Anyone who knows anything about me probably knows how I feel about sophia coppola... I hate her. I hate her almost as much as I hate Gus Van Sant. Her exaggeratedly weak feminine characters are almost as disgusting as the oversensationalized tradgedies with no style that Mr. Van Sant has the audacity to call movies. The only thing that makes her more dispicable is the lack of penis... she should know better. Since the begininning of hollywood men have oversensationalized, objectified and hated women; We don't need anymore help, but thanks. I've tried to read her films in different contexts and I still can't justify why the hell these girls have no personality, no ambitions that aren't completely distructive or selfish, and totally starving! I know that the virgin suicides is based on the novel and the destiny of the Lisbin girls were predetermined way before Ms. Coppola got her paws in it, but I felt like the story would have been drastically different if they just let the poor girls eat a damn sandwich!!!!
This being said, I recently re watched Marie Antionette, my most favorite of her films only because I am a sucker for a biopic. Anyone who knows anything about Marie Antionette knows this film is full of shit. First of all, even though kirsten dunst looks young, marie antionette was a child. Not to mention, she was a plump child. This trait is a huge factor in why the people of france considered her decadant and excessive; ultimately killing her. Why she's being portrayed by an eighty pound thirty yeard old, I have no idea.
Shortly after viewing this, I watched the Other Boleyn Girl. Oh geez. gag me with a spoon, Natalie portman is SUCH A BITCH! I can't get into a synopsis but I can tell you this; she stabs her sister in the back, gets Henry Tudor to abandon his wife and child in this elaborate plan to become queen. I know that this film is actually based on a historical fiction, but I still feel the need to ask why!? Why are these movies being made that portray women in a position of power who only got there because of their scheming and/or ultimately fail everyone and have to die? And why is the one of the most 'important' mainstream female directors buying into this crap? Its becoming a popular hollywood genre, starting out with the success of Elizabeth. I'm hoping to find redemption. I want to watch one of these biopics and feel my gender isn't ultimately damned to a life of servitude unless I become a loose woman or a frigid bitch. I think I might find it in The Coco Chanel made for lifetime movie. I know she's not exactly royalty, but in all reality, she really really is. She is the Queen of fashion. No woman will ever be above her, sorry Anna Wintour. Shirley Maclaine, it's all up to you......don't fail me now!
Monday, September 22, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
HOUSE PARTY
What most people don't know about House Party is that it's a Sundance award winning film. Reginald Hudlin, the auteur received the FIlmmakers trophy and the cinematography award went to Peter Deming (the cinematographer). It was even nominated for a grand jury prize. It's hard for me to imagine a time or place where anyone ever took the film at face value or considered intentionally artistic in anyway. It seems so 'ironic' and silly to me, a blatant textual poaching of early nineties fashion and music. But then I think of my girl Jamie Babbit.
For those of you who don't know I LOVE Jamie Babbit. She has directed a couple of films, most notable The Quiet and But I'm a cheerleader, but she has acted as director on several television shows. My favorite of which being Popular, one of the greatest and most underrated shows ever. It aired for the first time in 1999, right after the great success of Dawson's Creek's first season in '98. It sizzled out after the second season, with probably the most intense season finale I've ever witnessed. The thing that made Popular so good in my book was the political influence within the story lines; Young girls questioning their sexuality, boys dealing with issues of emasculation, class and racial tensions, etc.
The reason I even mention Ms. Babbit is because like her, Richard Hudlin is also predominately a television director. In fact, they both directed episodes of the SAME television show (The Bernie Mac show, RIP) I feel that character emotional development is less nuanced when television directors do film, maybe this is because in television the viewer has less time to identify with the characters and it's important that they become attached so they'll keep watching every week.
Without going into any explanation immediately the viewer knows that Kid is the awkward sympathetic character and that Play is the cool guy best friend. These identities are solidified by the opening sequence in which Kid is getting ready for school and he has to deal with his fucked up dad while Play is determining which honey he's going to hook up with that night at his party. And unlike other characters in teen movies where they emotionally grow and reveal more of themselves as the story line progresses (for example, Bender in Breakfast club, that guy was a total dick but we ALL identified with his sensitive side by the end of the film) Kid and Play never really emotionally progress, but they do go to college! It really lends itself to a sequel. (no big whoop, just House Party 2)
Jamie's film characters, while they are more complex then Kid and Play, still seem to have this basic role that is exemplified early on in the film that sticks. The character of Dot in The Quiet is immediately exposed as emotionally disconnected and alone. I think that even with her alliances formed she never really finds that connection. Or the character of Nina is presented as self involved, delicate, abused and in need of affection or "saving" and even though her emotionally void mother is arrested and her abusive dad is murdered , she never finds any resolve for these issues...it's just who she is and that won't change. At the end of The Quiet as the girls are left alone playing piano in that big empty house after everything went down I was left with this incomplete feeling, it left me wanting more. I don't usually get this from a film unless it's set up for that unfinished ending. (for example, Back to the future) It's a sensation i experience every time I get into a good TV show.
Long story short, I don't know if I would get that same experience after the end of house party but I'm assuming yes considering House party 2 and 3. I didn't finish the film because I started to doze off after smoking too much weed and eating the sweetest cheese fries in history.
For those of you who don't know I LOVE Jamie Babbit. She has directed a couple of films, most notable The Quiet and But I'm a cheerleader, but she has acted as director on several television shows. My favorite of which being Popular, one of the greatest and most underrated shows ever. It aired for the first time in 1999, right after the great success of Dawson's Creek's first season in '98. It sizzled out after the second season, with probably the most intense season finale I've ever witnessed. The thing that made Popular so good in my book was the political influence within the story lines; Young girls questioning their sexuality, boys dealing with issues of emasculation, class and racial tensions, etc.
The reason I even mention Ms. Babbit is because like her, Richard Hudlin is also predominately a television director. In fact, they both directed episodes of the SAME television show (The Bernie Mac show, RIP) I feel that character emotional development is less nuanced when television directors do film, maybe this is because in television the viewer has less time to identify with the characters and it's important that they become attached so they'll keep watching every week.
Without going into any explanation immediately the viewer knows that Kid is the awkward sympathetic character and that Play is the cool guy best friend. These identities are solidified by the opening sequence in which Kid is getting ready for school and he has to deal with his fucked up dad while Play is determining which honey he's going to hook up with that night at his party. And unlike other characters in teen movies where they emotionally grow and reveal more of themselves as the story line progresses (for example, Bender in Breakfast club, that guy was a total dick but we ALL identified with his sensitive side by the end of the film) Kid and Play never really emotionally progress, but they do go to college! It really lends itself to a sequel. (no big whoop, just House Party 2)
Jamie's film characters, while they are more complex then Kid and Play, still seem to have this basic role that is exemplified early on in the film that sticks. The character of Dot in The Quiet is immediately exposed as emotionally disconnected and alone. I think that even with her alliances formed she never really finds that connection. Or the character of Nina is presented as self involved, delicate, abused and in need of affection or "saving" and even though her emotionally void mother is arrested and her abusive dad is murdered , she never finds any resolve for these issues...it's just who she is and that won't change. At the end of The Quiet as the girls are left alone playing piano in that big empty house after everything went down I was left with this incomplete feeling, it left me wanting more. I don't usually get this from a film unless it's set up for that unfinished ending. (for example, Back to the future) It's a sensation i experience every time I get into a good TV show.
Long story short, I don't know if I would get that same experience after the end of house party but I'm assuming yes considering House party 2 and 3. I didn't finish the film because I started to doze off after smoking too much weed and eating the sweetest cheese fries in history.
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