Looking at the examples listed, it's often the magical helper (like, the Frog Princess, or the Grateful Beasts) which are genre savvy and cleverly thwart the impossible magical tasks.
Riley: Maybe I should just let you rest. Buffy: You sure? I bet if you just lay down with me- Riley: Nothing you are about to say will lead to rest.
'Lessons'
Buffista Movies 7: Brides for 7 Samurai
A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.
DavidS - Jun 22, 2012 6:24:13 pm PDT #21280 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Steph L. - Jun 22, 2012 7:45:58 pm PDT #21281 of 30000
this mess was yours / now your mess is mine
Just Back from Avengers viewing #5: still the prettiest.
Viewing #3 for me today, and I caught myself wondering how much Chris Evans had to work out while they were filming. It had to be a LOT. Hemsworth, too. And ScarJo and Renner (those are good arms to have).
Matt the Bruins fan - Jun 22, 2012 7:51:16 pm PDT #21282 of 30000
"I remember when they eventually introduced that drug kingpin who murdered people and smuggled drugs inside snakes and I was like 'Finally. A normal person.'” —RahvinDragand
Thankfully not as much as in his own movie. I like Chris a bit leaner and less puffy, like he was here.
Sean K - Jun 22, 2012 9:42:10 pm PDT #21283 of 30000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty
So I just watched The Grey on DVD. I thought there was a lot good about the movie, but ultimately I am bothered. (Plot spoiler -->) Six guys survive a plane crash only to be killed by wolves. How is that a plot? This is the same problem I had with My Big Fat Greek Wedding. A woman falls in love and gets married. Not a plot.
I guess I'm just baffled that these were log lines that got sold somehow.
§ ita § - Jun 23, 2012 5:36:26 am PDT #21284 of 30000
Well not canonically, no, but this is transformative fiction.
Did you read the article I posted on plot without conflict the other day? Does it fit that template? If so, is that failure?
I mean, is it appropriate and can it be fulfilling, if they were working to a different rhythm, but no less deliberate, and no less expressively written?
Sean K - Jun 23, 2012 7:23:27 am PDT #21285 of 30000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty
Oooh, very interesting. I think I'd need to see an actual Kishotenketsu movie to understand the application better.
I don't *think* The Grey qualifies. It doesn't quite fit the form, and there's plenty of violence (though I guess Kishotenketsu doesn't *preclude* violence). I mean, there's plenty of obstacles in The Grey, it's just that none or almost none are overcome. (incredibly vague plot spoiler).
Sean K - Jun 23, 2012 7:26:15 am PDT #21286 of 30000
You can't leave me to my own devices; my devices are Nap and Eat. -Zenkitty
I think My Big Fat Greek Wedding might be closer to the Kishotenketsu form, as it seemed to have no conflict at all.
And to be clear, I did like The Grey, there's just something about it that sits weird, and I suspect that was intentional on the part of the filmmakers.
Zenkitty - Jun 23, 2012 7:43:56 am PDT #21287 of 30000
Every now and then, I think I might actually be a little odd.
I thought there was plenty of conflict in MBFGW, as well as character change and growth. It just didn't involve death or explosions or things crashing. It was all interpersonal and interfamilial, and was resolved rather gently. I wouldn't say there wasn't a plot. There was more going on than just a woman falls in love and gets married. It was just a sweet story of a particular time in someone's life.
erikaj - Jun 23, 2012 9:05:17 am PDT #21288 of 30000
"already on the kiss-cam with Karl Marx"-
Yeah...I do think they missed an opportunity because the family conflict was neutralized so easily, but, you know, I don't have a big hit like that...what do I know? But Toula does grow and change.
Zenkitty - Jun 23, 2012 10:32:24 am PDT #21289 of 30000
Every now and then, I think I might actually be a little odd.
I would have liked the movie a lot less if there had been more family drama/conflict. Then it would have just been a soap opera.