Escape to the Movies: Clash of the Titans
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I was expecting a comparison to God of War, but I digress.
As for your views on Greek Drama, Bob, I have to disagree. Destiny is always a nice stand-in for the Gods or God when a man is not controlled by his own will. After all, Hamlet spent half the play debating whether it was his place to enact vengeance or God's, and if he really had any free will in the matter. The Star Wars series has a very strong destiny theme running and if Georgie would've worked it well, Revenge of the Sith would've been a compelling look at how destiny can also work for evil.
It's not so much that the idea of one man's will being subject to a higher power CAN'T work in modern-day cinema, it's just all in how you work it.
As for your views on Greek Drama, Bob, I have to disagree. Destiny is always a nice stand-in for the Gods or God when a man is not controlled by his own will. After all, Hamlet spent half the play debating whether it was his place to enact vengeance or God's, and if he really had any free will in the matter. The Star Wars series has a very strong destiny theme running and if Georgie would've worked it well, Revenge of the Sith would've been a compelling look at how destiny can also work for evil.
It's not so much that the idea of one man's will being subject to a higher power CAN'T work in modern-day cinema, it's just all in how you work it.
If it has big monsters in it, that's all I give a damn about. For once in my life, I only want to see a movie for the special effects. It's too bad it's lacking all the other stuff, but I had absolutely no expectations for this flick beyond seeing mortals battling giant scorpions, kraken, and other insane shit. I'll be too fucked up when I see it to know the difference between cheesy melodrama and Legendary Pictures' trademark 'too-hard-ass-to-be-emotional' brand of drama anyway.
Also, did anyone else expect this movie to be about Zynga vs. Valve? Sam Worthington as Zynga, the Kraken as Valve, and Zeus as all of us escapists who are completely flabbergasted by our monster's defeat? MM humor, anyone?
Also, did anyone else expect this movie to be about Zynga vs. Valve? Sam Worthington as Zynga, the Kraken as Valve, and Zeus as all of us escapists who are completely flabbergasted by our monster's defeat? MM humor, anyone?
Well the thing is today's society isn't exactly as God fearing as they use to be, and when it comes to story. The audience wants their protagonist empowered to where they can take on anything, hence why you have a game like God of War with a mortal as the lead given the chance to kill a God.wildcard9 said:
Today's audience wants that sense of empowerment in their fantasized alter egos, and the only time I've seen it different have been in Lovecraft-esque horror movies.
Maybe if they were to threat this subject matter similar they might just make it work for today's audience while still being respectful to the source material...and even then the audience would still expect a Hollywood ending...>>
He started sounding like the AVGN there by the end, I have also heard it's not as good as the original but I'll still go see it
I... I'm not sure it counts as atheism when you're trying to kill/rebel against literal gods you believe in.
It's not that we atheists don't like gods, the heart of the matter is we believe them to be fictional. Any movie dealing with interaction between man and "real" gods has very little to do with atheism - you can't disbelieve the presence of a thing you're trying to kill.
Despite what your preacher may tell you, atheists aren't looking to usurp the gods. We just think you're all silly.
It's not that we atheists don't like gods, the heart of the matter is we believe them to be fictional. Any movie dealing with interaction between man and "real" gods has very little to do with atheism - you can't disbelieve the presence of a thing you're trying to kill.
Despite what your preacher may tell you, atheists aren't looking to usurp the gods. We just think you're all silly.
What I would like to know is when it became standard practise for gorgons like Medusa to be portrayed with serpentine lower-halfs instead of legs. They're not lamias or nagas. Whenever Medusa, Euryale or Stheno are portrayed they had human bodies, just with added wings and a head with tusks and snake-hair. Yet now if its a gorgon it has to be snake from the waist down as well as the hairdo
In actual mythology Medusa's blood gave birth to vipers in the Sahara. For some reason the original Clash of the Titans decided to make it scorpions.LordVyreth said:
The original Clash diverged a lot from actual mythology (as Bob notes), and I am sure this one does to. I am willing to bet the scorpion scene is really just paying homage to the original since it was one of the more memorable scenes.
I actually just finished writing an article for my school newsletter about Greek mythology and cinema, and you touched upon some interesting points. Mainly, that modern filmmakers don't really seem to understand the dynamic between humans and the gods. The Greeks were, for the most part, a humanist culture, and their gods, with their human drama, flaws, and such, reflected that. Sure, the gods controlled the fates of men, but it was a relaxed and fundamentally intimate relationship, for the sole reason that the Greek gods could be comprehended to a degree.
As opposed to the obtuse, vague, and distant motivation behind saving a dude and the animals in a big boat, completely destroying a regular, faithful guy's life, commanding a chap to ritually sacrifice his own son, smiting a bloke for coitus interruptus, and sentencing your own son to unimaginable torture, humiliation, anguish, and death for the sake of a somewhat mediocre species.
Hollywood shouldn't try to resist and/or reinvent the dynamic, they should be embracing and re-exploring it.
As opposed to the obtuse, vague, and distant motivation behind saving a dude and the animals in a big boat, completely destroying a regular, faithful guy's life, commanding a chap to ritually sacrifice his own son, smiting a bloke for coitus interruptus, and sentencing your own son to unimaginable torture, humiliation, anguish, and death for the sake of a somewhat mediocre species.
Hollywood shouldn't try to resist and/or reinvent the dynamic, they should be embracing and re-exploring it.
Was confused of which movie to see this weekend....This, or 'How to Train Your Dragon'. Would love to know what Bob thinks of 'Dragon, but according to reviews elsewhere it's quite good.
So, I guess it's the 'kiddy' movie over the monster movie. I'd likely enjoy both, but don't have that kind of money, and I'm more of a sucker for good story.
So, I guess it's the 'kiddy' movie over the monster movie. I'd likely enjoy both, but don't have that kind of money, and I'm more of a sucker for good story.
The main problem with this movie from the start?
No CGI, not even Pixar, could match Harryhausen's incredible skill. EVEN Pixar, though I love their work. It'd be like re-making the Muppet Show/Sesame Street as CGI. Just can't be done.
No CGI, not even Pixar, could match Harryhausen's incredible skill. EVEN Pixar, though I love their work. It'd be like re-making the Muppet Show/Sesame Street as CGI. Just can't be done.
His old-timer voice sounds to me like a smokey old hag/hack from Boston. Which makes sense, as Boston/MA/RI locals tend to be the epitome of opinionated and 'stuck in their ways'. Not intended to insult, just what I know from having lived here for too long.Resin213 said: