tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post2495329706558988533..comments2024-03-27T10:27:59.266-04:00Comments on John Kenneth Muir's Reflections on Cult Movies and Classic TV: CULT MOVIE REVIEW: Clash of the Titans (2010)John Kenneth Muirhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comBlogger10125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-56620450480347161532010-08-16T11:54:50.555-04:002010-08-16T11:54:50.555-04:00DLR: I am very definitely serious. I've been ...DLR: I am very definitely serious. I've been thinking about this a lot lately. Why so many "big" fantasy or event movies feel empty inside; or like reruns of older, better films. I've thought a lot about why our pop culture sometimes seems sick and petty. And a lot of it comes down to the hero's journey, the prominence of revenge, and the like. There is another paradigm, it just needs to be lifted into the spotlight. I'm working on that (boy, that sounds grandiose!!!)<br /><br />J.D. I totally agree with you that this Clash lacked the same kind of visceral impact on the imagination that the first one had. I don't know why, exactly. It did feel more flat --- it didn't have great highs or great lows, really. It just kind of hummed along, and nothing felt of life or death importance. And yet, I didn't hate it. I could see why a kid would really dig it, and I was, if not thrilled, certainly diverted by it!<br /><br />Le0pard13: Thanks, my friend, for the clarification on Calibos and his origin, as well as the great comment. I was very much on the fence about this movie. I had grave concerns about how the story was told, at the same time that I appreciated several touches. Good thing I have room on the blog to debate the positive and the negative -- this movie cries out for a look at both. It's not all bad, in my opion, yet also not all good. Does that make me indecisive? :)<br /><br />best to everyone!<br /><br />JohnJohn Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-30336483511174826022010-08-16T11:30:54.017-04:002010-08-16T11:30:54.017-04:00Another of your fine film examinations and comment...Another of your fine film examinations and commentary, John. I agree with much of your analysis and it offers a cogent argument with the culture war going on. However, I do question the following:<br /><br />"<i>Not only has Perseus lost a mother, but his biological father has been transformed into a monster, Calibos.</i>"<br /><br />Calibos was indeed transformed into a monster (and the character's relationship used very differently in the 2010 film), but he was <i>not</i> Perseus' biological father. As was explained in the 1981 version, but shown in this one, Zeus transformed himself, seduced and impregnated Perseus' mother. He is in fact his father. You couldn't produce a <i>demigod</i> otherwise (if Calibos was his dad).<br /><br />Certainly, the wrongs done to Perseus (biological mother and his entire adopted family wiped out), do make revenge a high motivation for the demigod. And we do get a Pegasus for our times. I saw this in the theatre in 3D (which was poorly done and made it too muddy and dark). It looks way better in Blu-ray Disc, though.<br /><br />My wife, too, didn't like it (though both of my kids, did). She was heard to say, "<i>Just like Disney, they're always killing the mother!</i>" For me, I found I enjoyed it better on second viewing. And I have to tell you, I really got a kick out of the character Solon's humorous asides throughout the film. From his, "<i>Just leave it!</i>" (the Bubo reference) to the Medusa's lair quip, "<i>Not exactly confidence inspiring...</i>" He was easily my favorite character.<br /><br />Thanks very much for this, John.le0pard13https://www.blogger.com/profile/09421175808461787862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-91222732934686877362010-08-16T10:06:40.454-04:002010-08-16T10:06:40.454-04:00Yeah, also count me as a supporter of LICENCE TO K...Yeah, also count me as a supporter of LICENCE TO KILL (Carey Lowell!) and QUANTUM OF SOLACE which I really enjoyed and felt was a great companion piece to CASINO ROYALE.<br /><br />As for CLASH OF THE TITANS, the one passage from your review really stuck in my mind:<br /><br />"My three year-old son could watch this Clash of the Titans and not be bothered in the slightest by Medusa's presence or appearance, whereas I wouldn't let him near the original film for several more years, because of Harryhausen's suggestion and intimation of terror in the Medusa sequence. Medusa was a nightmarish, legitimately scary creature in the original. Here, she's spectacular and amazing, but not scary."<br /><br />Therein lies the rub and why I can't get behind this new version. Aside from the total lack of charisma from Sam Worthington (who I actually enjoyed in ROGUE), the film is bland and milktoast - it doesn't provoke an emotional reaction, except maybe boredom. The original was thrilling, exciting, scary and seeing it at an impressionable age really affected me. I can't see any youngsters being affected by this one which, to me, resembles a big, noisy video game.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-73503038616490735542010-08-16T07:05:28.068-04:002010-08-16T07:05:28.068-04:00The "Hero's Journey" is so old hat t...The "Hero's Journey" is so old hat that even Shakespeare felt he had to shake it up a little (let's make the Hero all wishy-washy and give him a crazy girlfriend!) I liked that Lucas made an attempt at a "Villain's Journey", even if it was a botched job (Weird Al's parody told the story better, and with more emotional impact). Also, real-life heroes like Sgt. York and Smedley Butler never seem to undertake said "Journey".<br /><br />I hope you're serious about trying your hand at it...DLRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-61529798598210754852010-08-15T06:38:35.451-04:002010-08-15T06:38:35.451-04:00Hello DLR!
You make some insightfulpoints here (e...Hello DLR!<br /><br />You make some insightfulpoints here (even if I disagree with Stepehn King about horror...). <br /><br />If Clash of the Titans 2 finds Perseus growing beyond the petty need for revenge, then it may be on to something, and I'll have to re-assess! :)<br /><br />I understand that being orphaned, essentiallly, and having to defeat the guy who killed your parents is part of the hero's journey, but it's just been done to death by the movies over the last five years. <br /><br />I want a new heroic paradigm! And if no one else comes up with it, I will :) (How's that for a threat?)<br /><br />Thanks for the great comment, my friend.<br /><br />best,<br />JohnJohn Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-88884948422340403632010-08-14T19:48:39.342-04:002010-08-14T19:48:39.342-04:00Hi JKM;
I was looking forward to your report on C...Hi JKM;<br /><br />I was looking forward to your report on Clash, which I haven't seen, and you didn't disappoint. Your commentary makes a great counterpoint as I just finished enjoying the last Harry Potter novel as an audiobook (having of course devoured the print version the day after it came out - and that late only because my wife had first dibs) - this is pertinent as both stories start out as "journeys to revenge against Ralph Fiennes". But Harry's story is a classic because he moves beyond revenge (note that at the series' midway point he casts the killing curse "Aveda Cadavra" at Voldemort, and at the end, when he actually has the power, he casts the disarming spell "Expelliarmus") while along the way learning many valuable liberal lessons. I make this point to lead up to a generalization: the best fantasy stories are inherently leftist (including the Gospels, he said, ducking), the best science fiction, libertarian (he said, ducking lower). (Horror is, according to Stephen King, inherently conservative). Revenge yarns work best as Westerns, whatever the setting.<br /><br />Put me squarely in the pro-License to Kill column when we are sorted at the End Times, please. (Though I agree with Will on Quantum).DLRnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-3311428767609502542010-08-14T14:54:20.136-04:002010-08-14T14:54:20.136-04:00Will: I couldn't agree with you more. And I t...Will: I couldn't agree with you more. And I too liked Licence to Kill very much; I also liked Quantum of Solace - :). I don't, in theory, have a problem with revenge-based movies.<br /><br />It's just that in terms of superheroes and sci-fi, there are too many revenge-themed flicks these days. <br /><br />Revenge is the fuel which drives so many of the biggest movies (like The Dark Knight, or Clash of the Titans), going back years, it feels like. And I submit that it's an unhealthy paradigm for us. Getting back at somebody is not innately heroic, in my opinion.<br /><br />Heroes must face obstacles, of course, but revenge is getting tiring of late.<br /><br />Great comment!<br /><br />best,<br />JohnJohn Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-21077300729435964922010-08-14T14:47:36.830-04:002010-08-14T14:47:36.830-04:00Sometimes revenge pictures work but I agree with y...Sometimes revenge pictures work but I agree with you: moderation is necessary.<br /><br />My favorite Bond flick is License to Kill, a Bond film completely motivated on revenge. Bond, in that film, has NO redeemable qualities but someone I liked him that way. That said, one of my least favorite Bond films was Quantum of Solace, another revenge centric flick.<br /><br />Gladiator is one of my all-time favorite films and that, while considered a revenge picture, also taps, successfully, into the films of yesteryear with nostalgia and an attention to detail. But the key with Gladiator is that it is art, not purely fun. Clash of the Titans seems more of a popcorn flick and when the bare, raw, emotions is revenge, perhaps it cheats us of a truly effective narrative. I dunno, just my opinion.<br /><br />In any case, Clash of the Titans, either version, shouldn't be about REVENGE at all. Even if love is absent, at least have the excuse of brainless warmongering rather then brainwashing the audience into believing negative emotions.Willhttp://secureimmaturity.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-34713023679660421732010-08-14T12:32:51.155-04:002010-08-14T12:32:51.155-04:00Hi Will,
Thanks for the comment, buddy.
I thin...Hi Will,<br /><br />Thanks for the comment, buddy. <br /><br />I think you have a point, at least for those of who are old enough to remember stop-motion. <br /><br />There seems to be that inescapable sense of affection and attachment to the creations of a Ray Harryhausen, as opposed to the purely "computerized" effects of the remake. <br /><br />But I wonder if this is merely a factor for our generation, and not really a consideration for younger ones. Don't know for sure, and I mean that honestly. For me, there is something less personal to "attach to" (or identify with) in this version, but I would be a fool to claim they effects aren't brilliant. They are brilliant.<br /><br />Thank you for the comment on my view of the storytelling. Love/hate: that's the real difference btwn original and remake. <br /><br />One movie is motivated by the need to save the one you love. <br /><br />The other is motivated by the need to kill the being who wronged you. <br /><br />This, I believe, is the biggest problem with the film...and with many, many films released today. We're living in the Dark Night (Dark Knight) of American Pop Culture.<br /><br />I wish that our filmmakers could imagine a fantasy universe where revenge isn't the most powerful driving human impulse.<br /><br />best,<br />JKMJohn Kenneth Muirhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15629979615332893780noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12380553.post-55554169773360117562010-08-14T12:15:00.784-04:002010-08-14T12:15:00.784-04:00I'm still debating whether to see this. Howeve...I'm still debating whether to see this. However I was recently listening to the Geek in the City podcast (based out of Portland) and they are a bunch of heavy metal nerds.<br /><br />They put up a Clash of the Titans playlist and went and saw the film in the theater with just their iPod for audio (all metal) and said the movie was far better that way since the movie is sort of a heavy metal video anyways. I think I might try that approach when I rent.<br /><br />As for the comparisons between the first film and the remake:<br /><br />CGI is not doubt consuming in terms of man hours and the digitial effects artists certainly work their ass off to create something special BUT do you think the actual hands-on approach of the outdated stop-motion effects lends to the 'loving' factor that is missing in the remake? You can build a fictional house on the Sims or something on a computer but can it rival building a house with your bare hands. Shoot, wasn't that point of Unforgiven (okay, I'm stretching)?<br /><br />As for your analysis of love-inspired vs. hate-inspired storytelling, I must commend you. That is a really interesting take.<br /><br />Great article (as always).Willhttp://secureimmaturity.comnoreply@blogger.com