The fusion and interdependence of Internet, film and TV pop culture for the past few years have yielded yet another engaging product. The synthesis involves various clips chosen by means of a common theme, placed in a fast-paced montage and uploaded for the viewing pleasure of the online community.
These remixes were first referred to as 'supercuts' by technologist and blogger Andy Baio in April 2008.
"Many supercuts isolate a word or phrase from a film or TV series ... while others point out tired cliches," explained Baio.
Though becoming increasingly popular, this genre has yet to be fully grasped by some. To shed some light on its emergence and evolution, here is a quick history of this not-so-new video meme that is taking the Internet by storm.
Tom McCormack, a Brooklyn-based critic, states that the earliest version of the supercut may be traced back to found-footage cinema in Bruce Conner's 1958 film "A Movie." This film could very well be considered the first epic fail compilation, featuring a montage of disaster falling upon ships, bridges, cars and blimps.
"[The supercut] telegraphs work and time investment, even a sort of mastery. The more discursive the supercut, the more impressive it is in this regard. It's pleasing to people on the very terms that appropriative media often piss them off," McCormack states.
From the melodrama surrounding the '50s and '60s, the '90s saw the arrival of the phone call-themed supercut, possibly foreshadowing the modern supercut, the video of which may be viewed below.
It wasn't until YouTube rose to fame in 2006 that the supercut began to proliferate on the Internet. Thanks to YouTube, the viewing and sharing of supercuts is now a relatively simple process.
That, on top of today's free and user-friendly video editing software, has spurred a conducive environment for the rise of the supercut.
This witty supercut was created by Andy Schneider and Jonathan Britnell and contains phone call scenes from 57 different movies. Consider yourself a legitimate movie buff if you manage to recognize at least 30 of them while indulging in the strangeness of the video's montage dialogue.
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