Is Homage the new Rip off?

Let's take a step back a year to that little film released called The Dark Knight (don't worry if you havent seen it...it's pretty crappy :P.) At the start of the film there was quite an intense bank robbery, masks, gun shots, some safe cracking, more gun shots..the works. And when we finally saw the scene, many compared it to Michael Mann's Heat, saying that Christopher Nolan payed "homage" to this classic film. But then let's take a look in a more....shitty direction. I'm sure everyones eyeballs have been raped by Transformers 2, I know theres one part you havent't forceablly removed from your head...you know what I'm talking about...that foxxy robot chick...you know..the one with the tail. Now when we watched her transform from an actress to tail-sporting robot we couldn't help but think of Terminator, in fact, a common criticism of this film was that it "Rip's off" Terminator. Now these two films...both different but films none the less...pose simliar yet different situations..."borrowing" techniques used in other films. The debate I am posing today is 'What defines something as a homage...and others as a rip off?"

Let's fast forward to this year. District 9, a little movie with a huge impact. I dare you to find me someone who doesn't like it. A common trait when describing this film is that it's in the spirit of films like 'Alien', 'Robocop' and "The Terminator." But hold the phone...Transformers was blasted for having its own Terminatrix yet when a superior film uses similar techniques it is graced with the golden showers of praise. My bias detector is starting to flash. It seems to be quite a black and white situation here. But just when it seems to be all said and done...the word 'Parody' falls from the sky. Now parody can go either way. We've seen films like "Disaster Movie" which parody just about everything, and then films like...yes it's coming up again...The Dark Knight, which take a piece from the original Batman film and take it another way.

This kind of thing happens all the time. Originality..no matter how many new 'Ideas' can be thought up, there will always some sort of subtext or underlining subject which has already been done and maybe even done in a better way. I'm sure if Xmen:Wolverine was a competent film the critics would say "This film is in the spirit of Commando or Universal Soldier...and that's what really gives it a nostalgic feel." But because it sucked...'we've seen this film before...and we've seen it better." Here's my message to directors out there...if you ever stumble across this blog while looking for porn stars to put in your film (Yes i'm talking to you Steven Soderburg...copy Zombie Strippers pornstar lead actress will you!) if you ensist on paying homage like Mr. Tarantino does on a daily basis...do it well...benefit the film...like Mr. Tarantino does on a daily basis....YES I LOVED KILL BILL.


Peace out amigos

-Axel