Film and Literature

Steve Oedekerk's Kung Pow: Enter the Fist was not a movie that defined its audience, nor a generation. It was not a movie that changed America, nor the world. It was little more than nothing in the eyes of the media, and was commercially a box office flop. But there's something about it that has always appealed to me, and it has been my favorite movie since its inception in 2002. Looking into its context, I find it really is a striking marker of genre and pop culture, and I believe the primary reason for its failure was a severe lack of advertising. That in itself is very interesting when you compare it to other heavily advertised films of 2002 (Lord of the Rings: The Two Towers, Spider-Man, and xXx, to name a few), all of which are arguably less watchable than Kung Pow. Realistically, just about everything is arguably less watchable than this cinematic triumph.

To elaborate, if you haven't seen it (for shame), Kung Pow was conceptualized after Oedekerk's earlier productions, namely those short thumb lampoon series, with particular attention being paid to Thumb Wars, which you can go ahead and watch on YouTube for free. You won't be sorry (probably). His unique approach to editing key facial features onto thumbs and the like would spark his unique interest in putting things where they just don't belong in a parody setting. Footage taken from the classic 1976 film Tiger and Crane Fist was edited, replacing scenes containing Jimmy Wang Yu with Oedekerk himself. This takes the initial genre, which was unmistakably action/kung fu, and turns it into a parody of itself, becoming a comedy, though much of the footage (and even many of the original lines of dialogue!) remain the same. To this end, it's most defined by the limited selection and appeal of comedy kung fu movies (Shaolin Soccer, Kung Fu Hustle).

Where the film is constrained using a limited budget and technology, using very basic green screening techniques as well as limited 3d animation, it makes up for what it lacks through clever(ish) writing and an overall goofiness not replicated (or appreciated?) anywhere else in the world of film. For example, it's approach to in-film advertising, an example of which can be seen here, is in my opinion, pretty daring, and has undoubtedly influenced television shows like Arrested Development (have a look here for Burger King) and I'm sure a number of other programs scripted by the equally bold. It's effective, and ditties like that stuck in your head, to be assured.

While it's obvious this film is not for everyone, it has a reasonably large die-hard fanbase still waiting for the promised sequel who still enjoy the first film in its entirety, line for memorable line. It may not have set any real standards for film, but its place in film can't be ignored, though it is only on a small scale. I'm sure the sequel were to be made today, it would follow a similar low budget formula and be met with the same sort of (mostly negative) reaction. It was made in 2002, but I think even now, it's really a movie ahead of our time. You'll see.

Fairy Tales and Ideology

My modern fairy tale is simply about a girl who goes to a wonder land, of sorts. Talk about original!

Alicia has been waiting her whole life for this moment, it feels. The gates in front of her slowly open, and she is the frontmost figure in a small crowd, all waiting for the same thing. The grass seemed to grow taller as it came into vision, until finally it appeared more lush and green than anywhere else she had seen on Earth. The streets were welcoming this crowd of eager souls, and they marched off hurriedly in their independent directions. Friday after school was always pretty magical.

Her iPhone was quickly pulled from her pocket in order to send a text to her patient parents concerning her imminent return. What popped up on the homescreen however was a strange notification from a previously unnoticed app, named RABBIT. The notification just told her she had a new message. She clicked the option to Read it Now, and was shown a strange place with a little rabbit in it. It was pointing in a direction, and after some thought, she decided she had better follow it.

Alicia navigated through her neighborhood, to a strange backwoods looking area she had only passed by now and again. As she was directed through the thicket, she decided the rabbit might respond if she were to speak with it.

"Hello?" She asked, very curious about the creature.

"Hurry, Alicia! You don't want to be late!"

Oh my! she thought. It knew her name!

"Late for what? Were am I going?"

"Please, hurry!" The ever cryptic critter insisted.

After going deeper into the forest area than she thought was even possible, she took a look around her. These looked like woods children might never escape from. She hears the muffled laughter of forest children, looking for her to play with them. Undaunted, she asks the rabbit where they are, but the rabbit keeps pointing in the one direction.

"They will try to take it from you! You must hurry past them!"

What is it? Are these children to be feared? Where was she going? Many thoughts were buzzing through her mind, but she decided it best to follow what the rabbit wanted of her.

After enough travel, she came to a very large tree. By its roots was a huge hole that seemed to suck into the earth infinitely. As she approached the large hole, the rabbit interrupted her.

"No, not there! It's on the other side of the tree!"

"Oh, I'm sorry."

She moved to the opposite end, which was previously out of sight. Against the tree were a slew of vines, and she was sure something rested behind them. She looked toward the rabbit for guidance, and it gave her a simple, telling nod. She began to work at the draping foliage.

"It's..." She started, shocked at what she found.

"Yes. You get to play it first, because you found this before those other kids."

What she uncovered was an ancient video game, with a strange controller to boot. She picked up the device and clicked the ancestral power button. The screen that came up read simply: WONDERLAND, followed by (PRESS START). The forest children finally caught up to her, and she recognized the faces of her classmates who also just got off the bus. They would have to wait for their turns.

She was immediately engaged, and worked through twelve incredibly detailed and immersive levels that took her to another world entirely. She collected power-ups, she beat bosses, and she enjoyed the sandbox style gameplay that not even her real sandbox at school could offer. To this day, she reflects on her experience fondly, noting, "It was pretty fucking sweet." But eventually, she did get a game over, as all video games tend to make happen when they're in an arcade setting (which it was), and she was forced to relinquish her gaming power to the next person waiting; Alex. (Who would be followed by Alec, then Elise, and a whole bunch of other kids with variations on the name Alice. But not Alice.)

Alicia's parents took away her video games after she had not come home for hours, and she either became resentful and depressed, or she turned the other cheek and learned to play sports. (I haven't really decided.) Either way, she never returned to Wonderland again.

The End!

How are you situated, reader?

The titular question is deceptively broad. My situation, as a reader, is that I try to read... moderately often. I would say, not quite nightly, but certainly weekly. A book or two a week means anywhere between 40 and 100 pages a night(ish). I enjoy reading. As far as being contextually active with the content, I would say perhaps I find quite a bit going over my head at times; I find I tend to miss a lot of allusions, and I am always pained when having to reread things. It's a problem I'm working on. I don't index things, I don't underline, I don't highlight. I don't check references. I do however try to know about what I'm reading before and after I read. I research and I apply. I may not be incredibly critical of works on my own, but I find that reading opinions and analyses of others helps me form my own ideas and concepts. It makes the reading experience more fruitful for me on the whole. I strongly prefer books over ebooks. But I view books as a way to enhance myself (an idea that goes beyond self-help books) in my vocabulary and world knowledge. The books I try to surround myself with are ones that reflect that idea.

Writing, Literature and Print

Inspired by Plato's Phaedrus, I have made a platonic dialogue about media (the Mac store, in particular) between my friend Hunter, a film major, and myself, an illustration major. It's just interpreted, I'm afraid the dialogue isn't exact. You get the idea.

HUNTER

So get this: Our class took a 'field trip' to the mall today. I wasn't too sure about the idea at first, but as it turns out, it was pretty enlightening. Particularly the visit to the Mac store.

MARK

Do tell, do tell.

HUNTER

Let's take the store itself for starters. It's nothing like anything else in the mall. There is minimal product invasion, and really, the strange white bleakness attracts a bunch of kids to just sort of hang out and use their display stuff. Look at the counter where you go to buy things, too. There's no register at all. It's literally called a Bar, you know, a Genius Bar, but a bar all the same. They use stools, they've got beanbag chairs for the lower computers that the kids can use, and the only products in boxes are lined, confined against the walls next to said Bar. You overlook them in the vastness of it all, but when you catch sight of one product, you see every product. Confined space.

MARK

That's pretty interesting. They're pretty effective minimalists, I mean, really pretty effective. Their packaging for their computers, it's just a picture of the laptop inside, or the iPod, or whatever you're buying. Minimal text, if any, on the front and sides of the box. Compare it with Windows, you know? They have endless amounts of text describing whatever you're buying, but no pictures or anything on their packages. They're not attractive at all, and the Mac guys know that.

HUNTER

It's true. Everything about the business is super reduced. Even the employees: they just wear khaki pats and a blue shirt. Simple, clean, very sleek. They carry technology with them at all times. And that would make anyone want to have a product, seeing the employees using the equipment sold, these things must be effective, right?

MARK

I know. Subtle mind control. How about their logo? This super simple apple, right? And with it, often you'll see in the most recognizable, arguably the most effective font for any context: Helvetica. Target knows it. American Airlines knows it. Apple knows it very well. Everything is Helvetica. And usually, the font is even a subtle shade of grey. Simple reduction.

HUNTER

The entire company is founded around simplicity. Watching those ads, man, some are just those two guys standing around and talking, others are literally just the product in a persons' hand, I mean, they even have ads that only show the product itself, no hands, no box, and more surprisingly, no real environment. The subtle reflection of the table, the same repeated highlights on every screen of every product. It works, and they're geniuses of marketing for having capitalized on it.

MARK

What is most surprising about the effectiveness of the advertising is how much smarter it is for the average consumer to just buy a PC. All you're paying for with Apple is a style. They're still not mainstream enough for every program, but they're catching on I guess. Anyway, all Apple does is dress up their products to look very slick, and overcharge the customer an obscene amount. It really is, compared to most PCs. In terms of storage, RAM, overall effectiveness, et cetera. Macs just look much more simple, and they are, sure, but is it really worth paying an extra $1000 for a laptop? I think not.

HUNTER

You're just thinking too MUCH is the problem. You're the outlier on their bell curve, and you just don't count. There are thousands of guys and gals in every city in every state that would not mind losing a huge chunk of cash just to look cool. It's like rhinoplasty for your reputation. If you have a Mac, you're cool. If you don't, you're a shut-in geek. It's amazing how these things change, ah?

MARK

Geniuses of marketing, I'm telling you. How does something like that happen? Computers were pretty cool when I was in the 90s.

HUNTER

Things change, my friend. These are strange times.