SCREEN-L Archives

July 1997, Week 3

SCREEN-L@LISTSERV.UA.EDU

Options: Use Proportional Font
Show Text Part by Default
Show All Mail Headers

Message: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Topic: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]
Author: [<< First] [< Prev] [Next >] [Last >>]

Print Reply
Subject:
From:
Murray Pomerance <[log in to unmask]>
Reply To:
Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Fri, 18 Jul 1997 21:07:16 -0400
Content-Type:
TEXT/PLAIN
Parts/Attachments:
TEXT/PLAIN (50 lines)
The continuing thread on trailer ethics was echoed today by my ten year
old who said this, after we came out of the theater from viewing GEORGE
OF THE JUNGLE:
 
        "There was stuff in the trailer that wasn't in the movie, you
        know."
 
He was not in any way party to the discussions on this list, and didn't
know about them, either.
 
The particular offense in this case was that a vital moment in which the
toucan, on an airplane, chirps, or squawks, "Toukie-Toukie!" does not
appear at all, nor does the voyage on the airplane for that matter.  We
all admit we rather liked that moment in the trailer.
 
I wish I could say it was because of this that the movie failed, but in
fact there was virtually nothing to commend it.  I fell asleep three
times.  I was by and large not funny.  The trailer was hilarious, and I
had really serious expectations for a romp (if/and nothing else).  Stupid
me, once again.  Brendan Fraser is charming, has a nice smile, decent
pecs, a good tan.  All the other characters come straight out of stock.
The gorilla with John Cleese's voice is disturbing because
somehow--please don't anybody ask me to explain or defend this--one
expects it to be Sean Connery's voice.  Cleese, usually gut-splittingly
funny, is here about as funny as Bill Clinton.  There are swinging-vine
routines, far far far far far far far too many of them.  The
ai-aia-iaiiiii routine into the telephone is a great smacker in the
trailer but in the film it's somehow routinzed into something rather like
a conversation on the hot phone in DR. STRANGELOVE.
 
There is a totally charming homage to The Peaceable Kingdom, which any
animal lover will be enthralled by if still awake at the moment.  It
comes at the end.  And there is a cute parody shot hitting at The Lion King.
 
The best acting in the film with absolutely no doubt is by a huge
elephant that thinks it's a Golden Retriever.  Any dog owner will go ape
for this, but the problem is, you have to edit out a lot of what's around it.
 
Anyway, to cut to the chase:  you don't have to be an academic on this
list to be discussing trailer ethics.  I warn you all.  Watch out for
FLUBBER, coming soon from Disney with Robin-----lots of bum-wiggling,
which means it's absolutely authentic vintage Disney.
 
Murray
Toronto
 
----
To sign off SCREEN-L, e-mail [log in to unmask] and put SIGNOFF SCREEN-L
in the message.  Problems?  Contact [log in to unmask]

ATOM RSS1 RSS2