the Darkness...

Tyler · #1 07-11-2005, 02:01 PM

Is it just me or is anybody else tired of the recent "This is a Daaaaaaaaaarker take on (classic movie character/genre/etc)" in the movies lately? Maybe I'm just a wimp but it's starting to get on my nerves, and is on the verge of becoming it's own cliche. Especially since that in practice the darkness is just some bad lighting and more graphic violence, neither of which I particularly enjoy.

votingfloater · #2 07-11-2005, 02:12 PM

For which recent films has this annoyed you?

To a certain extent I agree - usually it does just mean different lighting. And more black leather clothing. And stubble.

Actually to a large extent, I agree. I was sold on the whole WOTW Is Dark thing... but certain parts di not live up to the billing on that one.

Tyler · #3 07-11-2005, 02:28 PM

All the comic book movies for one:Batman, Sin City, Fantastic four, that upcoming V is for Vendetta (well I guess Sin City / V is Vendetta come from 'dark' source material) WOTW, etc etc. It just seems like the new formula is: Dark = Mature, which I am not really feeling. Also that Revenge of the Sith was 'dark' in a really really childish way (imo) but all the 17-23 year old males I knew who saw it ate it right up and felt it was a very adult and mature and nuanced film...

This idea is kind of creeping into video games too (Prince of Persia 2, the upcoming Zelda, GTA:San Andreas to a certain extent [thankfully they kept it kind of goofy and silly in parts]

Tyler · #4 07-11-2005, 02:39 PM

Oh yeah I'm pretty much sick of the 'darker = more mature' meme in music too. And in clothing/fashion.

Tyler the hippie.

the mongoose · #5 07-11-2005, 03:39 PM

I don't think it makes it more mature....

But I love darker, more violent films.

votingfloater · #6 07-11-2005, 03:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Tyler

All the comic book movies for one:Batman, Sin City, Fantastic four, that upcoming V is for Vendetta (well I guess Sin City / V is Vendetta come from 'dark' source material) WOTW, etc etc. It just seems like the new formula is: Dark = Mature, which I am not really feeling. Also that Revenge of the Sith was 'dark' in a really really childish way (imo) but all the 17-23 year old males I knew who saw it ate it right up and felt it was a very adult and mature and nuanced film...

This idea is kind of creeping into video games too (Prince of Persia 2, the upcoming Zelda, GTA:San Andreas to a certain extent [thankfully they kept it kind of goofy and silly in parts]

If I wanted mature, the watch colour would be... grey.

Batman to be seen this Wednesday; I'll reserve judgment 'til then. As for Episode III: wot? Dark? Dark my bumfluff. When he became Vader I near pissed myself laughing.

To be honest, whenever I hear "dark", I assume the following: aimed at angsty adolescents who think not getting Kerrang! radio would jeopardise their very existence.

b.miller · #7 07-11-2005, 07:17 PM

darker take on...

...a group of sexy teens...

...going for realism

You know, they recently announced a remake of Faces of Death and I believe the comments from the producer actually included all three of these phrases.

Yeah, a remake of Faces of Death. Apparently they're making the "host" doctor character from the original into like, a serial killer, who kidnaps a group of sexy teens or something. It's a darker take on the medical profession and they're really going for realism with the autopsies.

anyway... it's funny that this topic comes up because it's so true. darkness != maturity.

We're in a prison of youth-driven entertainment now though... I don't know how many movies from the 70s will make you think "man that's really watered down" at the end of them... I'm sure there are some, but it also seems like there were just many more movies that were actually aimed at adults. Taking of Pelham One Two Three, which was talked about in another thread, is a good example where it's not like some Cassavettes relationship melodrama or Kubrick intellectual sci-fi exploration... it's just a heist film, but it still has an attitude and presentation behind it that doesn't feel cheap or dumbed down.

I am not even getting into the action photography nowadays. seriously. i don't think I'm alone in saying i'd like to see more than just an elbow or nostril at a time whenever one guy wants to fight another guy.

I can't help but bring up Batman Begins here. Yes, I enjoyed it for the most part but it fits perfectly into this mold. I listened to that Christopher Nolan interview that was also linked from another thread and Elvis Mitchell spent all his time talking about how dark and nuanced the film was and of course Nolan was all like "of course." It's still a friggin comic book movie about a guy dressed up as a bat. The guy wears a mask with pointy ears on it. No matter how deep and gravelly and angsty his mouth and chin are, he's still got rubber pointy ears on the top of his head. It's a teen movie. It's a teen version of an adult movie. What sucks is younger-than-teens want to see it because hey, it's about a man dressed up as a bat.

this sort of taps into a whole rant i have about why movies today and the movie business aren't as cool as i want them to be... it's probably pretty boring for everyone here... but i will just say that it'd be cool if the NC-17 rating actually worked and didn't just mean "porn." That goes into problems with American morals and crap like that but... imagining for the moment that American culture wasn't so hung up on sex and having a rating that said "look, not only is this not appropriate for children, we don't think they'd even want to see it anyway because there's no way they'd properly understand it" and then imagine for a moment that it's throngs of adults looking for good movies every weekend instead of getting home after a week of hard work and just wanting to sit there and watch whatever's on tv, and we'd still have great, MATURE movies in all kinds of varying degrees of light and darkness. Ahh that impossible dream...

I don't want every movie to be deep and "mature"... but it's really nice to A: have the option, and B: actually get it when they say they're giving it to you.

We still get a few though. just not enough.

Animal Boything · #8 07-11-2005, 09:44 PM

Did it ever occur to anyone that maybe a lot of movies used to be dumbed down for kids, and this "darkness theme" you're perceiving is just a symptom of hollywood's attempt to correct the mistake? Most of the retreads being done these days are simply closer to the source material and better crafted, and I'm not going to complain about that.

Simply put, a movie can't usually tackle any real human issues without getting into some dark territory, so often it actually is a sign that the filmmakers are serious. If you're actually complaining that movies shouldn't be serious, maybe you need to chill out and go watch My Neighbor Totoro or something.

Now, granted, some of these people are missing their marks, going overboard, and making dumbass movies, but a lot of them aren't. So it has always been and probably shall always be. I think you're making a mountain out of a molehill.

Dave · #9 07-12-2005, 03:52 AM

I thought this thread was going to be about a new Charlie Murphy movie

ffolkes · #10 07-12-2005, 05:33 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dave

I thought this thread was going to be about a new Charlie Murphy movie

Tho i have to say that the "dark" theme isn't, for some reason, really irritating me in the movie world half as much as it is in videogames. Gaming industry has really gone full-on into the dark shit... Examples like Prince of Persia 2 are obvious, even kids franchises like Jak 3 spring to mind. It isn't depressing because it's dark, but because it lacks all imagination. In my opinion, of course.