Open Roads...

 I have a theory ...
okay, and really will anybody be able to speak those words again without someone humming



I think not. And I'm okay with that, because I'm pretty much down with all things musical and Joss. It could even be non-musical Joss (but it's much more fun if MJ shows up) So I have a theory, that a movie can be saved from loads of negative juju by putting a good song set to an open road somewhere near the end.  Because suddenly it goes from crap to gooey and existential.  Before you were thinking "sweet jesus, when is this turkey going to fry?" and suddenly you're more like "my god, I've never been happy, I'm going to rearrange my kitchen and join a convent". Or something like that.

This thought struck me while watching a short  on Joseph Gorden-Levitt's communal/collaborative  art creation site  hitRECord . I don't really know how to describe it other than that so just go check it out.  He was funny on 3rd Rock and 10 things I hate about you, but I really started following the man after Brick.  Anywhoo, the short is called  and a new earth :


 

It's not oh-my-god awesomeness, but I find it kind of sucks me in. And I couldn't figure out why. Conceptually, I like the script...especially the antiseptic computerized voice telling us how to find our humanity.  I'm not sure it's intended as satire, but that's kind of how it reads...at least to me. The building music bed also really helps.  Music just touches us in a way that no video or words can.  All three have their place in the visual arts and in this piece I feel all 3 aspects work together very well.  Visually, what drew me in is the road...the travel.  We're a culture of wanderers and explorers be it physically or mentally. We're all trying to look further and go farther.  Time lapse footage of an open road is the perfect visual metaphor for this.

So, Mike's non-original theory of the day:
All you really need is a good song and a long highway - you can end any film


And if you want to go in a different direction, keep the camera static, add some snow and a little Carter Burwell. As with cheese, a little Carter Burwell makes everything taste better.