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Post by Knygathin on Jan 21, 2020 19:31:01 GMT
A History of Violence, I actually liked a lot though it isn't horror or sci-fi - it's a straightforward crime/thriller, with themes around whether people are defined by their past actions, or whether they can escape their pasts and become better people (if allowed by others to do so). I certainly wouldn't describe it as "overly PC", or as being PC at all - in fact, it's arguably more subversive than a lot of his other work. In a review someone else put the question of whether, or not, Cronenberg through this film made a stand against the violence of his earlier films. The conceivable specific PC element of this film, might be a stand against violence, or rather, disguised propaganda against people's right to use violence, and weapons, to defend themselves, to ultimately in the end have modeled a population that is easy to control for the rulers. I don't know, since I don't know the full story. The film's main character hero is a master of violence, but the ultimate message of the film may be a different matter. Still, it was made 15 years ago, times were perhaps a little different, and looser. I will watch this film.
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Post by Dr Strange on Jan 21, 2020 19:32:34 GMT
A History of violence I never watched. Which in retrorespect was strange, as I am a big fan of John Wagner who did the comic. I guess Cronenberg just slipped of my list after a few disappointments. I can't image it being PC, as it had the luck being produced before it smothered everything. Well, I don't think I had ever realised that it was based on a graphic novel until now. It is very good, keeps you guessing along the way, and is, um... let's say "morally ambiguous" - which I guess is just another way of saying that it definitely is not PC.
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Post by Dr Strange on Jan 21, 2020 19:41:38 GMT
In a review someone else put the question of whether, or not, Cronenberg through this film made a stand against the violence of his earlier films. The conceivable specific PC element of this film, might be a stand against violence, or rather, disguised propaganda against people's right to use violence, and weapons, to defend themselves, to ultimately in the end have modeled a population that is easy to control for the rulers. No, personally I don't think that was the message at all. In fact, I could see someone putting forward exactly the opposite view - that it could be seen as legitimising violence (at least in certain, albeit extreme, situations). Honestly though, I don't think it actually does either of those things - it is a sort of "meditation" on the cultural meaning and functions of violence, but it doesn't come up with any clear-cut answers to the questions it raises. As I said in the post above this one - it is morally ambiguous (and deliberately so) on the whole issue.
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Post by bluetomb on Jan 21, 2020 19:44:29 GMT
It is true that RABID superficially resembles a zombie film. But an utterly demented one. I mean, it is about a woman who develops a phallic, blood-sucking appendage. In her armpit. Don't forget that the woman is played by a legendary star of, uh, naughty films, in one of her few mainstream roles.
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Post by Knygathin on Jan 21, 2020 19:47:08 GMT
A History of violence I never watched. Which in retrorespect was strange, as I am a big fan of John Wagner who did the comic. I guess Cronenberg just slipped of my list after a few disappointments. I can't image it being PC, as it had the luck being produced before it smothered everything.
It was produced by New Line Cinema, which at the time I believe was kind of, or relatively, independent. But NLC was swallowed up by the giants in 2007. And after that they manipulated the colors in the new Blu-ray edition of the Lord of the Rings films, and they produced the quite PC Hobbit films.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Jan 21, 2020 19:50:28 GMT
It is true that RABID superficially resembles a zombie film. But an utterly demented one. I mean, it is about a woman who develops a phallic, blood-sucking appendage. In her armpit. Don't forget that the woman is played by a legendary star of, uh, naughty films, in one of her few mainstream roles. Trust me, I never forget this. It is one of the many things that make RABID so interesting. (I was inspired to watch it again, and am now about half-way through. It is wonderfully odd. The attack on a car by a pair of construction workers is a classic.)
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Jan 21, 2020 19:52:26 GMT
they manipulated the colors Every little detail must be just right for their grand scheme to be effective.
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Post by Knygathin on Jan 21, 2020 20:03:44 GMT
Remains to discuss Cronenberg's Crash (1996) then? I have not seen it. It is another of those films I stayed away from, ... thought it would be too unpleasant.
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Post by andydecker on Jan 21, 2020 20:04:01 GMT
Don't forget that the woman is played by a legendary star of, uh, naughty films, in one of her few mainstream roles. Trust me, I never forget this. It is one of the many things that make RABID so interesting. Heh. And her work was indeed good. Better as many "straight" actresses working in horror movies.
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Post by andydecker on Jan 21, 2020 20:10:25 GMT
Remains to discuss Cronenberg's Crash (1996) then? I have not seen it. It is another of those films I stayed away from, ... thought it would be too unpleasant. It is.
I only watched this on video once, and never could get into it. But cars don't interest me much, so a lot didn't work for me. In the age of the hybrid and plastic car I guess it must be terribly dated.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Jan 21, 2020 20:28:02 GMT
Remains to discuss Cronenberg's Crash (1996) then? I have not seen it. It is another of those films I stayed away from, ... thought it would be too unpleasant. It is. I only watched this on video once, and never could get into it. But cars don't interest me much, so a lot didn't work for me. In the age of the hybrid and plastic car I guess it must be terribly dated.
Ballard's novel had an extremely powerful effect on me as a teenager. Thinking about it now, without ever having read it again, it feels like the best thing I ever read in my life. So I must carefully avoid ever reading it again, as it is impossible for it, or anything, to actually be that good. The film I have seen, but remember nothing about.
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Post by Jojo Lapin X on Jan 21, 2020 20:41:57 GMT
Oh, and CRASH, the novel, inspired The Normal's "Warm Leatherette," later ingeniously covered by Grace Jones on an album that changed the world of music forever. CRASH, the novel, is just one of those one-of-a-kind phenomena. Like Brian D'Amato's BEAUTY, another novel I found totally absorbing back in the day and am now afraid of revisiting.
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Post by Swampirella on Jan 21, 2020 21:10:58 GMT
Don't forget that the woman is played by a legendary star of, uh, naughty films, in one of her few mainstream roles. Trust me, I never forget this. It is one of the many things that make RABID so interesting. (I was inspired to watch it again, and am now about half-way through. It is wonderfully odd. The attack on a car by a pair of construction workers is a classic.) I never forget that part of it was shot at the local Mall not far from where I live/d & still visit frequently. Half the the place was demolished & replaced by overpriced houses in the 90s due to poor sales. Almost all the stores have changed, certainly the ones in the trailer are long gone.
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Post by bluetomb on Jan 22, 2020 0:34:32 GMT
Trust me, I never forget this. It is one of the many things that make RABID so interesting. (I was inspired to watch it again, and am now about half-way through. It is wonderfully odd. The attack on a car by a pair of construction workers is a classic.) I never forget that part of it was shot at the local Mall not far from where I live/d & still visit frequently. Half the the place was demolished & replaced by overpriced houses in the 90s due to poor sales. Almost all the stores have changed, certainly the ones in the trailer are long gone. That's cool and then sad It has some good mall madness. Must see if I can dig up my copy one of these days.
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Post by bluetomb on Jan 22, 2020 1:02:45 GMT
On a related note I saw Cronenberg's 2014 film Maps to the Stars a few months back. I liked it a fair deal, thought that while it didn't have anything especially new to say with its messed up Hollywood types, it was engagingly executed. Chilly style, tight performances, suitably nasty. Has that good old Cronenberg experimental treatment of the body and mind.
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