Adult Movies are great
Here’s an interview with Quentin Tarantino that you might find interesting:
Around the four minute mark Quentin starts talking about how he had recently analysed the ‘New Hollywood’ era of the last sixties and early seventies. In looking at those films he ended up comparing them to the nine best picture nominees of this year and came to the conclusion that this year, more than any other recent year, the best films have been proper, grown-up, intelligent movies.
Not only that, but if you look at the subject matter involved, many of them look like they would be either modest hits or commercial failures, whereas in reality many of them were massively successful (Django, Les Mis, Lincoln, Pi, Argo, Silver Linings Playbook, Zero Dark Thirty have all taken a fortune at the box office).
That’s interesting, because there’s a theory that the film business mirrors real life quite closely. The great films of forty years ago were made in the context of rebellion, political disaffection, paranoia, Vietnam, Nixon etc., and they ended up being driven from that attitude to be smarter and more questioning than usual. Following that time we’ve had many years of relative affluence and trust (even when we couldn’t respect Bush, Reagan, Clinton, Thatcher, Major and Blair, there was so much money coming in that no one minded enough to really make a stink about it), culminating in a new era of shakier politics, banking scandals, media and police lies, riots, protests, Guantanamo etc., that has combined with a massive recession to produce films that aren’t quite so much vanilla bullshit (Silver Linings Playbook aside).
Annoying that it takes a worse world to create better movies, but every cloud, eh?
On balance, I think I’d rather have shit movies…
I must admit that I haven’t seen Django Unchained. I have, however seen this ad for the new Vauxhall Adam. I thought is was some kind of jokey spot for Tesco Mobile at first… It’s THAT bad.
http://youtu.be/ap-mPui8zeQ
It seems that all the great creativity comes from tough times. Or at the very least, as an outpouring of expression at the arse-end of the tough times.
I would say that’s why things are pretty lame generally now. No feeling.
I suppose, if all you’ve known is a cool pair of trainers, then mockney gangster movies and fake arthouse indie bands can seem challenging enough to keep you amused.
Apparently, this theory works equally well with music. It was far harder to write bluesy urban angst in a shiny, flecked suit, holding a pina colada, with a jumbo-sized wallet in your back pocket. Though Johnny Hates Jazz made a fair attempt.
Saw ‘Argo’ last night. Nicely directed I thought, considering it wasn’t even nominated. Ace ‘taches too.
Do you give any credence to the thought that perhaps there’s something in the quality of HBO-style television shows being produced that may be driving the increase in quality/seriousness of films made?
@Worm: Interesting theory. I think it’s definitely affecting network TV in the US so it would make sense that movies are also realising that intelligence is ‘in’.
@Adam: I would like to know why the fellas holed up in Argo didn’t shave their taches or grow different ones considering they were in danger of being spotted. I s’pose it all worked out in the end, but… y’know.
@Richard: that Vauxhall ad is quite incredibly awful.
Why the hate for Silver Linings? That was a great movie.
Argo should not have won the oscar. Ridiculous.
I walked out of Silver Linings. It was awful.
You must have been in a bad mood. That’s the only conclusion I can draw.
I know you wanted to talk about more serious issues but, sorry, this is like talking politics with someone with a boiled sweet in their beard.
I was in a bad mood when I left. £8 and an hour and a half of my life down the lav.
I wonder how many meetings, how many senior people, how much money, how many rounds of research and how long it took to end up with that Vauxhall Adam ad.
Shit car, shit name, shit ad. Inegrated.
Same thing is supposed to happen with pop music but it’s mostly the same drivel as the last ten years.
Jake Bugg is ‘authentic’ apparently. He’s a twat.
There are good bands about, but it really is mostly shite.
another driving factor in the uptick in the quality of films 40 years ago was the sudden urgent need for films to get people off the TV couch and visit a movie theater. could no longer just release another western when Bonanza was free on the teevee.
Since I haven’t seen any of these films yet, I will not comment on them. I did, thanx to Richard, see the Vauxhall ad, so I will comment on that. I am so sick and damn tired of spots with the premise of “you are special; one of a kind; one in a million,etc…” when the reality is exactly the opposite. Today 99% of the people are followers. They can’t think for themselves. That ad has its head so far up its ass…well, I can’t believe people who write that kind of crap have a job in our industry. Sad thing is, the car looked kind of cool. But thanx to that spot, anyone who really was cool wouldn’t be caught dead in it.
I like how pretty much all of the unique people have tattoos.
Die.