DrumManTx Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 (edited) Not every movie has to be a low-brow Adam Sandler comedy. Not every movie has to be a Michael Bay Armageddon explosion-fest. Some movies can be incredible and successful by tackling more complex, difficult, or intricate themes. Schindler's List. Million Dollar Baby. Slumdog Millionaire. Literally hundreds of others. Those movies aren't there for audience applause. They aren't necessarily there to make a zillion dollars at the box office. Dollar intake does't equal success. It's no different in DCI (or DCA for that matter...ask the Reading Buccaneers). It's almost as if the Blue Devils don't WANT to be like other corps... Well, I guess the Blue Devils are the hipster drum corps, don't wanna be mainstream. Here is my take on BD. I think that their shows are not catered to the audience, but I really don't think that they are made soley for the judges so they win. I agree, I just think they want to be different from everyone else, and quite frankly, I like it. A LOT. The fast opener, ballad, drum break, closer and variations formula gets REALLY old after a few shows, so it's nice to see someone do something completely different than that. Call their show design complete madness, but you cannot tell me that every single step they take, note they play, toss they make is not planned down to the last t. Whether it's good or bad, they EASILY get 10 times the discussion that any other corps does, most of it controversy or anger, but they get a hell of a lot of attention! They've got the team to be so ballsy in their show design, they are the absolute best and most consistent corps today, how many staff changes have they had recently? I don't recall ANY. Love them or hate them, they are the absolute best at what they do, if you can't like the show, at least give them credit for that. I do hope their shows in the future are a little bit more accessible, but don't go back to cookie cutter please! I keep thinking about what BDs shows are going to be seen like in 20 years...wonder if the Star of Indiana effect will happen, we'll see when I'm almost hitting 40. Edited May 18, 2013 by DrumManTx 7 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TESB Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Ummmmm... really? It was 1930; Stock Market Crash; Great Depression; Music of Hope; how is that complicated for the audience to decipher? In 1930 everybody in the entire world was affected; and most everybody in the entire world today still has knowledge of the Great Depression. This is opposed to the Dada movement; where only a very select few were involved at the time and very, very, very few know about that movement today. Seriously, there was a giant dollar sign with ominous music. I guess there wasn't a lot of audience cheer, but what else is new? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
How_Will_It_End? Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Ding, Ding, Ding!!!! They were 'Depth of content' films, yes, but not complicated films to decipher. It appears to me that the current trend of the Devils, and apparently the judging 'tastes', are moving into the realm of something similar to Complicated Art Film; which is an intricate part of our culture, but it is also a genera which has little paying audience following. If the Devils want DCI to be an esoteric Art expansion venue that is fine I suppose, but it is not congruent with the desire of DCI to be a Major League with paying audience expansion. For that Major League Paying Audience Expansion to occur the DCI shows need to be like Angels and Demons, Spartacus 2007, Machine which certainly had 'depth of content' but they were just like Schindler's List, Slumdog Millionaire, and Million Dollar Baby, not complicated to decipher. I think a better movie-comparison for Blue Devils would be Terence Malick films. Especially: To The Wonder The Tree of Life and, The Thin Red Line 2 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stu Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 (edited) In reference to the video posted by Flammaster A) Look at how few, maybe five or six, people are stopping to watch for just a brief moment; with actually more headless manikins (which I assume are the judges) interested in watching the entire performance than the paying audience. B) Look at rather empty cash bag and three people putting just a small amount of coins in it. C) This will be what DCI looks like in the future if we get more 'Taking a Dada in an Outhouse with an absurd rabbit looking at Mirrors through a Door! Edited May 18, 2013 by Stu 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 From the reports I get out of Mars this show is going to be great! that is all I'm sayin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Slingerland Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 (edited) I think a better movie-comparison for Blue Devils would be Terence Malick films. Especially: To The Wonder The Tree of Life and, The Thin Red Line Not really. Malick's work is introspective and quiet, and comes at it from a very particular artist's viewpoint regarding the struggle between man and nature. Its not for everyone, but there's clearly a very serious man working through some personal questions and issues . I would say Devils these days are more like Lars von Trier. Edited May 18, 2013 by Slingerland Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bluesman Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 (edited) Performing a piece that the audience is so familiar can be a bit dangerous. The purist will complain about messing up a classic and others will think that this re-Right didn't go far enough. Stravinsky and the Blue Devils seems like an odd fit to me. But so did Spirit of Atlanta and Lady Gaga and that worked. I'm thinking there a few that are hoping that this will be programming choice that finally brings down the Blue Devils. Ain't gonna happen! There is simply too much talent in that design team. So keeping an open mind and my judgement to myself I will patiently wait. As has been the case for the last few years it's going to take multiple viewings to truly appreciate what the Devils are doing and direction they are going. I'm still trying to decide what I think about last years show after seeing it live a few times and on the FN many more. Kind of a hated it yesterday but loving it today thing. Edited May 18, 2013 by bluesman Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flammaster Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 From what my son said the show is very Jazzy and layered. I'll know next weekend. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Fran Haring Posted May 18, 2013 Share Posted May 18, 2013 Ummmmm... really? It was 1930; Stock Market Crash; Great Depression; Music of Hope; how is that complicated for the audience to decipher? In 1930 everybody in the entire world was affected; and most everybody in the entire world today still has knowledge of the Great Depression. This is opposed to the Dada movement; where only a very select few were involved at the time and very, very, very few know about that movement today. My parents and grandparents lived through the Great Depression. Honestly, there was nothing in the Blue Devils' "1930" show... other than the title, and the "Happy Days Are Here Again" music quotes... that reminded me of that era, based on the stories I heard from my parents, grandparents and other relatives who experienced that time in history first-hand. For one thing, they didn't do a lot of dancing on and around chairs during those dark days. They were trying to survive, pure and simple. To me, that show was an example of a theme in search of a story. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts