Saturday, April 03, 2010

Easter Just Isn't Easter


Without Cecil B. DeMille.

Also went to the movies today.

Saw this trailer.

I'm pretty sure that I know a guy, who knows a guy, whose cousin wrote the algorithm that extruded this movie:


Nothing wrong with a formula movie; they're as old as white hats on cowboys. But what makes a formula movie work (like the movie I saw -- the raunch-larious "Hot Tub Tim Machine") is the quality of the writing you lay over the frame. When the writing is good, the ride can be a pleasure; when it's bad, you find yourself strapped to splintering, rust-gutted, mechanical bull that Pounds Its Dull, Iron Plot Points through your ass, past your grinding teeth and into your skull at focus-group, clockworked intervals.

What sinks bad movies is incompetent writing. Which -- surprise -- is what also sinks teevee shows, plays, books, magazines, newspapers, blogs, and, for that matter, greeting cards and fortune cookies.

5 comments:

Joe the Philosopher said...

Incompetent writing didn't sink Thom Friedman, Glenn Beck, David Brooks, Chuckie Krauthammer or William Kristol. So your theory isn't 100% correct. Although I'll agree with the rest of it.

Myrtle June said...

Here's a story at hp that I think you posted about previously. Something about hp not paying their interns.... or writers?

I posted that now HP would have to pay up too. I think it will get deleted though :-)

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/04/03/unpaid-internships-invest_n_524055.html

Cirze said...

Speaking of Easter not being Easter without some schtick occurrence . . . I was watching the History Channel for some reason this morning and saw a feel-good show about crucifixion during the "time of Jesus" being a regular occurrence.

You gotta admit that nothing says Easter (and promotes the message of the Christ myth) quite like a few good crucifixions.

Calling Mel Gibson!

Back in the early 80's when I was the owner of a brand new edition of the Encyclopedia Britannica, I got into a foolish argument with one of the Shrivers (famous Catholics) over the authenticity of the Bible and the Christ myth.

As proof I cited passages from the EB that reported the history of such as being nonexistent for almost 100 years after the death of a possible Jesus figure (supposedly there were several from which to choose) due to no witness to the event extant who could write and did so in the years supposedly following it (not to mention the rare occurrence of crucifixions at that time, which were carried out with the victims being tied to the crosses, not nailed).

According to the History Channel today all that EB info was erroneous.

I think the xtians won that Holy War (although what it had to do with the Christ legend is still TBD).

Thanks for the Easter story.

Keep the faith!
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Malacandra said...

OK, I get the message: pay the effing writer!

Monster from the Id said...

*sigh*

I nearly always forget when The Ten Commandments is being broadcast.

I suppose I just need to buy my own copy of it someday.

"So let it be written, so let it be done!" ^_^

Am I evil for liking Rameses best? Yul Brynner just about stole that movie out from under Charlton Heston.

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Happy Easter!

Happy Passover to our Jewish friends!

Happy Spring to our friends of other faiths or of no faith!

Unless you live in the Southern Hemisphere, in which case Happy Autumn!

There, did that cover everyone? -_^