I'm certainly no expert in what makes good entertainment. However, know that there is no such thing. Even though there are hundreds of critics and pundits, none of their opinions can outweigh yours. I could study film for the next fifty years, but my views would continue to be entirely subjective.
So regarding "guilty pleasures", there's no guilt necessary. There's nothing embarrassing about enjoying a film. I'm certainly not the target for the "Twilight" movies, but if they work for me I don't have to explain why. A satisfactory experience is largely emotional, and it's a mistake to boil it all down to logic.
Still, we can analyze film to a certain degree, and knowing how it works for us is valuable information. Not only does it help us to be better consumers, it allows our tastes to grow and change, just like we do. When you run into the opposite of what you're looking for, it can satisfy in a way you wouldn't have believed. After that happens there's a time for reflection, to learn, adjust and escape from an old state of mind.
Classic Movie Trailers - Escape from L.A. (1996)
"Escape from L.A." is not "Escape from New York". The first film is what I want from action movies today. Being largely a grounded experience, it doesn't risk absurdity with preposterous stunts. The basic idea underlying its approach, is to serve up the goods without breaking the immersion.
The downside to that game plan is you're somewhat restrained. It can feel like the action is on a short leash. If there's one thing I would change about Snake's first adventure, it's the level of intensity, which I thought could have been higher. Still, if I directed this sequel in the early nineties, I never would have thought to go this big.
The movie is so delightfully ridiculous, any complaints about disbelief are missing the point. It took a while for me to see where it was headed, but it proved to be one hell of a rollercoaster ride. Instead of smirking at the unrealism, I was pleasantly surprised by how unrealistic it was. The dial was turned up beyond my expectations, so it made me question where the limits were.
Imagine how much fun you can have with an audience, when your story has no rules and nothing's out of bounds. If you can show them something they didn't see coming, you'll command their complete attention. There are few things that can match character investment, but one of those things is simple curiosity. Caring about what happens to a person onscreen, is sometimes beat out by the need to see what's next.
"Escape from L.A." is a comic look at the action film genre. It laughs at unrealism by laughing at itself. Interestingly you might also say, that it laughs at realism just as hard. The "one-man army"concept is rooted in fantasy, so it doesn't ask that you buy the idea with a straight face.
Most action stars should be cast as Terminators. If the hero is human, he can really test your patience. Every scene that shows the star escaping death, is yet another step towards inconceivability. Action can be a clichéd, boring experience, which is the exact opposite of what it's trying to do.
We want to be on the edge of our seats, and that's a hard place to be if the soldier is always unscathed. However, if you're not allowed to take the film seriously, you can get the adrenaline rush you're looking for. When a movie embraces its lack of credibility, it's no longer an issue or hindrance. Instead of leaving an intense moment shaking our heads, we can leave it laughing and eager for the next one.
Admittedly, I'm ready for more of the same. The closing scenes were satisfying, but it wasn't enough. Snake has an amazing edge over his contemporaries; they're much too serious to be half as fun. Plissken makes them all seem terribly restrained, even amidst their martial arts, gunfire and explosions.
What I need is a stack of trade paperbacks, collecting a series of comics that continue the story. A whimsical tone is perfect for the medium, and the Snake from twenty years ago can be reinvented today. The advantages of graphic novels should be pretty clear, but they can capture a.moment in time and explore it indefinitely. Since they're illustrated and not filmed or described, they maintain the power of action without losing relevance.
I'd like you to take this moment and think about comic book films; there wouldn't be so many without great source material. I realize many people never bothered to read them, but you do yourself a disservice by ignoring that world. Every kind of entertainment has strengths and weaknesses; comics can poke fun at almost anything. They ensure that men like Snake will never have to retire, and they serve the audiences that studios don't see.
Trailer Here.
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See "Escape from L.A." on Netflix!
Next Week: A level-headed look at "Darkman", an anger-filled revenge story.
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