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The movie world is a bizarre myriad of extremes.
On the one hand we have the occasional oddball, slow movies, which take absolute liberty with time in progressing such that by the end of the film, the viewer requires a drip. On the other, there are those which end way before it should, or climax just a tad too hastily.
While snail-paced films are usually dissected with great scrutiny and showered with artistic praise (really, critics can't help but find something to do during the empty moments!) it's time to pay homage to films which er, pack heat. We are the MTV generation, and for all those not getting enough instant gratification to feed their short attention spans, the following ten films should do the trick.
Speed (1994): Judging from the title alone, one could say the filmmakers had a pretty solid artistic vision going on here, which they considerately, helped to fit nicely, into the theme of this issue. The ticking time-bomb is the star of this action-packed film, and the kinaesthetic energy one gets from just the intense soundtrack and Sandra Bullock-Keanu Reeves eye connections as she looks worriedly at him and he furrows his brows right back, and they do it all over again in the next scene is just, well, moving.
Apocalypto (2006): If bread be the staff of life, then adrenaline is the staff of this movie. The chase sequences are a sight to take in, if you are ever able to stop and catch your breath along with the persecuted protagonist. Should urban jungle be a tad overwhelming at times, look no further than to the real deal, with the great escape set amidst an authentically dense, labyrinthine (and Tarzan-hazardous) jungle. Faster than you can say ‘Ga-tor-ade', ‘Apocalypto' is a ride so dizzying and thrilling, you just might want to skip that meal before hopping on.
New York New York (1977): Maybe it's De Niro. Maybe it's De Charm. But the almost bizarre nature by which Liza Minnelli's character falls in love with the protagonist is beyond wacky. This is the romantic-comedy taken to an extreme level, with the first signs of love taking place within the mere duration of a taxi ride and PG (parental guidance) boundaries. Love at first sight, and then an extremely rushed marriage makes for an intriguing viewing to see if the relationship lasts.
If the lightning of the above films have failed to singe a single strand of your hair, then look no further than their counterparts, of which while do not exactly shock, definitely leaves the audience in awe. While the following films are not overtly fast-paced, each serves up their own kind of speed in terms of having a short duration.
Before coming to be known as the folks behind Buzz ‘Infinity & Beyond' Lightyear of ‘Toy Story', Pixar Studios had their humble roots in making short films. Usually screened before the main movie and lasting no longer than five minutes, the quaint miniatures which we all grew up with rarely fail at whetting our appetites for the main film. While old men playing chess and birds resting on telephone wires do not usually make the fast crowd, the Oscar-winning shorts of ‘Geri's Game' (1997) and ‘For The Birds' (2001), are nonetheless delicate packages of heart-tugging themes or cheeky animative wizardry.
Then there is the World's Shortest Film Festival, and at their website, you can watch 40 short films in just 15 minutes. The express entertainment is a unique pleasure at unprecedented convenience. The reels range from the amateur and the inane, to the downright bizarre. One of which titled ‘Killer Bee', involves literally, a killer dressed in a bee suit. Nonetheless, time constraints may also be fertile ground for incredibly creative and profound shorts, with ‘Dim Sum: Tiny Pieces of the Heart' poignantly illustrating the story of a girl who collects her tears. Despite the length of the clips, they prove to be a riot, with ‘Fosbury Flop' and ‘Holiday Romance' serving up fishy humour.
For those who crave an even quicker fix, look no further than the up-and-coming ‘1 Second Film'. Currently in its production stages, it is touted to be the ‘World's Biggest Shortest film'. Make no mistake about their sincerity though, as the feature length credits run over an hour...A collaborative fund-raising animation piece involving multiple big-name film-makers and celebrities, this should indeed be a spectacle to behold. Blink, however, and your ticket money will probably go down the drain. So start training in the art of non-blinking now and catch these films if you can. HOOKED
Images courtesy of: http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/4/45/Speed_movie_poster.jpg/200px-Speed_movie_poster.jpg; http:// www.llopisanimation.com/blog/images/cameos_09.jpg; http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/en/thumb/6/6b/The1secondfilm-flier.jpg/800px-The1secondfilm-flier.jpg
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Written by Guest on 2008-11-11 11:26:34
"If bread be the staff of life, then adrenaline is the staff of this movie"??
Hooked needs a new editor. | ...
Written by Guest on 2008-11-11 11:28:22
"If bread be the staff of life, then adrenaline is the staff of this movie"??
Hooked needs a new editor. |
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