Overall it presents the rather ho-hum reality of technology in the 80s, and the humor is that 80s technology sucked! That's why it came as a surprise in one scene where suddenly technology surpasses what we could even hope for today. Normally I don't care when science fiction films go off the deep end like that, but this film is closer to historical fiction (and does a great job, except for this one glitch). The second thing you should be ready for is near the end it makes a leap of logic concerning technology, in particular, artificial intelligence. Whether you decide that it has significance, or whether you think it's just an annoying gimmick is up to you. All these artifacts combined add a transcendental character to the image and help express the sometimes unexplainable things that happen between man and computer in our story." So right off the bat you can see that the film is artistically motivated. The cameras had electronic issues and sometimes would generate electronic noise when touching the camera body or the lens. Director of photography Matthias Grunsky explains: "These tubes also have a very specific soft character, which would not be easy to recreate in post. But before you pass judgment you should know that the filmmakers purposely used an old Sony AVC-3260 b&w tube camera from the 70s. This can be somewhat tiring on the eyes, compared to the 1080p digital glory we're accustomed to. ![]() First a few things you should know: The movie is almost entirely in black & white, rather grainy & unappealing video (4:3). More than that, it's a mind trip of dweebish proportions. It's a trip back to the 80s when nerds reigned supreme (if only in their rather limited social circles). What's more, it's fun, generating pleasure not from canned jokes or clichéd plot twists but simply from a sense of unhindered freedom."Computer Chess" is a trip. Club raved that the film was "the year’s most singular and adventurous movie to date, to the point where it feels not so much original-a word that conveys a strong sense of craft-as it does “isolated,” as in a mutant strain of a virus. The site's critics' consensus reads: "With its delightfully retro production design, Computer Chess is an inventive, intelligent, and humorous comedy that celebrates the eccentricity and uniqueness of its subject." In The Village Voice, Aaron Hillis wrote that it was "the funniest, headiest, most playfully eccentric American indie of the year." Mike D'Angelo of The A.V. The movie has an approval rating of 88% on Rotten Tomatoes, with an average rating of 7.5/10. In a startling scene, a prostitute - apparently solicited by the young programmer - reveals herself to be infinitely more than expected. The twin threads of “spiritual” exploration and cybernetic innovation imply an unspoken and implicit hidden connection. A painfully shy young computer programmer ( Patrick Riester) attracts the interest of a swinging older couple ( Cyndi Williams and Chris Doubek). Simultaneously at the same hotel, a human potential movement group (the “seekers”) has occasional run-ins with the geeks, generating awkward and humorous moments. The only female geek ( Robin Schwartz) in attendance is repeatedly hailed and “welcomed” by the MC. The Pentagon's interest in the goings-on is intimated. Bull sessions on the dystopian possibilities of artificial intelligence are pursued. Bad haircuts, dorky shirts, " birth control glasses", and other social impedimenta are ubiquitous. Clunky, primitive personal computers are carted from room to room. A grandmaster ( Gerald Peary) presides as master of ceremonies with a videographer and microphone in tow. In 1980, an annual gathering of teams of idiosyncratic nerds compete in a nondescript California hotel to see which of their computer programs can best the others at computer chess. Bujalski also cast nonprofessional actors who were knowledgeable in computer technology. It is more improvisatory than his previous films, with only an eight-page treatment for a script. It is Bujalski's second black-and-white film, and was shot with analog videocameras. Sloan Feature Film Prize, and subsequently screened at such festivals as South by Southwest and the Maryland Film Festival. ![]() The film premiered at the 2013 Sundance Film Festival, where it won the Alfred P. ![]() Computer Chess is a 2013 independent comedy-drama film written and directed by Andrew Bujalski.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
Details
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |