Cinemawreck 101 #1

Beginning er, now, we're going to start shining a light on some of our favorite films, films that go beyond being just merely entertaining, but are, dare I say - life changing, and indispensable in the annals of cinema. We'll try and stay up on this as much as possible, along with keeping up with the "Fucked-Up Shit", and "Ones You May Have Missed" threads. Also, these are in no particular order...

GHOSTBUSTERS

There are two kinds of GHOSTBUSTERS fans: the ones who like it, and the ones who have it memorized line-for-brilliant-line. The doctor and I probably fall into the latter category, as there is nary a real-life scenario that we haven't been able to apply a GHOSTBUSTERS quote to. I remember seeing this - the classic story of three struggling NYC scientists who start hunting and capturing ghosts in order to make a few bucks - in the Summer of '84 at least three or four times, being both freaked-out and awestruck by the awesome special effects, and my guts pummeled by modern comedy legends Dan Ackroyd, Bill Murray, Harold Ramis, Ernie Hudson (What? He's hilarious - especially in THE HAND THAT ROCKS THE CRADLE.), Rick Moranis, and Annie Potts ( in one of the greatest, most overlooked supporting turns ever - "Yeah, it's a sign alright! Going out of business!" - love it...), all playing to straight-woman/love-interest-who-eventually-becomes-a-dog Sigourney Weaver (how's that for a hyphenate?).

On paper, I can imagine GHOSTBUSTERS looked like a sure-fire bomb, and if it were done today there is no way it would work*. One can only imagine it was a fluke - a batshit-crazy blend of horror and comedy with a cast at the top of their game, and a director (Ivan Reitman) that came from the same old-school comedy approach (and produced a couple of early Cronenberg movies as well) who has yet to have a hit since it's dreadful, dreadful sequel. If you haven't seen this since the Reagan administration do yourself a favor and reacquaint yourself. Hell, if you haven't seen it during the W. administration you need to see it again. For me, this one requires at least a viewing a month. It's one of the biggest, most quotable comedies ever made. An unquestionable classic.

*And I swear to GOD, if this gets remade with the likes of Ashton Kutcher, Dane Cook, Jimmy Fallon, and Nick Cannon, all those responsible will pay!!! PAY-Y-Y-Y!!! Hollywood will burn. Believe it.

PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK

On the commentary track for the little-seen, and future "Ones You May Have Missed" selection, SESSION 9, writer-director Brad Anderson and co-writer/co-star Stephen Gevedon talk about the effective contradiction of having horrible events occur in beautiful broad strokes of daylight. They mention specifically the influence that Peter Weir's masterpiece of corseted creepiness PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK had on their film. Although what happens in SESSION 9 is far more grotesque and over-the-top than what occurs in PICNIC, it's easy to see how they felt the juxtaposition of a sunny day with unexplained mayhem becomes an effective device in a horror film.


At it's core, PICNIC is a horror film, albeit a very, very, subtle one. There are beautiful girls, but no slasher. There is a supernatural element, but no apparitions, or things that bump in the night. There is a mystery, but no clear-cut solution. It is a tour-de-force in atmospheric meditation, and unrequited longing, both sexual, and deeply emotional. It tells the story of a sunny St. Valentine's day excursion into the Australian outback by an all-girls school ca. 1900. A group of them wander off to explore the titular rock formation, and vanish, seemingly into thin air. An investigation ensues, and a handful of subplots are brought to light, ranging from an estranged brother and sister, to a couple of unrequited lesbian affairs (hey, it's an all-girls school, it happens). If you're looking for closure, I'm going to go ahead and be upfront with you and say that you will be disappointed, and should stick to episodes of CSI: Where-The-Fuck-Ever...

Director Weir shoots the landscape, and particularly the rock in a way that transforms it into a living, wizened being, lording monolithically over a still-young human race that has intruded upon an ancient land that they have little understanding of. Along with the transcendentalist approach to cinematography and storytelling, the film is also accented with a beautiful pan flute score by Gheorges Zamfir which adds to the film's lyricism. I love films like this, and Antonioni's L'AVENTURRA, (whose influence is definitely all over this), where the solution to the mystery isn't as important as its effect on those left to ponder, and in turn suffer because they will never know what happened to the ones they loved and inexplicably lost. PICNIC AT HANGING ROCK is a one of a kind movie, and one that continues to haunt well after the end credits.