Post by Fox in the Snow on Nov 20, 2019 11:14:25 GMT
What are the most gimmicky films, narratively you’ve seen?
By narratively, I mean a plot-driven or internal gimmick, something within the narrative of the film. Not something like 3D, Odorama, filming the entire film POV or having the entire cast children playing adult roles.
What are some that have worked, some that haven’t.
Two examples of ones that haven’t worked for me:
Sorta spoilers:
Zoom (2015)
The plot concerns three characters who are “creators”. They each create each others' narrative. A Graphic novelist writes/draws a graphic novel about a director who directs a film about a novelist who writes a novel about the graphic novelist. High concept but nowhere near enough was done with any of the individual narratives.
One Cut of the Dead
The first act is a single long take that opens the film which turns out to be a film within a film. The second act sets up the background/lead-up to the take and the third shows the filming of the long take and explains all the “strange” things that appear in it. Inventive and clever sure, but the whole film comes off as a pretty pointless exercise built just to payoff a few silly gags.
Note: I’m not talking about the long-take itself which is an external gimmick in the same way the opening to Snake Eyes is.
By narratively, I mean a plot-driven or internal gimmick, something within the narrative of the film. Not something like 3D, Odorama, filming the entire film POV or having the entire cast children playing adult roles.
What are some that have worked, some that haven’t.
Two examples of ones that haven’t worked for me:
Sorta spoilers:
Zoom (2015)
The plot concerns three characters who are “creators”. They each create each others' narrative. A Graphic novelist writes/draws a graphic novel about a director who directs a film about a novelist who writes a novel about the graphic novelist. High concept but nowhere near enough was done with any of the individual narratives.
One Cut of the Dead
The first act is a single long take that opens the film which turns out to be a film within a film. The second act sets up the background/lead-up to the take and the third shows the filming of the long take and explains all the “strange” things that appear in it. Inventive and clever sure, but the whole film comes off as a pretty pointless exercise built just to payoff a few silly gags.
Note: I’m not talking about the long-take itself which is an external gimmick in the same way the opening to Snake Eyes is.
