Fashion Horror

[PR3SSUR3]

However there is a level of commitment - naive or otherwise - present in Argento's films that is far beyond many of his American counterparts. A similar thing goes for Lucio Fulci, with his raw approach to gore providing a substance of its own, like Argento's gloss. It's not the violent acts themselves, its about how the film builds and reacts to them.

I do not think either of these directors are crafty or manipulative enough to deliberately create empty characters - they are perhaps not competent enough to grind out decent performances from poor scripts and actors (and don't forget dubbing), but their work is very watchable nonetheless, even as anti-cinema.

[urgeok]

Originally Posted by Vodstok

thats like saying "the garnish IS the dish."

And i still say, a plate full of parsley still tastes like shit.

yeah i dont think the 'style is the substance' is completely correct re. argento.
he still has to have a base.

since we're using food analogies here ..

style is the pickles mustard relish ketchup lettuce onions on a hamburger.
the meat patty itself is the story/acting

you can transform a tasteless patty into a hamburger of beauty with the right garnishes ...

i couldnt eat a plain hamburger no matter how good the quality is... i dont want to taste 'just meat'

so i guess in my world - style helps a film more than substance - at least with horror films .. i wouldnt want either on their own ... but style weighs heavier in the balance for me.

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by urgeok

so i guess in my world - style helps a film more than substance - at least with horror films .. i wouldnt want either on their own ... but style weighs heavier in the balance for me.

I think we have hit the nail on the head here. I prefer the substance, but substance without ANY style is a documentary. One o fthose slide show documentaries, about STDs they showed back in grade school.

[urgeok]

Originally Posted by Vodstok

I think we have hit the nail on the head here. I prefer the substance, but substance without ANY style is a documentary. .

or porn !!!!

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by urgeok

or porn !!!!

Very true.

[The Flayed One]

I suppose you could always compare it to a woman (or man if you prefer) in the sense. "Fashion Horror" (I love the term, Rod) is wonderful if you just want to tune in and turn off the brain. I like looking at women who I think are hot just as much as the next guy. However, in the end I'd much rather have the plain looking woman with a lot of brains.

[urgeok]

i dont like that analogy ..

i think you have to have brains to have effective style .. a higher sense of art and composition, superior cinematography and sense of how the appropriate music can enhance a scene in a stylistic way (instead of pounding a scene home with a hammer)

in your analogy you're assuming the hot looking woman isnt smart ..

if you're talking about the blonde big titted brainless bimbo - then you're looking at the majority of slasher movies from the 80s (not all, elvis - the majority !)

a ditzy good looking woman (or man) - they were born that way - they didnt have to work at it .. by the same token a base slasher doesnt work at it either .. it just kills off stock 2 dimentional teenage characters ..
some fun kills - good to look at - but it doesnt mean you could hold a meaningfull conversation about/with it.

[The Flayed One]

You know, I was a hair away from posting "Of course, that doesn't mean beautiful=dumb. There are movies that do both, the same with people. Take City Of Lost Children or Amelie. Both beautiful & very intelligent. They're like the hot, sexy woman with a degree in theoretical physics."

Then I thought to myself, nah, I don't need to. Surely no picky bastard will come into this thread and call me out on it.:p

I see what you're saying, though.

[urgeok]

yeah, basically my point was i still think you have to have a pretty intelligent production to pull of style properly.

i've seen some shit movies that tried to rely on style but the filmmaker/editor didnt have the skill to pull it off and it becomes and embarrasing thing to watch.


like someone singing karaoke completely off key while wearing an expression that says 'god damn, i'm a great singer'

[Vodstok]

Originally Posted by The Flayed One

There are movies that do both, the same with people. Take City Of Lost Children or Amelie. Both beautiful & very intelligent. They're like the hot, sexy woman with a degree in theoretical physics."

unattainable?

:)