Thelma Adams on “Snow White and the Huntsman” — “It Isn’t Pretty!”

Posted on June 6, 2012 at 11:34 am

Thelma Adams writes thoughtfully on Yahoo! Movies about what “Snow White and the Huntsman” says about Hollywood — and audience — obsession with beauty:

Why is it so important to know who’s the fairest of them all, a question the magic mirror never answers. For Queen Ravenna, played with Joan Crawford relish by Oscar winner Charlize Theron, the answer is an exposé of Hollywood’s obsession with feminine beauty and aging, and chasing after the next unwrinkled new young thing (whether that’s Kristen Stewart or Elizabeth Olsen or Rooney Mara).

Statuesque blonde Theron, 36, tears into the beauty theme, a variation on past roles. She won her Oscar for playing a repulsive serial killer in “Monster”; last year, she courted another as the morally ugly husband stalker in “Young Adult.” In “Snow White and the Huntsman,” we see Queen Ravenna in her full glory on her wedding day as she glances back over her shoulder and a cascade of golden waves at the young girl who will grow up to be her archrival. The queen has closed the deal with the king, Snow White’s widowed father, in 24 hours on looks alone. Beauty is her power. It’s also her obsession — and her weakness. The parallel is clear: As an A-list star, Theron’s superlative beauty is her commodity, but she’s always looking over her shoulder at the next girl, and the next.

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Book: 100 Ideas That Changed Film

Posted on June 1, 2012 at 3:54 pm

Movies, invented at the end of the 19th century, became one of the defining art forms of the 20th century, moving from flickering images of stage performers to CGI-based effects that could bring any fantasy to life. Oxford Times film critic David Parkinson and publisher Laurence King have produced a new book called 100 Ideas that Changed Film, covering topics like technology (magic lanterns, handheld cameras, special effects, animation), genres (slapstick, epics, expressionism, documentaries, blockbusters), historical events (the blacklist), as well as artistic developments like soundtracks and montage. Well worth reading.

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What a Trailer Tells You

Posted on May 18, 2012 at 8:00 am

The job of the people who make trailers is not to convey the real quality of a movie. It is to get you to buy tickets. io9 has a funny and astute primer on how to spot tricks in a trailer that make the movie look like it’s worth seeing, even when it isn’t. Two of my favorites:

Dog Reaction Shots
If they have to show you a dog’s reaction to the events that are happening on screen, that’s probably a pretty bad sign. They don’t think you’ll know how to react without a dog letting you know.

A pretty woman does an over-the-top pratfall
This is mostly in romantic comedies, but also in other types of films. Comedian Emily Heller describes this one thusly: “Whoooaaaa! She’s clumsy! She has a FLAW! She falls down! That’s the only thing wrong with her though because otherwise she’s a 10.”

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A Guide to Marvel’s Avengers Universe

Posted on May 3, 2012 at 8:00 am

Thanks to CinemaBlend for this handy guide: 10 Things You Need to Know About the Marvel Universe Before Seeing “The Avengers.” SPOILER ALERT! Skip item 10. But if you’re not up on the backstories of the characters, their powers, their origins, and their secret identities and you don’t know your Chitauri from your Cosmic Cube, be sure to check this out before you buy your tickets.

And for fun, check out Nell Scovell’s very funny guide to the politics of the Avengers, their leader, and their nemesis, Loki.

Men, Women, and The Three Stooges

Posted on April 26, 2012 at 3:19 pm

Thanks to Thelma Adams for her thoughtful discussion of two perennial questions: Why do men like The Three Stooges? Why don’t women like The Three Stooges?

“That’s Not Funny! Why Comedy is Different for Men and Women” is Adams’ post on why men find head-bonking and eye-gouging funny while women look on, mystified.

Of course there are women who are fans of Moe, Larry, and Curly and men who don’t get the point. But in general, men laugh at them and women do not. As I told Thelma, there is scientific research showing that women respond to seeing others in pain with empathy while men take pleasure unless they feel it is unfair.

In other words, women empathize with the victim of violence (hence the wincing every time Moe pulls Curly’s hair out by the roots), while men experience schadenfreude when folks get their comeuppance. Men enjoy watching someone get whacked — as long as it isn’t them. Maybe it’s because every time someone else gets picked on, they get a reprieve. It may simply be that women see pain where men see pratfalls.

Or, it may be that women identify with the victims and men identify (or fantasize about being) the perpetrator.

We certainly have a lot to laugh about, and an abundance of potential story lines — as “Bridesmaids” proved so well. Just don’t expect us to howl at “The Three Stooges,” OK?

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