Kathryn Bigelow and New Order's"Touched By The Hand of God"

[Deschanel]

Anyway, she directed the truly terrible video in 1987. Always liked the song when it was new, it took me years to see the video, and oh god, did I not miss anything. I guess a lot of people are familiar with it, NO pretending to be a heavy metal band ha ha ha. Ugh. It's one long boring joke, I guess Axl rose and his band are the easy target, and this video has dated horribly. (Whereas I've merely had some horrible dates, especially in 1987 ha ha ha. Ugh. i hate myself.)

Anyway, it's effing awful. Which is too bad- New Order made some clever videos in this era, with fine artists like Robert Longo (Bizarre Love Triangle) and Blue Monday 88 (William Wegman). Bigelow has a fine arts background too, studied to be a painter- can't say any of this shows much here, or in her films. Which are mostly considered pretty good, people remember them. She has an interestingly masculine take on subject matter. Point Break, Blue Steel, Strange Days and The Hurt Locker, for which she became the first woman to win Best Director both at the BAFTAs and the Oscars. She's been in the news much recently for the controversy over Zero Dark Thirty, about the killing of bin Laden, and whether the movie portrays torture as useful in finding him. (It wasn't, but many have denounced the film as suggesting so- others who have seen it say the portrayal of torture as highly ambiguous, describing what happened but not endorsing it). The film's been snubbed for Oscar nominations- too controversial.

I have not seen it, and don't plan to, and don't want this to be any sort of political point about the film. (If I must declare it, I am absolutely and ferociously against torture in any and all circumstances. Ever. ) Just noting that Bigelow is clearly a talented and interesting director, even if her films are not to my taste. I just find it interesting that such a famous and controversial director once made a video for one of my favorite bands, so long ago. But would you just look (again) at what a piece of shit video for New Order this is?


Oscar-winning director made this, yo.

[Palpatine]

Zero Dark Thirty wasn't snubbed at the Oscars - it's been nominated for Best Picture, Best Actress and Best Editing, although Bigelow was snubbed for Best Director. She's possibly one of the most overrated directors working today. The only movie of hers that I've really enjoyed was Point Break, which was a fun, cheesy action movie. The Hurt Locker was boring and Zero Dark Thirty, while not being as jingoistic as some have argued, is waaaay too long (2 1/2 hours) and drags. The raid on Bin Laden is done competently but it takes the movie too long to get there. Overall, it's meh and is nowhere near being the masterpiece that some critics have claimed it as being.

[Deschanel]

Thanks for clarifying, Palpatine, that Zero Dark Thirty wasn't snubbed for the Oscars, it was nominated along with eight other movies for Best Picture. I should've been clearer, that the snub was for Bigelow, as you said much more clearly- that she wasn't nominated. And that it's widely considered a snub, and that's the person I'm talking about since I wrote her name-"Kathryn Bigelow" in the subject title of this post. She was snubbed ( and I have no opinion on this) but thank you for correcting me. I'm terribly abashed.

[Eldritch]

Thanks for clarifying, Palpatine, that Zero Dark Thirty wasn't snubbed for the Oscars, it was nominated along with eight other movies for Best Picture. I should've been clearer, that the snub was for Bigelow, as you said much more clearly- that she wasn't nominated. And that it's widely considered a snub, and that's the person I'm talking about since I wrote her name-"Kathryn Bigelow" in the subject title of this post. She was snubbed ( and I have no opinion on this) but thank you for correcting me. I'm terribly abashed.

I have always found it a bit strange that there are different categories for the best director and the best movie, since a director usually makes only one film a year. It's difficult to think of possible reasons why film A might win the "best movie" but director of the film B gets the gong for "best director".

[Palpatine]

Thanks for clarifying, Palpatine, that Zero Dark Thirty wasn't snubbed for the Oscars, it was nominated along with eight other movies for Best Picture. I should've been clearer, that the snub was for Bigelow, as you said much more clearly- that she wasn't nominated. And that it's widely considered a snub, and that's the person I'm talking about since I wrote her name-"Kathryn Bigelow" in the subject title of this post. She was snubbed ( and I have no opinion on this) but thank you for correcting me. I'm terribly abashed.

You wrote "The film's been snubbed for Oscar nominations- too controversial" when, in fact, it's been nominated for five Oscars. Somebody forgot to take his meds...

[Deschanel]

Thanks for the personal insult. I was incorrect and unclear, and clarified it in my second post after you pointed that out. Bigelow, it is widely perceived, was snubbed because of the controversy over the film. I was wrong, you were right, I will say yet again. This is fun. Have a great weekend.

[Palpatine]

Thanks for the personal insult. I was incorrect and unclear, and clarified it in my second post after you pointed that out. Bigelow, it is widely perceived, was snubbed because of the controversy over the film. I was wrong, you were right, I will say yet again. This is fun. Have a great weekend.

How did I insult you? I politely corrected one point of fact in your original post and you threw a hissy-fit, like I drove over a basket of puppies with a steamroller.

[Deschanel]

*

[Spittingcat]

Love her films, but agree that the New Order video is the only video of theirs from that period which isn't any cop. Was she involved in “Salvation” [the movie from which clips appear in the video]?

[Danimal]

I think that video is ace! A real send-up of hair metal which was so prevalent in the US at the time.

[StevePSB]

I think that the video is a good laugh. Each to their own and all that!


StevePSB

[Palpatine]

I think that the video is a good laugh. Each to their own and all that!


StevePSB

I compltely agree. It's a a funny video poking fun at the big hair bands that were popular at the time.

[tottenhammattspurs]

I always liked the video. A simple send-up of USA "Hair-metal". And US heavy metal bands STILL look like that nearly 30 years later!