Filmmakers have their own styles. You know that Brad Pitt etching Nazi symbols in foreheads came specifically from the mind of Quentin Tarantino. You know Robert De Niro talking to himself in the mirror came from Martin Scorsese. And you know that Gerald Butler screaming, “SPARTA!” came from Zack Snyder.
But what is it about these moments that make them so memorable? So exciting? So awesome? In Snyder’s case, it’s by making everything totally badass. On Friday, his latest flick Sucker Punch hits theaters, a film that will undoubtedly rely heavily on its visual effects to showcase itself. Expect a fast, in-your-face blend of fighting, sexing and exploding — but don’t take us lightly. A Zack Snyder film is something you need to prepare for, so to prevent your senses from overloading, here’s a checklist of what to expect from Snyder and all his films.
1. Use Slow Motion. Lots of Slow Motion
What is it about slo-mo that is, and always will be, so fucking cool? There are numerous ways to use it for emotional effectiveness. It can be funny, serious, dramatic, sad, happy, aggressive, or pretty much any other emotion out there. It all depends on context. In Snyder’s case, he’s a man who’s willing to slo-mo at any moment. Some look at this as a cop-out, or a way to “trick” the audience into feeling a certain way, but if used in the right context, it can certainly help a film achieve what it wants to.
2. Give It That “What We Really Want The World To Look Like” Look By De-Saturating All The Color
I won’t lie. There are many times where I find myself walking down the street thinking to myself, “Hey, this would be a pretty cool movie scene if the colors were different and a song played in the background.” And I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who does this. The joy of film is that we get to tell stories and escape from our real lives, so while we escape, why not dramatize it in a really stunning way?
300 – Then We Will Fight In The Shade
Tags: 300 – Then We Will Fight In The Shade
3. Use Guns and Swords and Other Violent Shit, But With A Surprising Lack of Blood
Zack Snyder likes violence. After all, he is the dude who made 300 (you know, that one movie about the 300 Spartans who murder EVERYONE). But weirdly enough, his films aren’t that gross. There’s blood, but not it’s rarely “believable” blood. In 300, people die, but their deaths look so comic book-like that it’s hard to get grossed out. Certainly someone with a very queasy stomach should think twice about watching his films, but he’s not out to illustrate realistic murders like, say, Martin Scorsese. Instead, he takes death as just another opportunity to display his art.
4. Make Awesome Songs We Already Like Even More Awesome
Snyder isn’t afraid to make some interesting choices when it comes to music in his films. Heavy metal? Sure! Classical violins? Why not! Or — in the case below — “Unforgettable?” Definitely! I realize that most of Watchmen’s music came from the graphic novel, but at the same time, Snyder makes brave decisions with the soundtrack. He doesn’t care if he’s depicting ancient Greece. If heavy metal fits the situation, then heavy metal is what you’re going to get. And typically, despite his odd approach, he tends to work.
Watchmen – The Comedian’s Death by dark_yggdrasil
5. Add Lots and Lots of Babes (Or Dudes, I guess, If It’s 300)
Let’s be honest here. Beautiful people are beautiful, and who doesn’t like to look at beautiful people? To make his scenes flashy, Snyder not only utilizes editing tricks through CGI and music, but he also isn’t afraid to just rely on a good ol’ fashioned hottie. Because, obviously, most of us are not that beautiful and as stated earlier, we go to the movies to escape our lame lives. Personally, I don’t want to escape my ugly-person-filled reality to see more ugly people. No. I want to see beautiful people.
