h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Ok. I'm trying to think of the most low-brow or meritless film I've ever really liked and would watch again. It's hard since I have rather eclectic tastes, totally dependent upon my moods. I'm in the process of making a list. I'll be back.

Me, I like the Marx Brothers, Shirley Temple movies...oh, and 'Francis, the Talking Mule'. Francis is wonderful... And the Bowery Boys...Leo Gorcey butchering the English language with Irish bulls...

As for a great way to have fun with history, what about 'The Knight's Tale', with Paul Bettany and Heath Ledger? Those jousting knights coming into a wooden stadium to the audience singing 'We Will Rock You' warmed my little medievalist heart. Chaucer would've loved it.

And I think the Anglo-Saxons would have liked Zemeckis' version of 'Beowulf'. Even if Angelina Jolie didn't enjoy it much.

I have to go with one of the Peter Greenaway films. Guilty pleasures from years gone by. They're all such delightful pretentious that it's hard to choose. I think my favorites are "The Cook, The Thief, His Wife and Her Lover", "A Zed & Two Noughts" and "Drowning by Numbers". It's really hard to decide which is the worst meaning the best. How on earth he ever got Joan Plowright to make a movie for him is beyond me. But I'm glad he did. That's how I orginally discovered Greenaway's films. I watched Drowning by Numbers because she was in it.

I've only seen "The Cook...". I really quite enjoyed it. I especially liked how instead of changing the lighting color from one room to the next, they instead changed the costume colors.

I think the word "indulgent" is an apt descriptor.

(Holy , that film is 22 years old now.)

Hmm. After reading Roger Ebert's review, I might have to watch this again (do I have it on DVD or just on VHS?... may have to netflick it.) I never really looked at the political implications of the film.

http://rogerebert.suntimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/19990101/REVIEWS/901010301/1023

Plus, this came out just before the establishment of the NC-17 rating (5 October, 1990 with the release of Henry and June), not that the NC-17 rating accomplished what it was meant to, making films like this accessible for American adult audiences. the MPAA!

I loved Helen Mirren in The Cook. I vaguely remember that it was supposed to have some sort of political "message". But then all of Greenaway's films are supposed to have all this hidden meaning. The movies are beyond weird. But very fun.

I liked "The Draughtsman's Contract" the least of the ones I watched. Perhaps if I rewatched it at this point in my life, I'd like it better. It is a historical piece so goes with this journal better than the others.

There is apparently a newer one I haven't seen called "Nightwatching" about Rembrandt. Greenaway is hung up on artists. I might order this one.

Oh, you meant that pretentious, trendy stuff people like anyway. I thought you really meant 'lowbrow'.

We liked 'Nightwatching'. Funny, with tinfoil hats in.

Though I think 'Francis, the Talking Mule' is deeper, philosophically speaking...

OK. Film I enjoyed that is totally without merit of any kind - Ladyhawke.

I will admit to enjoying Hudson Hawk, although I don't know why. And I have no reluctance in saying that I just love The Fifth Element. Basically, Bruce Willis has that uncanny talent to make what should be a bad film quite enjoyable.

Ooh, Loved Ladyhawke... no shame for me.

I still quote it when I have to squeeze out of the back seat of a car. (IMDb doesn't have the quote, but I believe it was, "I'm strangely reminded of my birth.")

Dmitri, as far as I'm concerned the three Greenaway films I mentioned are low-brow. The attempt to legitimize them reminds me of the way literature professors take a poem and give it some deep mystical meaning when all the poet was writing about was a rainy day. Perhaps he was making a social comment, but I suspect a lot of it is self-indulgent carp masquerading as "art" in order to sell theater tickets. jmho An excuse to push the envelope.

You have exalted taste, then, Hyp. I thought 'Nightwatching' was pretty intellectual stuff, what with all that painting and cool lighting and suchlike. But maybe I just didn't get it.

I dunno, what about '50 First Dates'? I thought it was a hoot, but also one for the Anglo-Saxon school of philosophy...mind you, the kissing walruses were the best part...

Like I said, I haven't seen Nightwatching yet. I can't comment on it.

One director I've completely soured on since my youth and now consider completely and unremittingly self indulgent and pretentious is David Lynch. While I will admit he can create some beautiful scenes, his films are devoid of meaning and plot. My theory is that people fawn all over his films simply because they're too embarrassed to admit that they don't understand them. What they don't understand is that there is no understanding to be had. (Always watch for the obligatory little person, there's no reason for him, but there's one in every film. I think it's Lynch shorthand for "Hey, this is a weird scene.")

Ah, Ladyhawke - and Rutger Hauer *sighs*

http://image.toutlecine.com/photos/l/a/d/ladyhawke-1985-02-g.jpg

Trailer here:
http://www.zuguide.com/#Ladyhawke

I've never forgiven David Lynch for ruining Dune.

You gotta admit, it was pretty on the screen though, wasn't it? Oh, you wanted it to make sense and follow the original story... never mind.

[self promo]David Lynch did take his name off the TV cut: see A1017695 [/self promo]

Yeah, it was pretty. And had a decent cast. And a fabulous story that he totally ed up. The SciFi Channel mini-series and sequel weren't as pretty but they did a better job with the story.

David Lynch does get good actors, that's true. But he's also good at getting those actors to completely chew the scenery. I'm very curious to know what he said to Diane Ladd, Laura Dern and Nic Cage to get them to act like high school drama students in Wild at Heart; or what he said to Dennis Hopper in Blue Velvet to do whatever it was he was doing.

He certainly has a different approach. I imagine it is the size of the paycheck more than them agreeing with what he says.