Just how far can special effects go, merely as an end to itself? There appears to be a very fine line between something that can be awe-inspiring, eliciting oohs and ahhs from the sugar-drunk masses, and mere ludicrousness (a racing bike whipping around a palm tree in Torque). One can lament the the dearth of the human element in movies, but spectacle is probably cinema's oldest tradition, dating back to its origins in exhibitions in carnival tents, spectators ducking and scurrying as the Lumières' train pulled into the station at La Ciotat, the magic tricks of the illusionist Méliès. One can rail against the carnival ride aspect of a lot of modern movies, but that would be as fruitful and wise as charging Hollywood with putting a dollar before art, which is the same as complaining about the weather.
pieces of tattered celluloid