Fiction is Stranger Than Truth, by Arthur Tebbel – Pop Art #197 | @MDWorld

September 18, 2012 Arthur Tebbel 0 Comments

Dear Art,
I’ve been having some career trouble of late and I was hoping you could help me.  I’m a screenwriter and sometimes director but it appears that my career peaked in the late 80s/early 90s.  I’m pretty sure you’re a fan of my work and I’m curious what you think I could do to get back on track.  I’ve had some success in the last decade as a writer and a director but nothing like the big movies of my past like Batman Returns and Demolition Man.  I’m not exactly in a precarious place financially but it would be nice to get back to work.  What can I do to really jump-start my career?
-Daniel Waters, screenwriter

Daniel,
You’re right, I’m a big fan, Demolition Man was the first R rated movie I ever saw theatrically and it holds a special place in my heart to this day.  I appreciate the attention to detail in creating a future world.  I think your biggest problem might be how unrealistic your movies are.  Setting aside that you thought Los Angeles would be a post apocalyptic hellhole in 1996 the future has things like shell-based toilet wiping mechanisms and the rise of Taco Bell as the fanciest food option.  Movies have gotten grittier and more realistic since then and I fear you’ve been left in the past.

Oh, here’s another great example.  In Batman Returns the movie centers on a campaign for mayor of Gotham City, the highest executive office ever mentioned in these films.  The Penguin is running for office the scion of a wealthy family propped up by a businessman looking out for his own interests in subverting environmental laws.  Then, on the verge of victory in the election The Penguin, while taking control of the Batmobile, confesses to Batman his contempt for the people of Gotham and reveals how badly he’ll run the country.  Come on!  Batman is one of the most technologically advanced superheroes out there and I’m supposed to believe The Penguin would have no fear he was being recorded saying something like that?  That’s so completely unrealistic.  Why would a politician ever say something so insulting to the electorate when there’s a good chance he’s being recorded?  And then he’s caught off-guard when the recording is played back to destroy him!  How does that happen?  You need to work on this.

I’m sure you can pull out of this.  Maybe you can adjust your style to be more like the Bourne-esque movies that dominate that scene right now in movies.  Alternatively, by some wild chance, maybe something could happen in the real world that starts making you look like some sort of prophet.  Then you’d be in demand as some sort of silver screen futurist and you’ll be right back on top.  Nah, that’ll never happen.