17 replies to this topic

[a1s]

I was in an argument recently about Intellectuality of American cinema (the middle 80% of it, if you take away the dumbest 10% and the smartest 10%), and what locals think of it. So now I want to ask yo people what you think.

[Eagle of Fire]

I voted 3 and last...

[DakaSha]

im american and dont think that many are... and i think some are meant to be and others not

[Blood-Pigggy]

This is going to be dumb. I can already tell someone is going to mention Japanese cinema and that's going to make me tear my hair out.

American film is no more contrived than that of many other nations, it's just far more marketed. If you want to see utter crap go look at Turkish or several Indian movies, the pure amount of unadulterated crap that eeks out of every nation in the world.

Of course you're going to get the turds that mention Japanese or Korean cinema, but those blockheads don't realize that both those countries' markets are just as clogged with rehashes and remakes as we do. Chalk it up to culture, but since American film coincides with much of European film, we're far less suited to Eastern and Eurasian movies. Therefore we think them original for some reason.

You're not going to find purely original or completely "intellectually stimulating" cinema from any nation except maybe Mexico, and then you can only really scrye out an appropriate number when it comes to directors (Guillermo del Toro, Alejandro Jodorwosky, Luis Bunuel) and various cinema from countries such as Italy and the Czech Republic.

Although Italy is so infested with pretentious douchewads that their "intelligent" cinema is just another form of stupidity, preachy incoherent artsy crap. Much like Irreversible is a French piece of crap that is pretentious and preachy.

Personally, I think the only difference between American cinema and that of the rest of the world is that it is marketed more.

I'm an American resident and I said some films are supposed to be smart while others are not. I said sort of/maybe, because you can't slap a percentage on this. Some people think The Strangers is a unique and intelligent film, but I recognize it as a terrible rip off of Funny Games.

I'm not looking for intelligent commentary while watching Heavy Metal, but if I pick up a Criterion Collection DVD I expect to be something that isn't retarded.

[Juni Ori]

"no, and I'm not from America"
But, as BP said, there are lots of movies without a real thought out there, no matter where they are filmed. At best Hollywood can produce exemplary movies, but their biggest sin is that they advertise all of their production so much that even the scum is well known everywhere, while elsewhere - with less money to marketing - it has to be good to be well known and to really make money.

"yes, but not too much"
I think that entertainment, be that in whatever form, should always be somehow smart. Not that you should always be thinking deep philosophical questions, but that some thoughts come into mind, where they can merge with other similars and grow. Pointless fun just isn't enough for a full movie.

[Blood-Pigggy]

Juni Ori, on Jun 26 2008, 03:15 PM, said:

"yes, but not too much"
I think that entertainment, be that in whatever form, should always be somehow smart. Not that you should always be thinking deep philosophical questions, but that some thoughts come into mind, where they can merge with other similars and grow. Pointless fun just isn't enough for a full movie.

If every movie was as intricate and well done as a Hong Kong John Woo flick we'd have a lot better movies out there, but we also wouldn't have a lot of the best Kung Fu movies.

In my opinion sometimes people should purposely stray away from intellectual content. I'm not exactly looking to stretch my brain muscle when watching a Shaw Brothers film.

[Juni Ori]

Well, that's only you.

[Frodo]

Talking about films, did that Lordi film ever get released?  

[Juni Ori]

Yep. Dark Floors. Should be available in UK.

[Moogle]

I agree with Piggy.
Also, I'd like to note, mainly to address the concept of Japanese cinema vs. American cinema, that American films have a WAY higher budget than the average Japanese film. And due to this many American film companies are less willing to take risks with an "intellectual" film and instead release something they know will work and will cater to the masses (let's try and stray away from though whole "Americans are dumb simpletons" crap though please). And while one could say "well why not just then make a film with a lower budget" there still are films with lower budgets, but due to the lack of marketing (as mentioned by Piggy) they tend to slip into the unnoticed background.

Also, I am curious as to what you mean by "intellectual". I can think of many films that were excellent dramas (Requiem for a dream, The Pianist, Little miss sunshine, etc) but didn't really make me question / think about anything too much. Also, "intellectual simulation" seems to be a largely subjective term as one person could see a film about something and be deeply affected wheras a different person could see it and simply "oh".

[Japofran]

I assume you're equalling "smart" to "pretentious". Of course every movie should be smartly made, even if it's a dumb comedy or a gorefest (like Tarantino's).

Most American movies don't feed my intellect, but they don't destoy it either--unlike Spanish tax-sponsored cinema.

[Sean]

Americans are dumb.

End of debate.

[Eagle of Fire]

That's also what I often think about Europeans...  

Truth is: the average citizen of any country is a *unintelligent buttocks*...

[Juni Ori]

Actually I think that both sides are guilty to some sort of arrogance, but the difference is that especially in the States people are perhaps more eager to brag. Of course such comparison is always biased and even offensive. I have always thought that educational elite is too easy to be the reason for such bragging. Of course educational equality has its benefits, but so does elitism. Taken these two ends into extreme I think equality is better, because I think it doesn't courage the less educated as much to extreme actions.

Immediate edit: Of course North American says that the average is unintelligent buttocks, when they don't know better...

[Blood-Pigggy]

You retard, most Europeans are arrogant because they say that Americans are arrogant and stupid.

Everyone is stupid, America is just a big country with a large population and therefore more stupidity.