MovieChat Forums > Green Wing (2005) Discussion > Stupid slo-mo and fast motion crap...

Stupid slo-mo and fast motion crap...

posted 15 years ago by johnyus
10 replies | jump to latest

I could have watched this show and liked it if it didn't have all the extremely annoying speed-editing crap. Or if it only happened rarely, but a minute does not go by without that bs editing, and then the tacky lounge trance music. If they got rid of that crap, it might have been a watchable show.

It came out in 2004???? I just watched it on hulu, thought it was a new show. Well all the more reason to see that it might have last longer if it weren't for the tacky editing.

[–] 15 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Fillboxtovoid 15 years ago

I agree with Mrs G, that "crap" was great. It added to the surreal and it punctuated the action and humour really effectively, I thought. I also liked the music, which added to the ambience: the rather mundane musaq just fit well.

If today's my last day on earth, I don't want it to be socially awkward.

[–] paul_tachian 13 years ago

The review that appears on the main page by one David Giles of Leeds, mentions the use of music and the fast-motion gimmick thus:

"This is a technique which may be used again in other comedy programs, but was used first (and to incredible comedy effect) on Green Wing."

Really? One might wish to point Mr. Giles towards a certain Benny Hill, also from England.

My opinion? A visual gimmick to engage the short attention spanned Gen-Ys. Unfortunately, the expected payoff of substantive writing never materialises.

[–] fairbairn 13 years ago

Some might argue that Benny Hill doesn't count as comedy. I find him about as funny as dysentery. Green Wing, on the other hand, is IMO sophisticated, shocking and hilarious, and the slowing-down speeding-up sequences enhance the surreal quality.

Esse est percipe, probably.

[–] paul_tachian 13 years ago

Some might categorise Hill as an after-dinner speaker, but they'd be wrong.

He was a groundbreaking (albeit smutty) comedian. Wikipedia agrees with me.
Fast motion? Check.
Clever limericks? Check.
Creative use of music? Check.

I'm aware of the cultural cringe towards the man, especially in the twilight of his career.

We can go back MUCH earlier than Benny Hill. What about Chaplin? What about all the old silent film comedies that used tempo changes and fast motion to accentuate the comedy? I haven't watched any in full, but I know they exist.

[–] Chuckie0506 12 years ago

While the speed editing looked great (in my opinion) and broke the possible monotony between scenes or made scenes extra funny, i.e. Alan Statham's coat flaring, apparently it was also used to disguise cuts and scenes where the actors started corpsing.

Functional and entertaining. Not unlike...a ninja...

Jules: What the *beep*'s happening, man? Ah, *beep* man!
Vincent: Oh man, I shot Marvin in the face.

[–] Sonatine97 12 years ago

This was quite a novel idea for series one; but became rather grating & over-played in Two, especially the incidental music, which seemed to be used over-zealously by some junior sound mixer in the production team.

But season one, they got it spot on in all respects, regardless of whether it was used to hide bloopers, corpsing; or just to generally speed up/slow down the pace of each scene.

And I looked & I beheld a pale horse & the name that sat on him was Death & Hell followed with him.

[–] 12 years ago

[deleted]

[–] smilingcrow 12 years ago

@ nevardchristopherrj
What a total beeper.

[–] Theoden_of_ODU 12 years ago

Agreed on the slow-motion and fast-motion editing along with the *same* few seconds of music.

I think it works from time to time in the show, but loses its effect when it is used in virtually every single scene - and often it is used multiple times during a scene. Some traditional editing could have been used to shorten a scene (instead of having them run down a hall like Benny Hill for no discernible reason), which also could have helped highlight the moments where the slow-motion and fast-motion *were* used to heighten the comedic moments.

I'm only 3 episodes into the show (on HULU) and it's already extremely tiresome.

"You've shown your quality sir. The very highest."