Diorama Movies
POSTED BY: JEWELSTAITEFAN
UPDATED: Friday, August 25, 2023 06:10
VIEWED: 2395
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Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
Speed had early scenes at the High Rise Elevator rescue, then the Electrical Room, then at the villain's house, before Annie got on the bus.
While the bus circle the airport runway, they tracked down the villain elsewhere.
Yeah. It's been a very long time since I saw that movie. I don't remember the setup, but I do remember a lot of scenes outside of the bus with the cops and with Dennis Hopper. It really doesn't qualify at all.
Quote:
I was conjuring that you might fill me in with the criteria you envisioned for this category.
What rules make it the diorama film which you envisioned? What exceptions are allowable? How many exceptions?
Even panic Room started elsewhere.
The Outfit is currently the only one I can recall which was completely in on set - although there was more than one room, the door was almost always open from the filmed scene to the other room, in the background.
So, what way you?
That is the reason I have not listed any films. Waiting to iron out the criteria. Or the sub-criteria.
Maybe the first thing that we'd have to do is establish a hard percentage threshold for the diorama compared to the entire movie? That would obviously take some work to do, involving timing how much takes place in the single spot compared to whatever time is taken to establish that premise, and then how much time was taken up at the end of the movie after the diorama portion is ended.
I'm not familiar with some of the movies that you've seen, such as The Outfit. I've never actually seen Panic Room either, believe it or not.
Really, Locke is probably the perfect diorama movie. There was no outside of the car establishing scenes, and there were no scenes at the end of the movie where he got out of his car either. The movie ends rather abruptly toward the end of his journey with you left to make what you wanted to out of the story. Aside from those inconsequential drone/helicopter shots to break up the scenes, everything is inside of that car.
Circle would be a close 2nd to that since from the beginning everything takes place in a single room and it's only for maybe a minute or two at the very end that you see outside of that room.
Come to think of it, if you haven't seen Circle, a movie starring Mary Elizabeth Winstead called 10 Cloverfield Lane is VERY similar to Circle in that regard and would make a great diorama movie. (We may have even talked about it before... I don't remember now). I figure you've probably seen that because Winstead was in it. There is a scene or two during the middle of film where you see outside the spot, but those shots were really just a means to scare the people inside to stay inside... and the movie ended with a couple of minutes that were tacked on at the end with reshoots to make it a Cloverfield property when it wasn't originally filmed as one, but I'd certainly say that it has more than enough of the percentage of the movie in the diorama setting to qualify.
Again... It's a big bunker with many different rooms. But it does have the paranoia and claustrophobia qualities that can often be associated with these types of movies.
I think also that once the diorama premise has been established, it's important to make no break from that, or limit it to as few breaks as possible.
If memory serves, Devil takes a little while to establish the premise of these people trapped in an elevator together, but most of the movie takes place there once it's established. There are scenes where they cut away to people outside of the elevator trying to help them though. Maybe this is where a hard line would need to be made for a sub-category of a diorama movie?
I'm almost half-tempted to make The Thing a part of this in a sub-category too. Sure... They're on a large base with disconnected buildings in the middle of the Antarctic, but it's the poster child movie for paranoia and clostrop
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You got me. 10 Cloverfield Lane was on my list, but I have not posted that yet - my list has been scattered.
I have not seen Circle.
You really should see The Outfit. A really good film, and fits in this category. The most qualified to fit here that I can recall.
OK, criteria.
What is it that you consider the point, the purpose, the novelty to identify a diorama film? I don't think i have understood what yoou are thinking.
I'll propose a few possibilities.
Type 1: Setting. There is only one set, only one set needed to be constructed. The film could have merely been an intimate filming of a play on a single-set stage.
Type 2: One Actor. One actor is expected to carry the entire film. We should limit the settings to be more than half* of the film is in one setting.
* - or 3/4, or "vast majority" - or what other criteria?
Type 3: Isolation. The film events are isolated from larger society, civilization, etc.
Type 4: Perspective. The audience is not omniscient, but only knows what the main character knows, or shares with, the audience (whether true/accurate or not). Entirely through the character's eyes, viewpoint, perspective, experience. From the inside looking out. Panic room included scenes outside, but only viewed through the monitor inside the Panic Room. Similar for Inside Man (Clive Owen)
Other Types: ????
Type 1 would be the strictly one-setting type. I think of The Outfit.
Type 2 might include that Inside that you mentioned.
Type 3 might be like The Thing, most films on board a spaceship (Star Trek: The Motion Picture), Alien, Shining, 10 Cloverfield Lane,
Type 4 Could allow for multiple settings used in flashbacks, for instance? Firefly Episode Out of Gas might be included here. Forrest Gump - entirely through his perspective, except scenes of mom/school administrator, and Bear Bryant/Football Coach.
Maybe Pan's Labyrinth?
Other films to consider:
Firefly episodes Our Mrs. Reynolds, Objects In Space.
Never Cry Wolf.
Die Hard.
Jeremiah Johnson/Grizzly Adams.
Inferno.
Tarzan (isolated in jungle)
Cabin In the Woods.
Knock at the Cabin.
Airplane
Event Horizon
Interstellar
Mars - with Matt Damon
Identity
That other motel psycho film
Home Alone
Titanic
Saw
Hostel
Theoriginal Star Trek, to save money, every other episode was only on the ship, then others could leave the ship, be on some planet.
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I've got to think on this for a while and mull over your last post.
I feel like we may be making it too broad a category here. It's the whole "slippery slope" effect. I almost made a joke about it being 6 Degrees to Kevin Bacon the other day.
I think you could probably logic your way into counting half of the films ever made into this category and sub-categories by justifying one more thing to get another movie in there that ends up letting another dozen movies in there that probably shouldn't be.
I think it should be a very exclusive category of movie. One where if it ever became part of the vernacular, the type of movie that some might even strive to make. That would be a great outcome, because when done correctly they rank highly among my favorite films of all time.
I think our problem here is that we have very little overlap in movies we think are diorama movies that we've both seen. Perhaps the only one that we've both seen is 10 Cloverfield Lane. And I do need to state that I believe that's absolutely a Diorama Movie.
I'll tell you what... I know you haven't liked my movie suggestions before, but maybe we need to watch some of the movies we've both mentioned here. I'm going to try to watch both The Outfit and Panic Room in, say... the next week or two. Maybe you should try watching Devil, Circle and/or Locke in that time as well.
Some thoughts about movies you've listed (I'll just flat out state I haven't seen it if that's the case):
Firefly Episode Out of Gas. Firefly episodes Our Mrs. Reynolds, Objects In Space.
- It's been so long since I actually have seen Firefly that I can't comment on this. But in my head none of the episodes of the show would qualify without a rewatch.
Forrest Gump - entirely through his perspective, except scenes of mom/school administrator, and Bear Bryant/Football Coach. - No. I don't think Forrest Gump qualifies at all. The only somewhat similar flick I can think of that could possibly fit a Diorama Movie would be The Truman Show, since Truman's entire life had literally been a set designed for a TV show revolving completely around him. But to me, that's a stretch because they could have made the movie much different than they did. Perhaps if we were to make it halfway through the movie and only learn that he was on a set in a TV show when he finally figured it out I think that would qualify... But they ruined that surprise during the opening credits of the movie. I always resented the way that film was presented because of that. It would have been a much better film if we weren't let in on the secret so early.
Maybe Pan's Labyrinth? - I've never seen this.
Never Cry Wolf. - I've never seen this.
Die Hard. - I don't consider this one. It's hard to verbalize exactly why though.
Jeremiah Johnson/Grizzly Adams. - I've never seen this.
Inferno. - I've never seen this.
Tarzan (isolated in jungle) - I've never seen this, but I don't think it would qualify. If you added this, than you'd have to add Predator (and maybe Rambo) to the list especially because of the paranoia aspect, but I don't consider Preadator or Rambo Diorama Movies.
Cabin In the Woods. - Maybe? But there is a large buildup to the cabin, a lot of stuff later in the movie that takes place outside of the cabin or beneath it, and tons of action happening outside of it by the watchers during the movie. I think if it were done more from the eyes of the people going through the ordeal instead of us being almost omnicient and seeing how the Cabin events were taking place all over the world to "feed" the "Elder Gods" than it could be.
Knock at the Cabin. - I've never seen this.
Airplane - Boy... I really hate parody movies. I mean I REALLY hate parody movies. And I know this one is the king as well as the Naked Gun movies, and I actually liked them when I was a kid, but I find them unwatchable
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I was surprised to see you mention Twilight Zone with Shatner, because I had not posted that in time.
My other TZ episode was with Burgess Meredith, as the Librarian.
The reason I mention TV shows, such as Firefly, is not to include them as films, but to help iron out the various rules, qualifications, of different works. Serenity had many parts of the ship, but was much smaller than Enterprise.
Objects in Space was all on Serenity, other than Jubal's ship just nearby.
Our Mrs. Reynolds was almost all on Serenity, other than the opening on Triumph where Mal got drunk and married. And then the zapper ring, and then the cottage where Saffron was hiding out.
Out of Gas was entirely on Serenity, IIRC, with only flashbacks showing other settings.
I will not be able to watch new films anytime soon, but I don't mind if you expand your viewing.
I had meant to suggest claustophobia as a sub-category.
More films to consider:
Open Water - alone in shark infested waters
Deep Blue Sea isolated under sea
Bad Times at the El Royale - all at the Motel.
USS Indianapolis? Alone in the ocean
Alive - alone on the mountain, after the crash.
Titanic - mostly on the ship
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Isolated under sea
S.F.W. - stuck inside the store, almost the whole film.
Inside Man - Clive Owen - all inside the bank, other than monitor views of the outside?
The Belko Experiment - stuck in one building
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Quote:
Originally posted by JEWELSTAITEFAN:
I was surprised to see you mention Twilight Zone with Shatner, because I had not posted that in time.
My other TZ episode was with Burgess Meredith, as the Librarian.
The reason I mention TV shows, such as Firefly, is not to include them as films, but to help iron out the various rules, qualifications, of different works. Serenity had many parts of the ship, but was much smaller than Enterprise.
Objects in Space was all on Serenity, other than Jubal's ship just nearby.
Our Mrs. Reynolds was almost all on Serenity, other than the opening on Triumph where Mal got drunk and married. And then the zapper ring, and then the cottage where Saffron was hiding out.
Out of Gas was entirely on Serenity, IIRC, with only flashbacks showing other settings.
I will not be able to watch new films anytime soon, but I don't mind if you expand your viewing.
I had meant to suggest claustophobia as a sub-category.
More films to consider:
Open Water - alone in shark infested waters
Deep Blue Sea isolated under sea
Bad Times at the El Royale - all at the Motel.
USS Indianapolis? Alone in the ocean
Alive - alone on the mountain, after the crash.
Titanic - mostly on the ship
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Isolated under sea
S.F.W. - stuck inside the store, almost the whole film.
Inside Man - Clive Owen - all inside the bank, other than monitor views of the outside?
The Belko Experiment - stuck in one building
Yeah... I don't know about Firefly. As I mentioned before... though not necessary, I think that the feeling of claustrophobia, dread and/or the inability to escape the "container", particularly with sci-fi stuff really seems to play a part with this. At least in my mind. I never got that vibe at all with Firefly. Maybe that Jubal episode... I dunno. I think the characters were just so damn well written that even when in danger you felt like you were among friends.
I don't know about The Librarian either, but that was a great episode.
I didn't even realize you had posted back here until just now. I was just coming in to say that my feeling on the whole Diorama Movie genre is that it should probably be exclusive enough where no more than about 50 movies from say, the early 80's until today are even included in it. It really is a niche category.
I say from the 80's onward because most "play" movies were done before this when budgets weren't out of control. I mean, 12 Angry Men was an excellent movie, but I would in no way say that it qualified as a Diorama Movie.
I don't know if you feel that a 50 limit cap would help or hinder the progress here.
Bad Times at the El Royale - all at the Motel. - Not sure... I really loved Tarintino's Four Rooms which all happened in a motel, but I don't consider it a Diorama Movie.
Alive - alone on the mountain, after the crash. - Eeeeeeeh... Not sure about this one either. There's probably 100 movies where people are stranded out in the wild that would be included if we added this one. I loved the first half of The Descent before I realized that it was just a stupid monster movie after the halfway point. I'm claustrophobic, and that movie was pushing all the right buttons for me until the monsters showed up. But I don't consider that a Diorama Movie.
Open Water - alone in shark infested waters
Deep Blue Sea isolated under sea
USS Indianapolis? Alone in the ocean
Titanic - mostly on the ship
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea Isolated under sea
I've mentioned similar movies like these before too. Das Boot and Hunt For Red October. Again, you could probably add 100 more movies if we added these.
S.F.W. - stuck inside the store, almost the whole film.
Inside Man - Clive Owen - all inside the bank, other than monitor views of the outside?
The Belko Experiment - stuck in one building
I'd probably have to see these to have an opinion. I don't consider
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Other films
U-571 (2000)
Poseidon Adventure
Crimson Tide
Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the USS Indianapolis - was the name I tried to recall before.
I have no idea what Hunt For Red October is doing in your suggestions.
Did you feel claustrophobic, or isolation?
Like when he was home in England?
Like on the 747 from England to Virginia?
At the CIA?
At the Naval Academy?
In the basement of the White House?
In the Kremlin?
With the Russian crew in the Red October?
In the USS Dallas?
In the Kasparov?
In the cargo plane?
On the Aircraft Carrier (a floating city of about 6,000 - in a 10 story vessel)?
In the helicopter?
With the American crew in the Red October?
In the 747 back to England?
What part of this film was a diorama?
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I will try to put together a list so far, for discussion.
The Outfit
Circle
Devil
Phone Booth
Inside
Locke
Cube
Compliance
Alien
The Interview with Hugo Weaving
Nefarious
The Mist
Inception
Passengers
Castaway
panic Room
10 Cloverfield Lane
The Thing
Shining,
Forrest Gump
Maybe Pan's Labyrinth?
Never Cry Wolf.
Die Hard.
Jeremiah Johnson/Grizzly Adams.
Inferno.
Tarzan (isolated in jungle)
Cabin In the Woods.
Knock at the Cabin.
Airplane
Event Horizon
Interstellar
Mars - with Matt Damon
Identity
Home Alone
Titanic
Saw
Hostel
The Truman Show
Event Horizon
Das Boot
Open Water
Deep Blue Sea
Bad Times at the El Royale
USS Indianapolis?
Alive
Titanic
20,000 Leagues Under the Sea
S.F.W.
Inside Man - Clive Owen
The Belko Experiment
U-571 (2000)
Poseidon Adventure
Crimson Tide
Mission of the Shark: The Saga of the USS Indianapolis - was the name I tried to recall before.
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My bad on Hunt for Red October. I've never seen it. I thought they were in the sub the whole time.
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How you do anything is how you do everything.
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I was thinking maybe Retribution, opening this weekend, might be a diorama film.
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