Reading Kafka improves learning Page 3

Quote: Renegade Carpark @ September 17 2009, 6:44 PM BST

.../I find tacked on endings even more irratating - especially if they involve a deux et machina, waking from a dream or some unbelievable coincidence.

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In the book of Michael Crichton's Congo, near the end he has an exciting fight scene where our heroes can't possibly escape; and then he says they've packed this hot-air balloon with them, and so they just inflate it & float away. There had been no previous mention of a balloon.
It was pathetic.

Sometimes the best ending is one which simply

Quote: zooo @ September 17 2009, 6:46 PM BST

Possibly, but you only invest a few seconds or a couple of minutes in a sketch. To read a novel, sometimes over several weeks, and then to unexpectedly not receive a resolution, can be pretty upsetting.

Of course if you're reading a novel by an author known for that style it's different.

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Whenever you come across any unresolved ending, in any genre or media format, just do what I do and add the words - 'And then suddenly, pirates attack!'

Certainly spiced up the ending to Steel Magnolias.

Quote: Nogget @ September 17 2009, 6:44 PM BST

I think it's only our expectations that demand resolution as an ending. In comedy, Python did away with the punchline, and while it was uncomfortable at first, we got used to it. Sure, there was no resolution, but they demonstrated that it's over-rated; their sketches 'resolved' themselves all the way through.

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But a sketch is not a film or even a short story. Even Python realized their films had to have some sort of 'resolution' or ending.

Holy Grail = King Arthir and Sir Buedeviere make it to the castle only to find it already occupied by the French. Arthur calls in a huge army to attack them, but they are stopped by the police just as they are charging.

Life of Brian=Brian ends up being crucified. A group of guards shows up with orders to release Brian, but then everyone claims to be Brian, and they end up releasing the wrong man. Then Brian's resistance group (along with his girlfriend) shows up, and they announce that Brian will become a martyr. Finally, a Crack Suicide Squad shows up, but they merely kill themselves, not doing much good. We fade out as all the crucified people sing "Always look on the bright side of life".

Meaning of Life = It literarily says 'The End of the Film' and the woman says what 'the meaning of life' is. That's pretty good for what most would consider a mash up of skits.

Quote: Curt @ September 17 2009, 6:54 PM BST

Holy Grail = King Arthir and Sir Buedeviere make it to the castle only to find it already occupied by the French. Arthur calls in a huge army to attack them, but they are stopped by the police just as they are charging.

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I seem to remember them saying they tagged that ending on (and the police bits through the film) very late in the day. Certainly, I'd have been ecstatically happy with just everything which came before that ending, because the ending didn't 'do' anything to help the rest of the film.

I've read Kafka's A Country Doctor (the highlight was a talking jackal) but it didn't make me smart because until now I was under the impression that Mullholland Drive (I haven't seen it) was a movie where Richard Dreyfuss becomes a high school music teacher. The Elephant Man was the only David Lynch movie I enjoyed.

Quote: Godot Taxis @ September 17 2009, 5:38 PM BST

People who don't get it probably think there is a band- but there is no band.

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Quote: Nogget @ September 17 2009, 6:58 PM BST

I seem to remember them saying they tagged that ending on (and the police bits through the film) very late in the day. Certainly, I'd have been ecstatically happy with just everything which came before that ending, because the ending didn't 'do' anything to help the rest of the film.

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But I think that proves something right there. Even the kings of anarchy style comedy knew in the end that their film was funny but still incomplete.

Ridiculously over-rated film The Blues Brothers. About 3 laughs in it max.

I don't like it either.
Or Spinal Tap.
Sorry everyone.

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 17 2009, 10:07 PM BST

Ridiculously over-rated film The Blues Brothers. About 3 laughs in it max.

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Take it back! I <3 SNL films.

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 17 2009, 10:07 PM BST

Ridiculously over-rated film The Blues Brothers. About 3 laughs in it max.

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Quote: Tim Walker @ September 17 2009, 10:07 PM BST

Ridiculously over-rated film The Blues Brothers. About 3 laughs in it max.

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I'm putting Tim Walker on the State County Municipal Offender Data System.

The truth hurts. And, whilst we're at it, John Belushi was not some god-like comedy genius. He was a chubby little guy who could pull the occasionally funny stunt in the few hours of the day when he wasn't gorging on copious quantities of illicit pharaceuticals.

Quote: Tim Walker @ September 17 2009, 11:17 PM BST

The truth hurts. And, whilst we're at it, John Belushi was not some god-like comedy genius. He was a chubby little guy who could pull the occasionally funny stunt in the few hours of the day when he wasn't gorging on copious quantities of illicit pharaceuticals.

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Go Tim! The Blues Brothers is a funny as a sack of shit telling shit jokes. It is an anti comedy.

PS I don't understand Mulholland Dr either, but that added to my enjoyment.

Quote: zooo @ September 17 2009, 10:23 PM BST

I don't like it either.
Or Spinal Tap.
Sorry everyone.

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Go zooo too! (Except for the Spinal Tap bit, cos that's ace)

Quote: Curt @ September 17 2009, 6:33 PM BST

Everyone keeps mentioning Mulholland Dr. I think that's a pretty good example. There is no resolution to the story only more questions to bring it back to a rising action and creating false climaxes. It's all over the board. I love his dialogue and ideas throughout the film but the fact that it only intensifies the story with the tiny old people.

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Curt, I don't see that the film has no resolution. Betty dies and we get to understand why she dreams what she dreams. The last word spoken in the film is 'silencio', which makes for a very classical ending. Do you mean the tiny figures of Betty's parents coming out of the paper bag? I think you're meant to infer that it was their ambition that began the whole process that lead to her killing herself.

Quote: Badge @ September 18 2009, 12:39 AM BST

Go Tim! The Blues Brothers is a funny as a sack of shit telling shit jokes. It is an anti comedy.

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Have to agree. Plus it spawned a risible look for fancy dress parties.

I always presumed the "Silencio!" thing was a reference to European film-making/old European Hollywood directors and the whole "Quiet on set!" bit before a take is filmed in a movie? Wasn't it just general film reference to the fact that what we are seeing is an artifice?