Hmmm, I thought this was LOVE fest...

Great explanation Jack!

After watching all the submissions I must say that everyone did a fantastic job and stuck to the rules of the fest very well (if they didn't the mods would not have accepted the entry)

Love is an emotion that is interpreted differently by different people, it drives them to do things that a normal man or woman would ordinarily never do and sometimes that happens to be dark things.

I saw a lot of "outside the box" thinking in a lot of these films which was a great relief from the played out Hollywood love story.
 
Thank God there's only a few "romantic love" stories, or else you may have well called this "boringfest". :)

Personally I'm disappointed that nobody explored zombie love.
 
Wild Imagination Films said:
My question was about the films with infidelity and (in at least two of them) murder. Why, with so much talent and obvious ability on hand, did people chose these themes?
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You have a very narrow mind, in my opinion. In fact, the majority of relationships are characterized by dysfunction at times. The inherent power of "love" is what makes it often so dangerous and why so much abuse occurs. When the theme of this fest was announced I immediately was motivated to explore the darker side of love. I wasn't "like a little kid" trying to thumb my nose at the rules or hoping to push the envelope.

Your comment implies that adding infidelity and murder was improper and possibly a squandering of "talent and obvious ability." I, for one, would rather not sit through a cookie-cutter collection of films. With respect to our film, I think the last scene when the actress voices the words "I Love You" says it all. Love can be used to justify almost any act - however reprehensible. That, to me, is worthy of examination in any study of the concept called "love."
 
Well said Mark. The thing I've enjoyed most about watching the films is to see everyone's interpretation of the love theme. I've watched murders, breakups, reuniting, new beginnings that all had their roots in love. I'd hate to see 50 mushy movies where two people fall in love. If anything this is just a reminder that love comes in many forms and is a very complex emotion, not just some one dimensional flowers and chocolates I love you crap.
 
Just as a heads-up, some people might feel the need to respond not to your initial question, but to your implied slights:

We do tend to behave like little kids.
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You are using the word 'we', but you mean plural 'you' or "Y'all" as we say in the south. This is because you exclude yourself in the next line - where you also include the word 'we' when you mean 'you':

I guess we were all too cool to make one of those sappy love stories. (Obviously not meant for those of us who made sappy love stories)
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So, what I'm sure most people read that as was this:
[[You]] (people who didn't stick to romantic love) do tend to behave like little kids.
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If you meant anything else, feel free to point out where my interpretation was wrong.

I only respond because you really need to realize that the words you are saying are demeaning. I don't mind demeaning language in princinple. I just want to make sure you realize that what you're saying completely qualifies as this, and this case is not the only example.
 
Wild Imagination Films said:
Cheat, Whore, Kill, and Offend were all well represented. Love, however, was left out in the cold in most of what I watched. So My question is, if the Fest is about Love, then how can a film be considered eligible if the theme isn't met?
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Apparently you haven't experienced the entire spectrum of love. :evil:
 
I thought the slate of films represented the wider definition of Love in a good way.

Think about the many questions left hanging out there at the end of Constance. She seems hung by her own hand - perhaps her true love is lying on the floor of that bar? His antagonist must, on some level, believe that he committed this crime as an act of love for her?

That is the connundrum of Love - in the real world, it defies conventional definition. Candy-coated isn't the only interpretation.

On that note, The Arrangement is in my final three. I thought the florist character was sincere and I fell for her - and for them. If I'm getting emotionally attached to the idea of their being together in less than six minutes, the storyteller has done something right.

Love means many things to many people. True Love is an emotion of perception. That is what these films are about - the viewer is removed from the emotion as objective observers. If the filmmaker draws us in to empathize, sympathize and even relate to the characters, then he has done his job.

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We shot "I Love... Lamp... I Love Carpet" in only 2 weeks... but I just couldn't get it under 30 minutes.

Now THAT was a story about true, romantic love.

This has been one of my favorite Fests ever... hands down. I agree with most of the responses... especially "boring fest"... I'm glad that instead, we had more of the love-war thinking in the fest.
 
With regard to the issue of being narrow-minded, the author of this thread has announced that he will not vote for any film that uses the "f" word. If you don't like our film - fine. But to reserve your approval only to g-rated entries seems counterproductive to what these fests are supposedly about (i.e., film making)
 
With regard to the issue of being narrow-minded, the author of this thread has announced that he will not vote for any film that uses the "f" word. If you don't like our film - fine. But to reserve your approval only to g-rated entries seems counterproductive to what these fests are supposedly about (i.e., film making)
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Ironic this thread started by someone with the moniker WILD IMAGINATION ? Seems a contrast if sticking to the stricktest interpretation of LOVE.

Love is the most amazingly, painful, desirous, manic, emotionally draining, violently racing, longing, desperate expereince one can experience as a human being

It runs the gamut on all emotions and inevitable actions that inevitably surface from the experience.
 
Perfectly said, Hudson. In fact, the core event in our film (a foolish man using deceptive e-mails with his lover) is based on a stupid thing I did myself out of desperation born from love. My own life is littered with the smoking carcasses of painful relationships and disastrous love affairs. I wish I could say I've had more roses than thorns. ....
 
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My own life is littered with the smoking carcasses of painful relationships and disastrous love affairs. I wish I could say I've had more roses than thorns. ....
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Me too.

(sigh)

I love you man !
 
I personally have a very hard time enjoying those "sappy love stories", as I'm sure many others do. If anything, I was more disappointed by those who defaulted to a clichéd depiction of finding new love than those who tried to avoid love stories altogether. I can see where you're coming from in that you'd prefer people stayed more true to the theme, and there were many films that did that well while still producing something new and interesting. But on the other hand, I'd rather watch a fest full of movies deviating from the rules to varying degrees than suffer through 50 "boy meets girl, etc etc" movies. Some people have done really great things within the criteria, but others aren't capable of it or simply don't want to do it, and it's better for them to adjust it to their own strengths than force out a mediocre story we've all seen.
 
If one thinks of the clasic tales of romance and the greatest love stories, they are generally filled with the elements in question

Romeo & Juliet, Love Story, A Streetcar Named Desire. Titanic, Braveheart, True Romance, Sense & Sensibility, Atonement, Casablanca, Badlands, An Affair to Remember ...........................

(True Romance I put in because I love it) : /
 
Well, for my part, I think having a festival with a bit of both is very valuable. It's all about story. If some of the entries deal with a more traditional take on "love" (regardless of how they execute the idea), that's great, as long as the result is something unique and different than the typical "boy meets girl" message. Conversely, if some entries look at love from a completely different point of view, that doesn't make them any less valuable, as long as love, lack of love, loss of love or rejection of love drive the story forward.

I used to work for a creative director who said, "anyone can make a funny commercial about condoms, but it takes a real talent to make a funny commercial about toothpaste." The lesson being this… Those who take a different look at what "love" means may show us something interesting, compelling and unique. Those who take the familiar and typical "love story" and bring a new and interesting vision to it are equally powerful, if not more so because they both understand what makes the "familiar" love story work, and choose to reinterpret what's possible in that story format.

There's a place for all sorts of "love stories" in modern cinema. Like many have said, "Cloverfield" is a love story, as are "Atonement" and "There's Something About Mary." They all just attack the love elements from very different angles.

From a criticism standpoint, and I'm not calling HBlack out here by any means, even if the more traditional "love stories" aren't someone's cup of tea, as filmmakers we should all be able to judge them objectively on the merits of story, execution and performance (or lack thereof).

--SM
 
Okay, I have tried quite a few times, since I first saw this thread, to formulate some eloquent way to express my opinion and frustration at these initial comments in this thread. However, I am no Mark Johnson or Jack Daniel Stanley who can seemingly expound effortlessly. So, I will instead just speak plainly and directly to Wild Imagination Films, (WIF from here on out).

I am just stunned by the topic of this thread. If I had to watch 50 films of "When Harry met Sally," I'd be bored to tears.

In every film that I have seen, the very limited guideline has been met... the story revolved around love. And I applaud both those who took aim directly at a sweet and charming tale, as well as those who told less glossy story.

My film? (Since it was targeted both here as well as in my thread by WIF...) Yes, you are right... my film does not have anything to do with a guy bringing a box of chocolates to his true love. Nor does it serenade the beauty and joy of falling in love. I thought that I would try to bring something original to the table while basing it on the theme.

In no way did I ever contemplate, as you stated, a way to push the rules to see how much I could get away with. That has never been my style and I take great offense at the comment.

As for the lack of featuring the use of a camera in my film... you are right. I did not feature it. The rules state that a camera has to be included in one scene. I did that.

From my understanding, the assignment of a prop in these film festivals is to keep people from raking through their archives and presenting them as "new." It is not a 48 hour film fest where you have to base your film around it.

Personally, I struggled with a way to get a camera in my film. I designed a fantasy set and a camera on it was just wrong. So I went to great lengths to get that beautiful antique camera and pose it on my fantasy set. And to make it clear, I shot it as an insert and eventually used it under my credits.

I really don't what has gotten under your skin, WIF. The purposes of these dvxuser.com film fests is to inspire us to get off our duffs and make films. If you are doing it for the prizes, then I think that you are in the wrong place.

As for me, I never even looked at the prize list because that was not important to me. Obviously, I would be honored to present a film that placed in the top 3 and happy to receive the reward. But I wanted to be a part of the festival and to continue to grow as a filmmaker. That was most important to me. (I did eventually look at the prizes when I was told... "um, you should really try to win a prize.... the list is pretty incredible!" And yes, after seeing the list, I was hopeful that my film may be recognized among my peers.)

I really don't like posting a comment like I have here but your comments have really bothered me. I was offended at the comments you made in my "Love" thread and then again at your comments here.

WIF, you are entitled to your feelings and free to express them but I think that you should consider what impact they may have before you start referring to us a spoiled children and neglectful filmmakers.
 
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