Miscellaneous Movie Musings

[JWBear]

Originally Posted by Stan4dSteph

Also Rabbit-Proof Fence

You could do a NZ fest too:

The Piano
Whale Rider
Once Were Warriors
Heavenly Creatures
Lord of the Rings trilogy (although it was just shot there, not "set" there)

There's no such place as New Zealand.

[Stan4dSteph]

Originally Posted by JWBear

There's no such place as New Zealand.

Cool, guess I've been to nowhere 5 times!

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by JWBear

There's no such place as New Zealand.

Huh?


-am I missing the joke?

[Cadaverous Pallor]

Originally Posted by Alex

Two along a similar vein that immediately come to mind are:

In The Last Shot, Matthew Broderick plays a movie director hired to make a movie. Unknown to him, it is actually an FBI sting operation.

In The Man Who Knew Too Little, Bill Murray thinks he's participating in a a bit of theater playing out in the real streets but is actually involved in spy business.

Were these any good? I would love to have seen EVERY film in this micro-genre.

I'm curious as to how this would come up in conversation very often.

My dad loves sci-fi, especially end-world scenarios. I may have to actually see this film.

Originally Posted by mousepod

Then there's the inverse, where someone's real life becomes a movie unbeknownst to them. The Truman Show, The Secret Cinema, and, my favorite, Bowfinger.

Wow, I've seen two-thirds of those!

Originally Posted by Nephythys

Huh?


-am I missing the joke?

Yes.

[Alex]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Were these any good? I would love to have seen EVERY film in this micro-genre.

Not particularly. The Last Shot was pretty bad. The Man Who Knew Too Little was Murray chewing scenery, but more fun than The Last Shot.

And I wouldn't really put Galaxy Quest in the same category. It more belongs to mousepod's inverse of people thinking it is real but it's actually fake (from the alien point of view; all the humans, after a short period of confusion, knew correctly what was fake and what was real).

Another entry would be The Game which at times plays it both ways. Michael Douglas's brother gives him a weird birthday present which is to play The Game, some kind of live action role playing game. Douglas is told he has been rejected but then the game appears to start and he's not sure whether what is happening is real or fake as things seem to escalate way out of control.


I've asked on Straight Dope for help filling out the niche. Will report back any given.

ETA: Doh, missed an obvious one. Tropic Thunder. For most of the movie they think they're making a war movie while it is all real.
ETA2: And if they ever get it made Ender's Game would go on the list.

[Not Afraid]

Originally Posted by Alex

Another entry would be The Game which at times plays it both ways. Michael Douglas's brother gives him a weird birthday present which is to play The Game, some kind of live action role playing game. Douglas is told he has been rejected but then the game appears to start and he's not sure whether what is happening is real or fake as things seem to escalate way out of control.

I forgot about that film! It is a great one.

Isn't there a M Night Shamalamadingdong film that fits in this genre?

[Nephythys]

Originally Posted by Cadaverous Pallor

Yes.

well thanks for the illumination