Dogs Of Chinatown

Today was easy. Woke up and watched Animatrix with Ray. Headed out to the underground area of a club to shoot a small scene where I do a disarm on Andrew.

Came back here afterward, watched Man Bites Dog (more below), and then went to a smoke/punk/hippie shop to do a 5-line dialogue scene. Andy drove me to CVS and then back to Micah’s, when I realized I had forgotten my key, and he drove me back to find Micah. Andy, you’ll get your sour dough.

Man Bites Dog is mockumentary about a serial killer, Ben. Not necessarily a serial killer, but he kills for personal gain. Every kill is weighed based on the net return. For instance, Ben doesn’t like killing children because they don’t have money, and ransoms are usually too troublesome. Old folks are better targets, both because of their wealth and vulnerability.

The film is raw. It’s meant to be as realistic as possible, and includes some very disturbing foot chases. Sometimes the documentarians get in on the action, maybe even too much. The whole film asks how ‘real’ documentaries can be when the filmmaker actively participates in the subject’s world. It was made in 1992, which was when reality TV consisted of game shows and Real World on MTV. And while I don’t think it was addressing Reality TV in particular, the questions are even better now that everything is reality TV, from garden makeovers to the life of an asshole hair stylist to 15 kids building a society.

The best hoax I’ve ever seen was Simple Life, where Paris Hilton pretended to be a moron (she even asked, “What’s Walmart?” Sorry, I don’t buy the act.) and everybody at home watched the show to despise her and answer all her stupid questions. They all said, “I can’t believe she said that” or, “Stupid girl! Aluminum isn’t a gas!” Every idiot TV viewer could finally feel like a genius, and Paris made money off of it because the viewers couldn’t pry themselves away from it. I don’t know whether to congratulate her on a sound business plan or hate her for making a bigger mess of our already-fucked stupid media. The term “Reality TV” makes us all wonder what this reality is.

Documentary film has enjoyed an elasticity where we can accept different modes of storytelling. There are objective documentaries, such as animal programs where the filmmakers avoid any involvement to their best ability, or more interactive documentaries, like Werner Herzog’s films where the filmmaker feels that their involvement is mandatory in order to provide the best coverage for the subject. Then there are all the other types in between and outside the bounds. The difference between documentaries and reality TV is that documentarians can be candid about their involvement. Reality TV is tainted with corporate sponsorship and worries about ratings, and at that rate will never come clean about outside involvement with these “realities” that take up so much air time. Will Reality TV shows ever finally admit that they’re rigged? That they hire only the most attractive and insane people they can find to stuff together in a house? That normal people don’t respond like morons to every confrontation? That weight loss isn’t always as simple as eating less and exercising more? That not all girls will make out with each other? Probably not. That ain’t good TV.

That’s what I got from Man Bites Dog. Please check it out.

Submitted by: Eric Jacobus