Nappuccino
Member
I don't think we're supposed to like him... but it is incredibly easy to sympathize with his situation, I think.
Movies You've Seen Recently: Return of the Revenge of the Curse of the...
- Thread starter Cosmic Bus
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I don't think we're supposed to like him... but it is incredibly easy to sympathize with his situation, I think.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Who watches a movie with the intention of liking the character? Granted, that can help, depending on the story being told, but the fact that you don't LIKE Charles Foster Kane doesn't mean that he's any less of a great character.
The reason that people like Rushmore is the fact that it's a fun, entertaining movie about a pretty well-limned but frustrating young man. The soundtrack is better and better-integrated than in later Wes Anderson movies, the style of it is fresh without overtaking the rest of it, and the film has just enough of the Anderson quirkiness without going off the deep end and making everything either too muted or too alienating, as I think happened in the films after it.
Edit: Also, The Player does what Adaptation tried to do with a lot more subtlety and creativity. In The Player, the PoMo elements are understated and don't really hit you until the end of the movie; in Adaptation, they're slapping you in the face at almost every turn and used to try to cover up for a poor finale. The movie's not TERRIBLE, mind, but it's basically Woody Allen-lite in terms of the type of intellectual and writer Kaufman wants to be. "Stardust Memories" is a film on a somewhat similar subject, and it's several orders of magnitude its better.
The reason that people like Rushmore is the fact that it's a fun, entertaining movie about a pretty well-limned but frustrating young man. The soundtrack is better and better-integrated than in later Wes Anderson movies, the style of it is fresh without overtaking the rest of it, and the film has just enough of the Anderson quirkiness without going off the deep end and making everything either too muted or too alienating, as I think happened in the films after it.
Edit: Also, The Player does what Adaptation tried to do with a lot more subtlety and creativity. In The Player, the PoMo elements are understated and don't really hit you until the end of the movie; in Adaptation, they're slapping you in the face at almost every turn and used to try to cover up for a poor finale. The movie's not TERRIBLE, mind, but it's basically Woody Allen-lite in terms of the type of intellectual and writer Kaufman wants to be. "Stardust Memories" is a film on a somewhat similar subject, and it's several orders of magnitude its better.
Nappuccino
Member
Well, to be fair, if the main character is so aggravating that he makes you turn the movie off... they probably went too far. But that line is different for every person so it is kind of a moot point.
TheKaeptain
Banned
Yomada's last movie was good too. It's called About Her Brother.Yeah I plan on that.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
It depends on whether or not you're alienated because the character is poorly-written or because the character is a bad person. Rupert Pupkin in The King of Comedy is one of the most frustrating characters ever penned and makes you want to turn the movie off on more than one occasion, but that's because the writing of his alienating nature is so good. This is in contrast to, say, the shallow fiance character in Midnight in Paris, who is written to be so over-the-top in her shallowness that the obviousness of what Allen was trying to do to her makes you kind of roll your eyes.
I'd argue that, regardless of how frustrating you found Max in Rushmore, he's firmly in the first camp.
Hmm, I guess it depends. Raging Bull and Clockwork Orange have characters that are not always morally in the right, but they are such intense people that I am still engaged with the character/story. Where as movies like The Social Network (I know Im in the minority, but I do not care for it) where the characters were just mehish to me it made the whole film a whatever.
brianjones
Member
wes anderson characters never feel like real people to me.. just vehicles for his quirk
the only thing i really like about his movies are the soundtracks.. which i kind of hate that i like
the only thing i really like about his movies are the soundtracks.. which i kind of hate that i like
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Well I think that you're describing the difference between great characters and characters that are merely okay, here.
Well yeah, I was agreeing with you basically.
Max Armstrong
Member
I liked Midnight in Paris a lot, but this is really true. The whole relationship between the two was really bad, like you even wonder how did they ever became a couple. From the start you can see that they don't give a fuck about each other at all.
I think this is accurate in his later movie (especially Royal Tenenbaums), in which everyone feels like caricatures of Wes Anderson characters, but in Rushmore it felt very real and believable.
I think that is why I love them. Fuck realism, I want to live in Wes Anderson's fantasy world where everything is symmetrical and colorful.
Nappuccino
Member
I never spoke to the quality of the writing. Just because a character is well written doesn't mean you'd want to spend 2 hours with them.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Well, yeah, but at that point, you're basically admitting to a bias and "WHY DOES EVERYBODY PRAISE THIS?" becomes kind of a self-answering question, no?
Nappuccino
Member
Right, which is why I said
Just because it involves subjectivity doesn't make it any less real. People have limits to what they want or are able to deal with.
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
I agree, but the original post was "I don't understand why people say that this movie is good," (paraphrased). That was what I was addressing.
MaritalWheat
Member
Man, finally watched Pan's Labyrinth, and what the hell. The violence was...just brutal, that was NOT what I expected. Honestly the movie as a whole didn't do much for me because all the fantasy stuff didn't draw me in at all, although I thought the 'monster' design was fantastic. I would have been far more interested in a film with just the human element, maybe because that was so good I wish I could have just skipped the whole little girl fantasy thing. And I mention the violence not because it was distasteful, but that it completely lacked glorification and dramatization, in a sense. It definitely nails one with just how cruel we can be to each other.
Count Dookkake
Member
No one seems to ever go into the poster thread, but here's some stuff that some of you might like. A sample of my collection:
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34246904&postcount=134
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34252206&postcount=135
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34246904&postcount=134
http://www.neogaf.com/forum/showpost.php?p=34252206&postcount=135
here are all of the movies I've watched since I last did this:
Gigi * (This movie is like being fucked in the eye by an annoying, boring French guy who sings awful songs while he does it)
Love and Death **** (this was a re-watch and I liked it a whole lot, maybe more so than when I first saw it. I actually think it might be the best from his pre-Annie Hall period.)
Let Me In ** (I liked it more than the original, at least)
In the Loop **** (the funniest modern comedy I have seen in a long time. The dialogue is so great.)
Doubt ** (That scene with PSH and Meryl Streep yelling at each other was fun, but I wish the movie would have been more daring or bold or something. It's pretty shallow outside of the performances from those two actors.)
Ben-Hur *** (I guess it is as good as any biblical epic can be, but I was mostly bored, which probably speaks to my disinterest in the genre more than anything)
Broken Embraces **** (another great melodrama from Almodover with a noirish spin. Thought it was totally engaging and a lot of fun to watch)
Speed Racer **** (I left my opinion in the most recent Speed Racer thread, but basically I loved it and feel it could have been a masterpiece with a few minor changes. It is the Wachowskis' best film.)
Bad Education ***** (Mind blown. My favorite Almodovar film of the six that I have seen.)
All About My Mother *** (probably my least favorite of his films that I have seen, though I still did like it. Loved the use of bright, lavish colors and the way it was shot, but I couldn't connect with the story in the same way I did with his other films)
The Circus **** (no one really makes comedies this good anymore)
The Gold Rush **** (see above)
The Kid **** (see above)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid **** (it says something that I was rooting for the bad guys more than anyone else in this movie, though obviously that is the point. Great characterization.)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy ** (It suffers from the same pacing issues the director's other movie does, however I thought it was very well directed even though I never really cared about the story or characters)
The Game ** (This started off good and I feel the concept Fincher had was an interesting one, however the ending is just awful and makes me retroactively hate the entire thing)
Panic Room ** (Very bad, but it at least kept me engaged for the entire runtime, so I won't fault it too much. What is up with that awful camerawork, though? Yeesh)
Do the Right Thing **** (The whole film has this incredible sense of community and I liked it a lot even though it kind of falls apart at the end)
A Woman Under the Influence ***** (Incredible performances, especially from the lead Gena Rowlands. I thought it handled mental illness much better and more maturely than something like Black Swan which seems silly in comparison)
Tootsie *** (I like Dustin Hoffman a lot and thought this was a fun, breezy comedy with some good moments. Low point is definietly the awful ending, but whatever)
King Kong (1933) **** (Way less bloated and infinitely more enjoyable than the awful Peter Jackson version)
The American ** (it's pretty well shot, but it fails on almost every level as a thriller or whatever it was trying to be, and the ending is rather predictable given that there was no other way it could have ended)
The Arbor ** (this did nothing for me personally, but I do appreciate the director's unique and unconventional approach to documentaries)
The Brothers Bloom ** (much better than the awful Brick. The lead characters have great chemistry, which helps make up for the kind of mediocre plot)
Witness for the Prosecution ***** (Wilder does Hitchcock better than Hitchcock. This is probably my favorite film from him that I have seen)
Lethal Weapon 2 *** (funny and enjoyable. Not quite as good as the first, but the leads have such great chemistry that I can't help but like it)
Lethal Weapon *** (the best Lethal Weapon film in my opinion, as it provides a little bit of extra depth to Riggs which was lacking in the later films)
The 400 Blows ***** (the best French New Wave film that I have seen so far. It's funny and heartbreaking and I really, really loved it.)
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans *** (the one time I want Nic Cage to be way over the top and out of control, he is actually kind of reserved, at least compared to some of his other roles which he is frequently mocked for. Fun movie regardless.)
The Fifth Element *** (amazingly fun sci-fi movie with some really bad acting at times)
Yankee Doodle Dandy ** (the pro-America propaganda is laid on so thick, goddamn. Yes, I know when it was made, but still)
Poetry ***** (One of the best movies I have seen this year. Heartbreaking and sad without ever feeling forced or over-sentimental or anything. Great performance from the lead, too.)
Cold Weather * (I liked the first thirty minutes but it lost me when they got to the detective noir story, which was fucking laughable. The Brick comparisons are apt as I believe both movies are terrible)
To Die Like a Man *** (it's like a second-rate Almodovar film, which is actually not an insult)
Gigi * (This movie is like being fucked in the eye by an annoying, boring French guy who sings awful songs while he does it)
Love and Death **** (this was a re-watch and I liked it a whole lot, maybe more so than when I first saw it. I actually think it might be the best from his pre-Annie Hall period.)
Let Me In ** (I liked it more than the original, at least)
In the Loop **** (the funniest modern comedy I have seen in a long time. The dialogue is so great.)
Doubt ** (That scene with PSH and Meryl Streep yelling at each other was fun, but I wish the movie would have been more daring or bold or something. It's pretty shallow outside of the performances from those two actors.)
Ben-Hur *** (I guess it is as good as any biblical epic can be, but I was mostly bored, which probably speaks to my disinterest in the genre more than anything)
Broken Embraces **** (another great melodrama from Almodover with a noirish spin. Thought it was totally engaging and a lot of fun to watch)
Speed Racer **** (I left my opinion in the most recent Speed Racer thread, but basically I loved it and feel it could have been a masterpiece with a few minor changes. It is the Wachowskis' best film.)
Bad Education ***** (Mind blown. My favorite Almodovar film of the six that I have seen.)
All About My Mother *** (probably my least favorite of his films that I have seen, though I still did like it. Loved the use of bright, lavish colors and the way it was shot, but I couldn't connect with the story in the same way I did with his other films)
The Circus **** (no one really makes comedies this good anymore)
The Gold Rush **** (see above)
The Kid **** (see above)
Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid **** (it says something that I was rooting for the bad guys more than anyone else in this movie, though obviously that is the point. Great characterization.)
Tinker, Tailor, Soldier, Spy ** (It suffers from the same pacing issues the director's other movie does, however I thought it was very well directed even though I never really cared about the story or characters)
The Game ** (This started off good and I feel the concept Fincher had was an interesting one, however the ending is just awful and makes me retroactively hate the entire thing)
Panic Room ** (Very bad, but it at least kept me engaged for the entire runtime, so I won't fault it too much. What is up with that awful camerawork, though? Yeesh)
Do the Right Thing **** (The whole film has this incredible sense of community and I liked it a lot even though it kind of falls apart at the end)
A Woman Under the Influence ***** (Incredible performances, especially from the lead Gena Rowlands. I thought it handled mental illness much better and more maturely than something like Black Swan which seems silly in comparison)
Tootsie *** (I like Dustin Hoffman a lot and thought this was a fun, breezy comedy with some good moments. Low point is definietly the awful ending, but whatever)
King Kong (1933) **** (Way less bloated and infinitely more enjoyable than the awful Peter Jackson version)
The American ** (it's pretty well shot, but it fails on almost every level as a thriller or whatever it was trying to be, and the ending is rather predictable given that there was no other way it could have ended)
The Arbor ** (this did nothing for me personally, but I do appreciate the director's unique and unconventional approach to documentaries)
The Brothers Bloom ** (much better than the awful Brick. The lead characters have great chemistry, which helps make up for the kind of mediocre plot)
Witness for the Prosecution ***** (Wilder does Hitchcock better than Hitchcock. This is probably my favorite film from him that I have seen)
Lethal Weapon 2 *** (funny and enjoyable. Not quite as good as the first, but the leads have such great chemistry that I can't help but like it)
Lethal Weapon *** (the best Lethal Weapon film in my opinion, as it provides a little bit of extra depth to Riggs which was lacking in the later films)
The 400 Blows ***** (the best French New Wave film that I have seen so far. It's funny and heartbreaking and I really, really loved it.)
The Bad Lieutenant: Port of Call - New Orleans *** (the one time I want Nic Cage to be way over the top and out of control, he is actually kind of reserved, at least compared to some of his other roles which he is frequently mocked for. Fun movie regardless.)
The Fifth Element *** (amazingly fun sci-fi movie with some really bad acting at times)
Yankee Doodle Dandy ** (the pro-America propaganda is laid on so thick, goddamn. Yes, I know when it was made, but still)
Poetry ***** (One of the best movies I have seen this year. Heartbreaking and sad without ever feeling forced or over-sentimental or anything. Great performance from the lead, too.)
Cold Weather * (I liked the first thirty minutes but it lost me when they got to the detective noir story, which was fucking laughable. The Brick comparisons are apt as I believe both movies are terrible)
To Die Like a Man *** (it's like a second-rate Almodovar film, which is actually not an insult)
not to shit on your zombie but the 36x24 version of that blows my mind, so absolutely incredible. helldriver, citizen jane, robogeisha and slumber party 3 are the fucking shit. awesome stuff man
Count Dookkake
Member
You mean the ZOMBIE FLESH EATERS variant? I hemmed and hawed over the choice, but I had to go with the title I grew up with.
I'll put up some more stuff eventually. I have a bunch more Mondo stuff that needs framing.
Just a tip, if you space each movie out it makes that a lot easier to read. As it is, it's a little rough on the eyes.
yea, i was such an ass looking back. i stared at both (and the beyond ones) and left with neither. i suck. especially since i could've owned that incredible mondo frankenstein and passed it up.
good stuff though man, from the mondo stuff i have Let Me In, There Will Be Blood and Rubber.
that slumber party 3 is so damn awesome
late feb is the date i think, to give everyone a chance to see the 2011 flicks
Count Dookkake
Member
I also debated getting the THE BEYOND variant in the gold color, but I think silver was the right pick. That LET ME IN one was cool. I am kicking myself that I didn't get the ANTICHRIST one.
I'll have to tell the guys at the Circle Cinema that you liked the SLUMBER PARTY 3 poster. It's the first time they actually screen-printed a real poster for an event. It really classes things up from the usual printer paper stuff. It's a shame, though, it did not sell well, as I don't think the locals really understood how cool it was. Who knows, there might be copies still available, if you are interested.
yea definitely interested. let me know if you hear there are some still around.
Max Armstrong
Member
Finally watched these for the first time (don't judge)
Terminator - Cool atmosphere, loved the cinematography. Effects are pretty dated, but I guess for 1984 it must have been awesome... same thing with the soundtrack, I had some good laughs a couple of times - 7.5/10
Terminator 2 - Cameron knows his action, god damn. The whole thing was done really well, effects still old up pretty well. It didn't have the same atmosphere from the first one though, this one was more... clean. Edward Furlong probably played the most annoying character I've ever seen in a good movie - 8/10
Overall it was fun, but it's really not my kind of movie though, so I didn't enjoy them to their fullest. But I understand why these movies are held so highly.
Terminator - Cool atmosphere, loved the cinematography. Effects are pretty dated, but I guess for 1984 it must have been awesome... same thing with the soundtrack, I had some good laughs a couple of times - 7.5/10
Terminator 2 - Cameron knows his action, god damn. The whole thing was done really well, effects still old up pretty well. It didn't have the same atmosphere from the first one though, this one was more... clean. Edward Furlong probably played the most annoying character I've ever seen in a good movie - 8/10
Overall it was fun, but it's really not my kind of movie though, so I didn't enjoy them to their fullest. But I understand why these movies are held so highly.
i feel like you guys do this just to make me feel old as fuck. same with all the alien resurgence lately
ThisWreckage
Banned
If a character is so insufferable he completely turns the viewer off then the writer has failed, at the very least, on some level. I walked into the film with zero expectations. It also bothers me how he writes his characters with glaring idiosyncrasies and an air of quirkiness. Anderson's writing definitely works against him in many cases. That's why you'll see people sarcastically discuss his films with comments like, "What a quirky film!"
Snowman Prophet of Doom
Member
Oh, believe me, I'm no Wes Anderson fan, but like I said, I think that there's a difference between "That's a well-written character that I can't stand" and "I can't stand the writing of this character." If I can't stand a well-written character, then the quality of the writing can be enough to push me forward in spite of that fact. If I think a character is poorly written, I hate watching the movie.
Max Armstrong
Member
I watch a lot of older movies, but when it comes to something from the 80's, I'm really cautious, cause you 80's kids overhype everything from your youth. And due to that, I will most likely end up being disappointed cause I'm expecting nothing less but a masterpiece every time I watch something from that decade and it rarely delivers.
Count Dookkake
Member
THE LAST AMERICAN VIRGIN, please, watch it.
Max Armstrong
Member
Is there any boobs? Cause that's one thing for sure the 80's knows how to deliver. Boobs everywhere.
Count Dookkake
Member
Affirmative.
petethepanda
Member
Watched Moneyball today. Don't see what all the fuss was about, but being one of the ten Americans who honestly don't give a damn about baseball I don't think it was made for me lol. People kept telling me "it's interesting because it's about the characters, man" but I didn't think that was the case at all, at most there were extremely tiny bits thrown in without much thought (like the daughter) that didn't amount to much of anything.
I would have liked this more as either a) a more standard Cliche Sports Movie or b) a documentary, methinks.
I would have liked this more as either a) a more standard Cliche Sports Movie or b) a documentary, methinks.
roosters93
Member
I wants a letterboxd invite 
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - So dis is pretty good.
The intro was unexpected!
Thought it was better than the Swedish films (other Lisbeth is better though) and the books.
Score was good. Casting was good.
It's weird being in between being Swedish and American with some actors having American accents and others not, some newspaper articles in Swedish and others not. I expected it to be fully adapted into an American setting and whatnot but this was better.
The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo (2011) - So dis is pretty good.
The intro was unexpected!
Thought it was better than the Swedish films (other Lisbeth is better though) and the books.
Score was good. Casting was good.
It's weird being in between being Swedish and American with some actors having American accents and others not, some newspaper articles in Swedish and others not. I expected it to be fully adapted into an American setting and whatnot but this was better.
Fallout-NL
Member
I wants a letterboxd invite
you're not missin much right now. it has potential though
i like the lists. i dont like having to hover over every movie to see if you've already marked it seen or to get a title (if its foreign or poster isnt clear). with netflix integration and a better activity list of things your friends are doing, it could be really cool
perfectnight
Banned
I'm a pretty huge DoA fan but hated 13 Assassins. Felt like he was playing up to the western perspective on what a samurai movie should be.
In totally unrelated news.. I just found out that a director named Jake Scott is going to be making a Jeff Buckley biopic. On one hand it's exciting because more people will get to discover Jeff Buckley but on the other hand.. hollywood.. biopic.. yeah not such a big fan of those.
Calvin Lee Reeder's THE OREGONIAN hits VOD on Tuesday. It got pretty glowing reviews coming out of Sundance last year, some of my favorites:
needless to say, im pretty excited. I tried to get Expendable to see it last year at Sundance and rep GAF a bit, but he apparently hates quality film. so now that ive got you all excited, ill share some of Reeder's shorts. Little Farm is probably his most accessible (and shortest) if you want to start there, but The Rambler might be my favorite. I'm not too fond of Snake Mountain Colada, but to each their own. ill go with a NSFW warning as well:
Little Farm (2006 8 min) http://youtu.be/hDFaLFA5VBY
The Rambler (2008 13 min) http://www.hulu.com/watch/108310/filmbuff-shorts-the-rambler
Snake Mountain Colada (2009 13 min) http://gawker.com/5534073/saturday-shorts-the-snake-mountain-colada
they do all feature Lindsay Pulsipher, so they've got that going for them.
so, uh, yeah, i saw the skin i live in last night... what. it didn't grab me as much as i thought it would, though; it felt so cold and distant. the soundtrack felt strangely out of place, too.
and elena anaya is gorgeous. i feel like rewatching lucia y el sexo and, uhm, finally check out room in rome.
British Monsoon
Member
The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou - I'd always avoided this film, something about it just struck me as odd, and I guess I was right there as it certainly is very odd, but also very dry, darkly funny, touching and memorable in equal measure, with some fantastic performances from the cast. Bill Murray is absolutely perfect as Zissou, the down-on-his-luck leader of a rag-tag band of oceanographic film-makers, struggling with the loss of his best friend, the ailing status of his career and the sudden appearance of his supposed son. Meanwhile, Cate Blanchett puts in an admirable turn as the 5-months pregnant reporter tagging along to write on expose on Zissou and his crew, providing a quirky counter-point to Zissou's madness. Willem Dafoe is also excellent in his supporting role as long-time Team Zissou member Klaus, hilarious German accent and all, and Jeff Goldblum & Michael Gambon both put in memorable cameo performances. Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed 'The Life Aquatic...' - it's pitch-perfect humour throughout, and I loved that director/writer Wes Anderson resists taking his characters down a conventional comedic route where everything is nicely wrapped up in the end, although at times that does seem slightly at odds with the often whimsical, surreal nature of the film. But as far as comedies go, this film seems anything but conventional.
Max Armstrong
Member
legacyzero
Banned
Finally watched Killer Elite.
It was....Slow.
It was....Slow.
I know that feeling. Nothing worse than reading forum postings by movie fans who are really into classic movies. Wow, I think. You don't see that many kids enjoying golden age Hollywood movies from the 30ies and 40ies. And then I find out they see movies from the 80ies/90ies as *OLD* and they regard themselves as bona fide movie buffs for having seen Aliens and The Thing.
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