dilly dally
23-Jan-06, 03:21pm
A writer's very interesting take on the new Johnny Cash movie. very entertaining I thought!
“I’m I fell into a burning ring of fire…
I went down and the flames went higher…
And I found out Da Da Da DA… ”
HOLLYWOOD’S LACK OF REALISM AND ORIGINALITY:
A Postmodern Rhetoric Garble
By Marcus James McQuade
"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."
When Joaquin Phoenix utters those famous lines in the film, you almost believe he is Johnny Cash. Of course we know he’s not, because the real Johnny Cash died almost 3 years ago. No disrespect to Phoenix is intended either; he accomplishes something similar to what Jamie Foxx did in his star making turn last year as Ray Charles in Ray.
He manages to channel a singer whose distinctive style seems inimitable. And he does it brilliantly. Phoenix's performance enables the film to convincingly convey Johnny Cash - his look, his mannerisms, and his voice. Hats off to you Joaquin. You deserve an Oscar.
But what’s next to come out of Hollywood? A Rock-n-Roll history of the life and times of Michael Jackson? Who would want to play Mr. Billy-crotch-grabbing-moon-walking Jean any way? I mean. I can’t imagine Jamie Fox would want to forgo his post Oscar life and career to portray the reclusive child (?) living inside a closed off Neverland surrounded by “Yes Sir!” people. And Joaquin Phoenix is the wrong color, isn’t he?
Wait just a second, Michael Jackson’s not dead yet. Doh!
“Would it still sell tickets though?” One can almost hear movie producers in California asking them selves this question. As for my movie idea about immortalizing Michael Jackson on film, it’s thrown into the trash. I guess pedophilia accusations and acquittals don’t sell well, except maybe on FOX.
While they slowly sip lattés and scoff at how much money these dead Rock-n-Roll stars are making them. I’m left sitting here holding a ticket stub thinking maybe I was duped. For like of most of us - I am a victim of marketing and nobody markets a movie better than Hollywood. Was this just a ruse to get me to spend my hard earned money? I mean. I never even liked Johnny Cash any way. Oh, he was Great Musically and his induction into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame was well earned. But let’s face it; does he deserve a 2-hour movie? I’ll let you be the judge of that. It was bad enough for me as a child to grow up suffering the monotonic baritones of the man from my father. In retrospect I recall now my inner apprehension as I walked into the movie theater. “My father used to listen to this man.”
Now that I have seen the movie I just have one question or maybe two or three. How many more of these “Let’s Celebrate The Dead Rock Star Movies” must we be forced to endure? Is the resurgent interest in rock-n-roll realism the inevitable consequence of postmodern artistic, theoretical and moral bankruptcy? Is it not the last refuge of the desperate?
My god! It’s almost worse than public TV. The way they bludgeon us with their attempt at a postmodern realistic reality with what they call “Reality TV.” I swear to God if I see one more episode of Survivor - I’ll scream! And can someone please explain what the heck “Big Brother “ was all about?
Have we turned into gerbils? Does no-one care any more about the consistency of continuity or the lack of originality that seems to have permeated Hollywood like an evil stench these days? Where am I to go to satisfy my craving for unique original entertainment? It seems that even Peter Jackson, that man - who for a brief period in my life, epitomized the definition of unique, has succumbed to Hollywood. Don’t get me started on King Kong?
Has any body tuned into the fact that Hollywood and movie makers alike, and yes that includes the independent labels as well, is lacking a touch of originality of late. Screenplay writers, are they suffering a universal writer’s block or what? I think they are and there is not rockabilly thing we can do about it. Short of going out and writing our own movie, having it produced and made and maybe even having Jamie Foxx star. Because we all know - Johnny Cash is not the only dead member of the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame.
And why haven’t we seen a life and times of John Lennon? He’s been dead longer than Ray Charles and Johnny Cash put together. Oh that’s right, Michael Jackson own the rights to most of the Beatles songs. Doesn’t he? So if they do decide to make a movie about John Lennon – Do you think can I audition for the part of Ringo?
Well, until that movie script gets bashed around Hollywood, I guess this little moviegoer will just have to be satisfied with his DVD collection. Be happy in the knowledge that he can scan his collection and relive those moments, flitting, as they were, when originality reigned supreme in Hollywood.
That or I can hope and pray to the owners of FOX that the Simpson’s will never ever stopped being made. It makes me laugh! What kind of world do I live in where a 30 minute weekly cartoon offers more original entertainment than a 2-hour multi-million dollar production ever could?
Perhaps one day Screenwriter’s will wake up and smell the stale stench of regurgitation and will seek out our forgiveness for the past few years of boredom that they have forced us to tolerate. Perhaps there will be a time when originality will be the flavor of the times and should anyone ever again suggest a “Rock-n-Roll” history movie than they too will think about reaching for the shotgun and blowing that idea straight back in to the burning ring of fire.
Moviegoers unite; let’s do away with this bandwagon of regurgitation!
“I’m I fell into a burning ring of fire…
I went down and the flames went higher…
And I found out Da Da Da DA… ”
HOLLYWOOD’S LACK OF REALISM AND ORIGINALITY:
A Postmodern Rhetoric Garble
By Marcus James McQuade
"Hello, I'm Johnny Cash."
When Joaquin Phoenix utters those famous lines in the film, you almost believe he is Johnny Cash. Of course we know he’s not, because the real Johnny Cash died almost 3 years ago. No disrespect to Phoenix is intended either; he accomplishes something similar to what Jamie Foxx did in his star making turn last year as Ray Charles in Ray.
He manages to channel a singer whose distinctive style seems inimitable. And he does it brilliantly. Phoenix's performance enables the film to convincingly convey Johnny Cash - his look, his mannerisms, and his voice. Hats off to you Joaquin. You deserve an Oscar.
But what’s next to come out of Hollywood? A Rock-n-Roll history of the life and times of Michael Jackson? Who would want to play Mr. Billy-crotch-grabbing-moon-walking Jean any way? I mean. I can’t imagine Jamie Fox would want to forgo his post Oscar life and career to portray the reclusive child (?) living inside a closed off Neverland surrounded by “Yes Sir!” people. And Joaquin Phoenix is the wrong color, isn’t he?
Wait just a second, Michael Jackson’s not dead yet. Doh!
“Would it still sell tickets though?” One can almost hear movie producers in California asking them selves this question. As for my movie idea about immortalizing Michael Jackson on film, it’s thrown into the trash. I guess pedophilia accusations and acquittals don’t sell well, except maybe on FOX.
While they slowly sip lattés and scoff at how much money these dead Rock-n-Roll stars are making them. I’m left sitting here holding a ticket stub thinking maybe I was duped. For like of most of us - I am a victim of marketing and nobody markets a movie better than Hollywood. Was this just a ruse to get me to spend my hard earned money? I mean. I never even liked Johnny Cash any way. Oh, he was Great Musically and his induction into the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame was well earned. But let’s face it; does he deserve a 2-hour movie? I’ll let you be the judge of that. It was bad enough for me as a child to grow up suffering the monotonic baritones of the man from my father. In retrospect I recall now my inner apprehension as I walked into the movie theater. “My father used to listen to this man.”
Now that I have seen the movie I just have one question or maybe two or three. How many more of these “Let’s Celebrate The Dead Rock Star Movies” must we be forced to endure? Is the resurgent interest in rock-n-roll realism the inevitable consequence of postmodern artistic, theoretical and moral bankruptcy? Is it not the last refuge of the desperate?
My god! It’s almost worse than public TV. The way they bludgeon us with their attempt at a postmodern realistic reality with what they call “Reality TV.” I swear to God if I see one more episode of Survivor - I’ll scream! And can someone please explain what the heck “Big Brother “ was all about?
Have we turned into gerbils? Does no-one care any more about the consistency of continuity or the lack of originality that seems to have permeated Hollywood like an evil stench these days? Where am I to go to satisfy my craving for unique original entertainment? It seems that even Peter Jackson, that man - who for a brief period in my life, epitomized the definition of unique, has succumbed to Hollywood. Don’t get me started on King Kong?
Has any body tuned into the fact that Hollywood and movie makers alike, and yes that includes the independent labels as well, is lacking a touch of originality of late. Screenplay writers, are they suffering a universal writer’s block or what? I think they are and there is not rockabilly thing we can do about it. Short of going out and writing our own movie, having it produced and made and maybe even having Jamie Foxx star. Because we all know - Johnny Cash is not the only dead member of the Rock-n-Roll Hall of Fame.
And why haven’t we seen a life and times of John Lennon? He’s been dead longer than Ray Charles and Johnny Cash put together. Oh that’s right, Michael Jackson own the rights to most of the Beatles songs. Doesn’t he? So if they do decide to make a movie about John Lennon – Do you think can I audition for the part of Ringo?
Well, until that movie script gets bashed around Hollywood, I guess this little moviegoer will just have to be satisfied with his DVD collection. Be happy in the knowledge that he can scan his collection and relive those moments, flitting, as they were, when originality reigned supreme in Hollywood.
That or I can hope and pray to the owners of FOX that the Simpson’s will never ever stopped being made. It makes me laugh! What kind of world do I live in where a 30 minute weekly cartoon offers more original entertainment than a 2-hour multi-million dollar production ever could?
Perhaps one day Screenwriter’s will wake up and smell the stale stench of regurgitation and will seek out our forgiveness for the past few years of boredom that they have forced us to tolerate. Perhaps there will be a time when originality will be the flavor of the times and should anyone ever again suggest a “Rock-n-Roll” history movie than they too will think about reaching for the shotgun and blowing that idea straight back in to the burning ring of fire.
Moviegoers unite; let’s do away with this bandwagon of regurgitation!