Forget Me Not

marxisforbros:

Also, while we’re discussing ‘death of an era’ type stuff; This guy.
There was a time when you could make one type of film, and have another type of character just smack bang in the middle of it. The end result was a really weird feeling, an actual aesthetic response that left you feeling slightly disturbed and afraid. Even though it was a children’s film.
Nowadays that can’t happen. Everything has to be so, much, more heavy handed. In the modern re-make of this film almost every aspect was made more weird and odd or grotesque or strange. The rooftop of their fucking house screamed “something’s askew”. And unalike the old Willy Wonka, who seemed like he should have been some fun and magical dream maker but was actually very strange until he suddenly made some dreams (that’s three layers for those of you that are trying to count), the new Wonka was so fucking strange up until the last minute (that’s barely two). The entire place was so fucking strange. There was very little that appeared magical and fun on its own without also seeming, you guessed it, so fucking strange.
And that’s the way films are now. If you took a kid to see the old Willy Wonka, they’d say it was a magical film about a chocolate factory. If you asked them about the scene on the boat, they’d say “I didn’t like that”. But they wouldn’t really understand it. So they’d think about it. They’d have a response to it.
But the new films hold their hand and underline everything one hundred times and spell it out. What did you think of the new Willy Wonka Billy? “It was weird but funny”. But what about the part with ____? “It was weird but funny”. Want to watch it again, Billy? “No”.
Thank you, new Hollywood.
I didn’t want my kids to have to continue thinking about a film after the credits had begun, but you went and took the extra step for me and made sure that my kids wouldn’t have to think about the film at all!

Also, while we’re discussing ‘death of an era’ type stuff; This guy.

There was a time when you could make one type of film, and have another type of character just smack bang in the middle of it. The end result was a really weird feeling, an actual aesthetic response that left you feeling slightly disturbed and afraid. Even though it was a children’s film.

Nowadays that can’t happen. Everything has to be so, much, more heavy handed. In the modern re-make of this film almost every aspect was made more weird and odd or grotesque or strange. The rooftop of their fucking house screamed “something’s askew”. And unalike the old Willy Wonka, who seemed like he should have been some fun and magical dream maker but was actually very strange until he suddenly made some dreams (that’s three layers for those of you that are trying to count), the new Wonka was so fucking strange up until the last minute (that’s barely two). The entire place was so fucking strange. There was very little that appeared magical and fun on its own without also seeming, you guessed it, so fucking strange.

And that’s the way films are now. If you took a kid to see the old Willy Wonka, they’d say it was a magical film about a chocolate factory. If you asked them about the scene on the boat, they’d say “I didn’t like that”. But they wouldn’t really understand it. So they’d think about it. They’d have a response to it.

But the new films hold their hand and underline everything one hundred times and spell it out. What did you think of the new Willy Wonka Billy? “It was weird but funny”. But what about the part with ____? “It was weird but funny”. Want to watch it again, Billy? “No”.

Thank you, new Hollywood.

I didn’t want my kids to have to continue thinking about a film after the credits had begun, but you went and took the extra step for me and made sure that my kids wouldn’t have to think about the film at all!