Films/DVD Asylum

Posted by Audiophilander (A) on January 27, 2003 at 23:58:44

In Reply to: Some films they wouldn't make after 9-11. posted by edta on January 27, 2003 at 16:44:31:

I think that she's dead-on, especially about Dune & Starship Troopers! The points she made about Frank Herbert's Dune take on an interesting perspective post-9/11 and I'm glad that someone finally emphasized those wickedly satirical elements in Paul Verhooven's film that so many folks seem to miss. I highly recommend seeing Starship Troopers for yourself; of course reading Robert Heinlein's book is also recommended, keeping in mind that the author was writing for a Eisenhower era audience and wasn't trying to satirize the "utopian" futuristic society with fascistic principles. OTOH, I don't feel that Verhooven was trying to lampoon Heinlein so much as the fascism on which that futuristic society was based, not to mention the cliche` war euphemisms we've grown up with in every gung-ho Hollywood war film made since the outbreak of WWII.

OTOH, Fight Club is not a movie with much to recommend it, IMHO. The satire of corporate dehumanization may be present, but that subtext is well conceiled within the depressing story of it's central characters. From my perspective this story goes over the top in ways that even SF films don't usually try to get away with, which dulled the overall suspension of disbelief and, unfortunately, weakened the satirical elements.

I've never seen Hot Dogs for Gauguin, so your guess is as good as mine whether that one would be worth seeking out.

Cheers,
AuPh