Editing 311: Action Movies

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==Explanation==
 
==Explanation==
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[[Megan]] and [[Cueball]] are talking about a movie and Cueball is stating that he does need more action.
  
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A common complaint about {{w|Action film|action films}} is that they are light on plot and heavy on pointless violence and special effects. The ''{{w|Die Hard (film series)|Die Hard}}'' series (including ''{{w|Live Free or Die Hard}}'') are typical action films about which this complaint has been made. However, [[Cueball]] reverses the complaint, stating that proportional to the run-time of the movie, there could have been much ''more'' action and much ''less'' plot. He takes this idea to an extreme, saying that his ideal action movie should have only half a minute of exposition and otherwise consist of nothing but one long, continuous action scene. [[Megan]] adds that starring a well-known and popular character - one that audiences "never get tired of watching" - would further eliminate the need for exposition and provide more time for action.
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The final picture is presenting a film called "River Tam" showing many dead people on the floor, maybe this is it what Cueball is waiting for.
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But {{w|River Tam}} is just a fictional character, extremely intellectually, even when she was 14 years old. But at that time her horror just did start.
  
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The two come up with "River Tam Beats Up Everyone" as such a movie. It is unclear whether this is the actual title of their proposed movie or simply a description or teaser. In either case, the name doubles as a more or less complete plot description. {{w|River Tam}} (played by [[Summer Glau]]) is a character from the popular but short-lived TV series ''{{w|Firefly (TV series)|Firefly}}''. In the show, she is shown to have almost clairvoyant mental capabilities (including being able to read minds and aim a gun without looking), and the series largely revolves around a conspiracy concerning her. In the follow-up movie ''{{w|Serenity (2005 film)|Serenity}}'', River also possesses superhuman fighting skills - early in the film, triggered by a subliminal message, she unexpectedly begins attacking everyone in a bar. Later, in the film's climax, she subdues an entire squadron of Reavers while hardly breaking a sweat.
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The title text is another hint because River Tam is portrayed by actor {{w|Summer Glau }}.
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The poster art for "River Tam Beats Up Everyone" is almost certainly inspired by these scenes from ''Serenity'', and Megan and Cueball's decision to use River is based on her rampant popularity among the ''Firefly'' fan base. The poster's typeface, {{w|Papyrus (typeface)|Papyrus}}, has also been used in many of the marketing materials for both ''Firefly'' and ''Serenity''; [[Randall Munroe|Randall]] would later confess his love for it in the title text of [[590: Papyrus]].
 
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In the title text, Randall states that ''Live Free or Die Hard'' had far too little action and suggests another movie, ''{{w|Crank (film)|Crank}}'', as a better example.  He goes on to suggest that ''Crank'' would have been better if it had had a larger budget and starred Summer Glau in a fighting role.
 
  
 
==Transcript==
 
==Transcript==
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:[Cueball and Megan are talking together as they walk away from a cinema.]
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:[Cueball and Megan are talking together as they walk away from a cinema]
 
:Cueball: Another summer gone without a mindless big-budget action movie.
 
:Cueball: Another summer gone without a mindless big-budget action movie.
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:Megan: Huh? ''Die Hard'' was nothing <u>but</u> action!
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:Megan: Huh? Die Hard was nothing BUT action!
 
:Cueball: No, it was too talky.
 
:Cueball: No, it was too talky.
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:Megan: What? Too talky?
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:Megan: What? Too <u>talky</u>?
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:Cueball: I tallied it minute-by-minute. It's at least 60% people walking and talking. ALL those movies are.
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:Cueball: I tallied it minute-by-minute. It's at least 60% people walking and talking. <u>All</u> those movies are.
 
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:Cueball: Just once, I want a real action movie. 30 seconds of exposition followed by a perfect 90-minute action scene. One with a huge budget, a good choreographer, and a great director.
 
:Cueball: Just once, I want a real action movie. 30 seconds of exposition followed by a perfect 90-minute action scene. One with a huge budget, a good choreographer, and a great director.
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:Megan: And they should center it around some character we already know, someone we never get tired of watching.
 
:Megan: And they should center it around some character we already know, someone we never get tired of watching.
 
:Cueball: I think we've got something here...
 
:Cueball: I think we've got something here...
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:[A movie poster is shown]
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:[A movie poster is shown.]
 
 
: Coming this summer
 
: Coming this summer
 
: River Tam
 
: River Tam
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: Beats Up Everyone
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: Beats up EVERYONE
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:[The poster shows a line of doorways. In the background, numerous people are lying on the ground or draped over doorways and windows. River Tam is doing a flying kick into someone's face, and another person is emerging from the doorway closest to the viewer.]
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:[The movie shows a line of houses, there are people beat up and lying in doorways, out of windows, and on the sidewalk. River Tam is doing a flying kick into someone's face]
  
 
{{comic discussion}}
 
{{comic discussion}}
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[[Category:Comics featuring Cueball]]
 
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[[Category:Comics featuring Megan]]
 
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[[Category:Comics featuring Summer Glau]]
 
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[[Category:Comics with color]]
 
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[[Category:Firefly]]
 

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