The Erection of Disbelief
August 26, 2008 1:18 PM Subscribe
The Erection of Disbelief.
The Erection of Disbelief is an online film magazine committed to establishing a new comprehensive system of film criticism. It shall be flexible enough to incorporate the entire body of film history while fully considering the evolving (or devolving) nature of contemporary works, without establishing an arbitrary critical rubric or needlessly formalist standard of analysis. The primary author of this website considers Tarkovsky’s Solaris one of the finest films ever made. The same author also considers Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City one of the finest films ever made.
A sappy misanthrope reviews films from Real Genius to Tropic Thunder to Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter.
The Erection of Disbelief is an online film magazine committed to establishing a new comprehensive system of film criticism. It shall be flexible enough to incorporate the entire body of film history while fully considering the evolving (or devolving) nature of contemporary works, without establishing an arbitrary critical rubric or needlessly formalist standard of analysis. The primary author of this website considers Tarkovsky’s Solaris one of the finest films ever made. The same author also considers Miller’s Babe: Pig in the City one of the finest films ever made.
A sappy misanthrope reviews films from Real Genius to Tropic Thunder to Vasectomy: A Delicate Matter.
This post was deleted for the following reason: You and Cody seem to be all kinds of link buddies on your respective blogs, which pushes this firmly into not-so-cool friendlink territory. -- cortex
He's right about Babe. Tied with the original for my favorite films of all time.
posted by jbickers at 1:35 PM on August 26, 2008
posted by jbickers at 1:35 PM on August 26, 2008
That is an angry angry man.
posted by Debaser626 at 1:35 PM on August 26, 2008
posted by Debaser626 at 1:35 PM on August 26, 2008
The review of Tropic Thunder is painful, especially the opening salvo of rhetorical questions. You can do that to nearly anything, if you want. Observe-
Original: Did you know? Actors are self-important, empty-headed, pussies! Hollywood is amoral! Action films are often ridiculous! Isn't that hilarious? I bet you didn't even know. Ben Stiller bets you didn't either, and desperately hopes that critical thoughts have never crossed your mind about the film industry. Because that's the only way Tropic Thunder could approach relevance or meta-commentary.
Modified: Did you know? The future will be different and a lot of the changes will be bad and comical! Jews are nervous and non-confrontational but smooth talkers! We often put blind faith in our political leaders! Isn't that hilarious? I bet you didn't even know. Woody Allen bets you didn't either, and desperately hopes that critical thoughts have never crossed your mind about the progress of technology and its role in politics. Because that's the only way Sleeper could approach relevance or meta-commentary.
I'm not saying the two are equals -- not by a goddamn longshot -- nor am I even saying that Tropic Thunder is a good movie. But that's some amateurish shit and doesn't give me much hope for a "new comprehensive system... flexible enough to incorporate the entire body of film history" when it can't even rag on Tropic Thunder without losing my sympathy.
posted by Damn That Television at 1:35 PM on August 26, 2008
Original: Did you know? Actors are self-important, empty-headed, pussies! Hollywood is amoral! Action films are often ridiculous! Isn't that hilarious? I bet you didn't even know. Ben Stiller bets you didn't either, and desperately hopes that critical thoughts have never crossed your mind about the film industry. Because that's the only way Tropic Thunder could approach relevance or meta-commentary.
Modified: Did you know? The future will be different and a lot of the changes will be bad and comical! Jews are nervous and non-confrontational but smooth talkers! We often put blind faith in our political leaders! Isn't that hilarious? I bet you didn't even know. Woody Allen bets you didn't either, and desperately hopes that critical thoughts have never crossed your mind about the progress of technology and its role in politics. Because that's the only way Sleeper could approach relevance or meta-commentary.
I'm not saying the two are equals -- not by a goddamn longshot -- nor am I even saying that Tropic Thunder is a good movie. But that's some amateurish shit and doesn't give me much hope for a "new comprehensive system... flexible enough to incorporate the entire body of film history" when it can't even rag on Tropic Thunder without losing my sympathy.
posted by Damn That Television at 1:35 PM on August 26, 2008
The Erection of Disbelief is an online film magazine committed to establishing a new comprehensive system of film criticism.
Anything that replaces the auteur theory of Astruc/Truffaut/Bazin/Sarris et al is bloody fine by me.
(Grumpy parent of film student son after six weeks of his summer thesis agonies...)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 1:36 PM on August 26, 2008
Anything that replaces the auteur theory of Astruc/Truffaut/Bazin/Sarris et al is bloody fine by me.
(Grumpy parent of film student son after six weeks of his summer thesis agonies...)
posted by Jody Tresidder at 1:36 PM on August 26, 2008
Um. Is this guy your friend or something? These reviews are not clever, or well written, or interesting.
Which leads me to one of the most glaring flaws of Tropic Thunder. Besides not being funny, it's an all around shitty movie.
Look out Ebert, this guy is a comer!
posted by billysumday at 1:40 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Which leads me to one of the most glaring flaws of Tropic Thunder. Besides not being funny, it's an all around shitty movie.
Look out Ebert, this guy is a comer!
posted by billysumday at 1:40 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Well-Regarded Movies that are Terrible:
The Princess Bride [...]
<3
...even though I like some of the others he says are terrible - Lord of the Rings, basically, because they were delightful as spectacle - I don't give two thin aristocratic shits how they hold up as feelm.
posted by fleetmouse at 1:41 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
The Princess Bride [...]
<3
...even though I like some of the others he says are terrible - Lord of the Rings, basically, because they were delightful as spectacle - I don't give two thin aristocratic shits how they hold up as feelm.
posted by fleetmouse at 1:41 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
I'm not entirely sure I get what the premise of this is, but I thought Tropic Thunder was pretty funny in parts. It's kind of odd that Tom Cruise gets such props for range in it when he’s basically doing one of his standard roles (“Angry guy who is so angry about things!” - possibly it says something that he uses it so much?) but does it wearing make-up.
posted by Artw at 1:43 PM on August 26, 2008
posted by Artw at 1:43 PM on August 26, 2008
Modified: Did you know? The future will be different and a lot of the changes will be bad and comical!
Scientists are saying the future is going to be far more futuristic than they originally predicted.
posted by basicchannel at 1:51 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
Scientists are saying the future is going to be far more futuristic than they originally predicted.
posted by basicchannel at 1:51 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
without establishing an arbitrary critical rubric or needlessly formalist standard of analysis.
Critics suck.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:55 PM on August 26, 2008
Critics suck.
posted by Ironmouth at 1:55 PM on August 26, 2008
Oh dear, where to begin with the Real Genius review?
>> Not to say that Val Kilmer was the star of the film, as the modern-day DVD cover would have you believe.
Uhh, yeah. He's got way more screen time than Mitch, and all of the best lines. I'd say he was the star.
>> Where the fuck was this movies when I was an adolescent?
I dunno. When I was an adolescent, it was at the theater.
>> His love interest, an A.D.D. addled misfit girl, is only attractive for a girl at a nerd academy.
That's Michelle Meyrink, and she's pleasingly naked in Valley Girl. So don't diss Jordan justbecauseshetalksfast. Besides, they kind of make that a point where they contrast Jordan with the hotties from the beauty school, so...
>> Essentially the film posits an almost Ayn Randian paradise of pure intellectual superiority.
Huh?
>> scamming vending machines with nitro glycerin
Liquid nitrogen, dumbass. Used to freeze water into coins made of dense water ice.
>> This whole process takes far too long and doesn't feature nearly enough of Val Kilmer swaggering, boldly and successfully hitting on girls, making conversational mincemeat of his foes, wearing cool T-shirts, etc.
Yeah. Except for the numerous scenes where Val Kilmer does exactly all of those things. Surf Nicaraugua!
>> Apparently seeing a well-regarded professor's house fucked up with popcorn is enough to derail a long-gestating government laser project.
Except for the fact that the evil professor is stealing funds from both the school and the government to refurbish the house, while using slave labor in the form of his students to complete the laser project. Or did you step out to the bathroom to rub one out while that was explained in the scene where the government official threatens to hit the professor with a financial audit of the project?
>> Mitch even kind of touches his girlfriend's shoulders.
Nevermind that by that time in the movie, it's pretty clear they've been knocking boots for several weeks, at least.
>> If I could have been so lucky as a 15 year old.
Indeed.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:57 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
>> Not to say that Val Kilmer was the star of the film, as the modern-day DVD cover would have you believe.
Uhh, yeah. He's got way more screen time than Mitch, and all of the best lines. I'd say he was the star.
>> Where the fuck was this movies when I was an adolescent?
I dunno. When I was an adolescent, it was at the theater.
>> His love interest, an A.D.D. addled misfit girl, is only attractive for a girl at a nerd academy.
That's Michelle Meyrink, and she's pleasingly naked in Valley Girl. So don't diss Jordan justbecauseshetalksfast. Besides, they kind of make that a point where they contrast Jordan with the hotties from the beauty school, so...
>> Essentially the film posits an almost Ayn Randian paradise of pure intellectual superiority.
Huh?
>> scamming vending machines with nitro glycerin
Liquid nitrogen, dumbass. Used to freeze water into coins made of dense water ice.
>> This whole process takes far too long and doesn't feature nearly enough of Val Kilmer swaggering, boldly and successfully hitting on girls, making conversational mincemeat of his foes, wearing cool T-shirts, etc.
Yeah. Except for the numerous scenes where Val Kilmer does exactly all of those things. Surf Nicaraugua!
>> Apparently seeing a well-regarded professor's house fucked up with popcorn is enough to derail a long-gestating government laser project.
Except for the fact that the evil professor is stealing funds from both the school and the government to refurbish the house, while using slave labor in the form of his students to complete the laser project. Or did you step out to the bathroom to rub one out while that was explained in the scene where the government official threatens to hit the professor with a financial audit of the project?
>> Mitch even kind of touches his girlfriend's shoulders.
Nevermind that by that time in the movie, it's pretty clear they've been knocking boots for several weeks, at least.
>> If I could have been so lucky as a 15 year old.
Indeed.
posted by Cool Papa Bell at 1:57 PM on August 26, 2008 [1 favorite]
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mmff gahh mffff must not boyzoneposted by bonaldi at 1:24 PM on August 26, 2008