[John Kilduff]

This thread was inspired by the most recent Academy Awards ceremony.

Jon Stewart made several jokes about montages and even showed some that mocked what they're all about. On a related tack, people tend to make fun of montages IN movies. Trey Parker and Matt Stone did a song about it in the "South Park" episode "Asspen", and re-used that song in "Team America: World Police".

Basically, I have to ask this: Why do people get annoyed with montages? What is it about them that causes people to crack wise and get snide?

I have no problem with montages at all. When it comes to the ones at Academy Awards ceremonies, I find them to be the best part of the show, if only because I'm more interested in where cinema has been than where it's going.

As for montages IN movies, I have no problem with them, either. I find them tremendously energizing, and they can cause you to fill in your own blanks as well. At least, that's what I do.

Sincerely,

John Kilduff...

Thoughts, guys (and gals)?

[Ray H]

I like montages at award shows. Done right, they can be quite effective. Unfortunately, last year's Oscar show was something of a montage overload. They just did one for the most inane reasons. They had a film noir montage. I like film noir, but what the hell did it have to do with anything?

[Holadem]

I have no problem with montages. My problem with the ones featured during the AA telecast was that they weren't about the 5 Best Picture noms as has been the tradition in recent years.

When it comes to film, a montage can be a lazy shorthand for more skillful storytelling; tacks a few scenes together in a logical sequence, slap a song (with relevant lyrics) onto the result and voila.

--
H

[Adam Lenhardt]

In the case of the most recent Awards show, it's because there were way too fucking many of them. They were also all abridged from their original versions, so they didn't even carry the intended impact.
It's like the saying goes: All good things in moderation.

[SD_Brian]

In addition to what Holadem said, the montage-as-storytelling-device is a tired cliche. That's why it is so frequently mocked.

The montage-as-Academy-Award-ceremony-filler is annoying because it pads out a broadcast that is already overly long with retrospectives that are largely interchangeable and pointless. One or two montages during the Oscarcast (with one of them being the In Memoriam segment) would be plenty but, in recent years, they've really been over-using them.

That said, I was impressed that one of this year's montages actually showed footage from the infamous Rob Lowe/Snow White duet.

[rich_d]

Quote:

Originally Posted by SD_Brian

In addition to what Holadem said, the montage-as-storytelling-device is a tired cliche. That's why it is so frequently mocked.

The montage-as-Academy-Award-ceremony-filler is annoying because it pads out a broadcast that is already overly long with retrospectives that are largely interchangeable and pointless. One or two montages during the Oscarcast (with one of them being the In Memoriam segment) would be plenty but, in recent years, they've really been over-using them.

That said, I was impressed that one of this year's montages actually showed footage from the infamous Rob Lowe/Snow White duet.

I almost didn't reply to this because I also have a 180 degree difference from yours in another thread ... but that's just how it goes ...

You suggest that a montage is a pointless filler ... but what exactly is the point of the Oscars other than self-promotion?

I really don't have an opinion on montage within films but I can think of nothing that I like better than a well done montage to an artist or segment of the films or arts. I can think of no more effective way of presenting this than a montage.

What is filler to me is acceptance speeches thanking their agents.

[Thi Them]

I like seeing montages, too. Some of them, however, do come across as pointless. In this case, I think it would be better if they introduce what the montage is about before showing.

~T

[SD_Brian]

Quote:

Originally Posted by rich_d

What is filler to me is acceptance speeches thanking their agents.

Good point. Why should the focus of the Academy Awards be on the Academy Award winners? That's just crazy talk

[Chuck Mayer]

A good montage is a work of art. Conan the Barbarian has an early montage tracing Conan's youth and slavery. It's brilliant.

A bad montage is a joke. It's used so often by mediocre practitioners, it's hard to stand out. But it's still possible.

[Keith Paynter]

"Even Rocky had a montage..."

[MatthewA]

I think Adam hit the nail on the head. People get annoyed with montages because they're overused, and often misused, which ruins it for those trying to do it well.

When are they going to do a montage of montages?