Movie art is just so hip!

Very rarely does Facebook ever suggest any pages that interest me, and this page is one of those rare suggestions:

Spoke Art  http://www.facebook.com/spokeart

Its a gallery of movie inspired art work.  Pretty much, talented artists take cult films and make really awesome and clever movie-poster-type art pieces

You'll notice a lot of Bill Murray and Wes Anderson; their is an  irresistibly artsy magnetism about their films

here are some examples:

Every  character that has ever been in a diner in any Quentin Tarantino or Coen Brothers film are assembled here

Clooney's character from O' Borhter, Where Art Thou?

Two father characters played by Bill Murray from two separate films

The set of  Wes Anderson's Royal Tenenbaum's in a clever blue print type arrangement

Are video games a form of Art?

          I was reading my dad's Game Informer Magazine a while back and there was an article defending video games as an art form. I spent about fifteen minutes listening to these writers defend their games before I realized that I didn't even have my own solid opinion on the subject.  I like video games so I always figured my opinion would be biased if I only gave it moments thought...

            SO... I am using this blog space to put some good solid consideration on the subject, and here is what I've come up with - video games are not art.  My main motivation for this opinion comes from the term 'art' being used too loosely... and because I like the challenge of criticizing something I enjoy. 

            The hardcore gamers that defend games as an art form make the same mistake that the writers in Game Informer made, and that is comparing video games with other forms of art like music or film based on their characteristics and structure.  For example, video games have a story and plot with characters like films do. There is music composed in the background, and who can deny music as a form of art? The gamer uses his controller as an instrument similar to how a pianist plays his piano. These are only details that dress up the video games one true function, which is playing the game.  That is why it's called a game, just as Scrabble is a game or Checkers or DVD Scene-It!  To even address this point would be to compare the greatest video game story lines with the greatest story lines in cinema, or the greatest video game scores with the greatest musical compositions.  How shall we do that objectively? Based on how renowned it is, perhaps? Or popularity?  If so, we'd be comparing Michael Jackson's Thriller album with the theme song to Super Mario Bro's.  Which I suppose you could do but...C'mon son! That is exactly what I mean about using the term art too loosely.  A line has to be drawn somewhere. 

            The only element that is truly worth a damn is the gameplay; its other characteristics cannot stand alone without it. Strip away the gameplay of a video game and what you're left with is a poor excuse for a movie.   If anything, playing a video game is more like playing a sport rather than an instrument.  Video Games have that competitive edge just as sports do; in fact, the most popular video games are designed for nothing but competition: Massively Multiplayer Online games such as World of Warcraft, Online First Person shooters like Call of Duty, or fighting games like Street fighter or Mortal Kombat. The gamer is no more an artist than the athlete; they both strive to be the best in a competition designed by someone else.

           Creating a video game is more like creating a puzzle.  No matter how well you dress it up, it is useless if there is no one to solve it.

Favorite Spielberg Films

I listed these movies in order of favoritism, but really it's just a poor excuse to talk about how awesome these movies are.  

1.  Jurassic Park

"Clever girl"

          The scene where the T-rex terrorizes the jeep with the kids in the car is the greatest scene in any Spielberg film.  Up until that scene, the movie introduces you into the world of a movie about dinosaurs with all of the awe/wonderment moments in classic Spielberg fashion. The line "They're moving in herds... they do move in herds", along with the soundtrack, perfectly demonstrates that feeling of wonderment.

            Still, it's a movie about dinosaurs, and the scene with the T-rex is exactly what people really want to see: dinosaurs attacking people! Spielberg is a master of suspense, and the iconic water-ripple shot is the most genius piece of imagery to illustrate suspense. The whole movie sets you up for that moment, and when you experience the pounding of the earth, the look on the girls face, and that water ripple shot, you get the perfect "oh shit!" feeling you've been waiting for.  Definitely my favorite Spielberg film to watch.

2.  Jaws

            "Jaws" aka "How to Film Suspense".  Watching a beach full of families swim in shark infested waters and not being able to do anything about it accept watch... is pretty fucking horrifying.  And as Roy Scheider's character anxiously watches for someone to possibly get eaten, the audience watches knowing someone is going to get eaten.  Thankfully Spielberg was chosen to direct this. 

3. Indiana Jones and the Raiders of the Lost Arc

            There's no way this movie wasn't making it in the top 3

4.  Hook

            This might be the best and most original re-telling of any classic story.  Peter Pan has left Neverland and is all grown up with a wife and children. After Hook kidnaps his children, he has to return to Neverland to save them and re-capture his youthful spirit and learn to belieeeeeeve!!! 

            This movie will make you smile more than any of his other films, especially when Peter goes to Neverland. Watching the lost boys help Peter "pretend" is adorable, and when he slices the fruit in half with the sword, your like "oh shit, he's Peter-mutha-fuckin'-Pan!", then he drops the sword and your like "Oh man, but can he muster up the courage and handle the responsibility???"  Best remake ever!

5.  Minority Report

            This is Spielberg's most under-appreciated movie.  It's got a good story with a strong philosophical theme.  The action is secondary; out of all of his movies, this one had me asking "what's going to happen next?" the most.  This movie further proves my opinion that Tom Cruise is the shit.

6.  Catch Me if You Can

            First of all, I love the title of this film.  Second, I loved watching Christopher Walken do drama. Third, I love watching Spielberg direct drama.  The reason why he's one of the best directors is because he knows how to show a story, even without dinosaurs, Nazis, or aliens.  Besides, who needs all those things when you've got Tom Hanks and Leo!

7.  Schindler's List

            There should be a law in Hollywood: The only person allowed to direct genocide films, or any other mass-death-sensitive subjects, is Steven Speilberg.  This is his best directed film.  Though the main reason why I didn't put this movie in the top 5, is because if I had to choose one Spielberg movie to watch over and over again, I'm sorry, but it wouldn't be a movie about mass genocide.

8.  Saving Private Ryan

            I've watched the opening D-day scene so many times that I can probably guess the exact number of limbs found on that beach.  Great story and acting and stuff, but this is the best war movie to watch soldiers getting wasted.

9.  Duel

            This is the first film he ever directed.  It was a made-for-tv film, never even released into theaters, but it's one of his coolest movies.  The plot is very simple: A faceless truck driver terrorizes a man by chasing him on the road with his massive tractor-trailer.  Even with such a low budget, there are great chase scenes and brilliant camera angles that show glimpses of the great director that he will be.  Please check this film out!

10.  E.T.

            I like E.T. a lot, but maybe I didn't watch it enough as a child to fall in love with it as much as others.  It just doesn't make me cry or tug at my heart strings or anything like that.  Still, I do like all of Spielberg's child point-of-view, and this is definitely the best one.  Seriously though, I promise my heart isn't made out of coal.