About Allusion

Assuming that most everyone that is reading this post has taken a basic high school english class, I think it's safe to assume we all know what a literary allusion is. Assuming even further that we've all had the unique experience of reading Fahrenheit 451 or That other one about "Big Brother", I think we can all agree that it's a common technic even in the most intellectual literature. So, why is it that when we see a movie with cinematic allusions we condemn it as Lacking Creativity or even Stealing? The most prevalent example that comes to my mind is the similarities between the curious Twin Peeks and gritty The Killing.

This example only comes to mind because I watched the first season of The Killing yesterday and now I'm watching Twin Peeks. The myriad of comparisons lends itself to the simple fact that they are both TV murder mysteries (e.g. the victim is a girl who is first thought missing then found near/in a body of water). But, here and there you'll find indisputable allusions to the Older of the two. The most famous is the scenes where the mother and father find out their child is dead. They are almost exactly the same, and I don't mind telling you that I think The Killing did it better.

But, that's beside the point. I want to know why people can't respect the decision to make such allusions. After all, it has to take some amount of creativity to recognize the similarity in the first place and be able to work it into your script.

The great thing about an allusion is that it can be anything; a Location like Pizza Planet which is in just about every Pixar movie; a Character like Psych's very own Detective Carlton Lassiter who is almost certainly an allusion to Twin Peek's Special Agent Dale Cooper; whole cinematic sequences have been copped from films like the Battleship Potemkin.

It seems to me that one would have to be a bit pretentious to dismiss these types of allusions. First, as far as I can tell, they usually go completely unscathed before someone points them out to the world. Second, there are many other forms of allusions that we would never think to label as Stealing like hip hop sampling or memes. 

The attack on cinematic allusion is ridiculous and needs to stop. It's like the people making these attacks  haven't even considered that is might have been an allusion at all. But, that's not possible because no one is that stupid......

That being said, what do you think about filmmakers copying from other movies? Is it cheating, stealing, or laziness? OR, is it an attempt to bring people's attention to the classics, an opportunity to thank those who have inspired us to make films in the first place?

Now if you'll excuse me, I've got to find out who killed Rosie Larson.... I mean Paula Merral... I mean Laura Palmer! Sheesh.

Think about it,

Dan Hatton

About Time and Space

Paradox?

If an object is traveling back and forth in space (Assume that Gravitational pull and Inertia are not affecting the object) in a perfectly strait line at a consistent speed (fast or slow), does it stop at each end? Of course, the quick answer is yes, but consider this. If there is an exact point at each end where the object is not moving (forwards or backwards) it could also be said that at any exact point on the line the object is not moving. Therefor the object is not moving at all.

So, let's conclude that the object continues moving even as it changes direction. In order to come to this conclusion, you have to first define "Movement." If Movement is the state an object is in when, within the next exact moment, the object is in a different point in space, then it could be said that the object never stops when it changes direction. The exact moment that it stops going one direction it starts going the other.

The problem is exactness. Is there is such thing as an "Exact moment" in time or "Exact point" in Space? The closer you get, the more decimals you get. If I were to say "One second it was going left, and the next it was going right." the object could have stopped at any point within that one second. In other words, the same thing could be said for any amount of time.


But, there is one undeniable truth. The Object changes direction at a moment in time. The question is that if we "Zoom in" far enough on the timeline will we find a span of time where the Object is in Purgatory, not moving left or right.


Not that it really matters, But I don't think it stops.


What do you think? What's your take on the whole situation? Am I right or wrong? Or, am I just completely off factually and the whole scenario is bullshit?


What are you gonna do,
Dan Hatton

About the Military and Nationalism

Why should I be proud of the troops? This so called "Support" is just fueling wars. Wars that we've been somehow successful in being disassociated with the solders who fought in them. Don't tell me you support the troops and not the conflict. That's a damn joke.


The horror of it all is that any jamoke on the street can say they support the military and they'll win the favor of everyone and I'll be lambasted for what I say even though I'm just trying to be honest. What that shmuck doesn't realize is that not only is he perpetuating a stereotype, (The solder is this obscure deity that should be respected no matter what) he's also diluting the efforts of people who actually feed, talk to, and heal veterans in any way they can.


I want to know why even though I'm aloud to believe anything I want, I'm being overwhelmingly pressured into choosing to support the troops and the conflict or just the troops? Why can't I be ashamed of both? I'll tell you right now that I am.

I am not proud of America, I'm Embarrassed

Furthermore, I'm Ashamed of the Army

Did you know that suicide surpasses combat fatality as a cause of mortality in the military? Should I be proud of that?


Did you know that The Army blames Spousal problems, Money problems, and Substance abuse? Should I be proud of that? By the way, do I need a scientific study to prove that is bullshit?


Try killing men, women, and children. Try loosing a limb or a friend. Try not know why your doing any of it.

Go ahead. Tell me I should be proud of that.

I dare you.

I hurts us all to think of the American Solder as the monster we've created out of Apathy. They are kids who wanted to be men. They are poor people who wanted a better future. But, America is a nation of war and that's Everybody's fault even the solders. After all, they're also America's like you and me. 

We've allowed the Military to make itself sexy. Commercials showcase advanced technology and sensationalize with concepts like Pride, Success, Leadership. Guys don't join to kill people who may or may not be terrorist, they join because the military is sexy and perceived as a way out of social/finacial problems.

Support the troops? How about ending the war? Has that occurred to anyone yet?

This has to have pissed someone off. Please. I'm begging you to prove me wrong. I'm at the point where being wrong would actually be better.

Now accepting Hate Mail,

Dan Hatton

About Star Wars Episode Five

I would like to preface this by saying that I don't know why I'm starting with this one. This is a movie I have loved all my life. I take a lot of it for granted because I've been watching it for so long. A lot of the things I found really surprised me. I think you might be surprised too. This is probably obvious, but if you haven't seen the movie yet, this will probably not be that exiting and it will ruin the whole movie for you. And, here we go!

1. Until this movie, Darth Vader has been a lackey; an attack dog for the Empire. It isn't until Gov. Tarkin dies and even until Darth admits he is a Father that he becomes a leading figure in the Imperial Army. I don't know how I missed it , but it's one of the most important transformations in the series.

2. I wonder how they make the Ton-Tons run...

3. What's the point of those Glass boards with circles on them?

4. I think the fight with the Snow Monster in longer than it used to be.

5. The back-and-fourth banter between characters is perfect for the opening of the second Star Wars (or any sequel). The Characters are already well established from the previous film and it's nice to see that they are up to their old antics.

6. I'd bet Anything that the "Hey Ben" video by Balloonshop was a take off the scene where Luke sees Ben in the snow storm.

7. Luke getting his lightsaber is the first time the Force is used for something other than choking someone.

8. The first transport ship is shaped like a fish and the captain of the Imperial ship it's headed for calls it his "First catch of the day."

9. One of the rebel troops accidentally dodges a laser shot him when he trips at 33:12.

10. As a subtle joke, Darth Vader walks through a metal detecter when he arrives on Hoth. I knew about this, but it just occurred to me that it's probably more funny now than it was originally because of TSA.

11. When the Falcon has trouble starting Leia says, "Would it help if I got out and pushed?" a reference to cars, which don't exist...

12. There's no getting around it. Han is a total douchbag in this movie.

13. That whole conversation between Han and Leia right before they kiss is so cool, but it's so hard to hear.

14. Something I've noticed in all the Star Wars movies is that they are treated as second class citizens. It makes sense too; it there was a large population of robots living on the earth, they would be treated the same way especially if they were as smart as C-3PO.

15. Obiwan comes back in the Fifth movie. This is yet another subtle reference to the Religious nature of the Force. In the same way a God Fearing Christian, Faithful Jedi also experience Life after Death.


16. Han gets really mad when Lando tells about the trap for Luke. So mad that, even in his extreme pain, he punches Lando in the face and is beaten down. This shows that, despite his apathetic Charades, he is totally invested in the rebellion.

17. The Empire must have been prepared to handcuff Chewbacca. In the last movie the handcuffs wouldn't fit around his wrists, but in this movie they do.

18. This really is Han's movie. He makes most of the important decisions. Not that Luke is unimportant, but let's be honest, he's on the most remote planet ever for half the movie.

That's all I got...

Now it's your turn! Tell me what revelations you've had about this movie. Tell me what you think I got wrong. Tell your Mom that you love her. 

Thanks for reading,

Dan Hatton

Introduction

Someone told me that I should have a blog, but I never saw the need for one. I never thought I had enough to fill up a monthly blog. Then I had an Idea. There are a lot of things in my life that I've taken for granted. What if i tried to find out what they were? Would I have a newer, wiser view of the world, or would I get an aneurism from the overload? There is only one way to find out.


Let's find out what Things I've Never Noticed.


As I watch old movies, ride the CTA, listen to music, and more I'll be writing about things I see that I've never seen before. So, without further ado...


Things I've Never Noticed,
By Dan Hatton