Comments on: Al Souza: The Puzzler’s Dilemma http://www.artscatter.com/general/al-souza-the-puzzler%e2%80%99s-dilemma/ a Portland-centric arts and culture blog Tue, 06 Jan 2009 07:36:11 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.3 By: Jedediah http://www.artscatter.com/general/al-souza-the-puzzler%e2%80%99s-dilemma/#comment-223 Jedediah Sun, 16 Mar 2008 00:21:19 +0000 http://www.artscatter.com/general/al-souza-the-puzzler%e2%80%99s-dilemma/#comment-223 "G.I. Joe" brings up larger re-puzzling issues in American society. For one, the PSA parodies floating around the web ("Who wants a body massage?"). For another, Souza’s re-puzzling highlights the need for Americans to remake everything every 10 years or so. Take "G.I. Joe," a TV show that was a launching pad for products like toys and comic books. Now, it’s being made into a movie. It's to be directed by Stephen Sommers, whose previous work has included "The Jungle Book," a remake (or re-puzzle) of an animated film that was itself a re-puzzle of a book; "Van Helsing," a re-puzzle of the older novels "Dracula" and "Frankenstein"; and "The Mummy Returns," a re-puzzle of sorts of Sommers's previous movie, "The Mummy." To take it one step further, Snake Eyes, without a doubt the coolest Joe, will be played by Ray Park, who has acted in "Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” the sequel to a movie that re-puzzled a video game, and “X-Men,” a re-puzzle of a comic book. To make that even more screwed up, Scarlett will be played by Rachel Nichols, who has appeared in “The Amityville Horror,” a re-puzzle of a book that was a re-puzzle of alleged events; “Shopgirl,” a re-puzzle of a book; and “Charlie Wilson’s War,” a re-puzzle of a book in which she plays one of the Charlie’s Angels, known to people of her generation through the twice re-puzzled film series. Not only that, she also plans to appear “Star Trek,” a re-puzzle of a re-puzzle of a puzzling phenomenon, and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” which re-puzzling needs no explanation. We live in a world that is re-puzzling the very recent re-puzzled past, so re-puzzled we might as well be the narrator in Beckett’s “The Unnamable.” And we need to accept something – the movie will be bad. “G.I. Joe” brings up larger re-puzzling issues in American society. For one, the PSA parodies floating around the web (”Who wants a body massage?”). For another, Souza’s re-puzzling highlights the need for Americans to remake everything every 10 years or so. Take “G.I. Joe,” a TV show that was a launching pad for products like toys and comic books. Now, it’s being made into a movie. It’s to be directed by Stephen Sommers, whose previous work has included “The Jungle Book,” a remake (or re-puzzle) of an animated film that was itself a re-puzzle of a book; “Van Helsing,” a re-puzzle of the older novels “Dracula” and “Frankenstein”; and “The Mummy Returns,” a re-puzzle of sorts of Sommers’s previous movie, “The Mummy.” To take it one step further, Snake Eyes, without a doubt the coolest Joe, will be played by Ray Park, who has acted in “Mortal Kombat: Annihilation,” the sequel to a movie that re-puzzled a video game, and “X-Men,” a re-puzzle of a comic book. To make that even more screwed up, Scarlett will be played by Rachel Nichols, who has appeared in “The Amityville Horror,” a re-puzzle of a book that was a re-puzzle of alleged events; “Shopgirl,” a re-puzzle of a book; and “Charlie Wilson’s War,” a re-puzzle of a book in which she plays one of the Charlie’s Angels, known to people of her generation through the twice re-puzzled film series. Not only that, she also plans to appear “Star Trek,” a re-puzzle of a re-puzzle of a puzzling phenomenon, and “The Sisterhood of the Traveling Pants 2,” which re-puzzling needs no explanation.

We live in a world that is re-puzzling the very recent re-puzzled past, so re-puzzled we might as well be the narrator in Beckett’s “The Unnamable.” And we need to accept something – the movie will be bad.

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