catskillz
Saturday 10th May 2008 4:46am [Edited]
Merseyside
3,395 posts
Quote: Leevil @ May 9 2008, 1:33 PM BST
Being slightly snobbish about my own country, but I always think Britcoms have a very bleak stylised look to them (probably reflecting the damp and drizzle of ole Blighty) but whatever it is, it puts me off.
I'm not saying they should replicate American films and turn the colour setting up to full and make everything look like a cartoon. But British films, even comedies always look bleak and depressing. It's like they use some sort of filter on the lens.
Now funny is funny, whether or not the colour is high or not but the general point I'm trying to get across is British films, especially the independent ones just have a grainy horrible look.
I'm waffling, didn't even read the article but I'm in the mood to talk bollocks so I'll continue... yeah, so British films...
I like Shaun of the Dead, mainly because I love the cast and would instantly like it anyway based just on that. But I thought it was a good film because it knew what it was and wasn't afraid to push itself and it just went out to be a 'cool, fun film'.
Other recent efforts in the past 10 years or so try too hard, either by being pushed by the American studios or doing the opposite and trying to hard to be exclusively "British" with their Apples and Pears and no American leads (which is a good thing I suppose) but yeah, most films reek of too much effort in the wrong direction.
A lot of them are just weak ideas, again trying to hard with a stupid plot. "He's the best lawn-mower in the land but can he get the girl?"
Yeah "lol" he's a crappy lawn-mower for crappy England, whereas Hollywood has Bruce Willis as a astronaut. Yeah England is crap and small, very hilarious. *shakes head*
Also, why are all characters in Britflicks 'pricks'? Except for the Hugh Grants who embody the whole prick thing in a totally different way. But this always bothers me, Shaun of the Dead always bothers me, because in Spaced Mike is great lovable little crazy man but in Shaun of the Dead he acts like a right c**t, maybe that's more like Nick? I dunno but I didn't like it and I'm sure the same 'prickiness' appears in many other movies, which makes it very hard to sympathise with the characters, along with the bleak grainy film look and the weak plot line, it leaves me thinking very turned off from home grown movies.
Ramble over.
This is exactly how I feel about the situation as well. There seems to be a rule, that all British films have to have really dull storylines, e.g. that film that was out recently, starring that fat Iranian comedian, about people on an allotment; or that Hugh Grant film about the people in some village, trying to get a local hill recognised as a mountain, by making it a few feet taller; or that film starring Pete Posselthwaite, as a bloke who painted Pylons; or the one about all those middle-aged women, getting their tits out, to pose for a calendar.
