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Post by RydCook on May 13, 2009 20:37:41 GMT
Hey,
Was just thinking about this today. I have a keen in films that are realistic, and surreal and fantasy films. I also like to see films that cross over the two. Pan's Labyrinth is the best example I can think of, and also Let The Right One In to an extent. Also a film posted in the Film Making forum here not long ago "Friend For Christmas" was a perfect example.
What I was wondering was if Shane (or YOU, if it's Shane reading this) would ever make such a film. I think Shane could pull it off. I Shane already touched on it a little with DMS **MAJOR DMS SPOILERS BELOW**
with the drugs scene, and the of course the twist**
END SPOILERS***
What do you think?!
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Post by Dave on May 13, 2009 20:55:40 GMT
I'm very keen on this area too... the combination of social realism-ish scenarios which feature weird business!
I got the feeling that a while ago, Shane and Paddy had written a project that seemed to feature this kind of mix... although, maybe that was with a comedy basis.
There aren't many films that do this kind of cross-over really, but the effect of introducing something extraordinary or bizarre into a very real style of acting would have a great impact I feel. The acting style of Shane's films is the example I'm thinking of.
Imagine a UFO appearing in the scene where Pukey gets booted out of the car in This Is England. No, it's not a good idea at all, but what fascinates me is how such real characters would react! ;D
I have a rather excellent idea for a feature film (even if I do say so myself... and I do) featuring such a cross-over of naturalistic style and the out-of-the-ordinary.... featuring a pensioner torturing an alien in his shed. I think I may have mentioned this before. haha
That District 9 film looks to be doing this cross-over, but in a faux documentary style.
The only other film I can think of at the moment which comes close is REC, which kind of perfects the whole Blair Witch, found-footage style of film. It has much more naturalistic acting than I expected, and things kick off in the extraordinary stakes quite spectacularly.
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Post by Bill Edwards on May 14, 2009 14:04:32 GMT
Yeah! Great subject. This is something I wonder about a lot. So much so I have little films running in my head based on this idea. Sci-fi and horror but based in everyday reality. No action heroes. Set on council estates or from one persons point of view. Real people trying to make sense of the impossible... Being attacked by the impossible.
One director who has explored this idea, with mixed success, is M. Knight ShammyLionNamedAlan. With such films as Signs and Unbreakable. The latter especially. I had always wondered about such a film as this and was relieved that someone finally made it. Although it's only OK I still find it a very very interesting movie and a good attempt at placing the extraordinary into recognisable, plain, every day reality.
Another Hollywood flick that had a go at this was Speilberg's War Of The Worlds. Again not totally successful, (in my humble... ;D) and very flawed too. But it was interesting in that it followed one character's point of view. Even if it was The CruiseMatron.
Of course Blair Witch Project was a seminal film in this field. Not a film I like. Annoys the hell out of me. But I very impressed by it was and the concept behind it.
One aspect of Shane's films that hits the spot with me the most is the other-ness they have. There is a very faint thread of magical realism in his films that could be something I'm projecting on to them or it could actually be there. There's always a kind of coda at the end of his films that throw a curve ball at you. I think Shane could pull of a 'realistic fantasy'. As you say, Ryd, DMS has this somewhere. Buried deep within it. Almost there purely by accident. But with that in mind maybe that's all that's necessary? I don't know.
I often think about how real characters would REALLY COPE with the impossible. What would they REALLY AND TRUELY do? NO STUPID HEROICS! How would they try to explain it. Deal with it. How would they try to make sense of it.
Very interesting.
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Post by Gary on May 14, 2009 14:27:59 GMT
I know the first half of "From Dusk till Dawn" isn't real life as in your everyday goings on in a Yorkshire council estate, but that film spends over half it's running time as a completly different genre of film to what it ends up being, it doesnt even hint at it.
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Post by RydCook on May 14, 2009 23:27:26 GMT
Like your example of Signs Chrome, really like that film! (stick it in the Guilty Pleasures for me if you like) apart from the whole silly water thing.
Also yes, From Dusk Till Dawn Gary C! Like you say... not entirely realistic. But bloody hell was I surprised when Salma Hayek... well you know. Great stuff. That sort of shock value is great... but like Chrome says, I too am interested in more realistic reactions to bizarre goings on.
Well if Shane doesn't do it... I bloody will!
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Post by RydCook on May 14, 2009 23:30:49 GMT
I have a rather excellent idea for a feature film (even if I do say so myself... and I do) featuring such a cross-over of naturalistic style and the out-of-the-ordinary.... featuring a pensioner torturing an alien in his shed. I think I may have mentioned this before. haha That District 9 film looks to be doing this cross-over, but in a faux documentary style. The only other film I can think of at the moment which comes close is REC, which kind of perfects the whole Blair Witch, found-footage style of film. It has much more naturalistic acting than I expected, and things kick off in the extraordinary stakes quite spectacularly. Don't remember you mentioning this alien film Dave?! Why on earth does the pensioner torture it?! Yeah District 9 looks like a goodun... nearly gets it. But the faux doco style will take away a little from the realism I think... somehow. (REC) is also a great example. |
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Post by Dave on May 15, 2009 12:59:19 GMT
I have a rather excellent idea for a feature film (even if I do say so myself... and I do) featuring such a cross-over of naturalistic style and the out-of-the-ordinary.... featuring a pensioner torturing an alien in his shed. I think I may have mentioned this before. haha That District 9 film looks to be doing this cross-over, but in a faux documentary style. The only other film I can think of at the moment which comes close is REC, which kind of perfects the whole Blair Witch, found-footage style of film. It has much more naturalistic acting than I expected, and things kick off in the extraordinary stakes quite spectacularly. Don't remember you mentioning this alien film Dave?! Why on earth does the pensioner torture it?! Yeah District 9 looks like a goodun... nearly gets it. But the faux doco style will take away a little from the realism I think... somehow. (REC) is also a great example. I can't give away the pensioners motivations! haha. The story I have behind it is definitely odd! It does stick to realism though, although not all the situations are 'every day'. [REC] is especially great for this cross-over because it has a brilliant range of characters trapped in the building. Each of them feel natural, rather than a Hollywood stereo type. There's the mother and child, the asian family that some of the other prejudiced residents distrust, the camp middle-aged bloke living alone, a senior citizen couple, young student woman, fire fighters, apartment security man, doctor, and of course the reporter and her cameraman. A brilliant mix which really aids the realism rather than detracts from it (as it might in a Hollywood style horror film.... which reminds me, still not seen Quarantine... I'm still intrigued). |
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Post by RydCook on May 16, 2009 23:43:36 GMT
I've some mates who've seen Quarantine. Apparently pretty much the same... but with worse acting... and some sort of dog attack. :S Still shit scary though.
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Post by Dave on May 17, 2009 15:00:38 GMT
Oh, this thread just reminded me of my "if I was a big hot-shot director" dream film project! haha
An adaptation of the book, This House Is Haunted by Lionel Playfair (I think) which is an account of the goings of in the Enfield Poltergeist case in the late 70s. An apparently true set of bizarre events set in a suburban council estate, centred around a teenage girl in a single parent family of Mum, two sisters and a brother.
The account of what went on is just crazy. If a film was made, you would have to actually tone down the true number of things that happened because it would make it too unbelievable.
There was a good documentary about it all on Channel4 a couple of years ago too.
There's more than a little bit of The Excorcist about it, but the basis in (supposed) truth makes it fascinating, and the surrounding turmoil in the families non-haunted life makes it more intriguing.
There was a great German film called Requiem a year or two ago about a girl diagnosed with epilepsy who's religious family thought she was possessed. It's a true story about how the misreading of epilepsy as possession preyed on her, and the numerous excorcism rituals which destroyed her.
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Post by aidanknight on Jun 2, 2009 18:55:54 GMT
I definitely prefer realism... although 'Oldboy' and 'The Machinist' are two of my favourite films and they could both be described as 'surrealist'; as could Dead Man's Shoes... well, maybe.
****DMS SPOILERS****
Dead Man's Shoes could be conceived as a crossover between fantasy and realism if you surmise that Anthony was in fact, a real ghost. However, if like me, your interpretation was that Anthony was merely a figment of Richard's imagination, then the film stays very much in the gritty realism category.
****END OF SPOILERS****
Unless I'm watching something lighthearted or an outlandish comedy, I just find that a gritty drama will hit me much harder than something set in a fantasy world. It's the same with action films; I prefer the ones that make the improbable possible, such as, 'Face/Off', 'The Rock' and the James Bond films as opposed to the films that make the impossible possible, like, 'Wanted', 'The Fifth Element', 'Twelve Monkeys' etc.
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Post by aidanknight on Jun 3, 2009 14:54:53 GMT
On another note, Dave... I got 'round to seeing Crank 2 last night. I thought it was hilarious; a lot more comical than the first one; the scenes with the body motor tourettes guy were the best!  |
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Post by Dave on Jun 3, 2009 18:55:40 GMT
On another note, Dave... I got 'round to seeing Crank 2 last night. I thought it was hilarious; a lot more comical than the first one; the scenes with the body motor tourettes guy were the best! Glad you enjoyed it. It cheers me up no end to see I haven't made someone watch a film that they end up thinking is crap! haha Nice to see Crank 2 invading other thread too! ;D |
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Gonga
Full Member
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Post by Gonga on Jun 11, 2009 21:10:37 GMT
Oh, this thread just reminded me of my "if I was a big hot-shot director" dream film project! haha An adaptation of the book, This House Is Haunted by Lionel Playfair (I think) which is an account of the goings of in the Enfield Poltergeist case in the late 70s. An apparently true set of bizarre events set in a suburban council estate, centred around a teenage girl in a single parent family of Mum, two sisters and a brother. The account of what went on is just crazy. If a film was made, you would have to actually tone down the true number of things that happened because it would make it too unbelievable. There was a good documentary about it all on Channel4 a couple of years ago too. There's more than a little bit of The Excorcist about it, but the basis in (supposed) truth makes it fascinating, and the surrounding turmoil in the families non-haunted life makes it more intriguing. There was a great German film called Requiem a year or two ago about a girl diagnosed with epilepsy who's religious family thought she was possessed. It's a true story about how the misreading of epilepsy as possession preyed on her, and the numerous excorcism rituals which destroyed her. This sounds very much like a BBC special they did years back called Ghostwatch that freaked the arse out of 3/4 of the population, so much so they never showed it again and it only got a DVD release around 2002. It was done really well, and was way ahead of its time, seeing as we didn't have much reality TV so most people just kind of accepted what they were told, and having a crew of Sarah Green and Craig Charles reporting from "the most haunted house in Britian" and good old Parky himself in the studio speaking to all kinds of "experts" it was actually great telly and a real classic. You can see all the best bits if you search around You Tube for "Ghostwatch". Granted the acting does now seem pretty poor, and the two girls performances are pretty painful but at the time it fooled a lot of people and it had a massive amount of complaints even though there was a cast and an actors name for the Ghost "Pipes" in the Radio Times. If you can be bothered to buy it rather than see the clips on You Tube then you will be in for a treat. especially if you can forgive the acting. There is a few genuinely creepy moments in there and it was done very well. In terms of realism and fantasy, I've actually got half a script knocking around from a couple of years ago. The idea was to do a fake documentary about a young offender who is just getting out of prison and show his slow and gradually unsuccessful efforts at rehabilition back in to the community. He would go through failed job interviews, move in to a dingy bedsit/flat and start complaining about it. He would go back to drugs and petty crime and so the audience would just think he was fucked and was destined to repeat his mistakes. I was going to have him as a kind of likeable yob, a wee bit philosophical and quite a sympathetic character. Then right towards the end of the documentary loads of mad creepy shit would kick off in his flat, and he would almost seem unsurprised by it. Until something really bad happens and either the sound recordist or the camera man gets killed by some entity and it all goes tits up. Then BANG, credits roll and the audience realises they have been tricked the whole way through and it was all acted. It would require a very good actor though, and the final couple of scenes would have to be planned meticulously. |
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Post by Dave on Jun 12, 2009 14:56:22 GMT
Yes! I know Ghostwatch well! I even watched the original transmission of it. I have seen it since too. Watching it now, there is quite a lot of over-played stuff in there, but it is still mostly good.
Who can forget Craig Charles larking about, Sarah Greene getting spooked up, and Parky in the studio going ... errrr.... possessed!
One kid actually committed suicide after watching it! Crazy. Like you say, there was a cast list at the end... but not only that, the programme was introduced as a drama at the beginning! A large portion of the public are easy to deceive. I'm quite sure of it! ;D
The ghost 'Pipes' appears in the programme about 4 or 5 times as very subtle and quick flashes in some cases. The only one I recall at the moment is an amazing one where Sarah Greene is talking to camera as she stands in front of patio doors. It is dark outside so there's a nice reflection of the room in the window. At one point, "pipes' is seen standing behind the camera crew in the reflection of the patio doors! Quality!
If I remember correctly, Ghostwatch was actually loosely based on the Enfield Poltergeist case, so there is a connection there.
Your idea sounds good. Have you seen Trailer Park Boys? Sounds a little bit similar... apart from the weird stuff at the end! haha
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Post by ddddyyyy on Jul 3, 2009 2:17:42 GMT
SPAM AWAY!
;D
ALL GONE...... not deleted the profile yet, just incase they are somehow not an automated spam artist! Not very likely though.
Signed,
The Dave
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