Any interests in movies applying meta-themes (metafiction)?

[MROSS]

Movies applying meta-themes cover the dynamics of Hollywood.

* The Player (1992).

* Once Upon a Time in Hollywood (2019) - Director wrote book of same name as film. Comparing the book with the movie proved to be an interesting experience.

Other films:

* The Man Who Killed Don Quixote (2018).

* Adaptation (2002).

 

[Crossbreed]

Would "Silent Movie" (1976) count?

 

[MROSS]

Would "Silent Movie" (1976) count?

The 1976 film, 'Silent Movie' applies meta-themes. One of the better known meta-themed movies is the 1997 'The Truman Show' as mentioned in enclosed link.

Movies applying meta-referencing

 

[TBRS1]

Do you consider absurdist movies, like "Dave Made a Maze" to be meta?

 

[Dagan]

Almost every film that I do writing or fx work for are the found footage genre, and those are always quite meta to me.

 

[UFO]

Blazing Saddles (1974) is a typical Mel Brooks slapstick-comedy. It also has (to that time period) surprisingly common fourth wall breaking ending: characters of wild west end up roaming a modern day's streets from movie studio settings.

 

[MROSS]

Do you consider absurdist movies, like "Dave Made a Maze" to be meta?

After reading reviews, 'Dave Made A Maze' is considered to have meta-themes.

 

[MROSS]

The movie 'The Life of Pi' (based in the novel) applies meta-fiction.

Both the movie, and the novel apply meta-themes.

 

[UFO]

Just wanted to make a movie snob comment: There is actually two different things called metafiction and metanarrative.

The Life of Pi is about metanarrative. Meaning that it does not exactly break the fourth wall, or admit that it is a movie, or comment the reality around the movie. Instead it features a story within a story.

In metafiction movies like Deadpool the main character knows that he is a character and discusses it directly with the movie audience commenting, for example, his actor Ryan Reynolds...

Personally, I like metanarrative most. It gives more intellectual consideration about how reliable the story telling is. Can we trust that what we see is what actually happened in the movie's world? For example, in 300 we get only Spartan side of the story about what happened... Of course they were heroes when they were the ones to tell the story!

 

[UFO]

The Usual Suspects. Metanarrative at its best: We have only two characters who can tell what happened.

Spoiler: Kint and a man from the ship

Highly unreliable Verbal Kint, who is revealed to have lied about the whole story, and only surviving person from a ship, who is not even insider and has just heard same stories about Kayser Soze that Kint, police, his pals and everyone else had heard, and who most likely just assumed what was the business with their highly protected passenger... So, was Kint even Kayser Soze, or just your regular baddie, or just a highly talented henchman after all?

 

[Crossbreed]

There is actually two different things called metafiction and metanarrative.

Would 2008's Vantage Point be an example of the latter?

 

[Dagan]

Meta films are basically just the kind that are self-aware of other films / film worlds entirely. They got a real boost in 1996 with Scream and made it clear that it would work for the mainstream.

 

[UFO]

Would 2008's Vantage Point be an example of the latter?

Yes...

Also Memento, Fight Club, Sucker Punch... Last one, if I remember correctly, was revealed to be told by mental hospital patient filtered thru her delusions, so we couldn't be sure even about the moments that were set to a real world. At my eyes, movie got better when I realized that aspect

 

[Dagan]

Haute Tension (High Tension). I defend this film constantly. It's perfect. The twist is in the opening scene, if you pay detailed mind. The whole thing won't make any sense unless you catch the twist.

 

[TBRS1]

In the late 60s, early 70s, there was a situation comedy series called "Green Acres." The main character was a wannabe farmer who would periodically launch into a mock-inspirational speech about the wonders of American farming. Every time he did it, patriotic fire music would play.

In one episode, he launches into the speech. One of the characters starts looking around and says something like "Where's that music coming from?"

Another character (Ebb, the farmhand) then says "Don't worry. That happens every time he goes off."

In another episode, the character's mouths and their words are way out of sync. The wannabe farmer says "Ebb! What's going on?"

Ebb says "I think the soundtrack is off."