I’m an avid movie-goer. I love the experience of viewing entertainment on a screen so huge that it fills my entire field of vision. For me cinema is all about escapism. Tell me a story, entertain me, take me me away from trails and tribulations of real life for a short while. I was think about it earlier today and it seems that this summer all the big blockbusters are all essentially about exactly the same thing.
Please don’t keep us in suspense Pablo – tell us dammit .
Ok seeing as you asked so politely, and there was no swearing, I shall. This year’s crop of summer blockbusters are all about…….drum roll please…….. how fucking great America is.
Now I should stress before I go any further that I am a fan of the US of States and this is merely an cinematic observation on my part. That said everything your read here is true….probably.
Exhibit A – Captain America
Ok. I admit this was an obvious first choice. I also have to admit that in all honesty I can’t give this one too much of a hard time. It was wonderfully done and by the final credits I was ready to join The Howling Comandos myself. There is no doubt this was all about the flag waving rampant patriotism but it was done extremely well. Fuck it…bring on The Avengers!
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| Captain America yesterday |
Exhibit B – Super 8
Another example of Americana done terribly well. Who better than J.J. Abrahams and Steven Spielberg to provide a big old slice of late 70s nostalgia. Everything is wonderfully observed and the performances from the young leads were pitch perfect. Every scene offers a glimpse of the American suburbs at their best. I don’t doubt this will become a bit of a classic.
Exhibit C – Cowboys and Aliens
Oh for fuck sake….Cowboys…… Do I have to spell it out to you?
and finally….. Transformers 3: Dark Side of the Moon
This is the one that really sent me a bit insane.
Michael Bay and his American tough guys chums, oh and Shia LeBeouf, kick the living crap out of giant robots with the assistance of other giant robots. It felt sort of like a two and half hour ad for signing up to the military. I can imagine Mr Bay sitting about in his Hollywood mansion pondering ideas and thinking ‘well we’ve had every branch of the US Forces in the first two films. How are we going to top that? I’ve got it. Lets throw fucking astronauts into the mix!’
I swear to God at one point, toward the end of the film, when everyone was wistfully looking around at all the devastation that had been caused to the streets of Chicago I thought that this was going to happen*
*I also have to admit a certain amount of disappointment when it didn’t.
Transformers 3 is firmly at number one on my list of the least subtle films of all time. On the plus side though all the explosions were all awfully pretty.
Till another time, most likely in the future.
I’m Pablo Cheesecake, you’re not.
Fuck Yeah!