bch@mcnc.UUCP (Byron Howes) (12/12/84)
- - - mod.movies - - - - - - Volume 1, Issue 14 - - -
"Starman"
Reviewed by Tracy Tims
It appears that a major trend in film and television has been
towards "situations". In television the situation comedy reigned
paramount for some time and one could describe most crime shows as
"situation crime" series. The major premise itself was typically a
situation ("Hey! Let's have a guy living with two girls!") which was
typically implemented as a series of smaller situations (a la Three's
Company) rather than the actions of interesting characters within the
situation (a la Man About the House). It's all a question of balance.
There are signs in television that purely situation based shows
(where the characterization merely supports the situation and remains
consistent) are becoming less acceptable to the public. In film
though, the question hasn't yet been settled, and John Carpenter has
given us a new experimental film, "Starman".
"Starman" takes the situation premise to its logical conclusion.
The characterization and psychology of its characters are in no sense
sane, recognizable or consistent. They are sacrificed boldly for the
sense of the situation.
The situation is that of an invited guest (our alien friend,
invited by the Voyager recording) who is ambushed at the door by a
shotgunning lunatic. Perhaps a good way to describe "Starman" is to
provide a simple algorithm that could produce a movie like it.
The first step is to phrase the situation in simplistic terms and
then to engrave it in the soundstage floor so that no one will forget
it. In fact, if we write it as a litany it might be appropriate: "The
alien can expect NO rational behaviour from human beings. All sense of
reality and art may be sacrificed for this holy goal." I will point
out that this step will force you to accept an uninteresting and
unrealistic situation. We ignore that for now. (Carpenter did.)
The next step is to write the script with the holy goal held
uppermost in your mind. Now, it's hard to see a black cat in a coal
cellar, so you know that you are going to need contrast in order to
make the alien's plight visible. So *someone* is going to have to be
rational. The trick is to decide who, where and when. Try this...
have the plot and characters wander back and forth between rationality
and a pathological sort of fear and evil. Don't try to make the
actions consistent within character context, plot context, or reality.
Don't try to make it make sense. Don't try to make anyone
predictable. (See what I mean by experimental?)
What you should end up with is an pointless study of unreal,
bodiless paranoia, fear and stupidity. And that's what "Starman" is.
Tracy Tims {linus,allegra,decvax}!watmath!...
Human Computing Resources Corporation {ihnp4,utzoo}!...
Toronto, Ontario, Canada. 416 922-1937 ...hcr!hcrvax!tracy