Ahh, there’s nothing like time off to recharge the batteries. And, in the long list of blog surfing I must do, I notice that MCF has posted another MCFAT.
Here we go…
1) Friends and family often offer advice or share experiences with the best of intentions, sometimes with the opposite of the desired effect. What are some of your more memorable “you’re not helping…” moments?
No specific moments come to mind, as I’m a bit of a firecracker and just flare up when people get in my way. However, thinking about overall instances, it seems to me to be that that “other party”, family or friend, just doesn’t seem to take the time to get to know what’s gone on until it’s too late. I’ve got to work on my short fuse, but as well I should try to open up more and take things easy.
2) You enjoy this actor’s work, but many people just don’t get it. Who is it?
Okay, why does this have to be an actor. There is a director as well, to which I will add a second bit about.
First off though, is the actor. And that actor happens to be Don McKellar. For those of you not familiar with Canadian films, and this goes to many readers in Canada as well as abroad, we do not have a studio system in place strong enough to finance Canadian film production, so the government has instituted a financing program for feature length films called Telefilm. Amongst many requirements, films funded by Telefilm must have a very distinct Canadian flavour to them, which is graded on a point system. This requirement tends to explain as to why many Canadian films have constant insert shots of the CN Tower, Canadian Flags, people ordering ridiculous amounts of maple syrup and beer, and overstating locations by adding not only province (which to most Canadians is redundant already), but as well making damn well sure they say Canada too (i.e. Burnaby, British Columbia, Canada… where most Canadians will say Burnaby and that’s all we’d need).
Well, with all the artistically sound but financially disatrous Canadian films released in the last decade or so, one name seems to be attached to them all. Don McKellar. As a heads up to a film you MAY have seen McKellar in, he was Yevgeny Nourish in eXistenZ. Yeah, that much of a standout. He rarely seems to star in films, but in his supportive roles, he nails the part every time. It is nice to see strong Canadian talent work to develop the industry here rather than flee down south for the greenbacks.
Secondly, as to the Director, my pick should not surprise any of the consistent readers here. David Lynch. I can’t say much more than this without creating major strain in my fingers from overtyping. He is sheer genius.
3) In general, when it comes to movies, are originals better than remakes, or vice versa? Feel free to cite examples that support either or both positions.
Originals. Period. In my eyes, there are very few movies that even should be considered to be remade. Being a film purist, I agree with the thoughts of my scripts professor from film school. The only justification, artistically, for a film remake is if a film is updated to reflect the current times. Too many remakes aren’t engaged as an artistic remake, but rather taking a story and a formula known to work, and populate it with current actors who are proven box office draws. Why not theatrically “re-release” old classics, digitally re-mastered to make the image and sound crisper, cleaner, and stronger? Simple. Art has taken a back seat to pop culture. How sad.
As for some examples of films that are remakes and irk me, consider the following.
Psycho (1998). A supposed “frame by frame” remake of the original Hitchcock classic, with none of the tone, tension, or shocks. What a waste of celluloid.
King Kong (2005). A 187 minute extravaganza to show how potent WETA digital is in comparison to ILM. We have already seen how powerful WETA is. Lord of the Rings. All respect I had for Peter Jackson utterly disappeared with this over the top bit of blatant self promotion and money grab.
Star Wars Special Edition. Though not a technically a remake, Lucas’s tinkering with scenes for the most part hurt more than helped the overall effect. Exclusions are the battle above the first Death Star, recreating most of the special effects shots digitally, digitally re-assembling the Hoth battle to get rid of the dreaded transparent Snowspeeders. Borderline goes to the addition of the Jabba the Hutt scene in A New Hope, as the scene gives dramatic importance, though the digital Jabba is an eyesore. If Lucas likes to fiddle, fix this please. And keep Greedo from shooting first.
4) If it were scientifically possible to live on any other planet in our solar system, through the development of faster-than-light travel and genetic enhancements or protective suits, which planet would you choose to live on?
Mars would be my choice, though I will stay within the realm of currently understood physics to stick with my choice, as faster than light travel really only exists within theoretical concepts discussed by Stephen Hawking and every Treknology geek, and with genetic enhancement, I have my doubts as to it’s long term feasability in a post-conception application. Mars is relatively close to Earth, and as well I just think the atmosphere on Venus is just too stuffy, as it would probably make me feel like I did when I was smoking, and my breathing was not 100%.
5) Who would win in a war: Hobbits or Smurfs?
Smurfs. Nothing evil can ever kill them. Especially evil, nasty, filthy Hobbitsessssssss. They stole the preciousssssssssss from ussssss.
That is all.
