Fascists are we?

[Brazoo]

Welp - here's another unnecessarily extreme politically charged opinion about a comic movie...


Michel Gondry Says Comic-Con Attendees are Fascist | WorstPreviews.com

The Guardian caught up with director Michel Gondry (Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind), who talked about his upcoming "Green Hornet" film and "The Thorn in My Heart," which is a documentary about his family.

Gondry called "Green Hornet" a super-antihero movie, a description he says fans don't feel comfortable with and is the reason attendees walked out on the film's Comic-Con presentation this summer.

"I usually identify with the nerds, but these ones just reinforce the social rules. Their values are fascistic," he said. "All those people marching around in capes and masks and boots. The superhero imagery is totally fascist. When you step into this genre, they feel it belongs to them. They want you to conform, or they won't like you. They want the conventional. But it's fine. The movie's been doing very well, I think, whenever we've screened it to normal people."

Those are some harsh words, especially when earlier in the interview he recalled a schoolmate from his childhood who mocked others, something Gondry says he doesn't like. "I don't mock things, which makes me more vulnerable to mockery myself," he explained. "If you're cynical, you're protected from mockery. But I have to be nice."

Source: The Guardian

[torgospizza]

"Normal people" wouldn't be fired up to spend two hours watching Seth Rogen play a superhero. I'm not sure if he gets his audience. Yeah, my 60 year old Aunt Connie is chomping at the bit to see Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur next year in Green Lantern, 'cause "normal people" are into that.

[Sandman9580]

I dunno, hardcore comic book geeks can be pretty... intense. They can sort of put you off if you're a more casual fan. But saying "superhero imagery is fascist" is pretty dumb, I think. Some of the Star Wars Imperial stuff you see at conventions is (deliberately) fascist, but the reason most superheroes are conceptualized with capes and gloves and boots is because they look cool. Just because fascists thought they looked cool, too, shouldn't ruin it for the rest of us. Hitler thought the Autobahn would be good for Germany, and Eisenhower agreed and eventually implemented the national Highway system here in the U.S. But, I don't think it occurs to anyone to yell "fascist" when anyone takes a road trip.

"Normal people" wouldn't be fired up to spend two hours watching Seth Rogen play a superhero. I'm not sure if he gets his audience. Yeah, my 60 year old Aunt Connie is chomping at the bit to see Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur next year in Green Lantern, 'cause "normal people" are into that.

I see where you're coming from, but I think he gets his audience. Well, I don't know... maybe he doesn't. (I won't speak for Michel Gondry.) My point is, just because a lot of comic book fans may be excited to see a comic book movie, doesn't necessarily mean that that's the majority of the people sitting in the audience. I think ticket-buyers for most big budget superhero movies are so-called "normal people". Every single person I know who's into comics has seen The Dark Knight. But, most of the people I know who have seen The Dark Knight (and enjoyed it) have never picked up a comic book, and aren't likely to. Sure, they'll sit and watch a fun movie for a couple hours, but they have about zero interest in the rest of it.

[Earth 2 Chris]

I get where he's coming from, but the way he put it was totally over the top and wrong. Green Hornet does look to be an unconventional look at super heroes, a sanitized Kick-*** in a way, but he should expect some amount of backlash from hardcore fans, since GH has never been treated as anything but straight. Even in the two-parter on Batman, GH and Kato were played as straight as could be. This is a new interpretation.

Really dumb move by this guy either way. Proves that not all publicity is good publicity.

Chris

[MIB41]

I've never been one to try and stereotype or group people into one lump value. Obviously alot of people do it. But when it comes to business (and you've been hired to craft a product for a target audience) I don't see the wisdom in attacking that consumer because it doesn't fit with your personal tastes. I would be surprised if the Studio doesn't sue him for damages. Alot of people are hurt by his statement and are boycotting the film. He's effectively erased a descent percentage of folks who would have paid to see it. I wouldn't be surprised if he's black listed in Hollywood.

[jds1911a1]

Gondry - "I don't mock things, which makes me more vulnerable to mockery myself,"
obviously he felt calling people at comic-con facists isn't mockery because it's a fact?? what a tool

I am a green hornet fan since I heard he Radio broadcasts on AM when I was a kid (long before I ever saw Van and Burce) and I read comics for my entire youth. While I prefer tradiiton I can accept changes but it seems to me he has made a real effort to insult us. To use a term like "normal people" (which by it's very statement implies people who are comic fans are abnormal) to counter GH fan criticisms. He could have said "a typical film audience" and not attacked anyone.

I had no intention to see this at theater price anyway so he didn't lose any money from me, I guess he beleives any publicity is good publicity when he has to compete with Tron for movie dollars

[johnmiic]

Attendees walked out on the film's Comic-Con presentation this summer probably because early trailers revealed that the film was going to be 3 parts comedy/1 part serious. Smelling another Land of the Lost debacle they are letting their dissaproval of keee-rap be known.

Note to filmmakers:

Take the subject matter seriously-don't make a parody or satire unless it's Ambush Bug The Movie.

Stay faithful to the material-don't put a spin on it.

Tell a good story-don't load it up with formulas & gimmicks.

Prove your film school education was worth what you paid for it. Be a Mater not an Auter. Make a good film.

[MIB41]

Attendees walked out on the film's Comic-Con presentation this summer probably because early trailers revealed that the film was going to be 3 parts comedy/1 part serious. Smelling another Land of the Lost debacle they are letting their dissaproval of keee-rap be known.

Note to filmmakers:

Take the subject matter seriously-don't make a parody or satire unless it's Ambush Bug The Movie.

Stay faithful to the material-don't put a spin on it.

Tell a good story-don't load it up with formulas & gimmicks.

Prove your film school education was worth what you paid for it. Be a Mater not an Auter. Make a good film.

Amen! Well stated.

[ctc]

>I'm not sure if he gets his audience.

Maybe; but you gotta ask just WHO his audience is. This sort of thing seems like they’re trying to make the film more palatable to non-superhero fans. Which is a weird thing to do with, you know.... a SUPERHERO.... but then again, execs are a funny bunch.

>The superhero imagery is totally fascist.

Hmmmm.... I don’t remember the Gestapo wearing their undies on the outside of their tights. (But hey; Miller said this back in the 80's and nobody freaked.)

>most superheroes are conceptualized with capes and gloves and boots is because they look cool.

Well.... they’re all sort of copying Superman; the prototype superhero.... and his outfit was based on the old strongman acts from back in the day. (Many of whom wore Mego Tarzan style bodysuits ‘cos.... I dunno.... I guess nipples are evil....) The bright colours and capes came about so you could tell them all apart, and so no matter where they were on the page, or how rushed the art was, or how drunk the artist; you knew who was talking. The trend sort of stuck over the years, even though I suspect a lot of artists forgot the why.

Don C.

[Brazoo]

I honestly don't know what to make of this movie all together. The first trailer looked totally incompetent - the last one looked like it could potentially be fun.

I'm not a huge Gondry fan, personally. I loved "Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind", but only liked parts of his other movies, so I can't give him the benefit of the doubt that this movie doesn't bite.

To be fair the idea that costumed heroes represent fascism has been a respected and influential comparison since "The Watchmen", so that part isn't really new.

I'm somewhat sympathetic to the idea that comic fans can be too literal and take the mythology of comics too seriously sometimes. But, seriously fascist?!! Also, whining about people not liking your film is always petty and obnoxious in my books.

"Normal people" wouldn't be fired up to spend two hours watching Seth Rogen play a superhero. I'm not sure if he gets his audience. Yeah, my 60 year old Aunt Connie is chomping at the bit to see Temuera Morrison as Abin Sur next year in Green Lantern, 'cause "normal people" are into that.

Yeah! That's the craziest part about this to me. I think "Iron Man" and "Dark Knight" were hits because they went beyond their comic audiences - but good luck if you think you made a comic book character movie that's going to skip that crowd and somehow be a hit.

[Brazoo]

Attendees walked out on the film's Comic-Con presentation this summer probably because early trailers revealed that the film was going to be 3 parts comedy/1 part serious. Smelling another Land of the Lost debacle they are letting their dissaproval of keee-rap be known.

Note to filmmakers:

Take the subject matter seriously-don't make a parody or satire unless it's Ambush Bug The Movie.

Stay faithful to the material-don't put a spin on it.

Tell a good story-don't load it up with formulas & gimmicks.

Prove your film school education was worth what you paid for it. Be a Mater not an Auter. Make a good film.

I think that's GREAT advice for anyone doing any kind of adaptation. All adaptations require some reworking to some degree - but if you can't make what worked about the thing work on film why film it?

Also, it's one thing for a guy like Alan Moore to put a spin on comic genres - he's a brilliant deconstructionist who really knows and has worked with the material. It better be that good and that thoughtful or it will seem like you just don't understand the material.

Or put another way: You have to know the rules to break them.

[torgospizza]

"Their values are fascistic," he said. "All those people marching around in capes and masks and boots. The superhero imagery is totally fascist."

Also, saying masks and capes betrays a fascistic value system is like comparing a LGBT march to a Nuremberg Rally because both groups have a flair for costuming.

[ThatBatmanGuy]

I believe his attitude towards his Green Hornet movie is the SAME as the director of the FIRST Punisher movie. Neither "gets it."
Bob