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August 1994

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Film and TV Studies Discussion List <[log in to unmask]>
Subject:
From:
Road Angel <[log in to unmask]>
Date:
Sun, 28 Aug 1994 12:22:35 -0600
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Reply-To:
Road Angel <[log in to unmask]>
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I saw NBK last night, and while I have a couple of fairly technical
complaints (both of which MAY be due to editing concerns) I have to say
that this is the best thing I have ever seen by Stone.  My friend who saw
it with me complained at its lack of subtlety, but did admit that NBK
isn't about subtlety and precious little is called for.
 
For starters, I was absolutely mesmerized by Stone's montage-like
approach - crafty, powerful intercuts and lots of that inserted
graininess we saw in JFK - all used to great effect.  The game-show scene
which introduces us to Mallory's twisted family life is, I thought, a
stroke of genius.  The malevolence of the girl's tortured existence is
cynically undercut by loops of canned laughter.
 
Charley Murphy notes an MTV-like approach, but I see Stone's technique
owing to a number of way-pre-MTV sources - Godard's A BOUT DE SOUFFLE not
being the least.  (Did I spell that right?)
 
And I won't even get into Robert Downey's scathing portrayal of the
Geraldo-from-Hell "reporter."
 
I could go on, but what would be the point.  I thought, up until last
night, that GUMP was probably a walkover for best pic.  Now I'm not so
sure - it's hard comparing such different films.  Same for the actors, as
well - many performances worthy of at least a nomination.
 
And I can't WAIT to hear from the anti-merchandising purists on this
one.  If Coke paid for THAT product placement their PR is being run by
half-trained chimps.
 
No offense intended to any chimps' rights activists out there. :)
 
==================================================================
Samuel Random Smith
Center for Mass Media Research          303.543.8610 (voice)
University of Colorado                  [log in to unmask]
==================================================================
 
 
On Sun, 28 Aug 1994, Charley Murphy wrote:
 
> Start your engines. it seems to me like one of the love it/hate it kind of
> things. [2 women in line turning to their male company say " i don't even
> want to say the title"]. i was a "love it" person.
>
> draws on alot of source material [at least in my fantasy] that connects with
> me -- demonic parodying of old tv--[mary hartman?]/and current tv ==
> "serious" crime re-enactment shows/japanese monster movies/ horror movies in
> general -- esp. night of the living dead & some chainsaw massacre/and the
> more "dreamlike" movies -- apocalypse now and stone's own work [doors]/ and
> some david lynch....
>
> does it succeed in making a statement about violence [violently?]/ i think
> yes... far from the graphic "realistic" violence of say henry portrait of a
> serial killer [ which made me nauseous and that's hard to do]/ the role of
> the media is well-skewered though almost too much of a caricature
>
> i particularly liked the constant flashbacks to the "inner child" of the
> killers -- the twisted childhoods that they carried so close to the surface
> [bunnies with fangs and all]
>
> i suppose if one is not an mtv fan alot of the non-narrative anything-goes
> sort of cinematography is going to be new, different and maybe difficult. for
> me it was refreshing, i am so bored of hollywood talking down to me, looking
> for that demographic common demoninator [ "in one eye, out the other"]...
> tired of being so disappointed  [ true lies, speed, ok most of the summer
> fare with the exception of red rock west]
>
> ok enough for starters
> what did YOU think?
>
> charley,
> minneapolis
>

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