memes

Fred walked so Joker could run

I loved both movies, so maybe that checks out.

Having seen neither (but Joker easier to guess from basic info) what's black swan about?

You know this does kinda make me wonder how many examples there are of what's basically the exact same shot that aren't the akira motorcycle slide. I know there's another specific set of anime trope shots of characters getting crucified, as an homage to the many times it's happened in ultraman. There's another one of characters holding a sword with a super exaggerated perspective so the tip is close to camera and the character is farther away. Then there's the infamous "crazy" shot, where you do a kind of fish eye lens close up to the character's face.

Certainly, if you wanted to get more general and all-encompassing, you could take every form of shot reverse-shot used in a conversation as a pretty common example, though that one arises more out of necessity than anything else, I think. The coen brothers and occasionally wes anderson are a good example of how to make that actually be interesting, I suppose. I definitely think I've seen the "staring out the window" shot more than once, usually on a bus, since that's a pretty good opportunity to use it, as the protagonist isn't driving, and that's an example that's little more specific than just shot reverse-shot.

I dunno, I kinda wonder what are some other good examples of shots like that. Shots not iconic or specific enough to entail a clear reference to something, but shots that are specific enough that they don't arise solely out of necessity, but arise out of a need to illustrate a common cinematic point. Shots that exist as shorthand, basically. I think it's probably in those shots that we'd very clearly see "cinema", as an artform, as a language that communicates things to the audience. Any shots like that come to mind?

Yes, it is Black Swan cosplaying as Taxi Driver

So you're saying I should watch Black Swan?

No wait, that actually tracks stupidly well. What the hell?