list http://www.spout.com/ Recent community activity around Crash on Spout Copyright 2005-9 Spout, LLC Spout RSS http://www.spout.com/images/SpoutLogoRSS.jpg http://www.spout.com/ 136 30 http://www.spout.com/films/Crash/93580/default.aspx Title: Crash
Year: 1997
Director: David Cronenberg
Plot: After surviving a brutal car wreck, commercial director James Ballard finds himself slowly drawn to a mysterious subculture of people who have transformed automobile accidents into erotic events. Like the J.G. Ballard novel that inspired it, David Cronenberg's study of the sexual dimension of man's relationship to technology was a magnet for controversy, drawing a NC-17 rating and criticism from several sources, including studio owner Ted Turner, who attempted to prevent the film's American release. But though some have leveled charges of pornography, James' descent into this fetishistic underworld is approached with cold, scientific detachment. Characters like Vaughn, the charismatic group leader who stages recreations of celebrity car crashes, seem more like driven researchers than sexual renegades, which is undoubtedly part of the film's point. This impression is reinforced by the pristine cinematography by Peter Suschitzsky, which proves particularly haunting during a crucial accident scene, and Howard Shore's superb score. Far from exploitative, Crash in fact proves less transgressive than the original novel, but is still undoubtedly not for all tastes. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide
Times Tagged: 16
Number of Lists: 30
Number of blog posts: 8
Number of discussion threads: 6
SpoutRating: 3
]]>Mon, 06 Jul 2009 21:57:49 GMTCrash1997David CronenbergAfter surviving a brutal car wreck, commercial director James Ballard finds himself slowly drawn to a mysterious subculture of people who have transformed automobile accidents into erotic events. Like the J.G. Ballard novel that inspired it, <a href="/players/P____86249/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>David Cronenberg</a>'s study of the sexual dimension of man's relationship to technology was a magnet for controversy, drawing a NC-17 rating and criticism from several sources, including studio owner Ted Turner, who attempted to prevent the film's American release. But though some have leveled charges of pornography, James' descent into this fetishistic underworld is approached with cold, scientific detachment. Characters like Vaughn, the charismatic group leader who stages recreations of celebrity car crashes, seem more like driven researchers than sexual renegades, which is undoubtedly part of the film's point. This impression is reinforced by the pristine cinematography by Peter Suschitzsky, which proves particularly haunting during a crucial accident scene, and <a href="/players/P___111295/default.aspx" style='text-decoration:underline'>Howard Shore</a>'s superb score. Far from exploitative, Crash in fact proves less transgressive than the original novel, but is still undoubtedly not for all tastes. ~ Judd Blaise, All Movie Guide16Tag Target (>10)30863http://www.spout.com/ProductImages/t01190xpqin.jpghttp://www.spout.com/films/Crash/93580/default.aspxFilm http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Weekly_Theme_for_March_3_Motorin/625/40784/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 3/2/2009 10:20:24 PM
Body: Despite the current economic crisis affecting the automotive industry, American's still find an inordinate amount of love for their cars. Nascar has been gaining popularity outside its traditionally localized fan base in the Bible Belt and every year a slew of action-packed, fuel-injected motorhead flicks have been racing into theaters trying to complete with the latest romantic comedy. This week we'll be talking about all those films glorifying speed, leather-trimmed interior and perfectly pin-striped paint jobs on those chemical spewing chromed bringers of early death: the car. Going against the majority, I'm more than willing to expound on my affinity for the seizure inducing Speed Racer. It was F-Zero brought to the big screen and I couldn't keep my eyes off the candy-colored mess. I get a good number of disturbed looks by those I recommend Crash to. It's the light-hearted story of a man that loves a woman, in a car, after an intentionally car accident. This is the film that cemented my love for David Cronenberg. One half of Grindhouse, Death Proof was an exhilarating little adventure by Quentin Tarantino. And who can forget the indelible car and song Grease Lightning from Grease. So Ladies and Gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES!
]]>Tue, 03 Mar 2009 03:20:24 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme3/2/2009 10:20:24 PMDespite the current economic crisis affecting the automotive industry, American's still find an inordinate amount of love for their cars. Nascar has been gaining popularity outside its traditionally localized fan base in the Bible Belt and every year a slew of action-packed, fuel-injected motorhead flicks have been racing into theaters trying to complete with the latest romantic comedy. This week we'll be talking about all those films glorifying speed, leather-trimmed interior and perfectly pin-striped paint jobs on those chemical spewing chromed bringers of early death: the car. Going against the majority, I'm more than willing to expound on my affinity for the seizure inducing Speed Racer. It was F-Zero brought to the big screen and I couldn't keep my eyes off the candy-colored mess. I get a good number of disturbed looks by those I recommend Crash to. It's the light-hearted story of a man that loves a woman, in a car, after an intentionally car accident. This is the film that cemented my love for David Cronenberg. One half of Grindhouse, Death Proof was an exhilarating little adventure by Quentin Tarantino. And who can forget the indelible car and song Grease Lightning from Grease. So Ladies and Gentlemen, START YOUR ENGINES! http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_November_17_In_The_Nude/625/37420/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 11/18/2008 8:43:22 PM
Body: So many to list . . . so how about I go with the most shocking (to me). Julianne Moore / Heather Graham / Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights Kevin Bacon in Wild Things Never have I wanted to rip out my eyes so badly before. Denise Richards in Wild Things Makes up for Kevin Bacon. Kate WInslet in Titanic Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream Holly Hunter in Crash Mena Suvari in American Beauty Michael Pitt in The Dreamers Kate Hudson in Almost Famous Get your pause buttons ready. Dina Meyer in Starship Troopers Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love Monica Bellucci in Irreversible Laura Harring in Mulholland Dr. Out of the middle of nowhere, BAM! Lesbian Sex Scene! Elizabeth Berkley / Gina Gershon in Showgirls From Saved By The Bell to this. Nice transition. Jaime King in Sin City Vinessa Shaw in Eyes Wide Shut Wait? She was wearing a mask? I didn't notice. Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element Selma Blair in Storytelling Some people only saw a big black censored square over her. Find the unrated version of the film. Selma Blair in A Dirty Shame So they are obviously fake, but holy &#$%! Uma Thurman in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen So she's almost completely naked. Who cares! Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me They couldn't do that on television! Rose McGowan in The Doom Generation Erika Eleniak in Under Siege Happy Birthday to me! Erika Eleniak in Chasers Amy Adams in Psycho Beach Party Before she was an Academy Award Nominee. Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier Heather Matarazzo in Hostel 2 Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan WOW! Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine Emmanuelle Seigner in The Ninth Gate Straddling Johnny Depp next to a burning castle. Hot! Demi Moore in Striptease I think that's enough for now. And yes, I am a pervert.
]]>Wed, 19 Nov 2008 01:43:22 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme11/18/2008 8:43:22 PMSo many to list . . . so how about I go with the most shocking (to me). Julianne Moore / Heather Graham / Mark Wahlberg in Boogie Nights Kevin Bacon in Wild Things Never have I wanted to rip out my eyes so badly before. Denise Richards in Wild Things Makes up for Kevin Bacon. Kate WInslet in Titanic Jennifer Connelly in Requiem for a Dream Holly Hunter in Crash Mena Suvari in American Beauty Michael Pitt in The Dreamers Kate Hudson in Almost Famous Get your pause buttons ready. Dina Meyer in Starship Troopers Gwyneth Paltrow in Shakespeare in Love Monica Bellucci in Irreversible Laura Harring in Mulholland Dr. Out of the middle of nowhere, BAM! Lesbian Sex Scene! Elizabeth Berkley / Gina Gershon in Showgirls From Saved By The Bell to this. Nice transition. Jaime King in Sin City Vinessa Shaw in Eyes Wide Shut Wait? She was wearing a mask? I didn't notice. Milla Jovovich in The Fifth Element Selma Blair in Storytelling Some people only saw a big black censored square over her. Find the unrated version of the film. Selma Blair in A Dirty Shame So they are obviously fake, but holy &amp;#$%! Uma Thurman in The Adventures of Baron Munchausen So she's almost completely naked. Who cares! Sheryl Lee in Twin Peaks: Fire Walk With Me They couldn't do that on television! Rose McGowan in The Doom Generation Erika Eleniak in Under Siege Happy Birthday to me! Erika Eleniak in Chasers Amy Adams in Psycho Beach Party Before she was an Academy Award Nominee. Natalie Portman in Hotel Chevalier Heather Matarazzo in Hostel 2 Christina Ricci in The Opposite of Sex Christina Ricci in Black Snake Moan WOW! Isabella Rossellini in Blue Velvet Ewan McGregor in Velvet Goldmine Emmanuelle Seigner in The Ninth Gate Straddling Johnny Depp next to a burning castle. Hot! Demi Moore in Striptease I think that's enough for now. And yes, I am a pervert. http://www.spout.com/groups/Weekly_Theme/Re_Weekly_Theme_for_August_4_Let_s_Talk_About_Sex/625/33611/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: mercurial
Post To: Weekly Theme
Post Date: 8/6/2008 3:21:57 AM
Body: [quote user="Smooth_J"] If you're looking for more sadomasochistic sex, I really dug Videodrome and it's whip cracking protagonist Max Renn, who pierces his woman's ear to get her and him off and is completely turned on by whipping a television set with the image of said woman on it. There's some pretty sick sexual stuff in there. Blue Velvet also explores these realms, but it's not so central to the story and more of an asset to it. My favorite line that demonstrates this is probably "Baby wants to (bleep)! Baby wants to (bleep) Blue Velvet!" There's so many others that are slipping my mind right now--I thorougly enjoyed Cronenberg's scenes in A History of Violence, how the one is so innocent and childish and the later one is so abusive and dominating. Cronenberg seems like the kinda' guy that really does highlight all of the f*ck scenes. [/quote] With Lynch it's Mulholland Dr. all the way. With most of the film being a masturbatorial fantasy (depending on your individual analysis) it should definitely be given an honorable mention. I like Blue Velvet, but Crash (1996) is by far my favorite Cronenberg and I can't believe I left it out of my original post. Considering the DVD I own comes complete with both the R-rated version and an NC-17 version, it's naturally chock full of sex, sex and more sex. A couple of car crashes. Some sex, and some sex after a car crash. Yay for bizarre fetishes.
]]>Wed, 06 Aug 2008 07:21:57 GMTmercurialWeekly Theme8/6/2008 3:21:57 AM[quote user="Smooth_J"] If you're looking for more sadomasochistic sex, I really dug Videodrome and it's whip cracking protagonist Max Renn, who pierces his woman's ear to get her and him off and is completely turned on by whipping a television set with the image of said woman on it. There's some pretty sick sexual stuff in there. Blue Velvet also explores these realms, but it's not so central to the story and more of an asset to it. My favorite line that demonstrates this is probably "Baby wants to (bleep)! Baby wants to (bleep) Blue Velvet!" There's so many others that are slipping my mind right now--I thorougly enjoyed Cronenberg's scenes in A History of Violence, how the one is so innocent and childish and the later one is so abusive and dominating. Cronenberg seems like the kinda' guy that really does highlight all of the f*ck scenes. [/quote] With Lynch it's Mulholland Dr. all the way. With most of the film being a masturbatorial fantasy (depending on your individual analysis) it should definitely be given an honorable mention. I like Blue Velvet, but Crash (1996) is by far my favorite Cronenberg and I can't believe I left it out of my original post. Considering the DVD I own comes complete with both the R-rated version and an NC-17 version, it's naturally chock full of sex, sex and more sex. A couple of car crashes. Some sex, and some sex after a car crash. Yay for bizarre fetishes. http://www.spout.com/blogs/chrismorrell/archive/2008/6/18/31386.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: chrismorrell Blog
Post Date: 6/18/2008 7:16:10 PM
Body: I meant just to review "eXistenZ" ,but "Crash" was linked and i love it too. James Spader has never been better cast,and this is pretty much a perfect "arthouse" movie. Perversion is the name of the game..sexual ,sado-masochistic,with suicidal tendencies thrown in.The "crashes" themselves are the most unglamouras and shocking ever in a fictional work.Great source material,of course,from J.G Ballard.
]]>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 23:16:10 GMTchrismorrellchrismorrell Blog6/18/2008 7:16:10 PMI meant just to review "eXistenZ" ,but "Crash" was linked and i love it too. James Spader has never been better cast,and this is pretty much a perfect "arthouse" movie. Perversion is the name of the game..sexual ,sado-masochistic,with suicidal tendencies thrown in.The "crashes" themselves are the most unglamouras and shocking ever in a fictional work.Great source material,of course,from J.G Ballard. http://www.spout.com/blogs/chrismorrell/archive/2008/6/18/31384.aspx Post By: chrismorrell
Post To: chrismorrell Blog
Post Date: 6/18/2008 6:51:10 PM
Body: David Cronenberg is a true Auteur , able to make films that will reach a wide audience nowadays...there are strong ideas, visual and emotional , very well realised here... To be a little more specific..Jennifer Jason-Liegh was,and never will be more sexy..eXistenZ sees her as a black-eyed siren,Jude Law is the vulnerable pretty one lured into the lurid gaming world ...or is he? the game characters: Ian Holm, Willem Dafoe ,Don McKellar,fall by the wayside....there is a reprise of the "Videodrome" "gunhand",the effects are squirmingly,disgustingly brilliant...there is another "videodrome" echo at the end,like "hail the new flesh!",as the whole thing is thrown back at you in a comprehensive twist,that is in turn,immediately undermined..eXsitenZ is ,quite simply, a great piece, musing on "virtual reality",game playing , layers of perception ,has an overt sexual undertow,like "Crash",and above all, its manically,darkly funny, love it love it!
]]>Wed, 18 Jun 2008 22:51:10 GMTchrismorrellchrismorrell Blog6/18/2008 6:51:10 PMDavid Cronenberg is a true Auteur , able to make films that will reach a wide audience nowadays...there are strong ideas, visual and emotional , very well realised here... To be a little more specific..Jennifer Jason-Liegh was,and never will be more sexy..eXistenZ sees her as a black-eyed siren,Jude Law is the vulnerable pretty one lured into the lurid gaming world ...or is he? the game characters: Ian Holm, Willem Dafoe ,Don McKellar,fall by the wayside....there is a reprise of the "Videodrome" "gunhand",the effects are squirmingly,disgustingly brilliant...there is another "videodrome" echo at the end,like "hail the new flesh!",as the whole thing is thrown back at you in a comprehensive twist,that is in turn,immediately undermined..eXsitenZ is ,quite simply, a great piece, musing on "virtual reality",game playing , layers of perception ,has an overt sexual undertow,like "Crash",and above all, its manically,darkly funny, love it love it! http://www.spout.com/groups/Viewing_with_a_purpose/Re_Recommended_movies_that_you_hate_hate_hate/288/27283/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Risselada
Post To: Viewing with a purpose
Post Date: 4/14/2008 2:40:31 PM
Body: [quote user="mercurial"]About Crash (hated it, except for Sandra Bullock because I thought her performance was amazingly hilarious) [/quote]Haha yeah. How about this horrible disembodied line "I am angry all the time... and I don't know why." Oooooooh, emotions are so enigmatic. What a wonderfully complex movie!!! *FART*[quote user="mercurial"]I hate the fact that every time I try and recommend Crash, the David Cronenberg film with James Spader and Holly Hunter, everyone thinks I'm talking of the other Crash and they spend forever going on and on about how good it was (and subsequently think the Crash I am talking about is going to be horrible). [/quote]Yeah I haven't seen Cronenberg's Crash, but I've been aware of it long before the more recent Crash came out. I'm sure it's got a bit more originality to it though. When people would come into the video store I worked at when the new Crash came out and would ask for it, sometimes I would just point them towards the Cronenberg movie if they didn't specify otherwise. ;)
]]>Mon, 14 Apr 2008 18:40:31 GMTRisseladaViewing with a purpose4/14/2008 2:40:31 PM[quote user="mercurial"]About Crash (hated it, except for Sandra Bullock because I thought her performance was amazingly hilarious) [/quote]Haha yeah. How about this horrible disembodied line "I am angry all the time... and I don&#39;t know why." Oooooooh, emotions are so enigmatic. What a wonderfully complex movie!!! *FART*[quote user="mercurial"]I hate the fact that every time I try and recommend Crash, the David Cronenberg film with James Spader and Holly Hunter, everyone thinks I&#39;m talking of the other Crash and they spend forever going on and on about how good it was (and subsequently think the Crash I am talking about is going to be horrible). [/quote]Yeah I haven&#39;t seen Cronenberg&#39;s Crash, but I&#39;ve been aware of it long before the more recent Crash came out. I&#39;m sure it&#39;s got a bit more originality to it though. When people would come into the video store I worked at when the new Crash came out and would ask for it, sometimes I would just point them towards the Cronenberg movie if they didn&#39;t specify otherwise. ;) http://www.spout.com/groups/TEETH_the_Movie/Re_has_anyone_seen_Cronenberg_s_70s_flick_Shiver/526/25133/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: Puhnner
Post To: TEETH the Movie
Post Date: 2/14/2008 11:05:36 AM
Body: I cannot wait to see Teeth!!!Shivers or They Came from Within; a completely excellent and unsettling film. A great part by Barbara Steele. The effects may be dated as you would expect, but Cronenberg's exploration of the themes of invasion, mutation, and complete take over, etc. continue through much of his work. Rabid ( don't get too close to Marilyn's underarm, thoroughly nasty indeed ) may offer a good segueway to Teeth. Casting,Marilyn Chambers, one of the biggest porn stars at the time, in a role full of sexual undertones seemed perfectly fitting. From what I read about Teeth, it operates on literal and metaphorical levels and hell, maybe allegorical level too as do many of Cronenberg's films.
]]>Thu, 14 Feb 2008 16:05:36 GMTPuhnnerTEETH the Movie2/14/2008 11:05:36 AMI cannot wait to see Teeth!!!Shivers or They Came from Within; a completely excellent and unsettling film. A great part by Barbara Steele. The effects may be dated as you would expect, but Cronenberg&#39;s exploration of the themes of invasion, mutation, and complete take over, etc. continue through much of his work. Rabid ( don&#39;t get too close to Marilyn&#39;s underarm, thoroughly nasty indeed ) may offer a good segueway to Teeth. Casting,Marilyn Chambers, one of the biggest porn stars at the time, in a role full of sexual undertones seemed perfectly fitting. From what I read about Teeth, it operates on literal and metaphorical levels and hell, maybe allegorical level too as do many of Cronenberg&#39;s films. http://www.spout.com/blogs/spoutblog/archive/2007/10/31/21319.aspx Post By: SpoutBlog
Post To: SpoutBlog on spout.com
Post Date: 10/31/2007 2:01:10 PM
Body: The hands-down quote of the day comes from David Cronenberg. The filmmaker was recently asked how he felt about Paul Haggis naming his “race relations are hard” Oscar winner Crash less than a decade after Cronenberg released his own film, about car crash fetishists, with the same title. According to IMDB, there were at least five films called Crash before Cronenbeg’s, but his, based on a J.G. Ballard book of the same name, was certainly the most well-known. And according to the New York Post, Cronenberg thinks Haggis plagiarized on purpose: I’ve told [him] that he was a [bleep]hole basically for doing that. And so have many other people. It’s very disrespectful, not only to me, but to J.G. Ballard, who wrote the book . . . I made my movie . . . in a very respectful way. Haggis just co- opted the title, and he knew what he was doing. Did he, though? Could Haggis have really thought that the titular confusion would *help* his movie? I guess there could have been a cunning plot afoot, but I don’t want to give Haggis too much credit. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog
]]>Wed, 31 Oct 2007 18:01:10 GMTSpoutBlogSpoutBlog on spout.com10/31/2007 2:01:10 PMThe hands-down quote of the day comes from David Cronenberg. The filmmaker was recently asked how he felt about Paul Haggis naming his “race relations are hard” Oscar winner Crash less than a decade after Cronenberg released his own film, about car crash fetishists, with the same title. According to IMDB, there were at least five films called Crash before Cronenbeg’s, but his, based on a J.G. Ballard book of the same name, was certainly the most well-known. And according to the New York Post, Cronenberg thinks Haggis plagiarized on purpose: I’ve told [him] that he was a [bleep]hole basically for doing that. And so have many other people. It’s very disrespectful, not only to me, but to J.G. Ballard, who wrote the book . . . I made my movie . . . in a very respectful way. Haggis just co- opted the title, and he knew what he was doing. Did he, though? Could Haggis have really thought that the titular confusion would *help* his movie? I guess there could have been a cunning plot afoot, but I don’t want to give Haggis too much credit. Originally posted on:SpoutBlog http://www.spout.com/groups/Top_5/Re_Top_5_Everybody_Seems_To_Love_But_I_Hate/190/16345/1/ShowPost.aspx Post By: lukasblu
Post To: Top 5
Post Date: 7/26/2007 1:34:37 AM
Body: "2. Crash"-i believe this movie is overrated;it is not the best movie i have seen ,it is not the worse either;i do not believe that it deserved an oscar though; I do like another movie called crash (1996) with james spaderi did not like Traffic (2000)either;overtalked about ,overrated and did not deserve an oscari also did not like west side story(1961) i believed its an overrated musical classic;it is an unrealistic potrayal of gangs especially the puerto rican onesdoes anyone else know a oscar nomiated or oscar winner(or any other respectable awards like SAG, etc..) movie that did not deserved it ;either because the praise is overrated or just because you did not like the movie?
]]>Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:34:37 GMTlukasbluTop 57/26/2007 1:34:37 AM"2. Crash"-i believe this movie is overrated;it is not the best movie i have seen ,it is not the worse either;i do not believe that it deserved an oscar though; I do like another movie called crash (1996) with james spaderi did not like Traffic (2000)either;overtalked about ,overrated and did not deserve an oscari also did not like west side story(1961) i believed its an overrated musical classic;it is an unrealistic potrayal of gangs especially the puerto rican onesdoes anyone else know a oscar nomiated or oscar winner(or any other respectable awards like SAG, etc..) movie that did not deserved it ;either because the praise is overrated or just because you did not like the movie? http://www.spout.com/blogs/sarcastig/archive/2007/7/13/13879.aspx Post By: sarcastig
Post To: As cool as a Fruitstand
Post Date: 7/13/2007 4:00:34 PM
Body: First, the awesome news: I will soon be reviewing movies for the Dutch film website filmtotaal, and I couldn't be more thrilled. I mean, not only will I get to go to advance screenings and stuff, but, for the first time, I'll get paid (a little) for writing. Like a real journalist. I feel like Pinocchio. Hopefully I won't turn out to have been transformed into a smoking donkey.Anyway, when introducing myself on the message boards, I listed a few of my favorite directors. Among them was David Cronenberg. And well, while I can honestly say I've loved all the Cronenbergs I've seen so far, it is true that, at the time of writing, I'd only seen two: eXistenZ and A History of Violence. Luckily, these things are easy to remedy, and now I've added Crash to that list. I'm glad to report that Cronenberg is, in my eyes, now 3 for 3.I'm sure I don't need to add this, but I will just in case, for clarity's sake: I am not, I repeat, not referring to the recent Oscar winning Paul Haggis film about racism. I am instead referring to the Cronenberg film about people who get turned on by car crashes.And boy, do they get it on. I don't remember seeing any other film -that wasn't porn- that included so much sex. In all kinds of positions, between numerous different couples, mostly in cars, but not exclusively. The most surprising thing is that, with maybe one or two exceptions, these sex scenes are not just window-dressing, they're not there (just) to titillate, no, they're essential to character development and even to the plot.It's amazing to me how flatly and non-sensationally Cronenberg films everything. He views these characters without judgment: he never presents them as freaks, but I don't think he thinks we should fully go along with their fetish, either. As such, the film is fascinating, and you get to understand the appeal of mangled steel and scarred flesh, without necessarily needing to share in the obsession.Still, the amount and graphic nature of sex scenes is not the most remarkable thing here. No, that would be the total lack of conflict in the plot. There is no jealousy, and while there is definitely physical danger, it is unaccompanied by any fear or pain. Our main character, played by James Spader, is impossible to read: he goes along with everything, and is clearly affected in some way, but it's unclear what it is exactly that he seeks.Because of the lack of conflict, it's not really surprising that the ending is nothing more than a reflection of the beginning: James and his wife start out unsatisfied, longing for something they can't quite reach, and they end up exactly the same way, just with a different method, a different goal. Even the words are the same: "Maybe the next one". It's a film about people who are forever looking for the next thing, the next thrill, and the only conclusion you can draw is that whatever they try, they'll always be unsatisfied.I still think that A History of Violence is the more controversial and though-provoking film of the two, not in spite but because of its apparent normalcy, and it's the more coherent, precise film too. However, I did enjoy Crash very much, and I'll definitely be watching more Cronenberg soon. Originally posted on:As cool as a Fruitstand
]]>Fri, 13 Jul 2007 20:00:34 GMTsarcastigAs cool as a Fruitstand7/13/2007 4:00:34 PMFirst, the awesome news: I will soon be reviewing movies for the Dutch film website filmtotaal, and I couldn't be more thrilled. I mean, not only will I get to go to advance screenings and stuff, but, for the first time, I'll get paid (a little) for writing. Like a real journalist. I feel like Pinocchio. Hopefully I won't turn out to have been transformed into a smoking donkey.Anyway, when introducing myself on the message boards, I listed a few of my favorite directors. Among them was David Cronenberg. And well, while I can honestly say I've loved all the Cronenbergs I've seen so far, it is true that, at the time of writing, I'd only seen two: eXistenZ and A History of Violence. Luckily, these things are easy to remedy, and now I've added Crash to that list. I'm glad to report that Cronenberg is, in my eyes, now 3 for 3.I'm sure I don't need to add this, but I will just in case, for clarity's sake: I am not, I repeat, not referring to the recent Oscar winning Paul Haggis film about racism. I am instead referring to the Cronenberg film about people who get turned on by car crashes.And boy, do they get it on. I don't remember seeing any other film -that wasn't porn- that included so much sex. In all kinds of positions, between numerous different couples, mostly in cars, but not exclusively. The most surprising thing is that, with maybe one or two exceptions, these sex scenes are not just window-dressing, they're not there (just) to titillate, no, they're essential to character development and even to the plot.It's amazing to me how flatly and non-sensationally Cronenberg films everything. He views these characters without judgment: he never presents them as freaks, but I don't think he thinks we should fully go along with their fetish, either. As such, the film is fascinating, and you get to understand the appeal of mangled steel and scarred flesh, without necessarily needing to share in the obsession.Still, the amount and graphic nature of sex scenes is not the most remarkable thing here. No, that would be the total lack of conflict in the plot. There is no jealousy, and while there is definitely physical danger, it is unaccompanied by any fear or pain. Our main character, played by James Spader, is impossible to read: he goes along with everything, and is clearly affected in some way, but it's unclear what it is exactly that he seeks.Because of the lack of conflict, it's not really surprising that the ending is nothing more than a reflection of the beginning: James and his wife start out unsatisfied, longing for something they can't quite reach, and they end up exactly the same way, just with a different method, a different goal. Even the words are the same: "Maybe the next one". It's a film about people who are forever looking for the next thing, the next thrill, and the only conclusion you can draw is that whatever they try, they'll always be unsatisfied.I still think that A History of Violence is the more controversial and though-provoking film of the two, not in spite but because of its apparent normalcy, and it's the more coherent, precise film too. However, I did enjoy Crash very much, and I'll definitely be watching more Cronenberg soon. Originally posted on:As cool as a Fruitstand http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sex/MemberTagFilms.aspxsex
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]]>Fri, 04 Dec 2009 00:50:42 GMT2414126548Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/Guilty-Pleasure/MemberTagFilms.aspxGuilty-Pleasure
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]]>Fri, 11 Sep 2009 19:55:42 GMT10261152Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/adaptation/MemberTagFilms.aspxadaptation
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]]>Sat, 24 Oct 2009 19:17:59 GMT12625137Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/sexuality/MemberTagFilms.aspxsexuality
Number of films tagged: 390

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]]>Sat, 22 Aug 2009 14:20:33 GMT3902365Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/technology/MemberTagFilms.aspxtechnology
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]]>Thu, 25 Jun 2009 13:02:23 GMT6882354Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/cronenberg/MemberTagFilms.aspxcronenberg
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]]>Wed, 17 Sep 2008 05:41:01 GMT9914Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/David/MemberTagFilms.aspxDavid
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]]>Fri, 25 Jul 2008 19:34:16 GMT888Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/carcrash/MemberTagFilms.aspxcarcrash
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]]>Fri, 31 Jul 2009 13:03:15 GMT262710Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/emotionalproblems/MemberTagFilms.aspxemotionalproblems
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]]>Wed, 15 Oct 2008 13:01:53 GMT7568Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/screenplay/MemberTagFilms.aspxscreenplay
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]]>Fri, 08 May 2009 00:21:42 GMT3056Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/fetish/MemberTagFilms.aspxfetish
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]]>Tue, 17 Mar 2009 20:04:45 GMT646Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/automotive/MemberTagFilms.aspxautomotive
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]]>Wed, 07 Mar 2007 22:22:05 GMT222Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/ballard/MemberTagFilms.aspxballard
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]]>Tue, 18 Dec 2007 04:21:13 GMT222Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/group/MemberTagFilms.aspxgroup
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]]>Thu, 30 Jul 2009 13:02:56 GMT58222Tag http://www.spout.com/members/0/tags/civex/MemberTagFilms.aspxcivex
Number of films tagged: 88

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]]>Sat, 28 Nov 2009 01:14:43 GMT88188Tag