Quitting Day

First off, I’d like to apologize to all three of my loyal readers for the lack of content these last couple of weeks.  I promise to do better from now on, and I feel like I can make that promise because…

I’m quitting my job today.  I won’t go into detail here, because that wouldn’t be appropriate.

Suffice it to say, this new company is lame-o.

K

Bear Lake 742008

The Reynolds Family July 4th, 2008 boat trip to Bear Lake.

Also, Chemtrails by Beck.

K

Twist?

I absolutely love a good twist.  Whether it be in a film, television show or piece of literature, there’s nothing like that unexpected plot turn that comes right out of left field, hits you in the face like a ball-peen hammer and changes everything about the story you previously believed you were following.  When a twist is pulled off well, there’s nothing better – like in M. Night Shyamalan’s the Sixth Sense.  Conversely, however, there’s nothing worse than a bad. predictable or otherwise lame twist – like in Shyamalan’s the Village.

This last weekend’s box office champ, Will Smith’s latest July 4th blockbuster Hancock, has what one reviwer called a “major midfilm shocker.“  Others have called it “self-destruction” and “cinematic whiplash.“  At any rate, from where I was sitting, it certainly wasn’t a very good twist.  It almost wasn’t a real twist at all.  So please, have a seat, and I’ll tell you why.  But before you do, let me give you a little warning…

SPOILERS AHEAD.

That right there shows you what a colossal nerd I am, to even know, much less use that particular phrase.  Kinda makes me feel like Michael Scott.  But I feel compelled to do so, as I intend to discuss the “twist” and why I think it doesn’t work.  If you haven’t seen Hancock and don’t want the “surprise” ruined, please stop reading now.  Might I suggest you head on over to Vinyl Draft and read some extremely interesting and illuminating posts, perhaps?  I’ll try to be as general as I can, but I make no guarantees.

1. As a general movie rule, if you want a twist to be truly effective, good casting is extremely important.  Am I supposed to believe that Charlize Theron is playing an ancillary character in a Will Smith July 4th blockbuster?  Do I have “stupid” written on my forehead?  She’s gorgeous.  She’s a fine actress.  If you want to pull off your big twist, however, don’t expect me to believe that she’s merely a housewife with a nightly news-inspired moral dilemma.
2. Second, it’s a good thing to make early hints about the nature of your twist, but for heaven’s sake, be subtle.  A good example is the line from Fight Club, in which the narrator says, “For some reason, I was reminded of my first fight, with Tyler.”  If you’ve seen it, you know what I’m talking about.  This line didn’t make much sense on first viewing, it didn’t give away the twist, but it made the second viewing so much more enjoyable.  Hancock completely lacked this type of subtlety, offering virtually no reward for multiple viewings.  The film shoots itself in the foot with its own predictability.
3. Third – please make sure your twist connects to the overall story somehow.  When we discover that the chick is actually a dude, or that he was on Earth the entire time, or that the bad guy is the good guy’s father, it makes sense and fits within the overarching story.  It should not be just a twist for the sake of having a twist, it should add to and enhance the plot.  That seems to be reviewers’ (and my) biggest complaint with Hancock.  The “twist” completely derails a rather interesting story.
4. I could go on, but I’ll finish with one last point:  Whatever you do, do NOT sacrifice the film’s finale to the gods of the almighty twist.  Do I need to belabor that point any further?  Now, I’m not saying that a film should be formulaic and made from some template, in fact I greatly enjoy a well made story that goes against convention.  Having said that, there are basic rules to storytelling that haven’t changed since the beginning of time.  It’s never a bad idea to follow them in some way.

To be perfectly honest, I really enjoyed Hancock.  It was funny, entertaining, and a perfectly good summer popcorn flick.  Also, Charlize Theron is beautiful, so anything that gets her more screen time, I’m ok with on general principle.  It just simply wasn’t a cohesive story with a twist, because it was more like two loosely connected stories about the same characters told in one 90-minute movie.  As long as you’re willing to be cool with that, you’ll be fine.  After all, life’s too short to worry about silly things.

Enjoy yourself. Escape your tedious existence.  Go see an entertaining movie that has absolutely no shot at winning an Oscar.

K

87

Today’s number is 87.  87 is the number of the day, and the number of the day is 87.

Ochenta y siete.

Ladies and gentlemen, I finally broke 90.  And I broke it by three strokes.

I don’t know if I was clear about this, so just let me say it one more time:

I shot an 87 today.  My best round of golf by at least 5 strokes.

I’m awesome.  That is all.

Ben and Vince were there.  Ask them.

K