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March 1994

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Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
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Tue, 15 Mar 1994 11:03:41 EST
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* on that day, coupled with the motif of pace and motion, gives the effect
* of ceaseless, open-ended destruction as did Henry's random,
* spontaneous acts of brutal violence. In _Henry_, the locus of the
* horror became the mundane, further bringing his brutality into the
* realm of 'us'.
*
 
I find it interesting that it seems many people give credit to the filmmaker
of _Henry_ for bringing a sense of mundane to serial killing. To me it looked
like lackadasical attention to the craft. It's like the goofy interview from
Benny Hill where the interviewer says to the filmmaker, "I enjoyed your
transition to black and white when the young girl died, and you maintained
that through the rest of the film. Brilliant." Benny Hill gives him a
quizzical look and says, "Uh, you see we ran out of color film."
 
_Henry_ isn't that bad, but much better examples of numbing violence
presented with little character fanfare are Straight Outta Brooklyn and
Menace II Society. (Somehow I don't think I have the first title quite
right--it's the one by Matty Rich.) Sometimes when you cut corners you can
claim verite' and get away with it...
 
 
 
--
Mark Bunster                      |I'm not an actor, but I play one on TV.
Survey Research Lab--VCU          |
Richmond, VA 23284                |Adam Smith's invisible hand
[log in to unmask]            |has got you by the throat...
(804) 367-8813/353-1731           |                 Trotsky Icepick

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