tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post5265767076014883896..comments2024-03-12T12:38:23.542-04:00Comments on The Kind of Face You Hate: Don't Read the Latinbill r.http://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comBlogger11125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-35825228046603019982012-05-03T10:02:32.206-04:002012-05-03T10:02:32.206-04:00Regarding da yoof: It's true that much of the ...Regarding da yoof: It's true that much of the slasher film audience is young. But then, not even old people hate pretty young people as much as other, slightly less pretty young people. Either way, that theory is presented by our Celebrity Cameo as a "maybe", so I wouldn't make too much of it. More interesting is...<br /><br />SPOILERS!<br /><br />...the film's larger conceit of slasher movies as continuing the tradition of sacrifices to the volcano. Comparing CABIN to the SCREAM series is obvious, but I think CABIN proves itself much smarter; SCREAM points out that horror movies have conventions (duh), but CABIN asks what purpose those conventions serve. Like any really good piece of criticism, it 's a lens for thinking about lots of other movies, accounting for the weird detachment of 80s slasher flicks and the beautiful lethargy of 70s Eurohorror. The idea of the slasher movie as a ritual is a wonderfully descriptivist accounting for the genre's conventions, and really intriguing for this Richard Schechner fan. And the finale is a marvelous update on Lovecraft---the idea that all our visible earthly horrors are mere harbingers of the Great Cosmic Horror that cannot be seen.That Fuzzy Bastardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-91547254346721612512012-04-20T13:09:38.600-04:002012-04-20T13:09:38.600-04:00stacia - One of the problems with expanding the jo...stacia - One of the problems with expanding the joke beyond a throwaway is that it becomes redundant. Even the visual payoff is kind of redundant. The great thing about the line, isolated from what came after, is that, apart from being weird and funny, it gives you some idea of the mindset you might develop working at a place like that. The things about the job that are interesting, etc.<br /><br />Ah. I'm starting to explain the joke, which is never a good sign. I just wish they'd let it be, is all.<br /><br />And despite seeing this with a young crowd, I did not experience anything like the psychological breakdown you describe. A couple of asshole texters, but that's it.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-40691849995073114032012-04-20T13:07:04.611-04:002012-04-20T13:07:04.611-04:00sleepyriv - You didn't think the one-liners ne...sleepyriv - You didn't think the one-liners needed to give way to something else? Hell, I thought the third act made the whole movie.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-25086328243156310602012-04-20T03:19:54.176-04:002012-04-20T03:19:54.176-04:00I was actually a little sad to see the throwaway l...I was actually a little sad to see the throwaway line NOT a throwaway line, though I think it ultimately worked, but the throwaway line was hilarious without any kind of payoff.<br /><br />The audience for our viewing was very animated, almost agitated. One guy in the front was having the time of his life, laughing at everything hysterically. My husband practically vibrated with anticipation when those boxes showed up in the 3rd act. Everyone seemed genuinely impressed with the thermos. But one teen girl was acting out in the way teen girls do when they think being paid attention will fix whatever problem they are having, eventually yelling at the film itself throughout the finale. When does this behavior cease being teen angst and turn into frank emotional disability?<br /><br />It's possible this comment will be a little too spoilery, but I wanted to address something Bryce said:<br /><br />SPOILERYNESS!<br /><br />I didn't think it was particularly awkward because it involved Hellraiser, Saw, and Phantasm all in one fell swoop. That's the kind of thing I find hilarious.Staciahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05250238254417726987noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-10056371347573849382012-04-18T20:19:10.875-04:002012-04-18T20:19:10.875-04:00I sorta dislike the third act. I felt it was one j...I sorta dislike the third act. I felt it was one joke that went on and on. I understand that it worked for a lot of people so I won't rag on it too hard but I just wanted to get back to someone, anyone to make some one-liners.sleepyirvhttp://leanhungrylook.wordpress.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-38390049773221471622012-04-17T19:44:42.645-04:002012-04-17T19:44:42.645-04:00Bryce - Glad to hear the throwaway still works, wh...Bryce - Glad to hear the throwaway still works, which I assumed it would, but I will be sad when I watch it next to know that it won't end there.<br /><br />As for the call/response thing, my problem isn't the structure. It's when the seams are showing, or splitting, as in the Gershwin joke. But those jokes can be funny, as any kind of joke can be.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-70820114337794037162012-04-17T19:43:12.023-04:002012-04-17T19:43:12.023-04:00StephenM - I can't remember the SOCIAL NETWORK...StephenM - I can't remember the SOCIAL NETWORK joke verbatim, but essentially two characters are listening to a choral group singing Gershwin songs, and one says something like "Why can't we have some good love songs?" and the other says "Because Gershwin never wrote love songs?" This isn't a very good approximation of the joke, but the sticking point is the first person knows Gershwin, as the scene makes clear, but isn't aware of the kind of songs he was famous for writing, so that the weak punchline can be delivered. In CABIN, I can't remember what the joke was, but there was at least one like this.<br /><br />As for punishing them because they're young, I can't say I took that to be the point of anything. I know the theory has been pushed by not too bright people about the appeal of slasher films, but I'm not sure CABIN, which does allude to it, takes it seriously.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-33319378603403263342012-04-17T18:58:21.865-04:002012-04-17T18:58:21.865-04:00I will quibble that I have already gone back for s...I will quibble that I have already gone back for seconds and the No longer a throwaway remains funny (He had the Conch in his hand!) underwhelming payoff or no.<br /><br />Oddly enough I thought the Strangers quote worked pretty well because it was played more or less straight (watching blank faced people soak a man in gasoline and light him on fire will always be disturbing, at least I hope so) but I did think the Hellraiser callback crossed the line if only because of how awkward the saw blades looked.<br /><br />I pretty much love the film unreservedly but I have to admit that part of that may be because half way through I just started pretending that someone had given Joe Dante a budget again... That last twenty minutes was beautiful.<br /><br />PS. As for The Gershwin joke syndrome, I guess I am too Whedon inoculated to notice, but that call and response style is a big part of his style. You might have a hard time at The Avengers is what I am saying.Bryce Wilsonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17040954580033470664noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-11893756626099974492012-04-17T18:04:54.664-04:002012-04-17T18:04:54.664-04:00See, I really liked that not-quite-a-throwaway lin...See, I really liked that not-quite-a-throwaway line. I totally fell for it, for one thing, but I also thought the pay-off was really pretty swell. I liked the blowhole. (I'm not sure what the other joke you're referring to is--I'm not even sure what the Gershwin joke is from The Social Network.)<br /><br />Otherwise, I mostly agree--a ton of fun, not super deep, occasionally threatened to lose emotional connection, but ultimately did what it was supposed to do. Though I do question the point at the end about punishing them because they're young. The main audience for slasher movies is and has always been young people, so I really don't think a desire to see the young punished is the reason those movies are popular.StephenMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16588260639227694557noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-40895020903397261222012-04-16T17:51:58.946-04:002012-04-16T17:51:58.946-04:00Well, try to not stress about it. That's the ...Well, try to not stress about it. That's the last thing I wanted out of all this.bill r.https://www.blogger.com/profile/17748572205731857892noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2856547151523423474.post-87401927591805269762012-04-16T17:26:44.794-04:002012-04-16T17:26:44.794-04:00I like your description of the throwaway line that...I like your description of the throwaway line that wasn't, as well as the broader criticism it serves. You even got me fretting over it, and I have no idea when I might see this movie.Johnnoreply@blogger.com