Dinner as Drama, Party as Play

[sus]

Almost forgot probably the best party film I've seen. Some people who went to actual blues parties say it's inaccurate and hate it but it really captured a lot of the feelings I got from parties, although my parties were obviously student parties with mostly white ppl.

Have you seen The Office Party?

THE OFFICE PARTY

Here is a lovely documentary made in 1969 about that year's Christmas office party at a London advertising agency. I've used shots from it in the past - but I've always loved it as a film - so I thought I would put it up. It tells the story of the preparations as well as the party...

www.bbc.co.uk

I thought it was really lovely. Maybe Version turned me on?

 

[Corpsey]

Craner recites his latest essay about fascism at idle Rich's pool party

 

[sus]

Fine line between dinner party and orgy.

That's true, sexual tension and intermixings are key to this genre. (See, again, Midsummer Night and Who's Afraid)

 

[woops]

one of Eliot's plays is about a cocktail party, i forget the title

 

[version]

Russian Doll and Midsummer Night's Dream are variants. Not the thing the thread is about. But not unrelated.

Mrs Dalloway. My Dinner With Andre. Probably some French surrealist and social critique flicks from the 40s-60s I don't know about.

The Breakfast Club's a variant too.

 

[Corpsey]

I miss miss miss the magic of the first booze ups. Entering a brave new world. The world was all before me. What's left? Squalor.

 

[sus]

Craner recites his latest essay about fascism at idle Rich's pool party

They're a huge part of films in general right. Altman's The Player and many other movies about Hollywood, and entertainment as an industry, and then finance and elite political circles, it's all about the mixers and parties.

And like you say Gosford Park. White Lotus revolves around a lot of meals, has this feeling and the sexual stuff happening. Group Who Dunits like GP, similar structure. Like the game of Clue. Everyone sitting around chattering breaking into new groups and arrangements. The spontaneous choreography of chatter and canoodling.

 

[Corpsey]

"Another Round" made me profoundly grateful for booze. Without booze life wouldn't make sense. (No offence teetotallers.)

 

[sus]

The Breakfast Club's a variant too.

Which comes back to the team building heuristics stuff I've been on about a bit I think? Token representatives of many demographics coming together and finding common ground. Forced together unnaturally and stuck together. It's a quintessential city theme. See also "Do The Right Thing" and a thousand New York movies

 

[sus]

The structure of DnD, and many roleplaying games, is that each individual chooses a unique type with strengths and weaknesses. Night elf woodland ranger, stout sturdy dwarf, wise wizard dabbling in divination. And then everyone goes and does an extended group project together where they cooperate and specialize and complement.

 

[sus]

This is all over Tolkien with its Elrond Council representatives of the races, and the way each member of the fellowship has his own domain of specialty. And how the original animosity between Gimli and Legolas, and their overcoming of old prejudices through shared experience (and the discovery of shared values) represents the transcendence of their races' mutual suspicions.

 

[version]

Pasolini's Theorem's like some sort of blown apart variant as you have a mysterious guest interacting with and seducing, or being seduced by, various members of a household. A sort of fragmented dinner party. Very much feels like one of Gus' "games".

 

[Corpsey]

 

[Corpsey]

Can't decide if this is what it's like when the dudes drink or if this is what the dudes imagine it's like when the lads drink

 

[Clinamenic]

Can't decide if this is what it's like when the dudes drink or if this is what the dudes imagine it's like when the lads drink

In my days of youth I was a rambunctious drinker. Apparently I picked a fight with a good portion of the lacrosse team at Darby O'Gill's, and had to be picked up and thrown out by the bouncer.

 

[Clinamenic]

Apparently there was another night, at a different bar, when all did was shout "Shut the fuck up!" at everyone.

 

[Corpsey]

I hated that sea shantie internet thing but if it wasn't totally lame shit for quirky taskmaster losers I'd love it if people sang shanties in pubs

Everything's ruined by the internet/middle classes sadly, all ironic and tikotokky and SHIT

 

[Clinamenic]

But for the last few years I've been a drinker of the utmost composure and dignity, preferring even to sip than to gulp.

 

[Clinamenic]

I can see why you purged yourself of all humanity and became a machine.

Had to start from first principles - and behold, I've built another human out of myself!

 

[Corpsey]

You need a better name than Clinamenic, it's unbecoming of a wild drunkard with a Zorro beard