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Whenever they want a character to overhear a crucial report on the TV, its always exactly as they turn on the tv or the moment they come out the shower or the moment they walk into a bar....
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I'm just here to be the 1500th reply.
xoxoxo
Neil
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And I somehow double posted it, negating the whloe effect.
D'oh!
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Posted: |
Mar 6, 2020 - 4:49 AM
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By: |
jackfu
(Member)
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...in a scenario where a group of characters is in immediate mortal peril, the most cowardly/panicky member of the group will selfishly grasp at the one apparent chance for survival -- often pushing aside another character so they'll be first in line for whatever the means of escape is -- only to get fed a heaping dose of comeuppance when they find themselves on the receiving end of an ironic, often gruesome demise? Pretty much a obligatory scene in any disaster movie, or movie where characters are being pursued by a monster or pack of them. Saw this again tonight in 47 Meters Down Uncaged. Another great example is in The Towering Inferno, where Richard Chamberlin runs for the basket harness and starts shoving other party guests out as it starts to descend, only to have an explosion occur underneath him sending him plunging to a fiery death below. Are we supposed to cheer, or something?
Agreed, those are pretty much gratuitous. IMO, you're right about the intent you suspect, and that they're also designed to garner sympathy/empathy for the folks that are pushed aside and relief that they were spared the fate of the selfish character, after the fall showed it not to be a dependable means of escape. I can't help but also think that those scenes are more of a crutch for a weak story line. Someone in the process of making these films must realize at some point that it needs something to stir emotions in the audience and they resort to this type of tactic.
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Posted: |
Mar 6, 2020 - 7:16 AM
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By: |
Disco Stu
(Member)
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...in a scenario where a group of characters is in immediate mortal peril, the most cowardly/panicky member of the group will selfishly grasp at the one apparent chance for survival -- often pushing aside another character so they'll be first in line for whatever the means of escape is -- only to get fed a heaping dose of comeuppance when they find themselves on the receiving end of an ironic, often gruesome demise? Pretty much a obligatory scene in any disaster movie, or movie where characters are being pursued by a monster or pack of them. Saw this again tonight in 47 Meters Down Uncaged. Another great example is in The Towering Inferno, where Richard Chamberlin runs for the basket harness and starts shoving other party guests out as it starts to descend, only to have an explosion occur underneath him sending him plunging to a fiery death below. Are we supposed to cheer, or something?
Agreed, those are pretty much gratuitous. IMO, you're right about the intent you suspect, and that they're also designed to garner sympathy/empathy for the folks that are pushed aside and relief that they were spared the fate of the selfish character, after the fall showed it not to be a dependable means of escape. I can't help but also think that those scenes are more of a crutch for a weak story line. Someone in the process of making these films must realize at some point that it needs something to stir emotions in the audience and they resort to this type of tactic.
" I can't help but also think that those scenes are more of a crutch for a weak story line. Someone in the process of making these films must realize at some point that it needs something to stir emotions in the audience and they resort to this type of tactic."
Possibly but I think it's done as a straight up shock action. Remember, with censorship on films regarding violence or physical harm being the way it was in the times these films were made, those blood splatters on the screen after the crash were pretty intense and brutally horrific or horrifically brutal. I can't help but think that it evoked in the viewers the reaction "Did they really show that!?". Those people were completely innocent and even to this day there is a limit to which we show and accept the violent death of innocent people, which brings me to another thing for this beloved "I hate"-thread:
Somehow children and pregnant womenare mostly let of the hook where it comes to suffering the logical harmful/ deadly effects of a situation in mainstream films.
I remember how many people object to the aliens killing the young boy and pregnant women in the AvP film despite the fact that would absolutely happen if those creatures were to be on earth in real life.
Many people react just as irrational and simplistically to such a scene as Siskel & Ebert did to the treatment of Newt in Aliens.
D.S.
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Characters who keep vital information to themselves when there is no reason for it. It's clearly meant to keep the audience in suspense, but having the characters told about it would have made a huge difference! .
This. So often happens when an innocent character is accused of something but says nothing. "Just tell them the truth!" Im screaming at the tv!! Then you just know the irritation of the pointless plot is going to annoy you more than entertain.
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