Thursday, May 10, 2012

Why do I love me those dystopian/post-apocalyptic movies...

Too much work makes a man crabby, resentful and full of himself, yes?  So rather than obsess over the ups and downs of ministry, let me direct some attention to my fascination with the aesthetic of post-apocalyptic movies.  I LOVE the way these films look and feel.  Is it a late 20th/early 21st century reshaped noir thing that grabs me? (Oh, I do love me film noir!) 

+ It clearly is not the zombie stuff (I don't like things that are ugly or gory.)  But it is most certainly connected to the old vampire groove as I'm captivated by the shadows and fog and the sensuality that lurks just below the surface of Victorian culture.

+ I sense that I dig some of the goth aesthetic, too with the inner tenderness inverted into the appearance of a strong and challenging exterior.  They are a modern embodiment of Johnny Cash, lamenting the dominant culture's profound addiction to buying and selling everything in sight.

So give me some full blown Mad Max, Blade Runner and Batman visuals and I am in total heaven:  I can't get enough of the stuff.

There is a TV show we've been watching - Charlie Jade - that isn't all that great when it comes to the acting.  In fact, it is pretty shallow.  But, damn if the visuals aren't a treat. Di said, "How come you'll watch ANY of this shit no matter how bad the acting...?" And I had to confess that I didn't have an immediate answer.


As the TV images lured me deeper, I began to think of some of the PA movies that I love to watch:  at the top of the list is Blade Runner, followed by Children of Men, Batman, Road Warrior, The Terminator series and The Matrix.  Loved Max Headroom and the newer take on Battlestar Gallactica, too.

So over the next few days I'm going to be sharing some thoughts and visuals that speak to me and ask you for your wisdom, too.  What's the deep attraction here - let's have a little fun - ok?

2 comments:

Peter said...

Soylent Green, anyone? ACtually, the Dr. who revival has some neat PA stuff in it as well.

RJ said...

Yes, I agree with the Dr. Who insight Peter...love it!

an oblique sense of gratitude...

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