(reviving a semi-old thread here)
I've been meaning to see that
I don't think it's in theatres anymore so I guess I'll have to wait for it to come out on dvd
just from the description, however, I think you're right about it subverting the biopic form
and that's something Haynes is known for - Superstar: The Karen Carpenter Story (a biopic acted out entirely by Barbie dolls) being his most famous example
since that post you quoted I've rethought my statement a bit and want to clarify
I still think that various film movements (abstract and structural film in particular) have torn down all barriers of form
no one is (well, no film-educated person should be) shocked or awed by formal experimentation anymore because it's already been shown that nothing is forbidden, everything is permitted
where i do still see the possibility for interesting formal experimentation, however, is within (or rather, stemming from) pre-existing film types, forms, and genres
most films attempting to subvert form start from the bottom up. I think at this point it's become more interesting to start from the top down. take a form that's already there (western, biopic, documentary, or even narrative film as a whole) and see how you can turn it on it's head, turn it inside out, or use it as a starting point for something else entirely (keep in mind here I'm not just talking about genre experimentation, but actually messing with form)
Haynes is a good example
and I guess Tarnation fits the bill as well (although I still don't entirely like the film, and think overall it's naiively and amateurishly constructed)
also, since my last post in this thread, I've done a complete about face regarding my position on youtube
grant - I completely agree with you
I'm in the process of beginning work on a documentary short right now that focuses on youtube - it's about a subculture/fetish/genre of men posting videos of themselves smoking cigarettes, and commenting on and responding to these videos
I don't want to reveal much more until it's developed a little bit further |
