I have not seen Snakes on a Plane, so I have no idea how good this movie is (or isn't). But I do know this: Its existence represents a weird, semidepressing American condition, and I'm afraid this condition is going to get worse. I suspect Snakes on a Plane might earn a lot of money, which will prompt studios to assume this is the kind of movie audiences want. And I don't think it is. Snakes on a Plane is an unabashed attempt at prefab populism, and (maybe) this gimmick will work once. But it won't keep working, and it will almost certainly make filmmaking worse.Archetypical Klosterman. Incredibly readable. Completely compelling as you are reading it. And whne you think about it later, there is the distinct impression that he's at least 25% completely full of shit in everything he says. Mostly, I think that's the way he wants it.
In that vein "Sex, Drugs and Cocoa Puffs: A Low Culture Manifesto" is a compilation of Klostermanian goodies from Pam Anderson, to the umpteenth rumination on the importance of Lakers/Celtics in the 80's, to a spectacular (and to me, spectacularly annoying) hatchet job on the sport of soccer, it's all here. Probably the best piece is the essay exploring the insidious effect of Lloyd Dobler on the world of post-adolescent relationships (how is standing outside of a window with a boombox blaring Peter Gabriel anything other than "stalking," one might ask.)
Per usual, Klosterman is at his best when tackling topics where he can authoritatively take bold, yet completely non-falsifiable, positions (as he did so well in Fargo Rock City) - that is to say, rank opinionating. I can relate to that, I suppose...
Pooh's View: Entertaining as just-kidding-but-not-really pseudo-intellectual commentary on the things that the MTV generation finds important. Or is it "important?" I'm not quite sure how much ironic distance is sufficient...
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