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Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: opinionista on January 22, 2007, 02:54:49 pm ---I think movies should be evaluated within the categories or genres they belong to. I disagree with the selection of Superman 2 as one of the best 100 greatest American-made Movies. But Shrek within the category of animated movies is not bad. It is actually a good movie but you cannot compare it with Brokeback Mountain for example, because they do not belong to the same group or genre. That's the problem with the Oscars. They put movies movies of different categories and genres to compete for the same award. For Best Picture, for instance. It's unfair, IMO.
--- End quote ---
Now, THAT approach, categories or genres, makes sense! Thanks, Natali! :D
moremojo:
--- Quote from: Jeff Wrangler on January 22, 2007, 02:57:50 pm ---Now, THAT approach, categories or genres, makes sense! Thanks, Natali! :D
--- End quote ---
On the face of, it does seem a sensible approach, but there are films that cannot be easily categorized, or transcend the genre(s) in which they fall. The original 1973 The Wicker Man, for example, can justly be called a horror movie and a musical (albeit an offbeat one). And most of the very greatest movies I know of fall outside genre or transcend them. Brokeback Mountain would be a good example of this: It's a Western (at least in one sense) whose ultimate meaning lies far beyond the boundaries and expectations of that genre.
I don't know of a completely "good" way to arrive at these attempts at consensus. In fact, in these kinds of polls, I'm always more interested in individual responses than in the group results.
Jeff Wrangler:
--- Quote from: moremojo on January 22, 2007, 03:05:27 pm ---On the face of, it does seem a sensible approach, but there are films that cannot be easily categorized, or transcend the genre(s) in which they fall. The original 1973 The Wicker Man, for example, can justly be called a horror movie and a musical (albeit an offbeat one). And most of the very greatest movies I know of fall outside genre or transcend them. Brokeback Mountain would be a good example of this: It's a Western (at least in one sense) whose ultimate meaning lies far beyond the boundaries and expectations of that genre.
I don't know of a completely "good" way to arrive at these attempts at consensus. In fact, in these kinds of polls, I'm always more interested in individual responses than in the group results.
--- End quote ---
Picky, picky, picky. ;)
For myself, I wasn't really thinking any deeper than, say, thinking that Brokeback Mountain shouldn't be evaluated in the same context as, say, Fantasia.
But your point about films that defy or cross the bounds of easy categorization is well taken. :)
opinionista:
--- Quote from: moremojo on January 22, 2007, 03:05:27 pm ---On the face of, it does seem a sensible approach, but there are films that cannot be easily categorized, or transcend the genre(s) in which they fall. The original 1973 The Wicker Man, for example, can justly be called a horror movie and a musical (albeit an offbeat one). And most of the very greatest movies I know of fall outside genre or transcend them. Brokeback Mountain would be a good example of this: It's a Western (at least in one sense) whose ultimate meaning lies far beyond the boundaries and expectations of that genre.
I don't know of a completely "good" way to arrive at these attempts at consensus. In fact, in these kinds of polls, I'm always more interested in individual responses than in the group results.
--- End quote ---
BBM is not a western. It falls under drama and romance. Romance can be a sub category of drama, for example. It depends on how the categories are defined.
However, you are right not all movies are easily categorized but that's not the usual. Movies tend to fall into one category or two. They aren't universally themed.
nakymaton:
*reads list on Meryl's link*
*goes off to burn Paul Haggis in effigy again*
Interesting that they mention specifically that Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is not on the list, because it's not an American-made film, but they don't mention BBM. (Is CTHD officially the movie that Ang Lee is known best for? I know it made more money than BBM, and I love both movies, but... well, BBM is amazing. I saw CTHD twice in the theater. I saw BBM six times.)
I've been avoiding the awards hoopla this year, but... well, does it ever strike anyone that the entertainment media really avoids talking about BBM, unless it's in the context of gay rights? Like it can only be discussed as a gay movie, not as simply a GREAT movie.
(That said, I want to see the LotR movies rated higher than Star Wars... ;D )
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