It's all part of the plan.
Jul. 1st, 2008 05:01 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
thehefnerIn hono(u)r of my Girlfriends in Canada, I would like to do my own Yankee part for Canada Day by directing you to Cracked.com's essay, 15 Reasons Why Canada is Better Than Your Country.
Secondly, as I was reading aintitcool.com's review of WALL*E*, "Mr. Beaks" makes a very good observation about films in general:
The problem with anticipating a "masterpiece" is that even if the filmmaker delivers on such impossible promise, their vision will most likely prove divergent from yours. As a grown man who's not an idiot all day long, I've come to understand this. Still doesn't keep me from engaging in a multitude of "what ifs" when I see trailers for movies I'm insane over. This is why, for instance, it took me a few viewings of HEAT to get with its vacuum-sealed perfection; the Mann/De Niro/Pacino teaming was so monumental that I got caught up in what it "should be" rather than letting the picture simply be on its own terms. I did the same thing to BARTON FINK back in 1991, and, in the intervening years, it's gone from "good Coens" to "top-shelf Coens" in my estimation.
Of course, this has put me in mind of another film entirely, THE DARK KNIGHT.
that much, and while I'm sure I'll like it far more than him, he makes some good points being concerned that the film will be swallowed up by the hyperbole.
Considering that I've roughly spent the last year peeing my pants with anticipation over this film. And really, with posters like this, can you blame me?
(My favorite part is the bat-symbol at bottom)
I doubt I'll be disappointed, though. What makes THE DARK KNIGHT so exciting is how we don't really know what to expect. After all, this movie is not going to be a film of fanservice like THE INCREDIBLE HULK (I still need to review that here), but rather is distinctly interested in telling its own story/mythos, while keeping true to the spirit of the characters.
A good example of this and my feelings on the matter is the Joker it/himself. This chart sums up my feelings on the character rather nicely:
I think it's a bit dismissive of Heath, but bear with me here.
What makes the animated series' Joker (voiced pitch-perfectly by Mark Hamill) the quintessential Joker is not that it's a revision/reinvention of the character, but rather the perfect distillation of the Joker's 50+ year history and development. The animated series' Joker was able to seamlessly shift between the cold-blooded criminal mastermind of the early 40's, the sinister prankster of the 50's, the campy crime clown of the 60's, the chilling madman of the 70's, and the goddamn evil charismatic insane nightmare of the 80's onward. He could be any or several of those Jokers any given episode.
Of course, once THE DARK KNIGHT comes out and people actually see Heath's performance, chances are certain that it'll be THE greatest live-action depiction of the Joker. But I can already tell that Heath's Joker is not like any of the above, even though that all-important spirit seems to be captured perfectly (just as Hamill's Joker proved that all those Jokers are of the same spirit), and anyone who hails it as the ultimate version of the Joker will be--I think it's safe to say--sorely mistaken.
(Now, if we can just get a Joker like Hamill's that also incorporates Ledger's Joker in with all the others, including Hamill's Joker as well, ohhh man, there we go...)
My point is, though... there are no expectations for what Heath's performance is actually going to be. He's bringing something entirely new to the table here, which--by all accounts--can be said for everything involved with THE DARK KNIGHT. I really don't know how much anyone will have for basis of comparison.
And that, right there, is what I think will mainly be keeping me from being disappointed. I mean, I really don't know how the hell I'm gonna be disappointed at this point, but all the same, I need to remind myself that this film is probably not THE GODFATHER PART FUCKING II here. It won't be a life-changing experience.
Oh who am I kidding, this is me, the guy writing the Harvey Dent novel, it actually very well might be a life-changing experience.
Goddamn it, July 18th, hurry the fuck up. If this movie gets hyped up any more, I'm gonna want the same thing I demand of LOST at this point, and that it better put out. I'm talking third base at least.
*Who, coincidentally, is similarly torn about the ending of WALL*E as I am! I don't care if it's commercially nonviable for a family movie, this generation's children seriously needs more life-scarring fare! We've tenderized them with the opening of FINDING NEMO, so really, the end of WALL*E really should have been the next logical step. You kids today need your own personal OLD YELLER, damn you!
Secondly, as I was reading aintitcool.com's review of WALL*E*, "Mr. Beaks" makes a very good observation about films in general:
The problem with anticipating a "masterpiece" is that even if the filmmaker delivers on such impossible promise, their vision will most likely prove divergent from yours. As a grown man who's not an idiot all day long, I've come to understand this. Still doesn't keep me from engaging in a multitude of "what ifs" when I see trailers for movies I'm insane over. This is why, for instance, it took me a few viewings of HEAT to get with its vacuum-sealed perfection; the Mann/De Niro/Pacino teaming was so monumental that I got caught up in what it "should be" rather than letting the picture simply be on its own terms. I did the same thing to BARTON FINK back in 1991, and, in the intervening years, it's gone from "good Coens" to "top-shelf Coens" in my estimation.
Of course, this has put me in mind of another film entirely, THE DARK KNIGHT.
that much, and while I'm sure I'll like it far more than him, he makes some good points being concerned that the film will be swallowed up by the hyperbole.
Considering that I've roughly spent the last year peeing my pants with anticipation over this film. And really, with posters like this, can you blame me?
(My favorite part is the bat-symbol at bottom)
I doubt I'll be disappointed, though. What makes THE DARK KNIGHT so exciting is how we don't really know what to expect. After all, this movie is not going to be a film of fanservice like THE INCREDIBLE HULK (I still need to review that here), but rather is distinctly interested in telling its own story/mythos, while keeping true to the spirit of the characters.
A good example of this and my feelings on the matter is the Joker it/himself. This chart sums up my feelings on the character rather nicely:
I think it's a bit dismissive of Heath, but bear with me here.
What makes the animated series' Joker (voiced pitch-perfectly by Mark Hamill) the quintessential Joker is not that it's a revision/reinvention of the character, but rather the perfect distillation of the Joker's 50+ year history and development. The animated series' Joker was able to seamlessly shift between the cold-blooded criminal mastermind of the early 40's, the sinister prankster of the 50's, the campy crime clown of the 60's, the chilling madman of the 70's, and the goddamn evil charismatic insane nightmare of the 80's onward. He could be any or several of those Jokers any given episode.
Of course, once THE DARK KNIGHT comes out and people actually see Heath's performance, chances are certain that it'll be THE greatest live-action depiction of the Joker. But I can already tell that Heath's Joker is not like any of the above, even though that all-important spirit seems to be captured perfectly (just as Hamill's Joker proved that all those Jokers are of the same spirit), and anyone who hails it as the ultimate version of the Joker will be--I think it's safe to say--sorely mistaken.
(Now, if we can just get a Joker like Hamill's that also incorporates Ledger's Joker in with all the others, including Hamill's Joker as well, ohhh man, there we go...)
My point is, though... there are no expectations for what Heath's performance is actually going to be. He's bringing something entirely new to the table here, which--by all accounts--can be said for everything involved with THE DARK KNIGHT. I really don't know how much anyone will have for basis of comparison.
And that, right there, is what I think will mainly be keeping me from being disappointed. I mean, I really don't know how the hell I'm gonna be disappointed at this point, but all the same, I need to remind myself that this film is probably not THE GODFATHER PART FUCKING II here. It won't be a life-changing experience.
Oh who am I kidding, this is me, the guy writing the Harvey Dent novel, it actually very well might be a life-changing experience.
Goddamn it, July 18th, hurry the fuck up. If this movie gets hyped up any more, I'm gonna want the same thing I demand of LOST at this point, and that it better put out. I'm talking third base at least.
*Who, coincidentally, is similarly torn about the ending of WALL*E as I am! I don't care if it's commercially nonviable for a family movie, this generation's children seriously needs more life-scarring fare! We've tenderized them with the opening of FINDING NEMO, so really, the end of WALL*E really should have been the next logical step. You kids today need your own personal OLD YELLER, damn you!
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no subject
Date: 2008-07-01 11:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 12:13 am (UTC)and with second thought, an old yeller ending on wall-e would've been ballsy and fantastic. it was a cute ending, and i enjoyed it, but it was the type of ending that made me gushy inside. old yeller had the type of ending that after not seeing it for two and a half decades, i'm still profoundly moved by..
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 12:17 am (UTC)in wall-e, love was meant to transcend humanity as much as wall-e's soul transcended his artificial construction.
old yeller was a long set piece bit around the dog's demise, chronicling the boy's transition into manhood and making the tough choices that come with that. while modern "kid's" movies aren't nearly as powerful these days, old yeller wasn't pointlessly mean -- it built up to that tremendously sad ending very purposefully, and i really don't know if anything about wall-e's message called for that.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:26 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:28 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 02:14 am (UTC)that is so john hughs.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:27 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 03:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 06:21 am (UTC)I'm trying to cool my anticipation for TDK by ignoring all the promo stuff (except for catching the odd TV commercial, and posts on my flist) until I see it in a couple of weeks. But I'm still expecting a damn fine movie.
Also, at this point am I allowed to smack anyone who pulls the "Bah, Ledger is just doing a weak Nicholson impression!" card? Granted, I haven't seen that complaint as much following the newer promos, and Ledger's passing.
no subject
Date: 2008-07-02 02:15 pm (UTC)Me, though, I'm still looking for the Brad Dourif connection... :)