Crash is one ***FUCKED*** up film

[el presidente Highsteppa]

And it's on CBC right now. Just started.

From the Ministry of any opinions? I couldn't make heads or tails of this....

Prime Minister Highsteppa

 

[terrawrist III]

cronenberg right?...or is it lynch!

I get them confused all the time especially when their films are so alike.

 

[silver1]

Yes, yes it is.

 

[silver1]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by silver1:
Yes, yes it is.</font>

re: crash is fucked up.

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by terrawrist III:
cronenberg right?...or is it lynch!

I get them confused all the time especially when their films are so alike.</font>

Cronenberg. I usually like his films, they're complicated and something you have to think about. But this.... this..... I don't know. I was really kind of unsure of what to think when it came to this, as it has a threadbare story and just seems to wander from sex scene to sex scene like a porno. I couldn't tell whether it was a joke, a comment on society taking pleasure from technology, human/machine relations being taken to the next level or what. The fact that just about everyone delivers their lines deadpan just adds to the confusion.

From the Ministry of no opinion as of yet, discussed it with many different people, and still haven't gotten a firm answer.

Prime Minister Highsteppa

 

[Trini]

One of the few films that I had walked out on in a theatre.

 

[Temper Tantrum]

It's cronenberg, and he's canadian

I remember reading an article about how they invented a special award to give to it after it showed at the sundance film festival.

You have to have a really open mind to appreciate the artistic benefit of this film me thinks

~allie~

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

Sex with the wound not do anything for ya bro?

From the Ministry of wound porn (in a litteral sense)

Prime Minister Highsteppa

 

[Cri]

I can't watch it right now...

but I have always been curious...

 

[feisty boy]

crap....

i'm too tired to really verbalize my thoughts, but it's something along the lines of : if something only becomes art because it's so confusing and open to interpretation and bla bla bla, 'what is he trying to say, it's so brilliant'... well, imo, it's just meandering crap

i remember when it came out so many people were of the opinion "if you don't like it, it's just because you don't GET it"...
that argument has always irritated me - if it was actually properly executed, we would "get" it

i wish i could phrase my opinion eloquently, but hey, it's just my opinion

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Temper Tantrum:
It's cronenberg, and he's canadian

I remember reading an article about how they invented a special award to give to it after it showed at the sundance film festival.
</font>

That was Cannes.

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">
You have to have a really open mind to appreciate the artistic benefit of this film me thinks

~allie~</font>

What artistic benefit is that?

From the Ministry of I can buy artistic benefit, but it sometimes needs to be explained in certain formats (like film).

Prime Minister Highsteppa

 

[SlipperyPete]

gotta read the novel for school -- looks pretty twisted, but I don't want to see the movie before reading the book -- it'll fuck things up for me I think...

 

[Housey D]

I've watched this film twice and haven't found any artistic merit within it.
It's a pretty pointless movie if you ask me.

 

[JayIsBored]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by Cri:
I can't watch it right now...</font>

cause you're too damn horny?

 

[el presidente Highsteppa]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by feisty boy:
crap....

i'm too tired to really verbalize my thoughts, but it's something along the lines of : if something only becomes art because it's so confusing and open to interpretation and bla bla bla, 'what is he trying to say, it's so brilliant'... well, imo, it's just meandering crap

i remember when it came out so many people were of the opinion "if you don't like it, it's just because you don't GET it"...
that argument has always irritated me - if it was actually properly executed, we would "get" it</font>

And that's what I mean, an artist, imho, should be able to articulate what he/she has done and the intention behind it. When an artist says "you either get it, or you don't" that just says to me one of several things:

1) Bi polar or some other mood disorder
2) Insane
3) Realizes that the viewer is onto his/her con
4) Just got really hammered one night, decided to paint, and can't remember what the fuck he/she was doing.
5) Just was bored, couldn't be bothered to try to do something meaningful (and all art imho has meaning. It is a definition of our culture and our society).
6) Is a lazy shit that knows that there isn't much talent in what he/she has done, but is trying to use intimidation to get to you to see things his/her way.
7) Just can't articulate what it is he/she has done.

I know there's going to be plenty of people that are going to give me shit for this, but every peice of art has it's reason and intention for existing. You draw something as your subject for a reason. No matter what it is, no matter how much you deny that you had no choice in the subject, you picked it for a reason. And that's the thing. All the interviews I have seen with Cronenberg explaining the film, has resulted in him dancing around the issue and not really answering what the film is about. Maybe it is multi layered in its meaning, but I'd like to get an idea of what it is he had in mind.

I do believe that art is what you as a person take away from it. But I also think it's what the artist intended it to be.

From the Ministry of my rant.

Prime Minister Highsteppa

 

[HappyJR]

I think he made is as the kind of movie that just makes you think "What the fuck?" as you're watching it...

As far as artistic merit... well... it's creepy as hell, I'll give it that. And... maybe he's trying to make a point in that watching it, you might be aroused by some really sick stuff, and it's supposed to make you question who you are as a person, or... something...

But it relies too much on shock value.

Personally, I think it's ok, but I think it's really an attempt at black commedy, without the commedy...

 

[BEtonka]

I just take it at it's face value right now cuz I am too tired and me thinks it's just a porn with an excuse.

Cheerios
BEata

 

[BEtonka]

I just take it at its face value right now cuz I am too tired and me thinks it's just a porn with an excuse.

Cheerios
BEata

 

[ThePlunger]

I love this movie. Stunning cinematography, set design, and writing. The score is sooooooooooo creepy. Never have I seen a movie which can evoke such a diverse number of reactions in anyone who watches it. It borders on experimenting on the audience (emotionally, morally).

When it premiered in Toronto (after Cannes), Cronenberg took audience questions after the screening. It was a pleasure to be there just to see so many different reactions, especially from people who were all there because they were either critics, or huge cronenberg fans (me).

Matt

 

[feisty boy]

<font face="Verdana, Arial" size="2">Originally posted by el presidente Highsteppa:


I do believe that art is what you as a person take away from it. But I also think it's what the artist intended it to be.

From the Ministry of my rant.

Prime Minister Highsteppa
</font>

THANK YOU.
exactly my view. film even more so than other, more abstract and less 'audience' oriented art forms...

if an artist is unable to actually convey what was in their head, even if only in part, then they have failed....
sure, there is the exception to the rule - someone who is 'tortured' and art serves as an outlet....
but for the most part, (and especially in film), it is there to make the audience feel SOME intended emotion, philosophy, whatever...

so when filmmakers fall back on the whole "oh, i'm subverting the medium" or anything like that, 99% of the time it's a coverup for something that they failed, as a filmmaker, to acheive

but of course debating art and its meaning and purpose is a pretty futile endeavor, so maybe i'll just go to bed

 

[seeker]

art is quite subjective. and this film -- bad or good -- seems to have gotten you all talking. i suppose that's the point.

i haven't seen this one, but i really like cronenberg. his films are always entertaining, and leave you asking questions -- even if it's just "what the *hell* is going on?!"

 

[Smiley Jo]

Ya, well get this.
Someone took me to see this on a first date.

Nice choice.

Joanna

 

[janiecakes]

i thought this movie was alright at best, but the book by j.g. ballard is pretty good.

i also think that just because a filmmaker isn't handing you a nicely packaged story that takes no effort to take in doesn't mean they're not getting their message across.

it just means that movie audiences that are used to hollywood kak are lazy. so you have to work a little to get it, big whoop.

that being said, some films that are all annoyingly artsy just for the sake of being annoyingly artsy are lame. i don't know if i think crash is one of them, but i don't think it was a great movie either.

 

[janiecakes]

http://www.flf.com/crash/cmp/ballard.html

http://www.flf.com/crash/cmp/cronenberg.html

 

[janiecakes]

http://www.jgballard.com/