George Clooney makes a phone call.
Ah, a George-to-George connection.
You walk in worlds the others can't begin to imagine.
Drusilla ,'Conversations with Dead People'
Buffista Movies 7: Brides for 7 Samurai
A place to talk about movies--old and new, good and bad, high art and high cheese. It's the place to place your kittens on the award winners, gossip about upcoming fims and discuss DVD releases and extras. Spoiler policy: White font all plot-related discussion until a movie's been in wide release two weeks, and keep the major HSQ in white font until two weeks after the video/DVD release.
Connie Neil - Apr 20, 2010 6:52:52 pm PDT #7761 of 30000
brillig
DavidS - Apr 20, 2010 6:54:51 pm PDT #7762 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
Ah, a George-to-George connection.
Side note: Lucas' daughters were both huge BtVS fans and he pulled strings for them to meet SMG.
P.M. Marc - Apr 20, 2010 7:05:22 pm PDT #7763 of 30000
So come, my friends, be not afraid/We are so lightly here/It is in love that we are made; In love we disappear
The thing about the "twist" is that the movie's not at all dependent on the HSQ moment in order to work - I actually think it's better on rewatch because once you know what's really going on, it's just a hilarious black romantic comedy about one incredibly fucked up guy.
Have I mentioned my personal reading of the text as an especially violent PSA about the dangers of self-abuse? (I fully admit, it's totally fanwanking. Fanwanking of which I'm sure I'm a solo practitioner, as appropriate for the reading, naturally.)
Atropa - Apr 20, 2010 7:07:56 pm PDT #7764 of 30000
The artist formerly associated with cupcakes.
it's just a hilarious black romantic comedy about one incredibly fucked up guy.
This! This! I don't find Fight Club profound in the slightest; I just think it's a funny, funny movie.
Hey Plei! We should schedule a double-feature of Gingersnaps (the first one) and Jennifer's Body!
Strega - Apr 20, 2010 7:58:48 pm PDT #7765 of 30000
I knew the twist to Fight Club going in, and I understood that it was a black comedy. I think my friend Zachary actually convinced me to see it based on that. I just didn't think it was very funny. (Not that I thought it was "serious"; I mean the way I don't think Will Ferrell's movies are funny.)
DavidS - Apr 20, 2010 7:59:45 pm PDT #7766 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
I mean the way I don't think Will Ferrell's movies are funny.
Except Talladega Nights.
Wait, are you calling Will Ferrell a nihilist?
P.M. Marc - Apr 20, 2010 8:01:43 pm PDT #7767 of 30000
So come, my friends, be not afraid/We are so lightly here/It is in love that we are made; In love we disappear
Hey Plei! We should schedule a double-feature of Gingersnaps (the first one) and Jennifer's Body!
YES! And drink stuff.
Strega - Apr 20, 2010 8:02:42 pm PDT #7768 of 30000
Yes! Or else no!
(Which will be more controversial?)
Tom Scola - Apr 21, 2010 2:12:05 am PDT #7769 of 30000
hwæt
Again, I'm having trouble understanding exactly what is so profound about Kubrick's movies. Once you scratch below the surface, I'm not finding a whole lot of substance there.
I honestly think that Kubrick's movies are overrated because of his persona. He acted so mysterious and profound, therefore there has to be something to his films. Also, he really did pay a lot of attention to the craft of filmmaking, and people assume he has a deep personality to go along with that.
Meanwhile I think that Tarantino's films are underrated—people think that his films have less substance because he acts like such a Goofus in real life.
DavidS - Apr 21, 2010 3:27:25 am PDT #7770 of 30000
"Look, son, if it's good enough for Shirley Bassey, it's good enough for you."
With a formalist like Kubrick I don't think you can really separate style and substance.
With works like Clockwork Orange, Full Metal Jacket, Barry Lyndon and The Shining he is serving the original material, though admittedly bending things to his vision. Those movies do deal with serious themes and are substantial and powerful.
His earlier film noir movies are fantastic, late exemplars of the genre.
2001 got over on a lot of pot-addled "Dude...."
Meanwhile I think that Tarantino's films are underrated—people think that his films have less substance because he acts like such a Goofus in real life.
Partly this, but when he suborns history to the genre conventions of sixties WWII movies then he's going to piss people off too. His defense of grindhouse and other marginal, "low" genres also distorts critical response to his work. Not in film journals where they get what he's doing, but in newspapers.