Mar 7, 2007

Reality

In past posts I've written about the publics perception of reality and how film affects it. Historians have long criticized Hollywood for taking creative liberties when dramatizing 'true' events. Even though directors like Oliver Stone and Michael Moore do admit that their job requires them to place the art of a movie ahead of it's historical accuracy people are often easily swayed into believing what they see on the silver screen is a truthful representation of real life events.

As I've written about before I once worked at a theatre while Forrest Gump and Crimson Tide was playing. Many customers asked if they were true stories which I often found ridiculous especially when you consider Crimson Tide is about our nation going to Def Con 3. Mattbear once told me a story of his friend taking a date to see Jurassic Park. The date asked his buddy if the movie was made with real dinosaurs. I wonder if they went out again.

I watched Borat last night with the Pretty Girl and her roommate Smita. You can see where this is going.

While I seemed to be the only one enjoying the Kaufman-esque comedy I found one of the funniest parts of the film was not the antics of it's star, but by the reaction of Smita to one of the bits.

*Spoiler warning. Do not continue to read if you haven't seen the film and/or do not want to know the ending.*

In the last scene our hero tired to kidnap Pamela Anderson with his marriage sack. This bit seemed to confuse Smita. As Pamela was running out of the book store into the parking lot away from the foreign correspondent Smita decided to comment.

Smita: I can't believe she doesn't have security.
Me: Well I believe this bit is staged.
Smita: Really?
Me: .......(Shooting her a stare to try and figure out if she was serious. Sadly she was.)
Smita: Serious?
Me: Yes Smita. If he even tried to go around the table her security would beat him down.
Smita: Ooooohhhh.

That is powerful cinema.

"American wine is like Kazahkstani wine, but not made from fermented horse urine." - Sacha Baron Cohen

3 comments:

Mattbear said...

It makes the mind reel, my friend. Wow.

The girl who asked about the dinosaurs was a friend of my friend's girlfriend, though, not his date. I'd like to think said friend would have higher standards than that, but back then...I doubt he would have.

Memophage said...

It's odd to read a blog entry and see yourself quoted "friend-of-a-friend" wise.

I swear it's true, although it wasn't an actual date. I went with some friends (a couple) who had brought her along. I suppose it was slightly not-really understandable - Jurassic Park was the first movie to have CGI effects that looked so convincingly real, but still.

We were at the Everett Mall theater. They had a preview that showed some scenes from the movie.. advertising the soundtrack or something. She suddenly pipes up.. "Did they use real dinosaurs?". Dead silence. My other friends and I just looked at each other in shock and couldn't say anything. Luckily the movie started quickly thereafter.

I don't recall seeing her much after that though...

Anonymous said...

Crimson Tide wasn't based on a true story... I bet now you're gonna tell me Hunt for Red October was fake too. My world is now spinning around me! Whatever am I to do?