Superman Returns: The World Doesn't Need This Film

[Merlinios]

Your assertion that homophobia is the root of this analysis seems to me inverted logic. :shuriken: Secret and forbidden lust is an old trope, even among straights.

I think this touches the point I was trying to make (but my sleep patterns have become so erratic that I'm no longer sure what my intentions on a previous day were). Anyway, I was trying to hit on the forbidden part there. If one or the other were female, I don't think you'd have the forbidden part of that at all. As I said before, no one would have looked twice. This rather frightens me.

The entertainment industry's efforts to present male homosexuality as a valid state of being -- overtly campy humor is part of that -- seems more influential than homophobia in this line of jokery.

All well and good, and I do hope their efforts to do so can be a little more influential. Humor is often the first step to acceptance, but I don't know that any progress is being made in this area anymore.

Without that advocacy, Will and Grace never gets made, nor does Queer Eye, nor does the excellent part Greg Kinnear played in "As Good as it Gets" get such a strong reception. (Didn't he get a best supporting nod for that one?)

I think my intended point was that we shouldn't need the advocacy. Sadly, however, we do. I must learn to think as a progressive rather than looking at ideal ends.

I sensed that Jackson was playing to the estrogen-rich fan base in his casting of Aragorn, Boromir, Frodo and Legolas. Given that LOTR fan base, he probably considered attraction among homosexual men as a bonus appeal, if he considered it at all in his story boarding.

Actually, I completely missed that angle. Guess I'm playing to stereotypes a little here, and it seems the good-looking females draw in more crowds of men than the men do for the wimmins. I guess when I get one of those job things I'll probably slow down on the criticism of fan-draw movies. Liv Tyler's role (I hesitate to even call it Arwen, so far does it diverge) could have been cut completely. In fact, I know people who have not read the book, yet complain about that single aspect of the movie. I guess we won't see many movies in "true" form unless independently wealthy (and talented, hopefully) directors/producers/whatever (other than Mel Gibson) emerge. For now we'll have to settle for Matrix sequels in which there is more fighting than talking by screen time and Superman titles in which Clark Kent is nearly non-existant.

When Tolkein said "the tale grew in telling" I don't think he referred to Legolas' tight buns:lol:(whoops, wrong tail!) nor imagined all of what people would bring with them and add to their interpretation of his story -- the Bomb = the Ring for one thing.

Perhaps he did not know the specifics. People read rather a lot into literature, and one would assume that a master such as Tolkien would realize this, at least on some level.

Jackson might have been tempted to further rework [/B] (screw up) [/B] the story a bit...

Stupid modern sex obsession.

PS: The Shadow knows line is from an old, famous radio show. I miss radio mystery dramas, they were such good stories.

Closest I can get you there is probably Elmore Leonard on tape. 'Course, I don't know that he's actually available on tape, but there's some good stuff there regardless. Maltese Falcon is also of interest in that genre, but somehow, the author escapes me at the moment, despite the fact that there are TWO copies floating around my house.

...Galdariel...

Butchered like a true <pick one*>!

*Peter Jackson fan
*Avid Movie-goer
*Battle.net denizen
*Create your own!

--me