Whiplash the Movie

**Vladan** · 03-13-2015, 01:07 PM

Originally Posted by jzucker

disagree. I thought it was fabulous and for a movie about to jazz to win major hollywood awards was a huge win for the music. How was it not about jazz, lol!

And i've never been physically threatened but having played in a ton of college and rehearsal big bands it seemed pretty realistic to me. So did the psychology of the drummer and his approach to life. I sure identified with it.

... about psychology of a drummer ... I totally agree, drummers are like that, especially when they are 19.

... for identification ...
I constantly had to remind my self that he was just a 19 years old kid, the age of the charachter being responsible for the good part of what may have appeared not fully thought out, or develloped, which actually proves charachter was really well thought out and develloped. However, since it was not made for audience (me) natural to fall for it, as I said, I had to consciously remind my self what I was watching, it failed just a bit short on being fabulous.

**DRS** · 03-14-2015, 01:53 PM

I just realized, if they would have had him getting the girl in the end, this would have been a remake of "An Officer and a Gentleman."

**docbop** · 03-14-2015, 02:45 PM

Originally Posted by DRS

I just realized, if they would have had him getting the girl in the end, this would have been a remake of "An Officer and a Gentleman."

or Full Metal Jacket with drum sticks instead of guns.

**fumblefingers** · 03-14-2015, 04:19 PM

Originally Posted by DRS

I just realized, if they would have had him getting the girl in the end, this would have been a remake of "An Officer and a Gentleman."

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets get back (and plays a lot of drums)?

**DRS** · 03-14-2015, 06:35 PM

Originally Posted by fumblefingers

Boy meets girl, boy loses girl, boy gets get back (and plays a lot of drums)?

No, The Journey of the Hero.

**Doctor Jeff** · 03-14-2015, 06:36 PM

If I didn't say this before, I loved the movie. Looking forward to watching it again.

I just thought of something to throw out there. As I said before, the movie plays out almost totally from the perspective of the drum student. What if it was (mostly) a fantasy? What if it was his extremely biased perception of what was going on? Maybe the Simmons character was tough, but not a psychopath. However, the student perceived him that way...

I say this because many of us have known teachers or coaches or colleagues that some people respond very negatively to, yet we know that is not the whole story. Maybe in the stress of the moment we hate them, but later we come to appreciate them. As one example, I found Bobby Knight's antics ridiculous, but there were a lot of players who came to his defense.

Anyway, the key to understanding this movie is realizing that it's the student's biased viewpoint.

**cosmic gumbo** · 03-14-2015, 08:36 PM

This was already posted a few weeks ago, but worth a repost....

**Jonzo** · 03-18-2015, 02:19 PM

I got around to watching it last night. The thing that struck me as the most off was the approach that the student was taking to increase his speed. In a movie you need to show the effort of someone straining, and failing repeatedly. In real life we all know that to play fast you need to be relaxed, and put in a lot of slow, precise practice. And, of course, over practicing to the point of injury is not a good idea either.

TH · 03-18-2015, 04:32 PM

Originally Posted by Jonzo

In real life we all know that to play fast you need to be relaxed, and put in a lot of slow, precise practice. And, of course, over practicing to the point of injury is not a good idea either.

Really? I was so inspired after that movie, I went out and bought the heaviest guitar I could find, put razor ribbon on for strings and stood on a stool over boiling water. When I finally passed out, my fingers were cut to shreads, I had third degree burns, I broke my leg and I was blind in one eye. BUT... I could play like Jim Hall! Finally!!
David

**docbop** · 03-18-2015, 05:05 PM

Originally Posted by TruthHertz

Really? I was so inspired after that movie, I went out and bought the heaviest guitar I could find, put razor ribbon on for strings and stood on a stool over boiling water. When I finally passed out, my fingers were cut to shreads, I had third degree burns, I broke my leg and I was blind in one eye. BUT... I could play like Jim Hall! Finally!!
David

Reminds me of being a kid starting guitar and none of us had much money so we'd buy these Black Diamond strings they were the cheapest, but dam things would corrode and start feeling like running your finger up and down a saw blade. But we wanted to play guitar so we dealt with it. Then all the sports injuries and so on over the years. As the saying goes No Pain, No Gain.

TH · 03-18-2015, 06:51 PM

Originally Posted by docbop

As the saying goes No Pain, No Gain.

I guess that makes Lee Morgan the greatest trumpeter of all time
David

**docbop** · 03-18-2015, 07:38 PM

Originally Posted by TruthHertz

I guess that makes Lee Morgan the greatest trumpeter of all time
David

and be careful who you sleep with.... bitches be crazy!

**zigzag** · 03-19-2015, 03:29 PM

I enjoyed the movie ascribing no real sense of reality. Loved the music and the drumming. It did have that feel of Eastern self-discipline, tiger mom, tough love, total devotion to attaining perfection vibe, which in today's world, can beat the alternative extreme. Hokey ending, but hey, entertaining none-the-less. Thumbs up.

It really doesn't matter to me that guitar players are seen as musical illiterates, but it does bother me to hear a rock or metal guitar player say it is better to be self taught and musically ignorant. We all play for different reasons and aspire to different levels, but a LOT of rockers don't seem to have a high level of commitment to the music or the instrument.