Okay, so I have been devouring David Thomson's massive 20 pound book The New Biographical Dictionary of Film : Expanded and Updated .
The snippets I've excerpted below are just a tiny FRACTION of what he writes about all these people - his essay on Fred Astaire goes to 3 pages.
A couple things before we move on:
-- If you roll your eyes at people who take films seriously, then these snippets will annoy the crap out of you. So to you people? Go away. Honestly, I like to talk about all this stuff in a serious way, and have no interest in DEFENDING that to the eye-rollers. This is for people who LOVE films and like to talk about them as art, and who never put quotations around the word art - unless it's BAD or pretentious art. But to those of you who actually believe there is such a thing as art, and artists are not to be sneered at on principle - then yay for you, you are my friend, and please read on.
-- I didn't post these because I agree with every sentiment. I am just ADDICTED to how this guy writes. ADDICTED. He just knows how to turn a phrase.
His essay on Madonna is one of the most blistering and vicious essays I think I have ever read. And I laughed out loud as I read it, because he explains his hatred of her and what she represents so well - but he just HATES HER.
His hatred brings out real goodies - but his love of people, and how he can express it, gives me goosebumps.
He's a marvelous writer, and my list of "Films I have to see" is growing by leaps and bounds!
Posted by sheilaAn excerpt from the Madonna essay is forthcoming, right? You promote it specifically too well to leave it out.
Posted by: Steve Ely at May 13, 2006 7:26 PMhahaha yeah, it's a doozy!! I'll excerpt more from him as I move thru the book ... but this is enough for today. :)
Posted by: red at May 13, 2006 7:27 PMDo you get a lot of people telling you film is not an art form?
Posted by: Anne at May 13, 2006 9:11 PMI have only noticed it when I move out of the "omigod I'm such a fan" realm and try to write about it seriously, and what film MEANS to me - and how important I find it. As an artform. Certain people get their backs up about that, for some reason. They like artists to know their place. Bleh. I don't deny that Hollywood can be annoying - of course it is. But that is so not my focus, has never been my focus, and I find the topic boring as a whole. Also there's the conservative element - people bitching about the politics of Hollywood - which got to be so relentless that I finally decided to just create a comment POLICY about it - hahahaha, because I was so sick of having to do that battle every time I wrote a damn post about a movie. Now I can just say: "You violated my policy. STOP." Silly, but I was sick of having the same goddamn argument every day.
I read a lot of film junkie sites, and while it can be a lot of hogwash - I really like to be around people who DIG films, and ... like I said ... don't feel so embarassed by art that they always have to put quotation marks around it.
It doesn't happen often - definitely not as much as it used to. I have some real film buffs reading me now which is a lot of fun. (well, I always have - but you know, there are always the party-poopers.)
Posted by: red at May 13, 2006 10:06 PMThe thing that kills me about a lot of people who criticize "art" is that they seem to be under the mistaken impression that just because you write about films that means you think they are the most important thing in the universe. Given your tendencies to write about heavier stuff, it gets especially annoying when people pull that condescending "why aren't you writing about more important issues?" crap here. It's art, people. It's only there to embellish life, but what's wrong with making our time here as beautiful as possible?
"His essay on Madonna is one of the most blistering and vicious essays I think I have ever read."
I. Must. READ. THIS.
Posted by: Emily at May 14, 2006 10:22 AMI also happen to agree with Camille Paglia when she says, "Eventually, when we meet beings from another planet, it will be by our art that we will want to be known."
I totally agree with that. This doesn't mean that I don't appreciate Dodgeball, Bring It On, and The Real World: Seattle - I do!!! But I also believe art is important - it can make us feel less alone, it can deepen our understanding about ourselves, etc. etc.
Oh - and the Madonna essay Emily - so good!!! What the hell, I'll post it today. It's vicious with a capital V.
Posted by: red at May 14, 2006 11:03 AMOh and speaking of art, Emily: Batman Begins is having its TV premiere on May 20th on HBO - I am so watching it! Finally!!
Posted by: red at May 14, 2006 11:04 AMOoo, can't wait for the "Esther" post!
Watch Tom Wilkinson in Batman...he's just incredible in that movie. And be prepared for full-scale Christian Bale hottie mchotness. It's almost unbearable.
Posted by: Emily at May 14, 2006 11:31 AMYes, but is he as hot as Eric Bana? Is that even possible?
How hysterical is it that Gloria Steinem is Christian Bale's stepmother? hahahaha
Posted by: red at May 14, 2006 12:41 PMI'd say Bana and Bale would probably tie in the Hot Guy Olympics.
Posted by: Emily at May 14, 2006 7:18 PM