Did you ever see Alfred Hitchcock's famous movie Psycho. The movie starts out about this beautiful woman (with pointy tits for blake) who steals some money from her job. We start out watching the movie from her point of view. Then all of a sudden she gets murdered. We are in a whole different story. Everything that went before was a set up and wasn't important. Hitchcock called it the Mac Guffin, something that seems important but really isn't in the whole scheme of things.
It is very unusual for someone to set up a story and make it from the point of view of one character and then to kill off that character in the middle of the story. Most writers prefer a much more linear approach. Hero arrives, goes through a lot of stuff, suffers but not too much, wins and lives happily after after. Very few books or movies has the hero killed off in the middle of the story. I just think that approach would be very interesting.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
18 comments:
Not just any pointy breasts but the QUEEN of pointy breasts, Janet Leigh.
But you're wrong about the MacGuffin. The MacGuffin is the thing that everyone wants--it's what powers the story. It doesn't really matter what the MacGuffin is (the money, the formula, the ring, the secret plans to the fortress) only that the players want it.
It's not so hard to kill off the hero; it's hard to kill of the main character, however, because you end up with a lack of continuity.
I'm sure I've read stories like that, though I'm not recalling a title. The main character was actually the sidekick, and the hero was killed off.
Case in point: Ever seen Executive Decision? Best work Steven Seagal's ever done.
I saw the remake of Psycho a few years back and thought it was pretty good. Then I saw the original recently for the first time and afterward I wanted to find Vince Vaughn and kick him in the balls.
I'll never watch another remake again. In fact they should be banned.
Ever seen Executive Decision? Best work Steven Seagal's ever done.
Is that because he died in the first 20 minutes?
Best Seagal movie was his first, Above The Law. After that his career was like watching a train wreck in slow motion. A train wreck that spent too much time at Dunkin Donuts and the buffet line.
What's stunning about the remake is how faithful it is to the original--slightly sleazier--and yet how nigh unwatchable it is.
I have a thing about unwatchable movies. I like to watch them and ask myself, "Why is this SO unwatchable?"
dannyboy--
That's the one!
And you're right about his career. He should have been a viable action hero for, oh, ten years.
Instead, he starts out with one above average movie and just goes straight to hell--allowing a stopover for Under Siege.
Under Siege proving the point that you should never have the villain of the piece be more charismatic than the hero if you plan to kill the villain at the end.
I have a thing about unwatchable movies. I like to watch them and ask myself, "Why is this SO unwatchable?"
I don't know. It's like watching midget porn. You're disgusted yet can't turn away.
But I digress. There are unwatchable movies though. I got talked into seeing The Ghost Whisperer with this one babe I was dating. I swear I think 30 minutes into the movie I was lights out. Next thing I know some pimply faced usher is shaking me awake and I ended up spending the $150 I had set aside for dinner at the strip bar.
You always have to make the best of a bad situation.
Ok Under Siege wasn't bad. Actually I thought Marked for Death was not bad either but that's relative considering the schlock he was putting out at the time.
Oh and speaking of Under Siege; that hot chick that jumps out of the cake, the one with the fine booty? She was on that Celebrity Fit Club because she got like Oprah fat.
I cried for a week when I saw that.
"The Ghost Whisperer"?
You mean The Horse Whisperer?
The former is a TV show, the latter is a movie.
Were you snoring?
I couldn't watch the "Pycho" remake either -incredibly boring. I guess the actors and directors do make a difference after all.
And I loved Janet's heaving, pointed breasts. They were pretty good in the "Vikings".
You mean The Horse Whisperer?
Yeah the one with Redford. Sorry I'm on my 7th Guinness so its easy to get confused. Not that I don't have that trouble sober but the Guinness is always a good excuse.
Were you snoring?
I don't think so or she would have elbowed me in the ribs. Or somewhere else.
And I loved Janet's heaving, pointed breasts. They were pretty good in the "Vikings".
Wow, Vikings! Now there my good man is a classic. Janet Leigh was probably too beautiful for her time. I mean that 50s era the women were so dour looking whereas the 30-40s they were drop dead gourgeous. That free flowing wavy hair (Veronica Lake!!!!) and then the 50s come along and its ankle dresses and hair pulled back in a bun. Gee...what fun.
But Janet Leigh could make a butch cut look hot. Same for Eva Marie Saint. My God what a woman.
I may need a moment. Carry on.
Under Siege is fine until Seagal kills Tommy Lee.
It's not even plausible. At least, not from a dramatic justice POV.
Erika Eleniak got fat? Oh, no!!!
I was kind of an Erika Eleniak fan: She got kissed by Henry Thomas in E.T., Blobbed in The Blob remake, and watched on "Baywatch".
I didn't care for the implants, tho'.
And, actually, Erika just replaced Melody Anderson in my heart. (Anderson did commercials for the Mercury Zephyr, pretending to sing "Baby, put a little fire in your life", starred in Flash Gordon, and then in the short-lived TV series "Manimal".)
It's not even plausible. At least, not from a dramatic justice POV.
Well no and then considering he kills more bad guys than came on the two helicopters but who was counting.
Erika Eleniak got fat? Oh, no!!!
Oh man. It was hard to see. Kind of when you found out there is no Santa Claus or pro wrestling is fake. It really tests your faith.
I was kind of an Erika Eleniak fan: She got kissed by Henry Thomas in E.T., Blobbed in The Blob remake, and watched on "Baywatch".
I'll admit it but I think I may be the only person in this great land of ours that never saw ET.
There I said it.
I don't remember her in the Blob remake but Shawnee Smith who was in the Blob remake is a babe.
Kim Novak was a bit of all right....
Hmmm. Kim Novak requires a pointy breast post....
Ooh, Shawnee's a gen-yoo-wine Scream Queen with her being the only recurring character besides Jigsaw in the five Saw movies.
Ooh, Shawnee's a gen-yoo-wine Scream Queen with her being the only recurring character besides Jigsaw in the five Saw movies.
I heard she was in that but I won't watch those flicks. I'm all for gratutitous sex and violence but I have a limit.
But no one can replace Jamie Lee as the original Scream Queen. Halloween, Prom Night and Terror Train. There you go. The 80's slasher flicks may be dated by they have certain Je ne sais quoi.
This was fun but I must bid adieu farewell and cheers as I need to stagger off to bed for an early rise.
Cheers
Hey, I'm all about the '80s slasher flick.
But you can go back a lot further than Mrs. Pointy Breast Jr. for scream queens.
Beverly Garland, e.g.
Stagger ye well.
Troop will have all this new crap in his blog tomorrow AM. Heh.
Post a Comment