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Re: It is hard to define "cool"

Yea, I think "cool" in music is a specific term. Like in jazz it refers in my mind to a certain type of understatement.

But in film, it may have a broader definition. In my mind, it may refer to various things. Perhaps I'm wrong about that.

It can cover a certain nonplussed type of film style or acting and in that way it would be similar to the way the term is used in music.

I was thinking of the movie "Body Heat" also in terms of cool. The
heat kind of slows everything down in the film. A certain low keyness, even though murder and betrayal are involved.

Perhaps in the interesting film "Jackie Brown", Robert De
Niro also acts kind of cool (low-key. nonplussed by some excitable people and things happening around him particularly Samuel Jackson's character).

Is that why they refer to "Pulp Fiction" as being cool. Samuel Jackson and John Tavolta have normal conversations while they are in the process of killing people. And another actor acts kind of cool even though he is a bit crazed and he has a electric saw to get others with.

And then the guy they go to to "clean up the mess" acts particularly "cool" after being established as a very dangerous person.

Cool is when very dangerous people don't do something (understatement) or do something very bad in a nonchalant way (like in Natural Born Killers perhaps).

Then you would certainly have to say that there is a real coolness in the movie "Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer". One of my favorite films because it had such a great impact on me. They kill people like it's nothing.

But cool also refers I guess to being hip or right in a certain way, or just being real, real, good.

For being hip or right, the young kind of goofy kid in 'House Party" is kind of cool and gets really cool when the music and party starts.

Something real, real good might be cool as the Fellini scene I mentioned. A "spectacular" type of scene that just establishes film as art.

Alot of films seem to have a certain coolness about them. I guess especially Tarantino films. Perhaps it is really an important style.

"Kill Bill" is cool too. The woman is cool in being very straighforward in what she feels she has to do regardless. She gets her revenge in a matter of fact cool way.


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  • Re: It is hard to define "cool" - njjohn 20:17:19 12/07/04 (0)


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