From: rkelly@carina.unm.edu (Robert Kelly)
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics
Subject: Re: Oh, COME OFF IT! Re: DANGER! Cool World is a BOMB! STAY AWA
Date: 30 Jul 92 18:58:17 GMT
Organization: University of New Mexico, Albuquerque

In article <62958@cup.portal.com> Peter_A_David@cup.portal.com writes:

>I agree with Jeremy Holstein.  I liked Cool World.  It's not the greatest
>thing since sliced bread, but it didn't deserve the critical lambasting it
>got.

Yeah, it did. :-)

>  The plot was complicated but fairly coherent;

No, I'll again have to disagree.  Whole sections of the story were
either edited out or weren't in there to begin with for instance:

	The cartoonist wanting to be a hero (say wha?)
	The spike (Say Wha?) (not explained except 5 minutes in the 
		beginning and then as a "folk tale"
	"If a toon kills a real person..." Deus Ex BORINGA 

PAD, c'mon, you've been writing too much X-Factor to say that this was 
reasonably plotted out and coherent :-)  (please, I've taken my lithium 
and I meant that last joke in the best way possible...  :-)  I feel so 
guilty... That was a cheap X-Blech shot.  :-)


Complex, I agree, it was meant to be complex, but--like many other Bashki
films--he does all this great work and then say, "Gosh, it's just a cartoon,
my audience wont care if I don't place this part in incorrectly or illogically."
[One exception, Wizards... "While you were out changing someone intoa toad,
Mom taught me this trick.  *BANG*"  The story allowed for that line/actions
to work -- not the resurrection scene.]

> the acting was fairly
>up to par and, in Basinger's case, way above par; and the animation ranged
>from adequate to inspired.

There were three "actors."  The wanna-be Sam Spade was lousy and the 
interaction between he and his "girl" was horrible.  And a side note, 
voice-over does not an actor/actress make.

The Basinger "Cels" vs. "Flesh" issue:  A couple of times, I was impressed
and related to Basingers character as "Holly"--she did a good job, but the
role she was playing smacked so much of Teenage Boy Fantasy (Blonde,
AIrHead, Wearing Nothing--including placing her ass into a man's crotch--
yeah, fanboys, go see it, it's just right for your mentality) that her
character suffered.  Sort of like when Byrne draws an "inpenetrable
woman being shot at and all her clothes get ripped to shreds except a 
convenient tan line."

>  I was never bored, and I was entertained.  In
>the case of "Cool World," that was enough.
>
>I've generally found that the people who were the most irate were those who
>went in expecting animation on par with "Roger Rabbit."  Aside from the fact
>that Bakshi doubtlessly did not have the schedule, budget or staff to pull
>that off, there was also no need for it.  "Roger" hinged on making the Toons
>seem real.  "Cool World" is, by its very design, *supposed* to be *un*real.

But the quality of the movie was equal to the entertainment of a Rambo flick.

REAL vs UNREAL as a plot device should not signify lacking quality,
extreme sexism and general stupidity.  In animation OR plots.  If
they didn't have the money staff or inclination, they should have done a 
different movie better.

If it wasn't meant to be Toon Town, if it wasn't meant to be Roger Rabbit 
part II, then why did they attempt the "Cool World/Real World" separation?
Why the "ink" overtones shared in both movies?  Why are there so many 
factors between the two movies so alike, instead of trying something 
really creative?  Why imitate when you can create?  (Parody, yes, but
this wasn't a parody of Roger--if so, there would have been much more
in-jokes.)

People who are used to analyzing texts such as comics and movies probably
saw a lot *Before* it happened... like when the character "dies" and is
transported back to Toon Town, er Cool World.

And, finally, I'd like to see your opinions about Cool World in the realm of
Sexism, Peter.  You wonderfully skirt the issue above and do not say anything
about how women in this movie are depicted nor about how teen age boys relate
better to pictures of women rather than women themselves.

I honestly suggest you see the video Dreamworlds by Sut Jalhe, I think
you'd understand completely.  If you are concerned about social issues
of any type, but especially women/sexism/rape, this is a video you _need_
to see.  It explains in detail how MTV/Music Videos/VH1 use women as
marekting tools and promote destructive behavior towards women.

Another reference for you to read would be the latest issue of Adbusters
Quarterly which explains how men are being targeted by the culture
industry and what the adverse effects are.

While my style of bashing this movie--"lambasting" as you put--has been 
extreme, I do believe my points are valid.  I'd really like for you and
others to comment on these issues.


On other movies:
Oh, friends dont let friends see Skinwalkers, too.  Steven Kings version of
"I was a teenage, incestuous werewolf" has two good lines and horrible 
delivery.  Why do I get to go see so many movies?  I don't have to pay 
for them.  Nyah :-P''

Robert Kelly
rkelly@triton.unm.edu
-----------------------------------------------------------------------------
"Why are you RUNNING?  Cerebus just wants to KILL you a little..."
        Cerebus
Newsgroups: rec.arts.comics