T/S: John Hughes vs. Judd Apatow

it's not like female-driven romcoms are hard to find, it's like 50% of the respective filmographies of Julia Roberts, Reese Witherspoon, Debra Messing, Ashley Judd, etc. it would be pretty interesting to count up how many of those movies have female writers or directors vs. male.

the elephant in the room is that most all movies about couples are going to tell the story at least slightly from one half's perspective more than the other, and that's always going to shade how you measure these things.

Don't say that about Witherspoon, dude, ILX will hand you your tongue.

Also, to be fair to Ashley Judd, she's more often caught up in some sort of conspiracy that involves masked men chasing her through a forest.

I really hate the way that they stereotype masked men.

I don't think that Al was making any sort of value judgment!

Serious question: does Laurel look like the Blue fucking Fairy?

I used to really love Reese - she had quite a streak of quality material - but what has she done for me lately

reese wins forever just for cruel intentions

But Reaganist? In what sense? Freeze frames in particular have some characteristic about them that makes them Reaganesque?

If they come at the end of a dumb and shallow 'feelgood' narrative, yes.

You know, I think I could use you in a movie role Morbius. How are you at 'kookie'?

I think Alfred goes over the Reagan-stuff pretty well upthread (idealization of suburbs and corresponding fear of urban-dwelling minorities/homeless, loads of mindless conspicuous consumption, etc etc)

Yes of course, but we're talking about freeze frames? I mean, we're not talking about the suburbs. We're talking about freeze frames. Not, not what actually goes on in the movie. We're talking about freeze frames.

I prefer movies that end with Rodney Dangerfield and a Journey song and a big party

xpost

Yes. If you don't understand how a smiley freezeframe that's sposed to send you out happy and stupid (while the presold soundtrack hit plays)is a characteristic of post-Star Wars shit, well...

Throw in a few lines of coke, a chastised liberal, an Air Force pilot (secretly gay), and I will conced Reaganesque.

a cute asshole who jerked everyone around, including the best friend he only half-heartedly cares about

THE WHOLE POINT OF THE MOVIE IS TO HELP THE BEST FRIEND BECOME HIMSELF AND THEREFORE TRULY HAPPY BY GETTING OUT FROM UNDER HIS PARENTS (AND EN PASSANT DESTROY A BIG YUPPIE DOUCHEBAG LUXURY ITEM) - THE EXTREMELY HOT GIRLFRIEND IS VESTIGIAL (YES, MORBS, IT'S VERY MISOGYNISTIC), THE LOVE STORY IS BETWEEN THE FRIENDS - DO YOU PEOPLE NOT EVEN UNDERSTAND THE PLOT?

happy and stupid

guys, everyone who is happy is stupid

gabbneb the car is destroyed by accident, not by design or because of some anti-materialistic "free yourself of your posessions" logic

At the same time I agree that you Reaganista types are severely projecting onto this film.

no, shakey. the car was destroyed by god.

also the kind of "help" Ferris actually gives his purported "best friend" is of a highly dubious nature

x-post

Cameron = buttoned-down straightman
Ferris = kooky girlfriend

sure that sounds legitimate

guys, everyone who is happy is stupid

This is very close to a line from Gregory's Girl.

Anyway, it's kinda funny that this thread is a faceoff between '80s teens and '00s man-boys.

THE WHOLE POINT OF THE MOVIE IS TO HELP THE BEST FRIEND BECOME HIMSELF AND THEREFORE TRULY HAPPY BY GETTING OUT FROM UNDER HIS PARENTS (AND EN PASSANT DESTROY A BIG YUPPIE DOUCHEBAG LUXURY ITEM) -

Noted, but I mentioned Ferris' astounding indifference to his plight. This may be the performance's problem too. I mean, Broderick is just not convincing offering to take the blame for car going out the window.

Yeah it's pretty clear that Cameron is going to be severely beaten by his father, or perhaps killed. Ferris is all like Bluto in Animal House: "Hey, you fucked up, you trusted me."

Also, thanks to everyone on this thread who reminded me why I stopped participating in film threads!

P.S. I can't believe I can't remember this clearly, and do not really want to get involved in this Reagan-era debate, but is the car's going out the window really an "accident?" Isn't it a half-accident that occurs as Cameron is, like, going off on the car? Doesn't he kick it off the jack it's balanced on?

the car's going out the window was entirely out of the filmmakers' hands

it was Reagan's fault.

http://tbn0.google.com/images?q=tbn:1bjSZve1hJR3_M:http://www.rjgeib.com/thoughts/north/north.jpg
I cannot recall

never woulda happened if Deaver had still been around

little-known fact - "Sloane" was originally named "Fawn"

xxxpost gabbneb the car is destroyed by accident, not by design or because of some anti-materialistic "free yourself of your posessions" logic

Err, wasn't Cameron kicking the shit out of the car for about 5 minutes before it crashed off its jacks.

Yeah it's pretty clear that Cameron is going to be severely beaten by his father, or perhaps killed.

I smell sequel!

harmlessly punching car /= destruction of car

its pretty clear they didn't intend to destroy the car, I can't believe this is even debatable

CAN WE RETURN TO DISCUSSING HOT PAUL RUDD K THNKX

yes, cameron dies, but at least ferris loves him

I smell sequel! You're not the only one.

(No seriously, I'm not sure I get how anyone's arguing Gabbneb on this one -- the car's destruction is pretty clearly presented as some kind of grand rebellion that will ultimately free Cameron from parental authority, like now he's done his worst and can breathe easy and live free of fear.)

(I remember being like 9 years old and the big sleepover commentary on this movie was that when Cameron is staring into the painting at the Art Institute it's because he's seeing the car in those red lips -- look, do you see, how it's the car? -- because evidently 9 is not old enough to understand why Cameron would just be staring longingly at lips alone.)

BLAH BLAH BLAH BLAH

http://www.howdesign.com/blog/content/binary/Paul_Rudd.jpg

huh I was unaware that Hughes was "reclusive" and hadn't made a movie since '92...?

what a tortured genius.

an Arizona-based screenwriter named Rick Rapier

i just realized: no one has said two words about weird science on this thread

Talk about vestigial women!

comment from that link: John Hughes also wrote the story that is the basis of the upcoming Apatow production Drillbit Taylor.

we're through the looking glass here people

Weird Science is a horrible mess of a movie

"Vestigial" is not the word I'd choose to describe Kelly LeBrock.

Ferris Bueller 2: Local Hero