As per usual, interesting things from the depths of the internets:
- The Suicide Squad trailer was great, why does Warner Bros. sound so angry about it? – The prevailing narrative is that Marvel has their shit together when it comes to their cinematic universe, but that Warner Bros (and DC) can’t quite crack the code. I’ve always thought this was sloppy thinking, but then, this is also a pretty fantastic illustration of how the two companies approach their work. Marvel’s response to a leaked trailer is fun and endearing. Warner Bros’s response? Petty and annoyed. Incidentally, Suicide Squad looks like it could work pretty well, though I suspect it’s success will hinge entirely on Margot Robbie’s performance (which appears to be electric!)
- Hollywood is quick to cry censorship. The industry’s not wrong to be afraid. – An excellent summary of the weird cycle of criticism and censorship, and the constantly rehashed arguments that never seem to result in anything productive. This touches on issues of free speech and how differently people seem to treat the term “censorship”. I tend to favor the freedom side of that equation. In the words of Ray Bradbury (commenting on the response to Fahrenheit 451): “There is more than one way to burn a book. And the world is full of people running about with lit matches.” It doesn’t matter if it’s a government match, the books will burn either way.
- Film as Bomb – Interesting discussion of Cronenberg’s The Brood…
With The Brood, what was the bug that Cronenberg jammed up the collective, middlebrow ass? The fact that it was outrageously melodramatic in its boldly literal metaphors: suppressed rage creates murderous children. Plus its refusal to make a scapegoat out of any one character, class, gender or type (no matter what the director’s ‘ideological’ critics, including Robin Wood, have long claimed). Cronenberg’s despair and his mockery spare nobody; and this leaves some spectators crying foul over “misanthropy” and looking in vain for “someone to care about”.
Cronenberg is certainly a fascinating filmmaker, one I love, but never seem to be on the same page with. On the other hand, that might be why I love his films.
- It Began With Secret Pickles, and Survived a War – A pretty simple tale of a long-married couple from the Bronx, probably a dime a dozen, but dat headline!
One day, looking for something new to do, Bucky had a thought.
“I asked her, ‘Would you like a pickle?’ ”
There were Jewish delis every few blocks in their neck of the Bronx. Bagels, bialys, cream cheese, lox, whitefish – and barrels of pickles, a penny apiece.
It became a summer of secret pickles.
(This was before Bucky became the Winter Soldier.)
- Friday the 13th Part IV – Running Man – And you guys thought I was obsessive about Friday the 13th movies? Check out this guy, who attempts to decipher an obscure character mentioned in the credits for The Final Chapter…
Who is Running Man? Lots of people run in the movie, but they’re all credited. Could it be an instance where Jason is credited multiple times like he is in part 3? There we had Jason, Prowler, and Jason Stunt Double. Maybe Jason actor Ted White refused to do the scene where he runs after Trish and Thad Geer sprinted to the rescue.
Somehow I doubt it though. The only section of the movie with a lot of extras is the beginning, when everyone is cleaning up the mess from part 3. One of those extras runs. He runs so much in fact, that I’m convinced he must be Running Man.
Friday the 13th, the series of movies that never stops giving.
That’s all for now. Apologies for the lack of Wednesday entries of late. This might continue for the near future, but who knows? Maybe I’ll get inspired or something…