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Post by Scifishocks on Feb 2, 2007 12:29:15 GMT 1
Has anyone noticed that films are turning to Eastern Europe to feed the hunger for thrills and chills more and more these days?
We've had Hostel (and a sequel coming) and Severance using the premise of westerners being being murdered or stalked by people from Eastern Europe, or even rogue Ex-Soviet soldiers offing people for no apparent reason.
Why does everyone think this is? Is it a remnant of some barely remembered cold war distrust of people from the former Communist states or do we just generally think life is cheap there?
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Post by richardburton on Feb 2, 2007 15:05:07 GMT 1
Well, personally I think its opened up a new-ish playing field for audiences. Loved Hostel and Severence and looking forward to what else may come along.
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Post by killraven on Feb 3, 2007 19:26:00 GMT 1
Another reason for these locations is that they provide the most cost effective way of providing period settings for dramas. For example, it would have been much more difficult trying to film "From Hell" (Prague, Czech Republic) or "Robin Hood" [BBC] (Hungary) in the UK.
KR
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Post by Scifishocks on Feb 3, 2007 21:54:29 GMT 1
Yes but I'm really talking about the filmakers trading on some fear or something we have of people from those areas and the almost alien quality they seem to give those people. In the films, you can buy a persons life to dispose of as you see fit or there are deranged ex- Soviet soldiers roaming woods offing people. I'm just curious as to how this all came about, really.
Things like Borat probably don't help to dispell the idea that people from Eastern Europe are all a bit backward and sleep with their family members. It's the typical 'they are different to us' thing but, to me, there seems to be more to it than that. I was wondering if there is a reasoning behind it, be it old cold war suspicion or something else.
There always has to be an enemy or a bad guy, obviously. I think that perhaps, in a way, the filmmakers are facing the same dilemma some spy writers faced when the USSR collapsed.
'What do we do now?... Ah! Here's something different, westerners go to the backward countries that used to be behind the Iron Curtain, get seduced by foxy chicks who turn out to be in the pay of people who let rich folks kill tourists for money. Hey, why are all those other film companies looking at us?'.
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Post by richardburton on Feb 4, 2007 13:15:34 GMT 1
lol yes I think you're right there.
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Post by killraven on Feb 4, 2007 21:09:10 GMT 1
Funny that, cos whenever I see a film with a big villain they usually have a very plummy British accent..!   KR |
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Post by richardburton on Feb 5, 2007 11:19:44 GMT 1
Hollywood loves casting Brits as villians. Been the case for decades.
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Post by killraven on Feb 5, 2007 13:59:02 GMT 1
Hollywood loves casting Brits as villians. Been the case for decades. I wouldn't mind, if only they were original and didn't keep casting Alan Rickman or Charles Dance in every part! ;D KR |
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