Wes Anderson is just...not for me. I have had few movie-watching experiences more disappointing than that stupid "The Life Aquatic." So many people told me it was amazing, that this was going to be the movie that FINALLY made me see why Wes Anderson was a genius. And I really, really tried to enjoy it. But boy oh boy did I hate that movie. Boring, pointless, random, not funny OR dramatic, full of ruined David Bowie songs....geez that movie sucked.
"The thing about Netflix is that it creates a sort of anti-urgency: well, it’s there, and it’ll be there forever, I guess, so no reason to rush and see it."
This perfectly captures how I have felt about Netflix for a long time. The last thing we rushed to watch on the service was the last season of "Stranger Things". Even our last DVDs we got sat next to our TV for months because of no urgency of a due date attached to them (more power to libraries for having a set due date). Which is how we ended up keeping our last two DVDs after September 30. FYI, they are "Armegeddon Time" and Meg Ryan's forgotten directing debut "Ithaca" -- her remake of the classic and also largely forgotten "The Human Comedy" (1943).
Did I read this right, Sonny? You haven't seen "In The Mouth of Madness?! Cuz hoo-boy you're in for a good trip. It's top-notch John Carpenter. You'll never look at Sam Neill the same. If "Event Horizon" hasn't already scarred you in that way.
Oh! You are absolutely right on about this Netflix apathy, Sonny!
I'm a huge Wes Anderson fan (I even like the Youtube parodies and the AI trailers) and heard nothing about the Netflix shorts until something came up on some feed on one of my wife's accounts about a week before they came out.
I absolutely loved them. The framing, the staging, the acting and sets were wonderful-even magical for me. My son, who is also a WA fan, really didn't like the narration of action by characters and thought it distracting, but I thought it added a lot and the stories were as strange, disconcerting and Jungian as any of Dahl's tales. The acting was wonderful and the actors themselves seemed to be having fun. Ralph Fiennes as the Ratcatcher was particularly memorable, but Rupert Friend in The Swan was great as well. I'm getting a little bit out there, but the experience (to me) was like eating tiny, sweet, delectable bonbons or seeing perfect little gems on a lovely person that gives them life. (I'll put in a disclaimer for others that YMMMV) Really a shame that the release of these isn't the big event that I think it should be.
Omg I'm so excited that in the Mouth of Madness was assigned! It's absolutely one of my favorite horror films. Still gives me the heebie jeebies to this day every time I watch it.
I really really enjoy In the Mouth of Madness. I like Carpenter's message about media and entertainment w/ a sweet horror spin. Between that and Event Horizon you can get a really creepy mini marathon of Sam Neill. Fun side note: The little kid on the bike at the end is the future Anakin Skywalker Hayden Christensen.
I loved the trailer for Silent Night. Glad to see Marvel licensed "The Punisher" to be remade as a Christmas movie - it is nearly exactly the same thing. Joel Kinnamon as Frank Castle. Interesting.
“In the Mouth of Madness” is awesome. Watched John Carpenter’s “Escape From New York” last night. Now I have identified the source of Fox News’ current vision of cities (except for the President’s Brit accent).
I enjoyed the essay on Richard Bachman. I'm curious though why there was no note on r mention in the piece explaining that he is in fact a Stephen King pseudonym. Is that common knowledge enough that it's just an unstated fun point of the essay?
In part, yes. In further part: I think it's worth examining work produced under a pen name on its own merits, analyzing how the metafiction created by the real author influences the work in question. Besides, who needs another essay that's just a rehash of "Hey, did you know Stephen King has a pseudonym? WHOA."
I like Asteroid City. It's like watching an entire movie making fun of '50s interpretive dance. I thought it was great fun. They took themselves so seriously back in the day.
Wes Anderson is just...not for me. I have had few movie-watching experiences more disappointing than that stupid "The Life Aquatic." So many people told me it was amazing, that this was going to be the movie that FINALLY made me see why Wes Anderson was a genius. And I really, really tried to enjoy it. But boy oh boy did I hate that movie. Boring, pointless, random, not funny OR dramatic, full of ruined David Bowie songs....geez that movie sucked.
"The thing about Netflix is that it creates a sort of anti-urgency: well, it’s there, and it’ll be there forever, I guess, so no reason to rush and see it."
This perfectly captures how I have felt about Netflix for a long time. The last thing we rushed to watch on the service was the last season of "Stranger Things". Even our last DVDs we got sat next to our TV for months because of no urgency of a due date attached to them (more power to libraries for having a set due date). Which is how we ended up keeping our last two DVDs after September 30. FYI, they are "Armegeddon Time" and Meg Ryan's forgotten directing debut "Ithaca" -- her remake of the classic and also largely forgotten "The Human Comedy" (1943).
I'm glad a Beekeeper is going to stop these incessant phone solicitations any day now. Been looking forward to it for decades.
God, I fucking love The Grand Budapest Hotel.
Did I read this right, Sonny? You haven't seen "In The Mouth of Madness?! Cuz hoo-boy you're in for a good trip. It's top-notch John Carpenter. You'll never look at Sam Neill the same. If "Event Horizon" hasn't already scarred you in that way.
Well I watched it this week but yeah, it’s great
Finally...LOS LOCOS on HD physical media!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_lmlXZ_-320
Oh! You are absolutely right on about this Netflix apathy, Sonny!
I'm a huge Wes Anderson fan (I even like the Youtube parodies and the AI trailers) and heard nothing about the Netflix shorts until something came up on some feed on one of my wife's accounts about a week before they came out.
I absolutely loved them. The framing, the staging, the acting and sets were wonderful-even magical for me. My son, who is also a WA fan, really didn't like the narration of action by characters and thought it distracting, but I thought it added a lot and the stories were as strange, disconcerting and Jungian as any of Dahl's tales. The acting was wonderful and the actors themselves seemed to be having fun. Ralph Fiennes as the Ratcatcher was particularly memorable, but Rupert Friend in The Swan was great as well. I'm getting a little bit out there, but the experience (to me) was like eating tiny, sweet, delectable bonbons or seeing perfect little gems on a lovely person that gives them life. (I'll put in a disclaimer for others that YMMMV) Really a shame that the release of these isn't the big event that I think it should be.
Omg I'm so excited that in the Mouth of Madness was assigned! It's absolutely one of my favorite horror films. Still gives me the heebie jeebies to this day every time I watch it.
Your kids could be doing a lot worse than Miraculous.
It's pretty solid as far as modern kid's fare goes!
I turned my daughter into a fan of vintage Spider-Man.
https://archive.org/details/Spider-Man-67-Collection/
I really really enjoy In the Mouth of Madness. I like Carpenter's message about media and entertainment w/ a sweet horror spin. Between that and Event Horizon you can get a really creepy mini marathon of Sam Neill. Fun side note: The little kid on the bike at the end is the future Anakin Skywalker Hayden Christensen.
I loved the trailer for Silent Night. Glad to see Marvel licensed "The Punisher" to be remade as a Christmas movie - it is nearly exactly the same thing. Joel Kinnamon as Frank Castle. Interesting.
I hope they go dark with the punisher. How can’t they? It’s Marvel.
Sonny, what is your take on Bottle Rocket? I love the film, but it is definitely a "first film" and lumpier than Rushmore et al.
I like the first half hour and the last half hour but the half hour in the middle drags a bit.
Agreed. Once they finally leave the hotel for good and kimono'd-and-topknott'd Jimmy Caan enters the film, it really picks up strong momentum again.
Dignan might be my favorite Owen Wilson character in the early Anderson movies, but I do love the glorious awkwardness of "Sugar its Eli" in RT
“In the Mouth of Madness” is awesome. Watched John Carpenter’s “Escape From New York” last night. Now I have identified the source of Fox News’ current vision of cities (except for the President’s Brit accent).
I enjoyed the essay on Richard Bachman. I'm curious though why there was no note on r mention in the piece explaining that he is in fact a Stephen King pseudonym. Is that common knowledge enough that it's just an unstated fun point of the essay?
In part, yes. In further part: I think it's worth examining work produced under a pen name on its own merits, analyzing how the metafiction created by the real author influences the work in question. Besides, who needs another essay that's just a rehash of "Hey, did you know Stephen King has a pseudonym? WHOA."
Thanks for replying! Again, excellent piece that played with expectations to good effect.
I like Asteroid City. It's like watching an entire movie making fun of '50s interpretive dance. I thought it was great fun. They took themselves so seriously back in the day.