I’m looking at commercials for all the wrong reasons

When I see an ad in my film magazine or zap past a commercial when I by accident turn on the television I can’t help myself. I need to stop and watch what is displayed in front of my eyes. Has that ever happened to you? That compulsive behavior to study the images to see how they have lit that skinny model to make her look so healthy or how they have structured the commercial for the new brand of soft drinks they need you to start drinking this instant. How interesting is it to ponder what direction jeans commercials have taken content vise? Just be glad my brain isn’t the yard stick of civilization.

I know, sometimes I think I’m broken for real and not just acting.

So what does democracy have to do with making movies?

It’s often said that when the domestic video camera arrived in the eighties it democratized the movies. Many (ok, many might be a big word but a few at least) have asked me what I mean when I say this and let me begin with asking you a question. What is the most powerful medium of communication today? When you have answered this question out loud answer this next one. Before the age of domestic video cameras who could afford to make a movie? Well, not too many I would dare to say. The technology was both very expensive and complicated to use before someone realized that everything could be made on a piece of magnetic tape instead of using expensive chemicals.

‘So where are you going with this’ I hear some of you say. To be able to express yourself in one of the most powerful mediums currently available is democracy to me. Today everyone can grab a camcorder and record what ever they want. When I was young people wrote articles in the local paper when they wanted to express their opinions to a wider audience that the gathering around the kitchen table. Today there are local film festivals in most towns where young people can show what they have created. It’s everything from zombie splatter to documentaries about domestic violence. It’s a voice of the younger generation who has grown up with TV as the prime medium for expressing opinions not the printed word our parents lived by. Michael Moore or Morgan Spurlock are just the tip of the iceberg empowering a whole generation itching to get their voice heard.

I remembered reading that famed director Robert Altman actually made his TV series Tanner on Tanner with that idea in mind.

“That‘s what my, what our series is about. It is about this glut. That anybody with a $1,500 camera can become a documentary filmmaker. They can worry about what they‘re going to put on that camera but any kid who has one, they can edit it on their own computer.”
- Robert Altman interviewed on MSNBC (http://msnbc.msn.com/id/6232178/)

The down side of it is that since everyone can contribute the sheer volume of crappy material that threatens to drown the really good material but that is a risk we have to take considering what’s at stake… Not sure what I wanted to say with this but I felt it was important to rant about it.

In defence of Uwe boll

” That's what the internet is for. Slandering others anonymously. Stopping the flick isn't gonna stop that.” – Banky Edwards, Jay and silent Bob strikes back

“The Internet has given everybody in America a voice. For some reason, everybody decides to use that voice to bitch about movies” – Holden McNeil, Jay and Silent Bob strikes back

These quotes brilliantly illustrate how the internet works today. Without risk of retaliation you can take out your frustration and envy on people you see on TV. One person who has been a target for this cruel hate campaign is German director Uwe Boll. He is not particularly famous or good. He’s is one of those directors that produce ok movies for a Friday evening. He has been singled out by the slandering movie community as someone who should be shot and hanged because he chooses to do movies. It’s sad to see how immature and envious persons decide to hate one person beyond reason.

“it's the fact that he earns millions even though his films flop. this is millions that could be spent of cancer resarch, foster care & helping people. Fawk Uwe Boll. i hate his guy more than anyone else in the film industry.” - Big_Hughezy, IMDB

A brilliant quote from the archives of IMDB. So a crappy movie like Revenge of the Sith that made hundred if not thousand times more money must be even worse for those who try to save the world. Atleast by this slightly immature argument. Like people would have given the bucks away to charity if they hadn’t gone to see House of the dead? I can see the discussion in my head.

MATT
So what should we do dude?

BEN
I don’t know, I have seven bucks.

MATT
I heard that Oxfam is having a fund raiser at the mall.

BEN
Well I don’t know, I promised LISA that I would take her to see Blodrayne tonight.

MATT
Yeah, like people isn’t gonna starve tomorrow. I’l go with you dude

That is a scenario happening right now... Yeah right

“Hitler truely had nothing on this guy. Boll dosen't need gas chambers, he just needs a camera!” – Martinshepherd, IMDB

Then what can we compare Joel Schumacher’s batman and Robin with? It’s the Oppenheimer of movies and no one threatened Joel Schumacher with a fate worse than a fate worse than dead.

I just want to show my support for Uwe Boll who has suffered because he did what we all have wet dreams about at night… making our own movies... No not those kind.

Go Uwe, go!!!

Word of the day : Connotation

The blogger Informant posted a piece about how Damon Wayans had tried to buy the copyright for the word ‘Nigga’.

The comments that followed brought up the subject of how word could be used in another context and by that alter its meaning. If Wayans claimed the word and it appeared on clothing etc we would all change perception of it.

This could be true to an extent but I would say that it wouldn’t change too much. I dare to say that it is not the word it self that carries meaning but the context which it is presented. The word has several connotations and each of them are invoked in different situations. The word ‘Nigga’ at a clan meeting is a derogatory term but in a black community it could show affection or a common bond.

The word it self is interesting from a movie point of view. In Quentin Tarantino’s piece Jackie Brown the word appears so many times that the newspapers felt the need to comment on it. In fact the word appear in almost every movie he made and depending on the scene it connotates different things. For example in Reservoir dog Mr Pink telling Mr. Blonde and Mr. White that they are 'acting like a bunch of niggers.' That is clearly negative term but most of the times the word is used between characters who respect each other.

Of course not everyone liked Quentin for this excessive use of the N-word. Spike Lee for example spoke out against this. My point is that the word it self is charged with meaning but in different situations it will mean different things. So by associate it with a clothing line or a celebrity we simply add one more meaning but not remove another.

The strategy of trying to associate a thing with a feeling is something that the advertisement industry knows everything about. This is common strategy when trying to sell products, just as Wayans want to buy the powerful word ‘Nigga’ to associate to his own brand.

So the word Connotation means that something represents another thing. A picture of a hospital connotates injury or perhaps sickness so it is the meanings we read into what we see that is the connotation. The opposite is Denotation which is what we see. The hospital is exactly what it is, a big house without associations.