The MacGuffin

When George Miller’s first feature film, Mad Max was released to audiences worldwide in 1979, the genre of the Action film did not exist as a genre like it does today.  This is in part because films like Mad Max helped to define and establish such a genre.  Taking a story idea and boiling its’ narrative down to a simple spectacle driven element gave Miller room to impose the aspects of typical film storytelling conventions, like character development and setting, and compress and infuse them into the action.  With the films’ use of imagery, symbolism and metaphor account for most of the dramatic elements that would otherwise be found in dialogue and exposition in broader, more conventional films.  Instead, that time is spent forwarding the plot with brilliantly crafted stunts, using innovative techniques. In this way George Miller was able to direct the visual narrative of the film into an experience as well as a story.   This was the beginning of the modern day Action genre and few films could present a finer example of its burgeoning viability.

Spencer and John look back on the world of film during the summer of 2010, revisit Grindhouse in advance of the release of Robert Rodriguez’s Machete, and give their DVD picks of the week.

Last Exorcism: A solid script and impressive acting highlight this chiller. Only downside is the abrupt (though still good) ending. 8/10

Have you heard the news? David Fincher’s jumping on the remake train. And why not? All the cool kids are doing it.

We open with a couple making love.  They have been with each other for years, they know each other in and out, and seem to be a perfect fit.  However, during this opening scene, something is wrong.  The passion that had sparked this relationship seems to be missing during what is supposed to be the most passionate of moments.  Instead of a representation of the love they have for one another, it has become an act that these people simply wait to be over.  How can this be?  Where did they go wrong?  How can they fix it?  Can it be fixed?  These are the questions that plague the two main characters of Breaking Upwards (2009).

Another MacGuffin Film Podcast web-exclusive Top 5′s segment.  In this episode, Brandi and Allen share their top 5 favorite revenge films.

He is known as “The Master of Suspense,” or quite simply, “The Master.”  His influence can be seen from filmmakers all over the world, in movies made as recently as today.  Even people who are not film buffs recognize his name; he has become a staple of modern pop culture, equal to the likes of Marilyn Monroe or James Dean.  Alfred Hitchcock is one of the few great directors that successfully fused an artistic sensibility with suspenseful, high entertainment.  He did this so well and so often, in fact, that he could be accused of being a one trick pony, which couldn’t be any further from the truth.  Hitchcock was a master of film technique, priding himself in the ability of manipulating an audience to think and feel whatever he wanted them to.  This is seen in many, if not all, of his films, none more so than his masterpiece, Vertigo (1958).

Inception is a film that prompts a lot of discussion. While most of the debate focuses on the ending, and the last shot in particular, there are plenty of other tidbits in the film that have generated their own enthusiastic opinions. While this definitely adds to the film’s overall enjoyment it’s also interesting in light of Nolan’s filmography. In reviewing this film many people have referenced his other “puzzle films” such as Memento or The Prestige. But in comparison Inception is actually fairly straightforward and possibly his most linear film to date (depending on whether you exclude Insomnia on the basis that it’s a remake). Inception is simply a standard, maybe even a cliche, heist film that, when given a unique sci-fi twist, turns the tropes of the genre upside down. Nolan shows here that the context is just as important as the execution.

Episode 2 of the MacGuffin Film Podcast’s web-exclusive Lightning Round. In it we ask quick movie questions and the participants only have a minute to respond.

This episode features a special guest appearance by Henry McComas.

May (2002) is a horror film unlike many horror films I’ve seen.  Its effectiveness doesn’t come from jump scares, psychos behind masks, or ghosts and monsters hiding in the shadows.  It isn’t about blood and gore, although there’s plenty of it.  The success of the film is purely psychological.  We watch with uneasy anticipation as the lead character slowly, but surely, descends in to madness, like a twisted coil on the verge of snapping.  The film, like its lead character, is sweet, charming, odd, tragic, horrific, and moving, all at the same time.