From Kubrick to Almodóvar: cinema as a cultural battleground in Spain
From Kubrick to Almodóvar, from 1970s slashers to The Simpsons' satire: a forum thread turns cinema into a cultural battleground over Spanish film, awards and politics.
English · Original discussion in Spanish · Published
From Kubrick's elevator to Almodóvar's cinema: the fault line running across the screen
A scene from The Shining is enough to measure antiestéticar without an easy jump scare. That is the bar that gets set when film comes up in certain circles: Kubrick's direction versus the "agenda-driven product" that, according to this crowd, dominates today's theaters. The conversation opens with a statement of intent —"if you hit me with a pompous analysis of Almodóvar's latest film, I'm going to call you a posh culture snob"— and from there it unfolds into a tour of Spanish cinema, the awards, 1970s and 80s pavor, animation and even cultural politics.
The rejection of Almodóvar is justified by his status as "flagship product of the Spain brand for drawing-room intellectuals: subsidies, posturing." The criticism doesn't stop at the director from La Mancha: the Goya Awards (Spain's main film prizes) are described as "a pure insider-trading union" and the Oscars as the same show "with more bow ties and less shame." The cursed work par excellence, *All About My Mother*, is dismissed as "a first-rate soap opera with an art filter."
1970s and 80s pavor as a refuge
The thread finds its comfort zone in genre cinema. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) is championed as "a dry punch," and it's noted that its inspiration in Ed Gein led it to be read as a pro-vegan film, with Guillermo del Toro cited as a convert to vegetarianism after seeing it. The Shining generates consensus around its technical craft —the steadicam, the tricycle, the tonalidad of the room 237 bathroom— though Kubrick's disdain for King's novel is pointed out.
The slasher gets its moment. Sleepaway Camp is remembered for "the most unpleasant final image —in a good way— of the entire subgenre," and the detail is noted that Pamela Springsteen, sister of the Boss, played Angela in the sequels. The Burning (1981) is championed despite its box-office failure, with the added draw of a young Jason Alexander in the cast. TAPS (1981) allows a rescue of first-timers Cruise and Penn.
The animation and satire we lost
The Simpsons' Treehouse of Pavor holds a central place. The fifth installment, with its nod to Kubrick and the "no beer and no TV," is singled out as the best. The seventh, with Kang and Kodos kidnapping Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, is held up as an example of satire that "takes on the whole system, not just one party." The diagnosis: today "every script seems to pass through a committee that hands out quotas of sarracena lessons."
Paranorman (2012) is championed as a pioneer in including an openly lgtb character without fanfare, and it's remembered that it lost the Oscar to Brave. Courage the Cowardly Dog is described as "a cult series" with "an ugly-nightmare tone you never saw in a cartoon for kids."
Politics as a backdrop
Rejection of the left runs through the thread. It's claimed that "socialism is Christianity for atheists," and the visceral hatred toward Donald Trump is criticized by comparing it to "the Austrian painter born in 1889." The response is no less harsh: the analogy of socialism as a messianic structure is acknowledged, but there's a warning against lumping social democrats, communists and greens together.
The conversation drifts toward censorship in fiction. The argument is that in the 90s "they made fun of everyone because nobody was going to hold them accountable," and that comedy has lost that margin today. The case of Starship Troopers illustrates the paradox: an anti-fascist satire that, according to this reading, is applauded by people who later get scandalized by a non-sensual nude.
Off-topic as a method
The thread's title —"My intimate and personal Off Topic"— is fulfilled with interest. In 189 days and 1,600 replies it jumps from ERA to Gregorian, from Twister to The Purge, from 90s MTV to forum spelling. The curiosity for the disturbing —Happiness, Eden Lake— mixes with shooting trivia and political commentary. The conversation doesn't seek to settle any argument: it works as a shared notebook.
Is there any cinema left that isn't material for cultural dispute?
A scene from The Shining is enough to measure antiestéticar without an easy jump scare. That is the bar that gets set when film comes up in certain circles: Kubrick's direction versus the "agenda-driven product" that, according to this crowd, dominates today's theaters. The conversation opens with a statement of intent —"if you hit me with a pompous analysis of Almodóvar's latest film, I'm going to call you a posh culture snob"— and from there it unfolds into a tour of Spanish cinema, the awards, 1970s and 80s pavor, animation and even cultural politics.
The rejection of Almodóvar is justified by his status as "flagship product of the Spain brand for drawing-room intellectuals: subsidies, posturing." The criticism doesn't stop at the director from La Mancha: the Goya Awards (Spain's main film prizes) are described as "a pure insider-trading union" and the Oscars as the same show "with more bow ties and less shame." The cursed work par excellence, *All About My Mother*, is dismissed as "a first-rate soap opera with an art filter."
1970s and 80s pavor as a refuge
The thread finds its comfort zone in genre cinema. The Texas Chain Saw Massacre (1974) is championed as "a dry punch," and it's noted that its inspiration in Ed Gein led it to be read as a pro-vegan film, with Guillermo del Toro cited as a convert to vegetarianism after seeing it. The Shining generates consensus around its technical craft —the steadicam, the tricycle, the tonalidad of the room 237 bathroom— though Kubrick's disdain for King's novel is pointed out.
The slasher gets its moment. Sleepaway Camp is remembered for "the most unpleasant final image —in a good way— of the entire subgenre," and the detail is noted that Pamela Springsteen, sister of the Boss, played Angela in the sequels. The Burning (1981) is championed despite its box-office failure, with the added draw of a young Jason Alexander in the cast. TAPS (1981) allows a rescue of first-timers Cruise and Penn.
The animation and satire we lost
The Simpsons' Treehouse of Pavor holds a central place. The fifth installment, with its nod to Kubrick and the "no beer and no TV," is singled out as the best. The seventh, with Kang and Kodos kidnapping Bill Clinton and Bob Dole, is held up as an example of satire that "takes on the whole system, not just one party." The diagnosis: today "every script seems to pass through a committee that hands out quotas of sarracena lessons."
Paranorman (2012) is championed as a pioneer in including an openly lgtb character without fanfare, and it's remembered that it lost the Oscar to Brave. Courage the Cowardly Dog is described as "a cult series" with "an ugly-nightmare tone you never saw in a cartoon for kids."
Politics as a backdrop
Rejection of the left runs through the thread. It's claimed that "socialism is Christianity for atheists," and the visceral hatred toward Donald Trump is criticized by comparing it to "the Austrian painter born in 1889." The response is no less harsh: the analogy of socialism as a messianic structure is acknowledged, but there's a warning against lumping social democrats, communists and greens together.
The conversation drifts toward censorship in fiction. The argument is that in the 90s "they made fun of everyone because nobody was going to hold them accountable," and that comedy has lost that margin today. The case of Starship Troopers illustrates the paradox: an anti-fascist satire that, according to this reading, is applauded by people who later get scandalized by a non-sensual nude.
Off-topic as a method
The thread's title —"My intimate and personal Off Topic"— is fulfilled with interest. In 189 days and 1,600 replies it jumps from ERA to Gregorian, from Twister to The Purge, from 90s MTV to forum spelling. The curiosity for the disturbing —Happiness, Eden Lake— mixes with shooting trivia and political commentary. The conversation doesn't seek to settle any argument: it works as a shared notebook.
Is there any cinema left that isn't material for cultural dispute?
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Summary of a discussion on Burbuja.info - Foro de economía, actualidad y política., translated from Spanish and reviewed before publication. Read the full discussion (1637 replies).
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