I was thinking about this in relation to the Thing. The popular "pop" explanation is that the Thing is an allegory for communism and the paranoia at the height of the Cold War. Everyone you know could be gasp a commie in disguise! And of course, the parallels with McCarthyism are pretty clear. However, I think you can make an alternate reading, where the alien represents the process of capital accumulation, and the subtext then becomes about how quickly capitalism can destroy all social bonds and will warp anything that came before into something potentially monstrous in its ever present need to consume and grow (RIP the dogs).
Are there any movies you like that have very common readings you disagree with (or very hot takes on a movie explanation)?
The reason why there hasn’t been a decent movie in the last 15 years is because we have decided to commodify ideas and thoughts. When in reality, none of those things are original in any way shape or form. It’s just that it’s not worth going to court because you might have had a script that included a character that was based on another movie that was a copy of some old religion hero. Even if you could prove yourself, it’s still an expense to the bottom line in a system that cares about that bottom line too much.
I think it’s more related to risk mitigation. Movies are now almost purely an investment vehicle, and any artistic merit they once represented is long gone. Capitalists aren’t going to invest money in something they’re uncertain of, which is why reboots, sequels, superhero films, and predictably profitable films take precedence in studio investment over anything that takes artistic risks.
I think it was Matt Damon or something who said that once the home video/DVD market was gone, studios NEVER wanted to invest in weird, kooky movies again, because if they didn't make their money at the box office.
There have been plenty of decent movies in that time. Most of them haven't been too successful at the box office, but they're out there.
Jurassic's Parks anti-capitalism being drenched in 'playing god' ethics. Like, they had a black market auction in Fallen Kingdom and they just had to shoehorn in human cloning to justify being mauled by a fucking Allosaurus while you're camping.
I always felt like the book makes it pretty clear that it's the power of genetic science combined with the unregulated nature of letting capitalists do the science that caused the disaster. The movie emphasizes the "never asked if they should" line without adequately explaining how Hammond skimped on safety features and refused to pay his computer guy.
I don't even remember the human cloning bit. I remember the black market though as I enjoyed the ridiculousness of seeing dinosaurs rip defense contractors? I think? Less than savory sorts. To bits
Bram Stoker's Dracula is about an affluent man on the edge of middle age struggling with impotence.
"There's no life in this body!"
The decapitation climax represents Drac's voluntary castration.
Cars 3
The common reading is the story of an aging legend becoming a mentor and igniting the spark of inspiration in a younger up-and-comer.
It's actually a story of liberal exceptionalism (getting out of a deal you made on a technicality) and a massive bailout by a benevolent billionaire to make everything right.
molten hot take incoming
"The Revenant" with Leonardo DiCaprio may have been based on a true story, but the alterations made to further fictionalize it were done with a specific bazinga audience in mind, one that wanted YET ANOTHER FUCKING GRIZZLED WHITE MAN AVENGES FAMILY story (the historically accurate version of that guy didn't really have a family to avenge) and also made it so the Native American presence was eerie and near-nonexistent except to seem mystical and spooky instead of being THE FUCKING REASON WHY THAT GUY SURVIVED BEING BURIED ALIVE. So in conclusion, I believe that some board meeting somewhere said "what can we do with this script to make sure that bazinga brains have maximum bazinga buzz about this film?"
