Well, it’s been many months since the world was supposed to
end and I think Hollywood didn’t get the memo. While I already did a blog entry
(see here) about how many movies are coming out about after the world ends, I
am now noticing even more films coming out that actually depict the end itself.
And what’s more interesting is that they all seem to be comedies.
The only thing I can surmise from this is that many people
saw December 21st coming up on the calendar and began writing their
version of what would happen if the world would come to an end. Great minds
think alike. It sounds corny but it is true. As a writer I can’t tell you how
many times I’ve had the same idea as some of my compatriots. We’re not copying
each other or stealing each other’s ideas. Our brains simply reached the same
conclusion at the same time.
And to be fair, the end of the world is fertile ground for
story telling. Many movies before now have used the end of the world as a
framing device. Be it robots, natural disaster, zombie plague or any number of
other cataclysms. Also the end of the world is a universal concept. Every
belief system on earth has a story about how the world will end. Which is why I
find this collection of comedies so interesting because they all (at least what
I have seen from the trailers) seem to involve the biblical end of the world.
Four movies coming out over the next year involve this plot.
This Is The End, It’s A Disaster, World’s End and Rapture-Palooza. While the
premise for all four films is the same, it is the subtle nuances that
differentiate each film. This Is The End revolves around a group of celebrities
(Seth Rogan and his crew of buddies playing themselves) dealing with the end of
the world. It’s A Disaster revolves around an uncomfortable WASPy brunch taking
place while the end of the world happens outside the house. World’s End is from
the brilliant Edgar Wright (director of Shaun of the Dead and Scott Pilgrim vs.
the World) about a group of friends who enjoy the end of the world by
recreating a pub-crawl from their college days. The final movie,
Rapture-Palooza, deals with ordinary people dealing with the biblical rapture.
This is where the comedy truly lies. It is not in the
situations the characters are put in, but HOW the characters deal with those
situations. Some people are very good dealing with difficult situations, but
most people aren’t. And the sad thing is that we as humans enjoy watching
others flail around in unpleasant situations. And it isn’t about the end of the
world. It’s about pressure. The end of the world is just a fancy way of
dressing up a stressful situation.
But the easiest explanation for why there are so many
comedies about the end of the world is that its fun. If you watch TV there are
any number of shows about people are certain the world is going to end any day
now. It makes perfect sense that Hollywood would want to cash in on people’s
insecurities. But also in a way alleviate those fears. Making light of
something that so many people worry about is the best to do that.
All that being said, in no way does it guarantee these films
will be good. While they share a premise and entertaining situation, there is
no guarantee of humor. Many people are legitimately worried about the end of
the world and that could backfire on these films. They do not want their
concerns to be made light of. Of course I’ll just sit back and watch them with
popcorn.
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