The nature of the architecture must be taken into account in discussing the film. As stated by Lazslo’s niece, it recalls the concentration camps. I thought of Daniel Libeskind’s design of the Jewish Museum in Berlin. It’s not a welcoming or “humanistic” design. And the cross illuminated on the altar is ambiguous. A tribute to those murdered or an indictment on a slab that could be a coffin?
I loved Nosferatu. It's not exactly a horror movie in the sense of (say) "Talk To Me," but the creepiness, dread, and Romantic sturm und drang is intense. It's also just incredible to look at—somewhere between a fairy tale and a black metal album cover.
"HBO Max’s The Idol, a deeply underappreciated examination of modern celebrity in which she plays a pop star in a tailspin"
C'mon man that show was steaming garbage. It made me angry at Hank Azaria and Jane Adams and that's saying something. The only beam of light was Suzanna Son's songwriting character, and even that was a sleazy-chic MPDG trope, rescued by the actor's chops (and pipes).
With that off my chest, I would read a defense of the show, but yikes that is a tall task.
The Idol was awful. At first I thought it was going to be terrifying, fearing the next to occur would be more horrid than the last, but it descended into silliness that barely merited a shrug.
A note about the equivocality of the term «brutalism: Let’s state how lamentable it is that Le Corbusier’s Chapelle de Notre Dame de Ronchamp or Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center may be properly categorized esthetically as «Architectural Brutalism.»
Language may be, indeed, brutally equivocal. For instance, in Darwinist Philosophy, when applied loosely to justify the necessity of brutality for the sake of species survival or support of brutal ideological oppression by the brutally dominant group, be it for reasons religious, political, racial, sexist, social, or other form of unjust supremacy.
USA Electoral Colleges, State’s gubernatorial authority to impose ideological censorship of books, legislative resistance to approve a humane minimal wage; sadistic behavior, such as demagogic discourse among politicians for the sake of safeguarding the First Constitutional Amendment, as if unquestioned authority, dominance, or influence, as if lying and defaming could constitute a rightful exercise of freedom under the guise of violent, abusive debating parlance. Interestingly, many of the most violent politicians in the Federal Legislature were trained militarily. Hum!
Thanks for the reviews; they definitely help with some decisions.
I'm a sucker for anything with a Skarsgård in it. And vampires? Bonus. But...probably will give Brutalist a miss. (I also share that annoyance with 'look isn't this grand? You should be in awe now? Are you in awe?' and I'm thinking "meh".)
I used to live near a very large example of brutalism and when I made some disparaging remark about it a neighbour said, oh no, it’s great it’s like something from a western! I thought, I didn’t live in the Wild West but am pretty sure ghastly reams of concrete did not feature. (And the thing is even when it starts off looking reasonable it doesn’t after a few years, bc, concrete )
Really interesting reviews, thanks. I will certainly see Nosferatu (on IMAX? Yikes!). I haven’t even seen Wicked yet. Maybe back to back — pure evil one day, pink & green pretty witches the next. 😅. I will also see The Brutalist, at some point. But it sounds like it would be better received on TV. I can’t imagine many people will want to sit through 3 1/2 hours at a movie theatre, especially if the reviews keep referring to the second half as weak.
I wonder if Eggers was influenced to choose the name László Tóth for his protagonist from the pseudonym used by Don Novello (aka Father Guido Sarducci). Lazlo Toth wrote letters to corporations and prominent figures in the 1970’s (his letters to Richard Nixon aka “Roland” are worth the price of admission). “The Lazlo Letters” is a compilation of those letters and inspired Seinfeld’s “Letters From a Nut.”
It must be a common name. A Google search turns up a Hungarian geologist. I always assumed that Novello had named the character after the mentally disturbed man who vandalized the Pietà in 1972, but I have no information on that.
I've seen just about every vampire movie, and certainly every Nosferatu and Dracula film ever made. This is by far the best of them all. Superb cinematography, captivating actors, and a nearly relentless pace of hold your breath horror. I'm going back to see it on Imax.
The nature of the architecture must be taken into account in discussing the film. As stated by Lazslo’s niece, it recalls the concentration camps. I thought of Daniel Libeskind’s design of the Jewish Museum in Berlin. It’s not a welcoming or “humanistic” design. And the cross illuminated on the altar is ambiguous. A tribute to those murdered or an indictment on a slab that could be a coffin?
I loved Nosferatu. It's not exactly a horror movie in the sense of (say) "Talk To Me," but the creepiness, dread, and Romantic sturm und drang is intense. It's also just incredible to look at—somewhere between a fairy tale and a black metal album cover.
"HBO Max’s The Idol, a deeply underappreciated examination of modern celebrity in which she plays a pop star in a tailspin"
C'mon man that show was steaming garbage. It made me angry at Hank Azaria and Jane Adams and that's saying something. The only beam of light was Suzanna Son's songwriting character, and even that was a sleazy-chic MPDG trope, rescued by the actor's chops (and pipes).
With that off my chest, I would read a defense of the show, but yikes that is a tall task.
The Idol was awful. At first I thought it was going to be terrifying, fearing the next to occur would be more horrid than the last, but it descended into silliness that barely merited a shrug.
SB - Where is your best of 2024 list? I still think about Wolf of Sleepy Hollow.
Will probably be Friday’s newsletter.
Nosfurutilist?! Brutalatu rolls off the tongue a little better, doesn’t it, Sonny?
More to come from Eggers: https://www.theinsneider.com/p/labyrinth-new-movie-robert-eggers-write-direct-christopher-nolan-odyssey-most-expensive-film
A note about the equivocality of the term «brutalism: Let’s state how lamentable it is that Le Corbusier’s Chapelle de Notre Dame de Ronchamp or Zaha Hadid's Heydar Aliyev Center may be properly categorized esthetically as «Architectural Brutalism.»
Language may be, indeed, brutally equivocal. For instance, in Darwinist Philosophy, when applied loosely to justify the necessity of brutality for the sake of species survival or support of brutal ideological oppression by the brutally dominant group, be it for reasons religious, political, racial, sexist, social, or other form of unjust supremacy.
USA Electoral Colleges, State’s gubernatorial authority to impose ideological censorship of books, legislative resistance to approve a humane minimal wage; sadistic behavior, such as demagogic discourse among politicians for the sake of safeguarding the First Constitutional Amendment, as if unquestioned authority, dominance, or influence, as if lying and defaming could constitute a rightful exercise of freedom under the guise of violent, abusive debating parlance. Interestingly, many of the most violent politicians in the Federal Legislature were trained militarily. Hum!
"Thomas Hutter (Nicholas Hoult), Ellen’s wife,"
Trans-ylvania, indeed.
Ha, yes, that was a funny typo. The joys of writing with kids running through the house!
Looks like a Hoult block. “Nicholas Hoult shines as Harding …”
Interesting review. I’ll see this one.
Thanks for the reviews; they definitely help with some decisions.
I'm a sucker for anything with a Skarsgård in it. And vampires? Bonus. But...probably will give Brutalist a miss. (I also share that annoyance with 'look isn't this grand? You should be in awe now? Are you in awe?' and I'm thinking "meh".)
I used to live near a very large example of brutalism and when I made some disparaging remark about it a neighbour said, oh no, it’s great it’s like something from a western! I thought, I didn’t live in the Wild West but am pretty sure ghastly reams of concrete did not feature. (And the thing is even when it starts off looking reasonable it doesn’t after a few years, bc, concrete )
Really interesting reviews, thanks. I will certainly see Nosferatu (on IMAX? Yikes!). I haven’t even seen Wicked yet. Maybe back to back — pure evil one day, pink & green pretty witches the next. 😅. I will also see The Brutalist, at some point. But it sounds like it would be better received on TV. I can’t imagine many people will want to sit through 3 1/2 hours at a movie theatre, especially if the reviews keep referring to the second half as weak.
I wonder if Eggers was influenced to choose the name László Tóth for his protagonist from the pseudonym used by Don Novello (aka Father Guido Sarducci). Lazlo Toth wrote letters to corporations and prominent figures in the 1970’s (his letters to Richard Nixon aka “Roland” are worth the price of admission). “The Lazlo Letters” is a compilation of those letters and inspired Seinfeld’s “Letters From a Nut.”
It must be a common name. A Google search turns up a Hungarian geologist. I always assumed that Novello had named the character after the mentally disturbed man who vandalized the Pietà in 1972, but I have no information on that.
When he wrote Datsun in response to their “Datsun means freedom” ad campaign and signed off with “Datsun of Choice.” 😂😂😂
I've seen just about every vampire movie, and certainly every Nosferatu and Dracula film ever made. This is by far the best of them all. Superb cinematography, captivating actors, and a nearly relentless pace of hold your breath horror. I'm going back to see it on Imax.
you're watching a movie about psychic sensitive women and vampires. leave any concern for how it relates to the current stupidy aside.
I think you have a good point.