The Genius of the Crowd

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HE reader Matthew Dessem has sent along a still taken from that first seven minutes of Speed Racer clip that went up last Thursday. He pointed out the numerous duplications that the Wachowski's CG guys copied and pasted to make up the crowd. The same five or six people are everywhere, and nobody is sitting in rows -- they're just thrown together in rough collage fashion. It's no big deal, but I can't recall seeing a frame capture of digital crowd with this many obvious repeats. (Click on the photo caption for a larger image.)

Yellow shirts, red ties, pork-pie hats

comment #1

dre says ...

I assume this was done purposely. I believe this is the same shot that also has the cheap jump-frame animation cartoons of old like Speed Racer were known for...where the crowds flash up and down to give an animated effect.

comment #2

Jeffrey Kunze says ...

I hope the Wachoski brother and sister are having a great time this weekend watching their baby drown because they didn't pay it enough attention.

The best thing they did was the first Matrix, with Bound a far-away second.

V for Vendetta was acceptable but nothing special (except for a great Hugo Weaving performance, and hell, Portman was very good too).

I'd say Matrix Reloaded comes in next, good action film, but fails as a sequel.

Revolutions was horrible, the worst time I had at the movies in 2003. One of the friends I was with actually threw up in the middle of the film and left the theater. He was slightly sick beforehand and I guess the movie just subconsciously pushed him over the edge with how bad it was.

Speed Racer is like a nail in the coffin.

The Wachowki bro and sis need a new game plan. They should try going low-budget next time.

comment #3

dre says ...

Oh and I loved this movie. Bold and thrilling (two things Iron Man lacked) family flick. The cheesy family angle worked for me.

comment #4

Ray says ...

This picture is reflective of the entire SPEED RACER film. Smear the entire frame with enough garish colors and flashing lights, and hope nobody notices the shitty aspects of the flick ... you know, insignificant things like coherent narrative, coherent editing, or coherent emotions.

I originally earmarked THE INCREDIBLE HULK as both the biggest bomb and biggest creative failure of this summer. However, I have a hard time believing that anything can pass this monstrosity in a race to the bottom of the heap.

A monumental disaster.

comment #5

D.Z. says ...

I'm just glad it didn't lose to "What Happens in Vegas". It's one thing to be washed-up, but it's another to be more washed-up than Diaz. But *man*, I haven't seen anything this ambitious crash and burn this badly since A.I.! And why do I have this feeling that Iron Man might even kick Batman's butt at the box office...?

comment #6

Jason says ...

Dessem also runs his own blog called the Criterion Contraption where he's been working his way through every DVD in the Criterion Collection. They're great retro reviews with lots of unconventional observations. Highly recommended.

http://criterioncollection.blogspot.com/

comment #7

scooterzz says ...

actually, it appears that it may well lose to '...vegas'.......they're going to be neck and neck until the real count tomorrow.....

comment #8

JohnCope says ...

If it does lose to "Vegas" that's really unfortunate but not that surprising.

comment #9

JakeJuice says ...

This is exactly what Old Japanese animation creators would do: Forced to only a draw & animate a few crowds and then Copy & Paste them into a giant scene. It was a very economical way to create giant crowd scenes with very little draw time.
And here it is expressed in this one shot. Brilliant!

This illustrates exactly how the Brothers wanted to create a Live action Anime film.

Perhaps, that's not what people want to see, but I was certainly plugged in.

comment #10

Leonardcoenbrothers says ...

Those just happen to be the same five people who actually went to see it this weekend.

D.Z. I believe that A.I. made almost $80 million domestically. I doubt Speedracer will match that.

comment #11

Mgmax says ...

Just got back from Speed Racer.

Yeah, it has a big dead spot in the middle, too much of Roger Allam talking about corporate takeovers in a kid's movie (WTF?), but when it goes, it's lots of fun-- goofy fun, like a 60s Jerry Lewis movie. It's The Love Bug done in the style of Modesty Blaise, and much of the silliness is quite irresistible (what could be more perfect for a theater full of 8-year-olds than the gag right before the big kiss at the end?) Also, as several people have noted, the symphonic treatment of the cheesy original musical themes is a hoot.

And I say all this having hated, HATED everything the Wachowskis have touched since the original Matrix. But Speed Racer was what Burton's Charlie and the Chocolate Factory should have been and wasn't, and like everyone says, even if it dies at the box office, it will be demoing Blu-Ray players and HDTVs for decades to come.

comment #12

dre says ...

Ray, what part of the narrative and which emotions did you not find coherent? The movie is pretty damn simplistic.

This movie was - as Mgmax said - silly fun. I don't get the hate. And again, it's pretty obvious - as JakeJuice also noted - that the treatment of the crowd is intentional, a wink of the eye to the cheap anime of Speed Racer's day.

comment #13

D.Z. says ...

No, I actually *liked* the Burton Chocolate Factory. It's true it went on a bit long, but it stayed closer to the style of the book than this did to the anime.

comment #14

dre says ...

excuse me. Ray, meant to type incoherent.

comment #15

Mgmax says ...

The adaptation of the book was fine, but the character Depp created is just unpleasant; I'd be more inclined to believe he was the Zodiac than Willy Wonka. Gene Wilder will always be Willy Wonka to me.

comment #16

frankbooth says ...

Depp's approach to character really pays off when it works, but when it doesn't...blech. His Wonka is grotesque and annoying.

I like to compare the boat ride sequences to illustrate the differences between the two films. In the original, it was freaky, demented and hilarious. Burton's version was a long special effect accompanied by the usual Danny Elfman bombast. Slick, but no fun at all.

As for Speed Racer, literally the only thing I remember about the cartoon was that Speed would be driving with two wheels over a cliff as a bad guy tried to force him over the edge. As he struggled to keep from plunging into the abyss, he'd make these weirdly orgasmic "ohhhh-ohhhh" noises, which we kids loved to mock.

comment #17

Mgmax says ...

"Depp's approach to character really pays off when it works, but when it doesn't...blech. His Wonka is grotesque and annoying."

Or as a friend of mine said, "Now we know what all the guys who didn't get the part of Pee-Wee Herman were like."

(yes, I know Paul Reubens created the character and there wouldn't have been a casting call)

comment #18

frankbooth says ...

Actually, I get it. Funny.

comment #19

Armin Tamzarian says ...

I have to agree that this was by design. Certainly felt that way to me, anyway, while I watched.

This movie was a blast. Too long, but remarkable in so many other positive ways. Really felt it was an achievement on a few levels.

It will be interesting to see whether it works internationally.

comment #20

Aunt Sassy says ...

All you need to know about this movie is that it contains a Viking racing team hurling beehives at the competition. That's right ladies and gentlemen, the Wachowski Brothers actually reference the "Vikings and Beekeepers" sketch from SCTV.

Unfortunately, this bit of business will be completely missed by critics who've been sharpening their knives since the first trailer hit movie screens. Aren't you just a bit tired of reading the same endlessly recycled review? ("Bright colors hurt eyes! Movie too long! Larry is a girl!") At least the Brothers have the balls (irony intended) to try something different.

I think it's kind of sad when a movie this exuberant and inventive is repeatedly savaged by a bunch of tired, industry queens (REX! REED!) who all sound like PROJECT RUNWAY judges trying to outdiss each other.

SPEED RACER is a balls-to-the-wall, live-action, anime phantasmagoria that unapologetically pays tribute to the original cartoon without resorting to cynicism or camp. Unfortunately, this approach can't be appreciated by those that smothered their inner child a long time ago. Yes, it's garish. Yes, there are too many speeches. And yes, it runs 30 minutes too long. It's also a hell of a lot of fun and I enjoyed it nearly as much as IRON MAN.

Oh well, at least now I have another movie besides Ang Lee's HULK to start arguments with at boring parties.

Until next time, keep on hatin', bitches!!

comment #21

D.Z. says ...

Sassy: "SPEED RACER is a balls-to-the-wall, live-action, anime phantasmagoria that unapologetically pays tribute to the original cartoon without resorting to cynicism or camp. Unfortunately, this approach can't be appreciated by those that smothered their inner child a long time ago."

Um, no, it can't be appreciated by those who don't want their outer children to experience epileptic seizures while watching it.

"Yes, it's garish. Yes, there are too many speeches. And yes, it runs 30 minutes too long. It's also a hell of a lot of fun and I enjoyed it nearly as much as IRON MAN."

Really? I nearly enjoyed it as much as getting my wisdom teeth removed.

comment #22

sweet_billy says ...

you guys are all idiots, especially you jeff.

are you seriously ragging on a film using techniques like that to achieve an effect? jesus christ, give me an ever-loving break. this has been going on since the beginning of filmed entertainment. do you expect them to fill a stadium with actual people? you shouldn't be allowed to critique film at this point with posts like this.

speed racer was great. it was literal translation of the cartoon and anime in general and the people who don't get that don't get the film. the wachowski's are not chumps, they know exactly what they are doing and they will be allowed to continue doing it (as they should be)

I agree that the 3rd matrix film was basically terrible, but it's far better than anyone else on this site, including me, will ever do.

quit being such merciless haters. it's exposing your jealousies.

comment #23

D.Z. says ...

billy: "it was literal translation of the cartoon and anime in general and the people who don't get that don't get the film. "

Oh, I got it alright. I just didn't get what I wanted. Pro-tip: Sometimes being too literal is a bad thing.

"the wachowski's are not chumps, they know exactly what they are doing and they will be allowed to continue doing it (as they should be)"

If they know what they were doing, it wouldn't be so long.

comment #24

Mgmax says ...

"I agree that the 3rd matrix film was basically terrible, but it's far better than anyone else on this site, including me, will ever do."

I made a five-minute short in high school which had some actual (if heavily Python-inspired) laughs in it. Ergo, I already did something better than The Matrix Revolutions, which was like being punched in the head for two hours by Deepak Chopra's bodyguards.

comment #25

Richardson says ...

"I agree that the 3rd matrix film was basically terrible, but it's far better than anyone else on this site, including me, will ever do."

Don't sell yourself short. I know, for me, I took a really long shit yesterday that I'm proud of, and am quite sure would rank as more enjoyable than that movie beginning to end.

Though, much like Speed Racer, there is a sequence in the middle with truly amazing CGI telling a completely empty story quite -- dare I say -- beautifully.

comment #26

Howlingman says ...

I enjoyed SPEED RACER much more than IRON MAN. Still don't see what all the fuss is about in the latter case.

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