@CmdrHunt (aka Clarence Colton): The MacGuffin is the object of the quest in a movie: the One Ring; the Holy Grail; the Death Star Plans; the pirate's treasure or other similar plot device that sets the story in motion. The term was coined by Alfred Hitchcock.
@Bill-Lee: Here we go again! There are 2 things that make a MacGuffin a MacGuffin.
1 - It is desired by the characters. This desire motivates the characters to action.
2 - It serves no useful purpose or is not used in the film. It could be anything. If you replaced the Maltese Falcon with the Hope Diamond or a near mint Detective Comics #27, the plot would still be the same.
MacGuffins are most often used in heist and spy movies. Some examples of MacGuffins are Beavis & Butt-head's crappy TV in Beavis & Butt-head Do America, the missing fortune in Charade and the ATAC in For Your Eyes Only.
It's not without its many faults but I will defend that movie 'til the end. The CIA, with candy-bar code-names, drags a singing cat-burglar into a global race between a massive corporation and the Vatican (complete with sexy nun spies and talking Jesus radios) searching for Da Vinci's alchemy machine through codes and secrets hidden in his work? What's not to like?!
It's like Umberto Eco's Buckaroo Banzai... with cappuccinos!
The whole movie is just "Shut Up and Eat Your Awesome". Sure, it was plot holes but Bruce Willis stealing a priceless artifact while singing Bing Crosby is a *classic* in my opinion.
@Ghost_in_the_Machine: I was gonna say Dan Brown's etc... but I knew that would get slagged by Dan Brown haters, even though I personally kind of enjoyed "The DaVinci Code". (but yeah it's closer to that)
@Discodave: R.O.A.C.H. M.O.T.E.L.: All I know is that this Lo Pan character comes out of thin air in the middle of a goddamn alley while his buddies are flying around on wires cutting everybody to shreds while he just STANDS there waiting for me to drive my truck straight through him?? with LIGHT coming out of his mouth??
Old Mr. Lit there kinda reminds of the old cabin boy in the Garfield Halloween Special. Ah, Garfield. Shakespeare in our time people! Shakespeare in our time. Why yes, I am a little high on pain killers right now.
@NerD: Blattella: I couldn't figure out a way to make it work for the post, but as a bonus... Doesn't that Bruce shot look remarkably like the Android Head of Philip K. Dick?
Hot damn, I hope this is good. I've been wanting a new Road Warrior since I saw it... Well, that's not strictly true; I want a Fallout-esque movie, really (and Mad Max 2 and A Boy and His Dog are the closest I have so far). All the super-camp 80's PA just ain't doing it for me.
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1 - It is desired by the characters. This desire motivates the characters to action.
2 - It serves no useful purpose or is not used in the film. It could be anything. If you replaced the Maltese Falcon with the Hope Diamond or a near mint Detective Comics #27, the plot would still be the same.
MacGuffins are most often used in heist and spy movies. Some examples of MacGuffins are Beavis & Butt-head's crappy TV in Beavis & Butt-head Do America, the missing fortune in Charade and the ATAC in For Your Eyes Only.
09/27/09
09/27/09
[kleinletters.com]
09/27/09
But the caption is the point.
09/27/09
duuuurrrrrrr
09/27/09
Love the 3PO "um".
Love that there was nothing you could do to make Cage more ridiculous.
A nice change of pace, and kudos for carrying on through adversity.
09/27/09
Hudson Hawk.
09/27/09
It's not without its many faults but I will defend that movie 'til the end. The CIA, with candy-bar code-names, drags a singing cat-burglar into a global race between a massive corporation and the Vatican (complete with sexy nun spies and talking Jesus radios) searching for Da Vinci's alchemy machine through codes and secrets hidden in his work? What's not to like?!
It's like Umberto Eco's Buckaroo Banzai... with cappuccinos!
09/27/09
09/27/09
How can you not like a film that gives you lines like: "I'll torture you so slowly, you'll think it's a career."
You know, maybe I'm a little biased.
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09/27/09
Love that guy.
09/27/09
"Is it getting hot in here, or is it just me?"
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So, in your story above. Is POWER the Macguffin?
Were the eyepieces on Bruce Willis designed by Yuri Geller?
Was this entire post just a MacGuffin for us to comment on your sweet sweet new Avatar?
To end... MacGuffin.
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I hope that is sitting in Bruce Willis's house somewhere.
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Or am I missing one?
07/26/09
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07/26/09
How Stella got her Groove Back?
Stop me if I'm getting warm?
OMG it's "The Little Book of Calm!"
(Sorry missed the not-embeddable marker. Click the black screen to view.)