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What exactly leads you to this conclusion?
As you said, Tarantino discourages in-depth criticism of his films, the films themselves put much effort into being all about surface. What exactly is it that makes in-depth analysis, looking at his films as parabels or metaphors seem a plausible approach to his films?
Couldn't it just be a case like the hat in Miller's Crossing, which according to the Coens themselves... is just a hat. Isn't it possible that a film that exudes coolness and cinematic awesomeness has nothing else on its mind and nothing else driving it? That "cool & awesome" is really all there is to it?
Like I said above, Inglourious Basterds does suggest a more coherent voice underneath the surface and a more explicit acknowledgement of the moral and ethical implications of the characters' actions within the narrative. If you believe that Kill Bill is a Buddhist parable, then surely you must consider IB a step backwards as its "meaning" is so much more blatant and apparent than in Tarantino's earlier movies.
That there's strong evidence for complex ideas in most of his work? I believe at the very least that Reservoir Dogs, Kill Bill, Inglourious Basterds, and Death Proof all have something detailed and interesting to say.
There are plenty of examples of authors decrying attempts to read things into their stories. The Coens are famous for it, Hitchcock was much more likely to talk technique than theme, John Ford left it at "I make Westerns", and Charlie Kaufman just refuses to explain to anybody what the burning house in "Synecdoche New York" is meant to mean. Does it follow that there is no meaning? From a book on Peckinpah:
I think there are movies like that, but a QT movie is typically more self-aware than that--it constructs a facade of "cool" in order to deconstruct it or contrast it with morally questionable actions. I don't have time now but if you want to pick one of QT's movies I'll go into some depth and look at how he uses various techniques to accomplish this.
WRT "the hat": I think the Coens aren't playing coy when they argue that it's just a hat. Any meaning is created through contextualisation by the audience. We infer and project meaning onto the hat, because we see it as part of the complex language of symbols, verbal cues and references within which we look at the film. But it is just a hat. They did not use it as a code for anything, which does not mean that they weren't aware that the audience would recognise a recurring visual motif and take it into account when watching the film. I don't think they meant to trick or fool anyone by doing so. But it is one thing to leave ambiguity and open spaces within a narrative for the audience to engage with. (My personal favourite is near the end of No Country when Chigurr leaves the apartment and checks his shoes.) It is another to withhold elements of the narrative from the audience to tease them.
I don't think any of Tarantino's films operate on such a high level of narration. When there are open spaces within Tarantino's narrative (like the contents of the briefcase in Pulp Fiction, or Mr. Pink's fate in Reservoir Dogs), they are there because they are cool and stylish.
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But
I don't like Joss Whedon.
Like
At all.
I have a tumblr.
Check it out.
I just got back and I loved the movie, and anyone who is thinking about seeing it should avoid spoilers and then go see it. It was the most fun I've had watching a movie in a very very long time.
ALSO, I went into this movie knowing almost nothing about it, after having heard from the internet that this is what you should do. I am so glad that I listened to this advice. In fact, I was curious so I just watched the trailer for the movie and I cannot stress enough that you should not watch trailers for this movie, or look at commercials, or read reviews. Just go see it.
Great fun horror movie, can't remember last time I saw a movie and was so satisfied with it as a whole.
Oh also, for people that saw it, did you spot
I AM BULKY BULKOLISIS.
-Pedro Sauer BJJ scientist-
Damn. Fuck The Expandables, this is an action movie. Brutal fights (don't think I ever heard so many "Jesus Christ!" from an audience or shocked laughter) which are amazingly choreographed and more than that actually shot so you can see all the action. There's parts of the movie where it's just 10-20 minutes of action and you don't miss anything. There's also some fucking tense moments.
Simply a fantastic movie. Can't recomend it enough.
It's interesting to see how the more recent Marvel movies did a lot of what Lucas did back in the day. And now compare with what he does now... It's sad. The practical effects and everything compared to the more digitial products these days.
That is one high-fucking-concept horror. I wonder what the execs looked like while it was pitched to them.
Edit:
For chessboxing (spoilerth)
Also, on the betting pool board, one of the "monsters" was Sexy Witches. Haha
Yeah, cabin was fantastic.
Real spoilers:
thiseverything.Pokemon Black 2: 0519-5108-3139
CAINT WAIT
If faith is just a silent tribute, mine is just a desperate act.
But what is up with the audiences nowadays? Hunger Games was some douche with a laser pointer. This time was a bunch of idiots checking their super bright cellphones during the movie.
MH3U Veggie Elder Ticket Guide
Guess I'm going to see it today!
"Readers who prefer tension and romance, Maledictions: The Offering, delivers... As serious YA fiction, I’ll give it five stars out of five. As a novel? Four and a half." - Liz Ellor
My new novel:
Maledictions: The Offering.
Now in Paperback!
"Readers who prefer tension and romance, Maledictions: The Offering, delivers... As serious YA fiction, I’ll give it five stars out of five. As a novel? Four and a half." - Liz Ellor
My new novel:
Maledictions: The Offering.
Now in Paperback!
So good. I can't wait to get it on bluray so I can frame by frame the 3rd act.
Nintendo Network ID - PirateLuigi
edit: I mean just re-read the spoilers for those who have seen it, they are all comedy related. An analogy: Zombieland is to Night of the Living Dead as Cabin in the Woods is to The Descent. I liked all of these movies, but I would consider Night of the Living Dead a better zombie movie than Zombieland, The Descent a better horror movie than Cabin in the Woods.
My first thought on the 3rd act: "Why, oh why don't movie theaters have pause/rewind buttons."
This is the first movie in a while I'm going to buy on day one for DVD.
SERIOUS THIRD ACT SPOILERS
And the lady from Chem department was Fred in Angel. Only she's working for Wolfram and Hart now. It's so good.
Seriously, Go See This Movie. There is no excuse.
Pretty sure the US could never make that sort of thing because no one would insure the stunts.
I'm itching to see Cabin in the Woods again, I just keep thinking about that movie. So awesome.
I AM BULKY BULKOLISIS.
-Pedro Sauer BJJ scientist-
However it will definitely stomp all over your heart and leave you feeling rather emotional by the end.
Super 8 wasn't bad, but it wasn't really that good either. It just felt like Abrams was having a cinematic wank.
I liked Another Earth. Brit Marling was excellent.
'Get your fucking finger on the wookie'
I am pretty sure that was the NOT-Pinhead guy at least.
What I want a pause for though, is so I am able to read the intern's note cards he was holding up to a camera. (it was on one of the many displays behind the operators during the chaos)
I'm pretty sure I saw
It was a "Why don't they have pause/rewind button" things.
I also want to know what they would have gotten had they watched those movies.
Honestly, I'd compare this more to Shaun of the Dead. And Shaun of the Dead is fantastic at what it does.
I think that means it is still pretty effective.
However, it will be great to go back and pick out all the different items in the basement and try to connect them to the monsters that show up later.
I still hope the Sexy Witches were in the end scenes somewhere, because seeing that written on the whiteboard had me dying.
Also,
Seriously, same basic character.
I really enjoyed Cabin in The Woods. Yeah, I'm a Whedon fan, so there's that, but aside from that, I still think it's a horror movie that works. Like others have said, it's really not a parody, more like a love letter ala Shaun of the Dead. I really recommend it. I loved how the first act was basically
Complete with totally bad ass and unexpected weaponry.
Though I do have some things that didn't quite make sense.