007-05-02T13:45:00.000-04:00This is a movie I have been wanting to see but did...This is a movie I have been wanting to see but didn't realize it was out on dvd. Glad to see that is so I might have to actually go rent it our bump it up in my netflif queue. The fact that you liked to so well just adds to it.Heather Santroushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03225708725622936749noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-2556063736977243402007-05-02T11:12:00.000-04:002007-05-02T11:12:00.000-04:00Screamin' Sassy,I don't remeber noticing it at the...Screamin' Sassy,<BR/><BR/>I don't remeber noticing it at the time - for better or worse. That it left no impression is typical of the flick - it pops along at the time and leaves little impression later.CRwMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07896615209770501945noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34993991.post-60826485005268892562007-05-02T09:47:00.000-04:002007-05-02T09:47:00.000-04:00Dialog.. Looking at the IMDB, the dialog looks lik...Dialog.. Looking at the IMDB, the dialog looks like it was written by a catch-phrase generator. I mean, "Buddy Cop III, Yippikaiay" has better scripting.. I'm wincing at most all the "memorable quotes" there..Anonymousnoreply@blogger.com