tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post1611972744668755986..comments2024-03-28T22:17:48.180+00:00Comments on Conservative Tendency: Death of an art formMark Englishhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03506844097173520312noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post-51297068559803598972014-01-19T13:03:30.463+00:002014-01-19T13:03:30.463+00:00I looked up Yahoo's top 100 films for 2013 and...I looked up Yahoo's top 100 films for 2013 and found I had seen only two of them, so you can ignore anything I've got to say on the topic.<br /><br />I did think Lincoln was a great film, but it was No 67 for 2012. I'd call that film social realism and very well done.<br /><br />I'd say Harry Potter is tied very strongly to a very narrow culture (English public school) yet it is also very accessible to kids who've never seen or even read about any such school. One of the basic facts about kids is that they relate so well to dinosaurs.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16898681927233029900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post-78704684081073851362014-01-19T00:35:41.667+00:002014-01-19T00:35:41.667+00:00On the fantasy issue: perhaps the genre is widely ...On the fantasy issue: perhaps the genre is widely popular (in film as well as books) in part because these works are not tied to any real (particular) culture.<br /><br />Personally, I've always gravitated to social realism which, if it is done properly, really calls for an audience which knows (or at least is interested in learning) the subtleties of the culture in question.<br /><br />I like some romantic comedies though. Would they count as fantasy?Mark Englishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506844097173520312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post-19580717034552649522014-01-18T12:03:36.787+00:002014-01-18T12:03:36.787+00:00Alan, I don't deny that there is popular deman...Alan, I don't deny that there is popular demand (at least amongst certain groups) for the kind of moral content you allude to, and it may well be that I was underestimating the comparative size and economic significance of the groups in question.<br /><br />I read recently that Bryan Forbes said that <em>Whistle Down the Wind</em> (a film which had the sorts of moral qualities you allude to) was his most popular and profitable film.Mark Englishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506844097173520312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post-71949168772379343392014-01-17T11:19:13.597+00:002014-01-17T11:19:13.597+00:00Fantasies. Yeah. The deepest question asked this y...Fantasies. Yeah. The deepest question asked this year (so far) is, can you really be in love with a computer. The Sci-Fi of AI is getting bigger lately. I bet within a couple of years, HAL - The Sequel. "I'm sorry. I can't do that, Dave."GTChristiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14390368105725901371noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post-90999504158066624752014-01-17T00:34:16.234+00:002014-01-17T00:34:16.234+00:00The story I heard (from a producer) was that Holly...The story I heard (from a producer) was that Hollywood has been transformed by the techniques you describe but not with the result you assert. The public made it clear that what they want is films with less nihilism and with more moral meaning. You may find these films a bit bland, but that's another matter. Meaningless violence (Natural Born Killers would be a good example) is out. Toy Story, Lord of the Rings and Harry Potter are in.Alanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16898681927233029900noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post-43020459453776414072014-01-16T01:01:23.125+00:002014-01-16T01:01:23.125+00:00What's interesting is that even despite all th...What's interesting is that even despite all these crass, quantitative maneuverings, the film industry seems to be struggling – presumably because those dollars are now being spent on other things (like gadgets and games).Mark Englishhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03506844097173520312noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4964847228497363438.post-88492153423553870722014-01-15T13:07:18.665+00:002014-01-15T13:07:18.665+00:00Yes I know the deal. Bean-counting crass commercia...Yes I know the deal. Bean-counting crass commercialism pandering to the attention span of an 18 year old (or less). As housewife humorist Erma Bombeck once said, "The children have many dollars." GTChristiehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14390368105725901371noreply@blogger.com