I’m sure I just sound like a cranky old dude but it is hard to see these films having any redeeming value. The original Halloween was terrifying and it did not contain a single drop of blood. Now THAT took some chops. Resorting to ultra realistic torture and dismemberment as entertainment? It’s just another symptom of how rotten we have become. I mean if you can desensitize yourself to that, how is it possible to care about pretty much anything the Trumps of the world are up to? We are becoming a zero empathy society.
Oh, I get it. Your movie reviews are metaphors for what I can see on my tv any day. There is this orange blob who says very scary things and hopes to take over the civilized world - not to profit from it but to get rid of it. And the best part from his perspective is that the entire production for at least the past 8 years has not cost him anything. People fight each other for the privilege of giving min more money. Now that's scary.
I thought 'Smile' was well-acted and the main concept was brilliantly straightforward, but the number of movies it borrowed concepts and specific scenes from got distracting. I also got frustrated by the number of dream sequence/hallucination misdirects (especially the ending), even when you could see them coming a mile away.
With all the *actual* cartel and highway accident vids available on the web (and updated hourly), I don't get why these celluloid simulations still pull a crowd. Discriminating splatterhounds need a plot?
The silver screen offers a comforting distance from the real, I think. Though there's no shortage of snuff films out there, that's for sure. I had to start blocking every account on Twitter that promoted car crash vids/fight vids/cop shooting vids. It was getting out of hand over there.
To Bill and renzzmar.....does the term "movie critic" ring a bell? What is the point of bashing a professionall film buff who is doing his job? I find his podcasts and reviews a nice respite from all the political mayhem of the day, and I don't even watch movies except for an occasional Netflix or TCM.
Criticism is welcome at the Bulwark among all its contributors, but they have tried to set a standard that involves polite rebuttals.
I think it's great that Sonny appreciates the horror genre. It's so easy to look down one's nose at it. However, more and more, lots of interesting meta-themes, inside jokes, and other fun to be had with the genre.
Don't let the haters below get you down. (I mean, really, if you don't know why you're reading an article, maybe it's not for you? Something to consider.) Keep up the good work!
Oh I know lots of people aren't here for what I write, that's why I always try to guide them to the "manage subscriptions" page. We send a lot of emails, no one is going to be interested in all of them!
Just so long as you know there are many that appreciate it!
BTW, my teenage daughter is a horror film fan (genetics?). I'm looking forward to watching The Substance with her. It always struck me as ironic/funny that horror films are some of the most moralistic preachy movies out there. It sounds like The Substance has some morals to preach. :-)
Hi Bill! I think you meant "drivel," but I understood what you were getting at. The good news is you can opt out of all my emails pretty easily! Just go to the link below and uncheck "Bulwark Goes to Hollywood." You should probably opt out of Across the Movie Aisle as well, though we don't email that one out as often. Thanks for subscribing!
I have no idea what this article was reviewing and I did not read it! I simple saw "Arrested Development" mentioned, so I smiled and happily moved on, remembering a simpler time when pseudo-sophisticated comedy still existed and we could make fun of people for just being bad humans without overt politics and hate and grandstanding and anxiety and panic attacks.
I’m sure I just sound like a cranky old dude but it is hard to see these films having any redeeming value. The original Halloween was terrifying and it did not contain a single drop of blood. Now THAT took some chops. Resorting to ultra realistic torture and dismemberment as entertainment? It’s just another symptom of how rotten we have become. I mean if you can desensitize yourself to that, how is it possible to care about pretty much anything the Trumps of the world are up to? We are becoming a zero empathy society.
Oh, I get it. Your movie reviews are metaphors for what I can see on my tv any day. There is this orange blob who says very scary things and hopes to take over the civilized world - not to profit from it but to get rid of it. And the best part from his perspective is that the entire production for at least the past 8 years has not cost him anything. People fight each other for the privilege of giving min more money. Now that's scary.
['SMIILE' SPOILERS TO FOLLOW]
I thought 'Smile' was well-acted and the main concept was brilliantly straightforward, but the number of movies it borrowed concepts and specific scenes from got distracting. I also got frustrated by the number of dream sequence/hallucination misdirects (especially the ending), even when you could see them coming a mile away.
With all the *actual* cartel and highway accident vids available on the web (and updated hourly), I don't get why these celluloid simulations still pull a crowd. Discriminating splatterhounds need a plot?
The silver screen offers a comforting distance from the real, I think. Though there's no shortage of snuff films out there, that's for sure. I had to start blocking every account on Twitter that promoted car crash vids/fight vids/cop shooting vids. It was getting out of hand over there.
Hard to find electric car crash videos on Twitter, um, X, these days.
To Bill and renzzmar.....does the term "movie critic" ring a bell? What is the point of bashing a professionall film buff who is doing his job? I find his podcasts and reviews a nice respite from all the political mayhem of the day, and I don't even watch movies except for an occasional Netflix or TCM.
Criticism is welcome at the Bulwark among all its contributors, but they have tried to set a standard that involves polite rebuttals.
I think it's great that Sonny appreciates the horror genre. It's so easy to look down one's nose at it. However, more and more, lots of interesting meta-themes, inside jokes, and other fun to be had with the genre.
Don't let the haters below get you down. (I mean, really, if you don't know why you're reading an article, maybe it's not for you? Something to consider.) Keep up the good work!
Oh I know lots of people aren't here for what I write, that's why I always try to guide them to the "manage subscriptions" page. We send a lot of emails, no one is going to be interested in all of them!
Just so long as you know there are many that appreciate it!
BTW, my teenage daughter is a horror film fan (genetics?). I'm looking forward to watching The Substance with her. It always struck me as ironic/funny that horror films are some of the most moralistic preachy movies out there. It sounds like The Substance has some morals to preach. :-)
Just be warned it’s a very hard R! Haha.
Roger that. She's 18, so at this point, seen it all and knows everything. :-)
Why the fuck am I reading this dribble on the Bulwark?
I can't believe how much of this i scanned trying to find something meaningful in it!
Hi Bill! I think you meant "drivel," but I understood what you were getting at. The good news is you can opt out of all my emails pretty easily! Just go to the link below and uncheck "Bulwark Goes to Hollywood." You should probably opt out of Across the Movie Aisle as well, though we don't email that one out as often. Thanks for subscribing!
https://www.thebulwark.com/account?utm_source=footer&utm_medium=email
I have no idea what this article was reviewing and I did not read it! I simple saw "Arrested Development" mentioned, so I smiled and happily moved on, remembering a simpler time when pseudo-sophisticated comedy still existed and we could make fun of people for just being bad humans without overt politics and hate and grandstanding and anxiety and panic attacks.