About Filmserts

Since the beginning of cinema history, directors and screenwriters have been putting other films into their own films – in many purposeful ways and with powerful results. While a film might appear on a television set in the corner of a room and the film's characters fail to take notice of it, most are being looked at by the director’s camera and, ultimately, by us, the audience. They generally have a great deal to tell us about a scene, the characters in that scene, or the entire film.

"Filmserts: Film Appearing in Film" is devoted to the fun and fascinating phenomenon that been around as far back as Buster Keaton.

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The book "Filmserts: Film Appearing in Film" by Lewis Matheney will be out this year.

1/3/08

I Am Legend - Shrek

The following segments of dialogue are from the film "I Am Legend." See if you can match the dialogue with the person who says it, along with the person being spoken TO.

Here we go:
#1 - "I am authorized to place you both under arrest and transport you to a designated resettlement facility."
Is this what one of the officers of the law says to Robert Neville (Will Smith) and his family during the evacuation of New York City in one of the film's flashbacks?

#2 - "...I don't have any friends. And I'm not goin' out there by myself. ...I'll stick with you. You're a mean...fightin' machine. Together we'll scare the spit out of anybody that crosses us." Is sole survivor Neville speaking to his trusty canine companion, the fierce and gallant German Shepherd Samantha, or is this Neville speaking to one of the many mannequins he has set up in particular locations around New York City and has developed slightly insane relationships with?

#3 - "...your breath certainly will get the job done, 'cause you definitely need some Tic Tacs or something, 'cause you breath stinks!"
Could this be Neville up close and personal with a zombie he has captured and is studying in his lab, or is this when Neville is very close to being devoured by a vengeful zombie who is furious at Neville for capturing his companion?

Time's up. Do you have your answers ready?

All three segments of dialogue are from the FILMSERT of "Shrek" which appears in "I Am Legend." The first segment of dialogue is spoken by the guard to Shrek and Donkey and the second and third segments are spoken by Donkey (voice of Eddie Murphy) to Shrek.


The internet is abuzz with discussions of this latest FILMSERT. Here are some links to sites which discuss "Shrek" appearing in "I Am Legend":

Link #1
Link #2

YouTube has an excerpt from the 1971 film adaptation of Richard Matheson's novel "I Am Legend."
This version was called "Omega Man," and starred Charlton Heston. Heston's character, like Will Smith's character, watches a film and mouths dialogue from it.
Instead of "Shrek," Heston watches "Woodstock.""They sure don't make pictures like that any more," says Heston at the end of the FILMSERT.

Posted by Lewis
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1 comment:

BorbTheQuencher said...

I believe the entire segment from Shrek was symbolic of the whole situation that just happened. If you think about what is being said, Neville is Donkey and Anna is Shrek. He was happy cause she just saved his life. She just came out and "BAM" (flare) saved his life. Shrek takes some time to realize that Donkey is actually talking to him, as he thought he was alone. Donkey mentions he has no friends after Shrek asks him to leave. "and I'm not going out there by myself" speaks for itself. I'll stick with you! - he later gives the cure to Anna, trusting that she'll get it to Vermont. He gives her his legend, his reputation, his life to and for her.

March 22, 2012 at 7:42 PM

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