The Film Entry O'Doom
Jan. 25th, 2005 07:40 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
hildigunnurSeeing that the Oscar nominations are out now and I've been watching few curious films, I think I'm set with subjects for this entry.
I've had the privilege of seeing of the '56 and '78 of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I saw the '56 for my next seminar class of Political Propaganda and I decided to take a look on the '78 version for comparison.
Well, in short I liked the '56 version better. It's more compact and it doesn't have a horrible score made out of bleeping noises like the '78 version. The acting in the '56 version is very typical for its time while all the main male characters in the '78 version come off as sleazy (they are portrayed by Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy). Also the small town in the '56 version is so much more charming than the concrete jungle of San Fransisco in the '78 version.
But the most interesting thing is of course the comparison of the political overtones in both versions. The reason I was seeing the '56 version for my class, was the anti-communist hysteria undertones. Well, I can't say that they were very overt or anything. Actually if I hadn't been looking for them and also didn't know how to put them in context, I wouldn't have noticed them. I think the political undertones in the '78 version are much more overt. They are even put in words in the film itself. Conspiracy.
This is cemented in the endings of the films. The '56 version ends with Miles, the main character, having escaped the alien-inhabited small town and has alerted the FBI so it seems that the body snatchers won't take over the Earth after all. While in the '78 version, we seemingly follow Donald Sutherland's character and when Veronica Cartwright's character finds him, thinking he's still himself. Then he lets out the scream that makes Veronica's character realise in desperation that eventually they'll get everybody.
The bleak ending somewhat amuses me. It does symbolise a much darker vision of the world than the ending of the '56 version. Well, the '56 version is made in the Khrushchev thaw of the Cold War while the '78 is made in the stagnation of the Brezhnev period. I wonder if these facts factor in the film making.
But probably the biggest thrill was to find the scenes to which The Faculty refers to. From the '56 version, it's them hiding in a closet and from the '78, it's the naked chick. It's actually quite amazing since Laura Harris (Marybeth in The Faculty) and Brooke Adams have a very similar body type.
All Quiet on the Western Front happens to be one of my favourite films (I'm talking about the '30 version of it). I saw it for the first time when I was 17 and it had a huge impact on me. It just has so many moments. Like when Paul, the main character, is stuck in a crater with the man he had just stabbed and who is slowly dying. Also the episode with the boots and when Paul carries his wounded comrade who is then hit by a shell but Paul doesn't notice and carries him dead to the bandage station. Also when Paul goes home on a leave and all everyone talks about, is how glorious the war is while Paul doesn't get over the horror of the war. Then there's the last scene that has me always sobbing loudly. And people wonder why I'm a pacifist.
Best Picture: Without having seen any of them (less access to cinemas here), my bet is on The Aviator due to the buzz and what critics and film magazines having been saying. Also has the grandest subject and that often works well with the Academy. Still am not ruling out the others, Sideways could come to surprise us. I would have loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to be there though.
Best Actor: Ol' Clint might get it for being the old man there. Johnny Depp has the not-getting-it-last-year factor working for him. Leo has the grandest role working for him and Don Cheadle and Jamie Foxx have obviously a lot going for them. I can't really tell.
Best Actress: If we go by what has happened last few years with this Oscar, Kate is a shoe-in since she is the pretty face there. Of course we can't forget the fact that she is one heck of an actress. Annette has one already but often that doesn't stop the Academy though I think in this case it will. That goes for Hilary Swank also. But I think we can't rule out the lesser known nominees, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Imelda Staunton.
Best Actor in a supporting role: I think it will be Jamie Foxx and he won't get the Oscar for a leading role. But with Morgan Freeman and Alan Alda there, everything can happen.
Best Actress in a supporting role: I love seeing Virginia Madsen there. She has overcome the past of many, many bad B-film roles to be nominated for an Oscar. Still Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman are more likely to walk away with the Oscar than Virginia and the others.
Animated Feature Film: This is a no-brainer. The Incredibles.
Directing: Scorsese. Or I think there will be a riot.
Documentary Feature: Super Size Me. Box-office hits in documentaries are usually a good thing.
Foreign Feature: My hunch says it's Downfall though I really don't know that much about those films.
Score: Hopefully not PoA.
Song: Only heard "Accidentally in Love". Don't think it's an Oscar song.
Screenplay (adapted): My bet is Sideways from everything I've heard.
Screenplay (original): It has to be Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind because when I want to have some screen writer's babies, it's a serious thing. Still glad to see The Incredibles being nominated.
Anyway, this is more me predicting by trends than anything else. For I haven't seen most of the films that the nominations are based on.
Congratulations to JKR with the new daughter. I suspect either Jessica or Neil got to pick the first name because I do think the middle name (Jean) is after JKR's mother (correct me if I'm wrong).
And Happy Birthday,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
voxmaille!
I've had the privilege of seeing of the '56 and '78 of Invasion of the Body Snatchers. I saw the '56 for my next seminar class of Political Propaganda and I decided to take a look on the '78 version for comparison.
Well, in short I liked the '56 version better. It's more compact and it doesn't have a horrible score made out of bleeping noises like the '78 version. The acting in the '56 version is very typical for its time while all the main male characters in the '78 version come off as sleazy (they are portrayed by Donald Sutherland, Jeff Goldblum and Leonard Nimoy). Also the small town in the '56 version is so much more charming than the concrete jungle of San Fransisco in the '78 version.
But the most interesting thing is of course the comparison of the political overtones in both versions. The reason I was seeing the '56 version for my class, was the anti-communist hysteria undertones. Well, I can't say that they were very overt or anything. Actually if I hadn't been looking for them and also didn't know how to put them in context, I wouldn't have noticed them. I think the political undertones in the '78 version are much more overt. They are even put in words in the film itself. Conspiracy.
This is cemented in the endings of the films. The '56 version ends with Miles, the main character, having escaped the alien-inhabited small town and has alerted the FBI so it seems that the body snatchers won't take over the Earth after all. While in the '78 version, we seemingly follow Donald Sutherland's character and when Veronica Cartwright's character finds him, thinking he's still himself. Then he lets out the scream that makes Veronica's character realise in desperation that eventually they'll get everybody.
The bleak ending somewhat amuses me. It does symbolise a much darker vision of the world than the ending of the '56 version. Well, the '56 version is made in the Khrushchev thaw of the Cold War while the '78 is made in the stagnation of the Brezhnev period. I wonder if these facts factor in the film making.
But probably the biggest thrill was to find the scenes to which The Faculty refers to. From the '56 version, it's them hiding in a closet and from the '78, it's the naked chick. It's actually quite amazing since Laura Harris (Marybeth in The Faculty) and Brooke Adams have a very similar body type.
All Quiet on the Western Front happens to be one of my favourite films (I'm talking about the '30 version of it). I saw it for the first time when I was 17 and it had a huge impact on me. It just has so many moments. Like when Paul, the main character, is stuck in a crater with the man he had just stabbed and who is slowly dying. Also the episode with the boots and when Paul carries his wounded comrade who is then hit by a shell but Paul doesn't notice and carries him dead to the bandage station. Also when Paul goes home on a leave and all everyone talks about, is how glorious the war is while Paul doesn't get over the horror of the war. Then there's the last scene that has me always sobbing loudly. And people wonder why I'm a pacifist.
Best Picture: Without having seen any of them (less access to cinemas here), my bet is on The Aviator due to the buzz and what critics and film magazines having been saying. Also has the grandest subject and that often works well with the Academy. Still am not ruling out the others, Sideways could come to surprise us. I would have loved Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind to be there though.
Best Actor: Ol' Clint might get it for being the old man there. Johnny Depp has the not-getting-it-last-year factor working for him. Leo has the grandest role working for him and Don Cheadle and Jamie Foxx have obviously a lot going for them. I can't really tell.
Best Actress: If we go by what has happened last few years with this Oscar, Kate is a shoe-in since she is the pretty face there. Of course we can't forget the fact that she is one heck of an actress. Annette has one already but often that doesn't stop the Academy though I think in this case it will. That goes for Hilary Swank also. But I think we can't rule out the lesser known nominees, Catalina Sandino Moreno and Imelda Staunton.
Best Actor in a supporting role: I think it will be Jamie Foxx and he won't get the Oscar for a leading role. But with Morgan Freeman and Alan Alda there, everything can happen.
Best Actress in a supporting role: I love seeing Virginia Madsen there. She has overcome the past of many, many bad B-film roles to be nominated for an Oscar. Still Cate Blanchett and Natalie Portman are more likely to walk away with the Oscar than Virginia and the others.
Animated Feature Film: This is a no-brainer. The Incredibles.
Directing: Scorsese. Or I think there will be a riot.
Documentary Feature: Super Size Me. Box-office hits in documentaries are usually a good thing.
Foreign Feature: My hunch says it's Downfall though I really don't know that much about those films.
Score: Hopefully not PoA.
Song: Only heard "Accidentally in Love". Don't think it's an Oscar song.
Screenplay (adapted): My bet is Sideways from everything I've heard.
Screenplay (original): It has to be Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind because when I want to have some screen writer's babies, it's a serious thing. Still glad to see The Incredibles being nominated.
Anyway, this is more me predicting by trends than anything else. For I haven't seen most of the films that the nominations are based on.
Congratulations to JKR with the new daughter. I suspect either Jessica or Neil got to pick the first name because I do think the middle name (Jean) is after JKR's mother (correct me if I'm wrong).
And Happy Birthday,
voxmaille!