Steven Quentin del Toro Abrams presents a BLOG by PeJota

I get it, it sells movie tickets, and they aren't completely lying, but I think studio marketing departments need to quit using '"Big name director" presents so and so...' or at least find a different way of letting us know a certain respected director is endorsing a movie. I've already read one too many articles about Don't Be Afraid of the Dark where the movie's successes and/or failures, and vision are being directly attributed to Guillermo del Toro, going as far as erroneously credit him as the director. His credits on the film are as one of the writers and producers. He's most certainly a contributor to the film, but he wasn't there on set calling the shots.

I'm glad visionary, influential, and respected directors are using their name to get movies made that would have otherwise had a difficult time getting produced. And giving unknown directors the opportunity to show their talents. But I find that the marketing departments exploit that fact to the point where even film critics mistake his/her name as being the films author. It takes credit way from the hard working people who were really there during production, putting their vision on [digital]celluloid. In this case it's Troy Nixey, who's never done a feature film, but did an awesome short called Latchkey's Lament which no doubt caught del Toro's attention.

Part of my beef stems from the fact that even some film journalists seem to be falling for that little bit of marketing. Isn't it their job to know who are the different people behind making the movie?

I guess the one good thing that can come of this is that if the movie doesn't do well, critically and/or commercially, a lot of the blame will fall on del Toro, who can take the hit, so that those more directly responsible with the film can come out relatively unscathed and get a second chance on making their mark.

Mood: Pissed!

LelekPL at 09:15 AM Aug 24

Troy Nixey directed Latchkey's Lament? That was an impressive, unique and quite wierd short. I really dug it.
But I have to agree, the same thing happened with Super 8. Most people over here were saying "You want to go see the new Spielberg movie?" I know Steven's very engaged in most of his projects even the ones he's producing, heck he was controlling how Animaniacs were doing, but still this was an Abrmas movie and many people seemed to never have gotten that memo

cerealkiller182 at 09:56 AM Aug 24

It isnt the studio's fault that people, especially journalists who have no excuse, suck at research.

What is a horror movie? (Golden Schmoes Edition!)

So the all-important Schmoes d'Or are upon us (suck it, Academy!) and everyone's posting what their picks are, stirring some discussion among us MFCers. A few people have questioned why Black Swan is nominated in the horror list (hey, we nominated it so a lot of us mus think it's horror), even Jim Law and Moreno questioned it in their podcast.

So what is horror? Much like how not everybody finds the same things funny, not everybody has the same fears, or finds the same things disgusting or repulsive. But I guess we can all agree as far as movies go, a comedy's overall intent is to be humorous. Laughter is so easy to identify (assuming it's a good comedy) that we can overlook the sub-genres the movie may be infused with that and still call it a comedy. Take Zombieland, it has horror-elements, but it's also funny so it's a horror/comedy, yet, we'd probably agree that it's a comedy first.

It gets a little trickier with horror, because most people will try to define it based on the most commonly associated elements like ghosts, monsters, and repulsive/unsettling blood, gore, and brutality. But as soon as other elements are mixed it, it might start diluting the horror elements. I refuse to call the Twilight movies 'horror' (okay, it was pretty damn horrific to have to sit through that). I think they're mostly just fantasy films.

So in our Golden Shmoes horror category we got Black Swan, The Crazies, Let Me In, Piranha 3D, and Shutter Island. The Crazies is the most easily identifiable as a horror movie. I can't speak for Shutter Island because I haven't seen it yet, but based on what I've read and seen it looks a bit like a haunted house movie.

Let Me In, just like the original Swedish flick, includes a healthy dose of drama and romance, but the tension and creepiness created by Abby's scary vampire side (she could probably make any Twilight vamp her bitch), as well as her caretaker's dedication to feeding her blood-lust permeates through the whole movie, hence making it a horror movie.

Piranha 3D plays up the B-movie angle and is as over-the-top as it can be. So is it still horror? I say it still is. It uses all the elements that could be found in any monster/horror flick and relishes in them with glee. It just sits in that fun little B-movie corner of the horror camp. It's got the monsters, crazy blood, and lots gore (and boobies, boobies, boobies!).

Finally Black Swan. Do I think it's a horror movie? Yes (hell yes, I voted for it). It's the story of a virginal ballerina who plunges herself so deep into the role of the Black Swan she almost literally becomes a monster. The body-horror DNA burns through this movie's veins like xenomorph's blood. She's haunted by unsettling events that may or may not be real; as she loses control of reality her body progressively changes in painful (seemingly supernatural) ways, mixing in some good psychological horror.

I may be a bit biased just because one of the things I find most terrifying is losing control over myself. Things like becoming senile or Alzheimer's scare me more than death ever could. The thought that I'd lose grip with reality and my world (or myself) becomes a vaguely familiar, yet dangerous place or person is scary. In Black Swan Nina is scared shitless of herself, but she can't stop it. That's some true horror right there.

Mood: Chillin'

Sylar Victim #420 at 03:41 PM Feb 15

Timmy, you are by far one of my favorite schmoes on MFC but I just can't get down with what you're saying. Even though Black Swan and Psycho both have similarities in people "going mad", I think Psycho is justified in being classified as horror much more than Black Swan.

Norman Bates is a horrific character who does horrific things based on his madness, he belongs to an elite group of psychotic characters in film. You can easily put Bates in the same class as people like Michael Myers, The Firefly Clan, Leatherface, etc. Black Swan just doesn't fit into that category. I'm sorry but, I know horror, Black Swan just doesn't fit the bill.

Sylar Victim #420 at 03:46 PM Feb 15

Also, I really hate to break it down this simply, but let's say you decide to go to your local Best Buy or something to grab a copy of Black Swan, would you head straight to the horror section expecting it to be on the shelf?

PeJota at 05:52 PM Feb 15

Hey guys,

in the end a good movie is a good movie is a good movie. Y'know?

I'm just fascinated by how people define genres, because sometimes it's easy to put a movie under a certain group and other times it can fit under several. Also what elements people essential to a genre.

Sylar, I liked your argument that in a way BS being in the horror category kinda took took away from another movie's possibility of being there. Especially since it's already in so many other categories. But the Golden Schmoes are decided by us so it's pretty clear most Schmoes consider it a horror flick. Hell, Arrow talked and raved about it so much I wouldn't be surprised if he considered it a horror movie (not that his opinion would make it any more or less of a horror movie).

I had nominated Frozen back at that stage. I wonder if it came close to being nominated. I thought that was a pretty sweet movie.

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Shit You'd Like to See... #3

Haven't we had enough already? Jumping into the overcrowded zombie film arena, I bring you an “historical-future-fiction ‘found-footage’ zombie movie".

Décomposition:

At the outset of a zombie apocalypse, controversial director Gaspar Noé rigs a solar powered camera with hard-drive to a recently undead in order to record a genuine first-person account of the “life” of a zombie. A unique tale of survival of the most primordial kind, we witness the sudden, tragic end of human civilization at the hands and mouth of a ravenous zombie. The rapid ascension of zombie-kind to the top of the food chain takes its toll; with food suddenly non-existent, what are these decaying creatures of impulse to do?

Critic’s quotes:

“‘The Road’ for lovers of Romero!”

“Far from brainless…as profound a cautionary tale as there’s ever been.”

“You’ll never fantasize about a zombie apocalypse ever again!”

Mood: Bored

Shit You'd Like to See... #2

Taking a queue from one of my previous status updates, I bring you the following film...

The Godfocker:

A sequel nearly three decades in the making, the Fockers are back, and this time the clan is all grown up. After building up a successful walk-in clinic empire, Greg Focker's left the business in the hands of his youngest son, Richard, in order to enjoy his retirement years. Problems soon arise when Donald, the middle of Focker children, is the prime suspect in a government investigation cracking down on the illegal distribution of prescription drugs. The Feds connect the dots to the Focker clinics, and it's only a matter of time before Greg and the rest of the Fockers are in the government's sights. Greg is forced to step in, with the help of his twin children, Henry and Samantha, now successful lawyers, and save the family business.

Critic's quotes:

"The Fockers finally stick it to the man. It's about Focking time!"

"The humor is just as biting as the political commentary..."

Mood: Chillin'

Shit You'd Like to See...#1

Because I write movie synopses as part of my job I often come up with fake ones when the inspiration strikes me. I'll start posting some here for shits and giggles.

That's the picture that inspired this flick.

Blithe Spirits:

Stella, a mother and wife, as well as former witch, has had enough of her husband's philandering. After raising two unappreciative daughters, both born out of wedlock to other women, she cannot bear the shame anymore. Tapping into her long suppressed supernatural powers, she casts a spell on her family: the girls will tempt their father with seduction, with the hopes of teaching him the error of his ways. But her husband begins to fall for temptation, threatening the last shreds of dignity their family has left. Making matters worse, Stella’s can’t seem to undo her spell. Realizing her mistake she must now use her powers to try to steer her family on a respectable path.

Critics quotes:

“Incest has never been so enchanting!”

Mood: Bored

randychico at 09:12 AM Nov 16

Yes, I'd like to see that... that's an awesome job you got there, how'd you come upon it?

PeJota at 09:51 AM Nov 16

The job is actually pretty tedious, but the hours are flexible and it pays decent.

Anyway... the company needed a native Spanish speaker, to, among other things, write synopses in Spanish for the movies we didn't get sent/couldn't find press materials for.