Cinema Lounge, a film discussion group, takes place at 7:00 PM at Barnes and Noble, 555 12th St., NW in Washington, DC (near the Metro Center Metro stop). You do not need to be a member of the Washington DC Film Society to attend.

Cinema Lounge is moderated by Daniel R. Vovak.

Use and Abuse of CGI

On August 11, 2008, we discussed "Use and Abuse of CGI." The evening began with a comment about Ann Honaday's column in the Washington Post on August 10, claiming: "[T]he "Star Wars" movies were more about plot than story, with Lucas far more interested in mechanics, spectacle and marketing than capturing the beat of the human heart." It was a slap regarding the over-use of CGI in his latest trilogy.

Some people criticized how the Bond franchise has become so reliant on CGI versus The Dark Knight (2008), which minimized CGI. American Gangster (2007) had too much CGI during the poppy scene with all the heroine plants.

Well then, why is CGI over-used? The answer within the group was that directors are not happy with their locations, so CGI makes their pictures more appealing. Apparently, CGI is even used now to enhance women's breasts. (Imagine that!) In Cloverfield (2008) the monster's CGI-driven personality lacked that of Godzilla (1954), which was clunky but fun to watch.

Some movies, though, would never have been created without CGI, with Lord of the Rings being the best example. Mummy (2008), 10,000 BC (2008), and 300 (2007) are other examples. When there is a fantasy presence, the audience permits CGI use. It is believed that Star Trek: The Wrath of Khan (1982), Young Sherlock Holmes (1985) and Jurassic Park (1993) have scenes that mostly (or entirely) rely on CGI.

CGI began with the use of optical printers, something which led Roger Ebert to comment that there are more visual effects in Citizen Kane (1941) than in Jurassic Park (1993). The Abyss (1989) had one entire scene underwater, CGI-driven.

The Polar Express (2004) and Beowulf (2007) were driven by motion capture technology, a tool often used by Director Robert Zemeckis. S1m0ne (2002) was a good movie with its use of a computerized woman. Who Framed Roger Rabbit? (1988) is another good example. Jaws (1975) if it had CGI would be more like Deep Blue Sea (1999). Because showing a scary shark was so difficult in that era, Jaws had to use suspense as a tool, rather than rely on computers to create it. Twister (1996) was all about CGI, with its plot being forgotten years later. Journey to the Center of the Earth (2008) is a pretty good 3-D movie.

A general question was raised, asking if CGI is better in war movies. How would the Battle of Britain (1969) have been changed with CGI? By contrast, the Batman movies are a reaction against CGI. Some CGI favorites include 300 (2007), Sin City (2005), Troy (2004), Terminator 2 (1991), and the Lord of the Rings movies. On the other hand, Ghost Rider (2007) was awful!