22 April 2009

Uncomfortable Short Reviews

An interesting posit: Take a story, then break it down into the shortest possible summary that tells the most plot, and what comes out tells a subtly-different story, nominally quite unpleasant when stripped of most/all niceties.

My favourites include:
  • ALIENS: An unplanned pregnancy leads to complications
  • AN AMERICAN WEREWOLF IN LONDON: Tourist causes riot
  • BATMAN: Wealthy man assaults the mentally ill
  • DEBBIE DOES DALLAS: Cheerleaders develop valuable entrepreneurial skills
  • DEEP THROAT: Medical anomaly earns woman new friends
  • DELIVERANCE: Tourists experience local hospitality
  • DIE HARD: Dysfunctional cop saves marriage by murdering foreign national
  • DOCTOR FAUSTUS: Scholar learns nuances of contract law
  • DRACULA: Immigrant clashes with locals
  • E T : Out-of-control pet causes mayhem, sadness
  • FRANKENSTEIN: Scientific advancement proves unpopular with general public
  • GHOSTBUSTERS: Unemployed college professors destroy hotel with nuclear weapons
  • KARATE KID: Boy gains acceptance through violence
  • KING KONG: Endangered animal stolen, shot
  • LOLITA: Man encourages step-daughter to take chances
  • LORD OF THE RINGS: Midget destroys stolen property
  • ROSEMARY’S BABY: An unplanned pregnancy leads to complications
  • STAR TREK, the Original Series: Over-sexed officer routinely places crew in danger
  • STEPFORD WIVES, the: Woman has difficulty adjusting to suburban life
  • SWEENEY TODD: Businesses flourish when freed from stringent regulation
  • TAXI DRIVER: Modern dating proves challenging for working class man
  • TERMINATOR: An unplanned pregnancy leads to complications
  • TEXAS CHAINSAW MASSACRE: Tourists have difficulty with regional cuisine
Between unplanned pregnancies, problem dating, tourists, and immigrants, it seems a fair number of popular movies have very little originality. Hmmm...

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