SHERDOG MOVIE CLUB: Week 87 Discussion - Detention

[Guestx]

If you can't explain it then don't play it off as the rest of us can't understand it.

I think you miss my point.

You need to look at where I say the movie is an EXPERIENCE. It's not ABOUT being able to piece every element of the plot together, anymore than The Shining is.

Do you think The Shining is a great film? Excellent! So explain to me the photograph at the end with Jack that's dated 1921.

You can't do it and neither can anyone else. But you still recognize that the experience of watching The Shining is something special. (Or hell, maybe you don't.)

Riley was whiney and pathetic. The porn start scene with teacher was creepy, even within the context of the rest of the absurdity. Clapton was just along for the ride. Like a limp fucking noodle everywhere. Fly boy was good at acting out hostility, but at no point did I want to know more. Football coach was ok, but typical and just there to deliver a couple one-liners. Hot teacher being guy isn't the comedic turn it used to be. The principal just reminded me of old Twisted Sister videos. Would totally watch Ione's mom's porn so you got me there.

To me Observe & Report did a much better job of getting me to buy into zany characters. Not sure if it's better casting, acting, or directing.

You have a right to your opinion.

 

[Scott Parker 27]

Watching now....so far interesting....I like the mascot scene with the black coach toward the beginning.
Edit: ok wtf did I just watch? How stoned am I! Am I having flashbacks?? So these kids are based in in today's world with cell phones and shit but all only listen to 90s music and dress from the 90s? Ok...I can live with that..but I think I just saw Dane Cook as a principal and a bear walk into a spaceship?!?! Wouldn't the bear run from a space ship??? Just random thoughts while I watched this...

 

[Guestx]

Watching now....so far interesting....I like the mascot scene with the black coach toward the beginning.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I think you miss my point.

You need to look at where I say the movie is an EXPERIENCE. It's not ABOUT being able to piece every element of the plot together, anymore than The Shining is.

Do you think The Shining is a great film? Excellent! So explain to me the photograph at the end with Jack that's dated 1921.

You can't do it and neither can anyone else. But you still recognize that the experience of watching The Shining is something special. (Or hell, maybe you don't.)



You have a right to your opinion.

I evaluated it based on the experience (i.e. willing to recommend for it's uniqueness). In that regard I "get it". Fun ride. If "getting it" is thinking the movie is gonna get smarter and smarter on repeated viewings then I don't and have stated why (i.e. it doesn't follow enough rules to exhibit that merit).

I love Kubrick far more than I love The Shining. To me it's a great film for reasons other than my personal enjoyment. I will speculate that adds to the spookiness of the film and a bit of a twist. What exactly are you comparing that to in Detention?

Thanks. There's no accounting for taste. I sure can't quantify how so many sub-characters in Seinfeld are memorable, I just know that somehow no other show seems to even approximate that success.

 

[Guestx]

I evaluated it based on the experience (i.e. willing to recommend for it's uniqueness). In that regard I "get it". Fun ride. If "getting it" is thinking the movie is gonna get smarter and smarter on repeated viewings then I don't and have stated why (i.e. it doesn't follow enough rules to exhibit that merit).

I love Kubrick far more than I love The Shining. To me it's a great film for reasons other than my personal enjoyment. I will speculate that adds to the spookiness of the film and a bit of a twist. What exactly are you comparing that to in Detention?

Thanks. There's no accounting for taste. I sure can't quantify how so many sub-characters in Seinfeld are memorable, I just know that somehow no other show seems to even approximate that success.

I equate Detention with The Shining in that both are films that require multiple viewings and a lot of analysis to try to unpack.

There are movies that I call "puzzle movies," i.e. movies that bury their meaning under the surface and/or have plots that require a lot of review and analysis in order to piece it all together. These films don't just come out and explain themselves to you; instead, they challenge you to figure them out.

Movies that I've seen that I put into that category:

Mulholland Drive
Primer
Detention
2001: A Space Odyssey
Valhalla Rising
Sound of My Voice
Donnie Darko
The Shining
Triangle
Predestination
Coherence

Like I said, at the end of The Shining we see Jack in a photograph with the date 1921 on it. There's been a lot of analysis on this photograph, and there should be, but at the end of the day it's a mystery with no clear and definite solution. Kubrick never told us what it's supposed to mean and I'm not sure the text of film provides enough clues to know for sure.

I think this is actually the case with a lot of The Shining. For instance, when Grady says that Jack has "always been the caretaker" what does that mean? Does the photograph tie into that statement? I don't know.

But that's The Shining. It's a movie you have to watch and ponder and try to piece together, and many people have spent many hours doing exactly that.

I think Detention is of the same ilk. Yes, you can watch it once and understand the general thrust of the story and its events. But I think there are deeper levels of understanding. My take on the movie shifts a bit with each viewing because I pick up on new details and consider things from new angles. I come out of each new viewing both with new answers as well as new questions that I had not thought to ask before. And I think there's still a ways to go before I feel like I've reached the end.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I equate Detention with The Shining in that both are films that require multiple viewings and a lot of analysis to try to unpack.

There are movies that I call "puzzle movies," i.e. movies that bury their meaning under the surface and/or have plots that require a lot of review and analysis in order to piece it all together. These films don't just come out and explain themselves to you; instead, they challenge you to figure them out.

Movies that I've seen that I put into that category:

Mulholland Drive
Primer
Detention
2001: A Space Odyssey
Valhalla Rising
Sound of My Voice
Donnie Darko
The Shining
Triangle
Predestination
Coherence

Like I said, at the end of The Shining we see Jack in a photograph with the date 1921 on it. There's been a lot of analysis on this photograph, and there should be, but at the end of the day it's a mystery with no clear and definite solution. Kubrick never told us what it's supposed to mean and I'm not sure the text of film provides enough clues to know for sure.

I think this is actually the case with a lot of The Shining. For instance, when Grady says that Jack has "always been the caretaker" what does that mean? Does the photograph tie into that statement? I don't know.

But that's The Shining. It's a movie you have to watch and ponder and try to piece together, and many people have spent many hours doing exactly that.

I think Detention is of the same ilk. Yes, you can watch it once and understand the general thrust of the story and its events. But I think there are deeper levels of understanding. My take on the movie shifts a bit with each viewing because I pick up on new details and consider things from new angles. I come out of each new viewing both with new answers as well as new questions that I had not thought to ask before. And I think there's still a ways to go before I feel like I've reached the end.

I can't claim to know enough about The Shining to intelligently analyze it or make comparisons here.

Have you watched any of the tv show Scream Queens?

 

[Guestx]

I can't claim to know enough about The Shining to intelligently analyze it or make comparisons here.

The Shining has got to be one of the most analyzed, and argued over, films in history. It's crazy how deep some people have gone with that movie. Very . . . very deep.

Some of the theories and ideas that people come up with are very thoughtful and insightful; some are crazy as hell. I have a soft spot for the moon landing guy, who says that Kubrick encoded the fact that he helped NASA fake the moon landing into The Shining.

If you want to have an interesting night then watch The Shining and watch the documentary Room 237 back-to-back. That's a fun time.

Another film that has its own obsessive group of analysts is Mulholland Drive. Not sure if you've seen that one, but it's insane how much that film has been picked apart.

Have you watched any of the tv show Scream Queens?

I have not. Heard of it, but not seen it.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

The Shining has got to be one of the most analyzed, and argued over, films in history. It's crazy how deep some people have gone with that movie. Very . . . very deep.

Some of the theories and ideas that people come up with are very thoughtful and insightful; some are crazy as hell. I have a soft spot for the moon landing guy, who says that Kubrick encoded the fact that he helped NASA fake the moon landing into The Shining.

If you want to have an interesting night then watch The Shining and watch the documentary Room 237 back-to-back. That's a fun time.

Another film that has its own obsessive group of analysts is Mulholland Drive. Not sure if you've seen that one, but it's insane how much that film has been picked apart.



I have not. Heard of it, but not seen it.

I'm a Clockwork Orange kinda guy. You seen it?

Scream Queens has a similar campiness with the serial killer on the loose theme and the hot chick click angle. The acting really pulls of the silliness of the characters. Worth watching just for Chad Radwell alone. It's not bulletproof all first season, but it's a lot of fun. Second season didn't capture the same magic, but continuing on past the first isn't all that necessary.

 

[Guestx]

I'm a Clockwork Orange kinda guy. You seen it?

Scream Queens has a similar campiness with the serial killer on the loose theme and the hot chick click angle. The acting really pulls of the silliness of the characters. Worth watching just for Chad Radwell alone. It's not bulletproof all first season, but it's a lot of fun. Second season didn't capture the same magic, but continuing on past the first isn't all that necessary.

I still have not seen A Clockwork Orange. At least, not all of it.

Re: Scream Queens, I don't think I've even seen a trailer for the show, but I have seen the cast list and it looks pretty amazing. Lots of solid names. I know Abigail Breslin appears and I could watch it just for her.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

I still have not seen A Clockwork Orange. At least, not all of it.

Re: Scream Queens, I don't think I've even seen a trailer for the show, but I have seen the cast list and it looks pretty amazing. Lots of solid names. I know Abigail Breslin appears and I could watch it just for her.

Well, since I'm not good at keep secrets I'll spill it the ACO will be one of my next nominees.

Check out a few episodes of Scream Queens. If nothing hooks you then so be it. But I think you'll at least see the comparison here.

 

[Guestx]

Well, since I'm not good at keep secrets I'll spill it the ACO will be one of my next nominees.

Check out a few episodes of Scream Queens. If nothing hooks you then so be it. But I think you'll at least see the comparison here.

All right, about to check out the first ep of Scream Queens.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

All right, about to check out the first ep of Scream Queens.

The main Chanelle does an incredible job. Jamie Lee is pretty fun too.

 

[Guestx]

The main Chanelle does an incredible job. Jamie Lee is pretty fun too.

Finished the first episode. I thought it was pretty entertaining overall.

Some of it does remind me of Detention, as you implied, and some of it also reminds me a lot of Heathers.

Jamie Lee is a lot of fun and I'm kind of surprised she agreed to do a show like this. The whole cast is pretty great, really. I mentioned earlier that I like Abigail Breslin, who plays Chanel #5. (Apparently that's actually how it's spelled? Weird.)

You will probably be surprised to learn that that's the same girl who played the kid in Little Miss Sunshine:

It's actually interesting to see how her career has played out. She was in Little Miss Sunshine and then went on to play in a couple of really charming family movies called Nim's Island and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. She went on to appear in Zombieland, August: Osage County and Ender's Game. She also co-starred with Arnold in that movie Maggie a few years ago.

But it looks like her career really has kind of stalled a bit. She's still getting roles, but it seems like the quality of roles is diminishing. That's a shame and I hope she's able to turn things around for herself.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Finished the first episode. I thought it was pretty entertaining overall.

Some of it does remind me of Detention, as you implied, and some of it also reminds me a lot of Heathers.

Jamie Lee is a lot of fun and I'm kind of surprised she agreed to do a show like this. The whole cast is pretty great, really. I mentioned earlier that I like Abigail Breslin, who plays Chanel #5. (Apparently that's actually how it's spelled? Weird.)

You will probably be surprised to learn that that's the same girl who played the kid in Little Miss Sunshine:

It's actually interesting to see how her career has played out. She was in Little Miss Sunshine and then went on to play in a couple of really charming family movies called Nim's Island and Kit Kittredge: An American Girl. She went on to appear in Zombieland, August: Osage County and Ender's Game. She also co-starred with Arnold in that movie Maggie a few years ago.

But it looks like her career really has kind of stalled a bit. She's still getting roles, but it seems like the quality of roles is diminishing. That's a shame and I hope she's able to turn things around for herself.

Thanks for giving it a try and I'm happy to hear you got some enjoyment from it. I love the whole style and the casting seems pretty damn perfect. Chenel #5 is cool. This is the one that does it for me though.

Do you think you'll continue on with the series?

 

[Guestx]

Do you think you'll continue on with the series?

Yeah, I'm interested enough to at least give it a few more episodes.

At least a couple of times a week I'll grab a 12 pack of beer and then watch a bunch of TV shows and movies. An episode of this show seems like it might be a good way to kick those nights off.

 

[Cubo de Sangre]

Yeah, I'm interested enough to at least give it a few more episodes.

At least a couple of times a week I'll grab a 12 pack of beer and then watch a bunch of TV shows and movies. An episode of this show seems like it might be a good way to kick those nights off.

Sweet. I think season 1 is chock full of entertainment value. Nothing too heavy to think about. Just the right amount of absurdity to make a show about a serial killer more humorous than scary. Eye candy. The whole nine yards!

 

[Guestx]

Sweet. I think season 1 is chock full of entertainment value. Nothing too heavy to think about. Just the right amount of absurdity to make a show about a serial killer more humorous than scary. Eye candy. The whole nine yards!

I just read it was canceled after S2 and that the ratings were pretty low. That kind of surprises me. It seems like a show that would gain a following, especially among girls in their teens and early 20s.

 

[HunterSdVa29]

I thought this was the dreaded Lundgren flick Detention, and I was like 'wtf would they review that' hahaha

on a lighter note, Gleaming the Cube is on Amazon Prime now.....

 

[HunterSdVa29]

I don't think my dude Christian Slater gets the love he deserves from the late 80s to mid 90s

Heathers
Gleaming the Cube
Pump up the Volume
Wizard (he was the older brother)
Very Bad Things
shit even Broken Arrow wasn't that bad (john woo, respect)
True Romance
that one Mobsters movie


and he's just an afterthought now....damn shame

 

[Guestx]

on a lighter note, Gleaming the Cube is on Amazon Prime now.....

That's always useful information.