Crazy Film Theories

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Comment by The Terminator on September 27, 2009 at 4:11am

Crank: High Voltage

Comment by Liberate29 on September 22, 2009 at 6:54pm

Crank:

It always seemed like a romantic story between Ricky Verona and Chev Chelios. Every time they talked to each other it was like they just wanted to fuck the shit out of each other and the cuddle. But they're men, and they homoerotic tension must be dealt with like men do: Trying to kill each other every step of the way

Comment by Sgt. Sharki on September 14, 2009 at 4:35pm

Here's an interpritation of the Dark Crystal I wrote for a film class back in college.

The View Through the Crystal
An Anti-Maoist Interpretation of The Dark Crystal

Released in 1982, Jim Henson’s The Dark Crystal is too often dismissed by the public and film critics as a mere children’s picture. A simplistic fantasy to be taken at face value. But much like a 3-D art poster, the deeper you stare into The Dark Crystal the more a different image comes into focus. The Dark Crystal can be viewed as a brief history and stinging condemnation of Maoist China
The first, and most overt use of symbolism is the Dark Crystal itself . The Dark Crystal and to a lesser degree the world in which the story takes place are stand ins for the Peoples Republic of China. The land the Dark Crystal inhabits was a once great world formally rich in culture and bucolic splendor, as was pre-Communist China. But in Dark Crystal’s land, just as on Earth, greed and a lust for power caused the crystal to crack. In a flash back in the picture we see a figure smashing the crystal. On Earth it was Mao Se’Tung who caused China to break into pieces. Now, both China and the land of the Dark Crystal are worlds torn in two, scared lands that must be healed to return to glory.

If the crystal is a stand in for the Peoples Republic of China, then the shard that was separated from the Dark Crystal represents Taiwan and therefore democracy as well. According to a legend read by the films protagonist, the Gelfling Jen “What was sundered and undone, behold the two make one. By Gelfling hand or else by none”. Thus, only when the shard (democracy) is reunited with the Dark Crystal (the Peoples Republic of China), can the once great land (pre-Communist China) be restored to its former glory. The legend of the shard speaks not only of the Dark Crystal itself but also of the only one who can restore the crystal, the Gelflings.

The Gelfling’s, Jen and Cara are the films young heroes. They represent the youth movement in China, just as the Gelflings are the only ones who can recombine the shard and the crystal and bring peace to the land; the youth of the Peoples Republic of China are the only ones who can restore China. The Skeksis know of the Gelflings power to heal the Dark Crystal, and by the start of the film have all but exterminated the Gelflings. The Skeksis fear and eventual near extermination of the Gelfings is a grime foreshadowing of the Tianeman Square massacre in the late 1980’s.

When the Dark Crystal was split two races were born, the Mystics and the Skeksis. These two different races also fit into the symbolism of the picture. The Mystics, as their name implies are mystics, gentle sages who adopted the Gelfling Jen. At the beginning of the film the Mystics are heard chanting in deep monotone. The sound is remarkably similar to the deep resonating tone of the horns played by Buddhist monks in Tibet. The Mystics are also seen making sand paintings, these too are reminiscent of activities of the activities of the Tibetan monks.

The other race created when the Dark Crystal was cracked were the Skeksis. The Skeksis are the pictures villains and also serve as stand-ins for the Maoists. Twisted, mean, and vile, the Skeksis and the Maoists represent all that is wrong with both the world of the Dark Crystal and the Peoples Republic of China respectively. But much like the Maoists, the Skeksis are more then just unpleasant, they are corrupt and arrogant as well. The only concern the Skeksis have for the outside world is how they can exploit it. The Maoists acted much the same way, isolating the Peoples Republic of China and only venturing outside their borders during the Korean War and shortly before the death of Mao Se-Tung in the mid-seventies. In the world of the Dark Crystal the Skeksis draw their power from light generated by the Dark Crystal, but the power is slowly fading. In the Peoples Republic of China the Maoists draw their power from the Communist ideology, but as long as democracy exists it too is a fading power.

The Dark Crystal’s light can do more then just give power however, its light can also drain the life essence from its victims. The victims in the picture are the Poddlings. The Poddlings are diminutive simple folk who live as farmers and craftsmen, as did many Chinese before Mao. When forced to view the light from the Dark Crystal the Poddlings become slaves to Skeksis. The Poddlings are thus stand-ins for the Chinese people under Mao. As the Skeksis use the Dark Crystal to turn the Poddlings into slaves, the Maoists used Communist ideology to turn the people of China into slaves for the state. Under Mao, the people of China were forced to give up their lives and their wills to further the goals of the state, and later the Cultural Revolution.

The Cultural Revolution is represented in the picture by the Skeksis fearsome beetle like warriors, the Garthums. When sent out by the Skeksis to find the Gelfling Jen, the Garthums behavior is nearly identical to the path taken by the Cultural Revolution. When it started, the goal of the Cultural Revolution was to root out dissidents. It began by removing the intellectuals from power and destroying places of knowledge. The first place the Gartums look for Jen is in an observatory, a warehouse of knowledge, run by the wise woman Ogra, who hate the Skeksis. In their hunt for Jen, the Garthums not only destroy the observatory and but kidnap Ogra as well, Mao would be proud.

The Skeksis, Garthums, Gelflings, Poddlings, Ogra, the observatory, the shard and even the Dark Crystal itself are all pieces in this puzzle. When combined they form a frightening picture of The Peoples Republic of China and of the Maoists who run it. But there is also hope in that picture, the hope that lies in democracy. A hope that rests the hands of the youth of China.

Comment by SPQRobert on July 2, 2009 at 12:31pm

Kiss Kiss Bang Bang, Harmony dies and her sister takes her place for the rest of the film.

Comment by Travis Pickle on June 30, 2009 at 11:21am

This is just in my mad mind but i suddenly thought while watching Ratatoui for the 50th time with my kid ''Hey Gustou dies and is re-incarnated as Remy the Rat!''
the rat doesn't know he used to be Gustou but Gustou keeps apearing to him in a dream, he has an almost god gifted ability to cook and like Goustau says all the time, wink wink - ANYONE can cook!

anyway like i say I dont think it actually works because i think Remie is around when Goustau is still alive but I had fun for the few sectionds and a lightbulb moment which like I say is full of Sh*t! lol

Comment by Stuart on June 19, 2009 at 10:07pm

Eraserhead: There is no hidden meaning, it's a story with a beginning, middle and end, no CRAZZZY MMMEESSSAAGGGEEEE
lynch himself said it's whatever what you want it to be which I'm guessing is another way of saying "I'm just telling a fucking story about a guy and his baby"

Comment by Darth_Siskel on June 16, 2009 at 2:47am

NightFire...that is an ignorant sweeping generalisation

Comment by Ben on June 15, 2009 at 11:54pm

I always thought the star wars prequels had somewhat of a religious undertone. all the talk about temptations and virgin babies kinda makes me think of christianity. plus, the jedi order sort of felt like a cult.... i dunno just a crazy theory.

Comment by NightFire on June 15, 2009 at 10:10am

IT IS ONLY A MOVIE PEOPLE !!! It does not have to have a F#$@ life changin lesson.

Comment by Andrew Willson on June 15, 2009 at 3:02am

I'm glad FOX did'nt get there hands on Watch Men

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