The Crying of Lot 49

[zmuhlbauer]

"Pynchon writes prose that gets the point across, but the problem is that there isn't a point to it. It's form without function, style without purpose."

Your saying Pynchon has no purpose in his novels? That "The Crying of Lot 49" has "prose that gets the point across but...there isn't a point to it." I'm sorry, but I think you need to clean out your schedule for an afternoon and reread it with new eyes, because Pynchon is far more than merely style and form.

[Malaikat31]

Well, it's obvious that you don't have basic comprehension of modern literature and film directing. But this is quite interesting, altough lame.

[Kirke182]

You missed the point entirely that Crying is a distinctly 60s document. It can't be updated for the 21st century.  Office cubes with computers didn't exist. That was why Yoyodyne had a W.A.S.T.E. system in the first place. With email systems, you don't need a W.A.S.T.E. The novel foretold of the rise of email--a mail system that subverts the regular mail system--and the information superhighway. You made no attempt to understand the book. And it certainly shows.

[filibusterer]

@Kirke182 This video was not an attempt to interpret or explain Pynchon's novel; it was simply intended to be a series of images that relate to the book chronologically. That having been said, I disliked the book and haven't returned to it since making this three years ago, so as someone who has clearly put a lot of thought its interpretation, you would know more than I would. Perhaps you should make your own artistic response to it, since you seem so passionate that it be understood correctly.

[merylcando]

Bugs Buggy is the best thing about this string of non sequiturs, but I'm sure you have a good heart.

[lifepoet89]

Very interesting artistic depiction of the novel.

[hunterbazaco]

This isn't a film...it's just filming.

[hxzxxl]

capote?

[4LProductions]

Nicely done. And the details you throw in make it really rewarding to watch if you're familiar with the book. I like that you zeroed in on specific parts of the novel, rather than trying to adapt the whole story at once. It evokes the feeling of reading the book much better than a straightforward adaptation would have (and it probably would not have been straightforward at all). Particularly liked the car ride into San Narciso (the circuit was a nice touch).

[clipwatcher83]

Nice, this is one of my favorite books, and I think the style of your video definitely reflects Pynchon's.

And I always though "Crazy" was the perfect song to sum up this book. It was so cool to hear it at the end!

[monkeyjeebusx420]

whats with bugs bunny and the rage against the machine cover?

[lynxeyedlykos]

You obviously didn't read the book. Did it occur to you that a Vietnamese monk might not have burned himself just for a RATM album cover?

[timdaughte]

This feels like a version of "Crying" done by Microsoft's Summarize Text feature. It's all basically there but coherence and cohesion have been thrown out the Windows.

[filibusterer]

I'd hardly call the original novel coherent or cohesive. Pynchon writes prose that gets the point across, but the problem is that there isn't a point to it. It's form without function, style without purpose.

I find postmodern literature to be silly and trivial. I did the project as a joke, and posted it on YouTube to get credit, so the positive reaction I've gotten has left me amused and bewildered. I certainly don't undestand your motivation in taking time to seriously critique this.

[djnross]

His approach is sublimely oblique.And as to 'point'?Nearly identical to Lynch's---that there are some weird worlds that MUST be opened,sepal by sepal,unveiling secrets in translucency.

[timdaughte]

You ignored 16 others and chose to respond to mine. How is my feedback the tipping point for you? I think you have captured the essence of the book, but, coherence is missing. Saying that the "original novel" lacks coherence and cohesion is way off. You need to review the terms. EVERYTHING is connected. Your film (it holds its water as a film) feels like it has been summarized by computer and not a human.

[nicolaslevine]

Has it occured to you that that's the very same reason Pynchon put out the book in the first place?

Hehehe. Cheers.

[theskystretchesblue]

@filibusterer 

[reaperette]

i really id not get the book. i have to write an essay about it, and i'm really really stuck.

the book was a pain in the ass to read.

[filibusterer]

Yeah, it's pretty difficult to get through. Write a post-modern essay - just turn in five blank pages. :P

[reaperette]

i wish i could, but the essay is worth 35%. and i changed my text of choice to Barthelme's short stories. :P

i still hate the book.

[timdaughte]

A pain in the ass?! This is Pynchon's most straightforward book. What else are you reading in class? If you have a hard time with this, maybe English isn't your subject. Its my least favorite Pynchon book because of its simplicity. How's that grab ya? p.s. "i" is spelled "I".

[reaperette]

snob.

[timdaughte]

Exactly.

[pdecarlo]

I did not except AmanSet first thing.

[filibusterer]

Their songs are great for scoring films. :)

[derspringer]

Thanks. Enjoyed that mucho muchly.

[rosasparx]

nice.

actually i found it funny as hell in some places, perhaps not your intention.

but it worked for me :-)

[filibusterer]

Curious to know which parts you found funny (I was amused by and rather enjoyed editing footage of nazis to Gnarls Barkley's "Crazy").

Thanks for watching!

[buckturgidson9000]

great video besides the moby song =D

[filibusterer]

Haha, I like Moby! Thanks.

[ersatzX]

Really really really a great work, Jeremy. I agree with Anothersunsetfallas: it catches all the atmosphere and the sense of paranoia of the novel. Congratulations (and now I am waiting to see something at the cinema... as you are so young, time is on your side ;-)).

Best wishes,

X

[filibusterer]

Thanks so much for your encouraging words. I hope whenever I release my first feature, it will recieve as much praise and intellectual analysis as this has.

[MarcelloDolceVita]

Wow. Perfect. No words for that. It's really really great!

[filibusterer]

Thanks! Glad you liked it.

[sdoroudi]

Nice work, some of it really works, but naturally, not all of it really works well with me. It would be awesome to see a feautre length adaptation of this work someday, that really captures the sense of paranoia.

Oh, and not that it really matters, but I think you have few anachronisms in here.

[filibusterer]

Considering that the entire thing was filmed and edited in eight hours for an English project, I'm not surprised there are anachronisms. Glad you enjoyed it despite its many faults.

[sdoroudi]

What class was the English project for?

[filibusterer]

Postmodern Literature

[anothersunsetfalls]

Nice work, dude. features all the atmosphere that makes this novel unique. the movement towards total distortion and entropy totally thrills me. Waiting for an art film adaption of gravity's rainbow;)

[filibusterer]

I'm glad the momentum towards the end brought you along with it. Gravity's Rainbow is still on my reading list, but I'm always looking for another interesting film project! :P