Comments on: Actual new stuff

By: Tikhon

Tikhon — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 05:01:33 +0000

The author uvazhuha! Here’s how to write blogs must! Everyone stands to learn, boys!

By: pat Polinski

pat Polinski — Wed, 17 Aug 2005 17:56:36 +0000

yep, I actually thought HR was well done and well acted, but it definitely had a “made for mainstream” feel, which always feels a bit off to me when the movie re-creates a real-life event. I got hung up wondering stuff like, is Nolte supposed to be D’Allaire? Anyway, hearing the actual languages would have made everything much more authentic for me.

You’ll need to get comments working on the page. I guess my question is, can something be not-actually-a-movie, and still good. Certainly something can actually-be-a-movie and yet be very bad. (Did you ever see Gerry?) Most actual movies, I think, will range in the 2-4 star arena, while not actual movies will be 1-3 stars.

By the way, I use WordPress a bit for my job. I just tried adding a new page with Comments checked, but there was no comment option on the published page. Odd. May have to do with the template.

By: Ryan

Ryan — Tue, 16 Aug 2005 19:25:52 +0000

You’re absolutely right. I suppose I put it there due to its “purpose,” that is, raising awareness of an issue that many were unaware of. I also had very low expectations going in, and I’m a fan of Don Cheadle, so all of that bumped it up a category. But you’re right, the Pseudo category is appropriate. This is why I need to get comments working on those pages.

Language-by-proxy is a difficult issue. Just the other day I was watching 1994’s “Death and the Maiden,” which takes place “in a South American country,” yet all involved speak English, and Sigourney Weaver plays a character named Paulina Escobar, although the backstory alludes to the fact that she may be French. However, Geraldo Escobar, her husband and the source of her last name, is played by Stuart Wilson, a Brit, and Ben Kingsley’s character is either South American or from Spain (Kinglsey is half English and half Indian, although he is believable in virtually everything). The playwright, Ariel Dorfman, was born in Argentina but lived in Chile, so we can assume the movie takes place somewhere in that region (although he now lives here in Durham).

I think the language problem will lessen with time, and already has to a certain extent, as filmmaking keeps expanding around the globe. Think of it like the NBA; it used to be 100% American, but now the players are coming from everywhere. Movies are the same (well, movies have always come from all over the world, being invented in France and all, but other countries haven’t always had the high technical standards that Hollywood has), and Latin America is an especially good example of some great filmmaking these days. The goal I guess is that one day each country will be able to tell their own story, taking advantage of the global media to get their story out, rather than just importing American schlock.

Here’s to fewer language-by-proxy pictures, and to more subtitles.

By: pat

pat — Mon, 15 Aug 2005 19:01:45 +0000

Interesting rating system. I am a bit surprised to see Hotel Rwanda under the Actual Movie category, especially since you’ve seen the documentaries. HR was well done, but it was familiar and formulaic… I would have traded some of the suspense for more context and some actual footage. Plus, I think any movie that uses non-American English as a proxy for a foreign language (Alexander, Chocolat, etc.) is a pseudo actual movie at best.