Nope YOUTUBE EDIT (early access)
Added 2022-10-14 17:22:22 +0000 UTCThis movie was interesting, made VERY WELL!!! Enjoy!
Comments
I wrote a lot, so bear with me but I hope you’ll at least read it because I really enjoyed this film and your reaction but I feel like some of it didn’t quite connect for you. The movie, at least to me, was about the human obsession with spectacle and control, and I haven’t read too much from him but it sounds like that was Peele’s intention too. It feels like you were close to getting the connection between Gordy’s story and the rest of the plot, where Jupe seems to misinterpret his experience as a child and believe he had some sort of special connection with Gordy, and that the upright shoe meant something profound instead of just being a freak accident. Once he discovers the creature above his park, this misunderstanding and obsession then convinces him that this is also a creature he can have a special bond with or control over which is ultimately a mistake. He even goes so far as to invite the girl from his old TV set to the new spectacle, perhaps even as a way to try to reconcile the whole event and its meaning within himself, but that decision kind of speaks to his own hubris. As far as how all of these themes are applicable in a realer sense, there are “explained” videos, but I’d instead encourage you guys to just rewatch the film sometime when you have a chance. I think it’s always much better, at least for me in my film watching journey, to read a little after watching and maybe get a step in the right direction, but then view again to try to make your own connections rather than what someone else has completely connected for you. As for what you guys perceived as meandering in the middle section, I do believe it’s a completely deliberate and measured pace to underscore again and again the absurdity of the group returning to the ranch after everything they’ve seen, still trying to capitalize on this thing they have no real grasp of, even if OJ specifically seems to be doing it for a “morally right” reason. Does that justify their attempts to mess with these things for their own gain? It’s an interesting question. But I think that the drive of this section is theme, rather than explicit plot, or “things happening”. Which connects the last thing I wanted to say, which is that in my opinion the idea that plot = film is a little too narrow minded when faced with the huge breadth of styles of films. Plot can be very important obviously, but plot is not film. It’s not (hopefully) what a movie is about. I think maybe your own perceptions of what this should have been or might be may have unintentionally colored your view of what actually was. This isn’t meant as a harsh criticism or anything because I think it happens to everyone at times, and I think in some ways it’s how modern movie watchers have been conditioned, to expect similar styles, similar beats, etc. over and over again, or in other words how a movie is “supposed” to be. Meanwhile there are directors making wildly non conventional things I still consider really affective, just not in the traditional way. And I don’t even mean super pretentious art stuff, it may still be very accessible or digestible, just different. But I also think I disagree with your takeaway that the movie needs to give you more or be more outwardly explicit, especially in the case of this movie where I feel like it’s given you quite a lot to interpret, especially when compared to say the works of David Lynch for example. Sometimes the digging into it and really thinking it over is the fun part and the rewarding piece of engaging with a movie. Anyways I’ve written way too much so I hope somebody reads it, but I’ve really enjoyed watching the reactions of you both for a couple years now and this specific one just got me thinking a lot about general interaction with non-conventional structure and storytelling in larger release movies. Hope you’re all great and look forward to the next one!
Derek Jolstead
2022-10-15 18:12:39 +0000 UTCI don't know why, but this movie for some reason reminds me of "Frequency" from 2000. Completely different plot, but I'd love to see you guys react to that if you haven't seen it. xD
Alex FairysnailTails
2022-10-14 19:43:11 +0000 UTC
