Thumbless Pete Crabbe
06-08-2007, 07:27
So I got to thinking about film parodies this week, when engaged in a discussion about the various forces that shape our culture. Just as some people say "imitation is the sincerest form of flattery," I like to look to parody to appreciate these kinds of things, and I think now might be a good time to discuss it.
Most of us noticed this past week when the great directors Antonioni and Bergman died more or less on the same day. Most of the t.v. entertainment programs had the obligatory clipshows of their film highlights, but the more interesting question, I think, is, what sort of influence did they have on our culture; that is, not just film, but culture in general? Now, this has been covered this week in several threads, and we don't need to re-hash that here. I think the basic point is that they created a ripple-effect, influencing other artists and exposing the public to foreign cinema - and of course, we pay homage to that fact through parody. :)
So, I ask: what sort of films have made an impression on you? How do you feel about parody, and which are your favorites? :)
To start us off, and on the topic of the directors I was mentioning, I must say that I got a kick out of the send-up of Antonioni's "Blow-Up" in Meyers's "Austin Powers," as one example. The movie itself is an excellent example of great parody, and the number of movies (outside the obvious: the Bond series) that it sent up made it worth the price of admission. I don't think I need to link to this one, since most everyone's seen it. :p
Similarly, I recommend the Bergman parody, "The Dove." It's a bit long, but it captures the style and some of the dialogue (not the gibberish, the subtitles ;)) that typified the director's work:
http://bergmanorama.com/media/dove.wmv
I'm interested to see what kind of parody everyone likes. :)
Most of us noticed this past week when the great directors Antonioni and Bergman died more or less on the same day. Most of the t.v. entertainment programs had the obligatory clipshows of their film highlights, but the more interesting question, I think, is, what sort of influence did they have on our culture; that is, not just film, but culture in general? Now, this has been covered this week in several threads, and we don't need to re-hash that here. I think the basic point is that they created a ripple-effect, influencing other artists and exposing the public to foreign cinema - and of course, we pay homage to that fact through parody. :)
So, I ask: what sort of films have made an impression on you? How do you feel about parody, and which are your favorites? :)
To start us off, and on the topic of the directors I was mentioning, I must say that I got a kick out of the send-up of Antonioni's "Blow-Up" in Meyers's "Austin Powers," as one example. The movie itself is an excellent example of great parody, and the number of movies (outside the obvious: the Bond series) that it sent up made it worth the price of admission. I don't think I need to link to this one, since most everyone's seen it. :p
Similarly, I recommend the Bergman parody, "The Dove." It's a bit long, but it captures the style and some of the dialogue (not the gibberish, the subtitles ;)) that typified the director's work:
http://bergmanorama.com/media/dove.wmv
I'm interested to see what kind of parody everyone likes. :)