The Biggest, The Dumbest, The Blockbusteriest
My quick take on 2012 is up at Reason. Here’s a sample:
Not content merely to be another Big, Dumb Blockbuster, it aims for something greater: to be the Biggest, the Dumbest, the Blockbusteriest.
And with its never-ending parade of glorious, ludicrous, and utterly improbable catastrophes, it more or less succeeds. 2012 is the sort of movie so aggressively hyperbolic and devoutly over-the-top that it makes traditional descriptive labels obsolete and thus requires the invention of whole new words. My suggestions? How about catastrophaganza—the subgenre to which 2012 (and most of Emmerich’s oeuvre) belongs—and retardiculous—the best combo word to describe its barfy blend of low-quality yucks; treacly, social-welfare obsessed melodrama; buzz-word-laden psuedo-scientific babble; and gleefully apocalyptic pyrotechnic spectacle.
The first time I read that, I thought you were talking about the upcoming elections. It’s still largely appropriate ;)
— Tyler · Nov 14, 01:37 PM · #
I’ve always used the phrase “magnificent schlock” to describe Emmerich’s films, but “catastrophaganza” will do nicely.
— JB · Nov 14, 03:54 PM · #
Catastrophoganza, hahah
— bcg · Nov 14, 05:24 PM · #
Excellent resume de l’effet du canard.L’attitude de Chaban Delmas qui a l’epoque avait defalque son imposition fiscale des frais pour la restauration de la demeure de sa belle mere et qui fut contraint apres la publication le mercredi suivant de remettre sa demission en tant que premier ministre!.Cela ne date pas d’hier mais donne aux lecteurs US une idee de l’efficacite intangible et emminement efficace du Canard
— Philippe lathan · Nov 15, 10:23 PM · #
“I’ve always used the phrase ‘magnificent schlock’ to describe Emmerich’s films, but ‘catastrophaganza’ will do nicely.”
“Schlock” would be a good base word for a Sudermanian compound like “catastrophaganza.” What I think we really need is a word that simultaneously embraces the works of rival schlockmeisters Emmerich and Michael Bay, who have been more or less contending for the title of reigning Hollywood King of Schlock since Emmerich’s ID4 and Bay’s Armageddon.
I did an extended Emmerich/Bay compare/contrast in my 2012 review, starting with their dueling planetary disaster–action spectacles of 1996 and 1998, ID4 and Armageddon. This year they’ve both produced “retardiculous” magnum opuses (or magna opera) that I called “over-the-top, overwrought, over-long would-be apotheos[es] of every disaster movie and/or action flick ever made.”
I still think that’s a good description of both 2012 and Transformers: Revenge of the Fallen, and its long-windedness somehow seems to me appropriate to the directors’ unwieldy works, but I admit it lacks the punch of “retardiculous” and “catastrophaganza.”
Maybe “schockapalooza” or “schlocktacular” would fit the bill? No, “catastrophaganza” is still a better word, although it fits 2012 better than Transformers, and I think we need a word for both.
P.S. Just before clicking “submit” I mentioned this discussion to my wife, and without even hesitating she proposed “disastersploitation.” That’s still Emmerich-centric, but really good nonetheless.
— SDG · Nov 16, 02:22 PM · #
How about Apocopalooza?
— cw · Nov 17, 06:19 AM · #
I really like ‘retardiculous” by the way. Retard is already a great word but you have just made it better.
“Dude! You got ridiculous on my retard!”
“No way! You got retard on my ridiculous!”
“Hey, wait a minute. This is really is really tasty!”
“Mmmmmmm…. it Retardiculous.”
— cw · Nov 17, 06:24 AM · #