Rob Dean examines the overlooked, unappreciated or unfairly maligned movies. Sometimes these films haven't been seen by anyone, and sometimes they've been seen by everyone - who loathed them. This is Missing Reels.

Revenge is a confession of pain.

- Latin Proverb

In the 21st century, critics have lent more credence to revenge movies - positing that they're cathartic expressions for audience members who are unable to visit their anger on the various trespassers they believe worthy of such treatment. The driving force behind this sudden renewed bloodthirst was usually identified as the amorphous, generalized anger people felt in the wake of the terror attacks and subsequent wars beginning in 2001.

There was no clear cut "Us" vs. "Them," the definitions were more subtle and thus harder to picture and more difficult to envision fitting punishment. In essay after blog posting, critics posited that since the enemy was more an ill-defined idea ("Terror"), Americans (usually the driving force behind movie trends) needed villains with faces and, more importantly, needed to see these villains pay.

Personally? I think that's a load of shit. Not that Post-9/11 films weren't full of cathartic escapism where Liam Neeson or Denzel Washington slapped people around, or Jack Bauer used "enhanced interrogation methods" on his own brother. Of course that was catering to a collective unconscious need for such vindication, usually wrought in a very visceral and primal fashion. But I don't think that 9/11 is the root cause for revenge films' popularity.

The Theatre of Vengeance has been popular in the arts since the very beginning. Theatre of Vengeance is beyond international borders and cultural mores, pervading every medium and thriving in societies throughout history. The schadenfreude experienced by watching great kings undone by their own stupidity and hubris on stage (Shakespeare, Aristophanes, Sophocles, Goethe); the giddiness of readers exciting at the tales of a wronged man or men targeting their antagonists and ripping them asunder (The Count of Monte Cristo, The Iliad, Richard Stark's The Hunter); and the past century has brought us many classic tales of revenge writ large on the silver screen from Cape Fear to Get Carter to Enter the Dragon to Django to Kill Bill to Oldboy to today's entry, 2008's The Horseman. The tale as old as time isn't star-crossed lovers - it's the journey that begins with digging two graves and ends with both of them filled.

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Today's word of the day is Nadir:

(via Senor GIF)

[ney-der, ney-deer]

–noun

.

In all seriousness, this is a pretty cool real life recreation of Portal - I just wish the music was a bit better:

Via Reddit - but I can't find the link!

Wrapped Up Like a Douche Another Runner in the Night!

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I think the destiny of all men is not to sit in the rubble of their own making but to reach out for an ultimate perfection which is to be had. At the moment, it is a dream. But as of the moment we clasp hands with our neighbor, we build the first span to bridge the gap between the young and the old. At this hour, it’s a wish. But we have it within our power to make it a reality. If you want to prove that God is not dead, first prove that man is alive.

- Rod Serling

Remember how in last week's Immodest Proposal I was talking about characters on The Simpsons aging and I wrote:

And I know that it seems like this is just an extension of the Fanboy mentality that wants the stuff he likes to age with him and not to serve younger people as it served him in his youth. Maybe, and I'll address that next week

I was planning on using this week's post to talk about the issue of continuity, about preserving narratives for some communities and how it may come at a price of alienating other groups. Honest, I was! And, more importantly, I was going to examine the inherent tension that exists between aging groups of fans and the need to bring in fresh blood and new eyes. Luckily, Divine Providence has dropped this story into my lap in a fit of cosmic synchronicity (I'm guessing that's what Jesus was up to instead of Rapturing folks): Starting in September, DC Comics (that's Detective Comics Comics, for you keeping score) will relaunch all their titles (about 50 or so) with new #1 issues. The editors are saying some continuity will be preserved while others will be jettisoned, or updated; what this probably will mean is that it'll be a big mess of old stories blended in with Clark Kent tweeting and everyone meeting this newfangled Wonder Woman for the first time, or something.

But it underscores a real issue in the world of comic books: how do you honor the lifelong fans without distancing yourself from potential new ones? How do you serve adults and children without condescending to the adults or exposing children to subject matter that's too mature for them? My immodest proposal is that comic books need a new dynamic based on a carefully plotted strategy to attract new readers.

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(Via Topless Robot)

Today's word of the day is Despondent:

de·spond·ent

.\

Via FilmDrunk comes this collection of Movie Titles in Movies:

It missed my favorite:

Any other titular lines you can think of?

(Via Reddit)

Ever had sex with a Pharaoh? Put the pussy in a sarcophagus...

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Stories of imagination tend to upset those without one.

- Terry Pratchett

So, my black footed ferret said “Barbados,” cause she had to go give her boyfriend some Bon Jovi love. Land O’Lakes! Iron Maiden Officials, I wish that side order of bacon is more of a Free-Will Baptist. Welcome to Finland.

Find out what you could be saying when you abbreviate. All of these are listed as legitimate alternatives to our much-beloved slang. I do not think that means what you think that means …

BRB: Be Right Back

Brazilian Rainbow Boa

Blue Ridge Boogie                 

Barbados

BFF: Best Friend Forever

Biblical Foundations for Freedom

Black Footed Ferret

Bovine Follicular Fluid

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Look, I get what you're going for - the whole "Biggest Loser" thing but targeting childhood obesity.

I'm just saying, I don't think it's the best title to encourage young people. In a few years, the certificate proclaiming them "The Youngest Loser" will not be the easiest thing to explain.

Double Dip Demands is a column in which I propose films that deserve a re-release on DVD/Blu-Ray with more special features, better transfers and other nerdy bits. Some of the films have no DVDs out there for Region 1 viewers, and some of them have a really crappy version that's bare bones or poorly put together. Who speaks for these films? I do.

The Film: Phantom of the Paradise (1974)

Cast & Crew: Brian De Palma (writer & director); Paul Williams, William Finley, Jessica Harper

Plot Synopsis (from IMDB): A disfigured musician sells his soul for the woman he loves so that she will perform his music.

Is It Out on DVD Currently?: Yes - but in a bare bones release with no extras.

Why Does It Deserve Special Features?: Phantom of the Paradise is an underappreciated gem that has gone on to influence many of the most lauded filmmakers today. Of particular note, Edgar Wright, Guillermo Del Toro and Quentin Tarantino have referenced the movie directly in interviews and implicitly in their films. A movie that is a crossroads between the stories of the past and the direction of the future, Phantom of the Paradise deserves a closer examination and analysis. A deluxe Phantom disc would be a great way to spread the gospel to cinephiles everywhere.

What Should Be On the Disc?

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