I'm talking to YOU!

Attention Film Makers: Fourth Wall Breaks are not funny


I don't know...Ferris Bueller seemed to pull it off pretty well.


And he's about the only one who ever did. The fourth wall is there for a reason, people!


Maybe as a public service, you should explain to the nice folks just what the Fourth Wall is all about.


The Fourth Wall is your TV screen...or a theatre's movie screen. Whenever a character looks directly into the camera to directly address the audience, they are said to be "Breaking the fourth wall." It's a horrible film technique that needs to stop.


This seems rather specific for a general rant, Jeremy. Was this based on a recent event?


Actually, a bit, yes. I was watching a film recently that shall remain nameless for various reasons. I don't want people going out and subjecting themselves to it.


You also don't want people to know you watched it.


This movie involved no less than three Fourth Wall jokes where a character made a quip and then looked at the audience with a smirk. It's akin to saying "No pun intended" during a conversation where you accidentally make a pun. You're saying to your audience, "hey hey...look how awesomely fast my brain works, that I realized that was a pun and don't want you to be angry with me when you figure out that it was." Jerk. Yes...I know you just made a funny funny joke. Saying "I've been dying to meet you" during a zombie movie pretty much means you're toast, so you don't have to point out the irony to the audience with bad acting.

On a brighter note, the movie did have a character named "Byrdflough," so that was something...