Movie News, Reviews, and Discussion Super-Thread

[The Fake Shemp]

I agree Willco, clearly since we are fans of Lynch we wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a film of his. I'm sure you would be willing to admit Spider-Man 3 has faults, but as a Raimi fan you still find something about it to enjoy, no? It's all about perspective. But what I'm saying is hampering on the narrative issues for a film that's literally cobbled together from whatever material they had when they fired Lynch is attacking the film at it's weakest element, and ignoring whatever positive traits the film does have. Spider-Man 3 is a fucking mess and the script is awful, but I'm sure you would defend some part of it as a Raimi fan, no?

I own just about every Raimi film on Blu-ray, with the exception of Spider-Man 3. I think that should tell you something, Shake.

... are there some specific elements of the film that I can appreciate on a technical level because of the man behind the camera? I guess. I can't think of many, simply because most of the Raimi-specific stuff has been done elsewhere - and better to boot. It was a pretty soulless endeavor, and tough for me to get behind.

Better example would be something like Polanski's The Ninth Gate, which is a pretty mediocre film that I genuinely enjoy specific production elements from.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Dune is like the Spider-Man 3 of the Lynch filmography; a long, messy clunker of a film heavily toyed with by the studio that is 90% shit but has a few redeemable qualities. Yeah the script sucks, but again that's not really what me or Cheebs are focusing on when we say it's worth watching.

[The Fake Shemp]

There would have been no new-Hollywood movement as we know it of Scorsese, DePalma, Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas etc without Godard and the french new wave movement.

Influential on those filmmakers' respective careers? Yes. Required for advancement of modern day filmmaking? You'll never get me to swallow that pill.

[Cheebs]

I agree Willco, clearly since we are fans of Lynch we wouldn't be so quick to dismiss a film of his. I'm sure you would be willing to admit Spider-Man 3 has faults, but as a Raimi fan you still find something about it to enjoy, no? It's all about perspective. But what I'm saying is hampering on the narrative issues for a film that's literally cobbled together from whatever material they had when they fired Lynch is attacking the film at it's weakest element, and ignoring whatever positive traits the film does have. Spider-Man 3 is a fucking mess and the script is awful, but I'm sure you would defend some part of it as a Raimi fan, no?

I own just about every Raimi film on Blu-ray, with the exception of Spider-Man 3. I think that should tell you something, Shake.

... are there some specific elements of the film that I can appreciate on a technical level because of the man behind the camera? I guess. I can't think of many, simply because most of the Raimi-specific stuff has been done elsewhere - and better to boot. It was a pretty soulless endeavor, and tough for me to get behind.

Better example would be something like Polanski's The Ninth Gate, which is a pretty mediocre film that I genuinely enjoy specific production elements from.

You seem to forget, none of us are behind Dune or even want to defend it.

It'd be like us coming in and claiming this was far superior on a full film level than Spider-Man 3

[youtube=560,345][/youtube]

Spider-Man 3 may be shit but it isn't that shitty! That is pretty much the situation you put us in defending Dune.

[The Fake Shemp]

Dune is like the Spider-Man 3 of the Lynch filmography; a long, messy clunker of a film heavily toyed with by the studio that is 90% shit but has a few redeemable qualities. Yeah the script sucks, but again that's not really what me or Cheebs are focusing on when we say it's worth watching.

Except I can't even really think of anything redeemable from Spider-Man 3, and I'm about the biggest Raimi fanboy you'll find on this side of the Internet. I wear that badge of honor proudly.

Raimi doesn't get a complete pass from me either. Sure, he was a victim of the studio system, but he could've hit the brakes and walked. He had no problem doing it a few months ago.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

There would have been no new-Hollywood movement as we know it of Scorsese, DePalma, Coppola, Spielberg, Lucas etc without Godard and the french new wave movement.

Influential on those filmmakers' respective careers? Yes. Required for advancement of modern day filmmaking? You'll never get me to swallow that pill.

It's hard to tell, but cinema today would probably be a hell of a lot different without the contributions Godard made to language of cinema and how films are made. Almost any major filmmaker worth their shit would cop to this. The man has made a bigger impact than any other filmmaker in the history of the medium save for Einstein, Griffith and maybe Welles.

[Cheebs]

Dune is like the Spider-Man 3 of the Lynch filmography; a long, messy clunker of a film heavily toyed with by the studio that is 90% shit but has a few redeemable qualities. Yeah the script sucks, but again that's not really what me or Cheebs are focusing on when we say it's worth watching.

Except I can't even really think of anything redeemable from Spider-Man 3, and I'm about the biggest Raimi fanboy you'll find on this side of the Internet. I wear that badge of honor proudly.

Raimi doesn't get a complete pass from me either. Sure, he was a victim of the studio system, but he could've hit the brakes and walked. He had no problem doing it a few months ago.

You know you enjoyed James Franco insanely hammy performance about pies and winking and doing the twist...etc. You know it!

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Yes, James Franco was the entire 10% I was talking about. The rest of the movie is a massive putrid fart around him, but he comes out unscathed.

[The Fake Shemp]

Except even if that was true, Franco's performance has absolutely nothing to do with my appreciation for Raimi as a filmmaker, and more to do with the fact that smug pie-eating makes for a funny Internet meme.

[Cheebs]

Shake said it well on aim just now:

saying godard is overrated is like saying mozart or picasso were overrated

You may not like how weird and abnormal Picasso's art was (and Godard has been often called the Picasso of film) but its imposible to deny their impact.

There isn't a single director in the new Hollywood movement, the movement that lead to the 80's stuff I know you (and I) love who wouldn't deny Godard's place as one of the most important and influential elements of film history. Honestly Willco you are probably the only person versed in film who would say that that I have seen.

There is no issue in not like Godard style films but to deny his impact as one of most important people in the history of the medium is something I have never seen anyone attempt to do before.

I am not much of a fan of Coppola but I won't deny his importance as a leader in the new hollywood era.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Dune sux

[Cheebs]

Dune sux

Of which we can all agree.

[Solo]

I cant wait for Feder's name to be attached to a screenwriting credit in a Hollywood movie. It will be open season on the interwebs!

[The Fake Shemp]

Film school student shockingly in love with Godard, denies influential filmmaker is overrated

[The Fake Shemp]

I cant wait for Feder's name to be attached to a screenwriting credit in a Hollywood movie. It will be open season on the interwebs!

I have made my lack of talent well known, and I am going to sell out the first chance I get.

... You can hate on the script all you want, to which my reply will be: $$$

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Film school student shockingly in love with Godard, denies influential filmmaker is overrated

Sam Raimi fanboy claims Godard "not so great, The Gift far more influential".

[Cheebs]

The reason I got into Godard was I thought Anna Karina was hot so I decided to watch one of his movies.

I was fucking clueless on who he was or how important he was to film-making till I had seen and loved a few of his movies already. The fact people I love like Tarantino and Scorsese literally masturbate to Godard movies never came into play.

[The Fake Shemp]

That's true, many filmmakers now cite The Gift as the only reason they cast Katie Holmes.

[Solo]

I cant wait for Feder's name to be attached to a screenwriting credit in a Hollywood movie. It will be open season on the interwebs!

I have made my lack of talent well known, and I am going to sell out the first chance I get.

... You can hate on the script all you want, to which my reply will be: $$$

Im actually just trying to get you to name a character after me in the movie.

[The Fake Shemp]

Cheebs, it wasn't meant as an insult directed at you (or even Shake). I've sat down in enough NYFA classes, and hung out with enough film school grads to make that joke: discovering Godard for many is like finding Jesus.

Except I'm Jewish, bitches.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

I should add that even though I am admittedly a massive Godard fanboy and consider at least 3-4 of his films to be some of my all-time favorites, the man's work does shift from brilliant to overwrought pretentious fluff very frequently and I realize how that can turn people off. I just would rather watch a filmmaker who's actively interested in breaking down and refashioning the medium than a hired hand hack churn out another lame movie based on a video game or whatever the fuck most people find "entertaining". I prefer engaging with a film that might both intrigue me and piss me off than just watching some pretty lights dance across a screen for two hours and call it a day.

Then again I am a film student, and actually give a fuck about the medium. Forgive me my pretensions.

[The Fake Shemp]

Im actually just trying to get you to name a character after me in the movie.

I don't even know your first name! And Solo is not really appropriate for the screenplay I'm writing. Maybe when Lucas dies and I get the chance to remake all the shitty Star Wars prequels, you'll finally have a shot!

[Cheebs]

I can't get into anything Godard did after Weekend from what I have seen so far.

I do wanna see King Lear though. Mostly only for mid-80's Molly Ringwald titties. And the fact Woody Allen plays a alien in it from what I understand.

[The Fake Shemp]

Actually, as a cruel joke, I should see if I could insert your real name into a peer's screenplay he is planning to shoot this summer. It will no doubt be awful, like all of his projects - so have fun explaining to your friends and family that you're named after a character that was in some shitty film that you can only watch OnDemand in the FearNET section of Comcast!

[The Dark Shake 3000]

I can't get into anything Godard did after Weekend from what I have seen so far.

I do wanna see King Lear though. Mostly only for mid-80's Molly Ringwald titties. And the fact Woody Allen plays a alien in it from what I understand.

King Lear is pretty much exactly what I described above: Interesting, fresh and sometimes brilliant and at the same time totally perplexing, alienating and has it's head so far up it's ass it can tongue kiss it's own colon. But it's better than Avatar.

[The Fake Shemp]

ABADAH

[Solo]

Im actually just trying to get you to name a character after me in the movie.

I don't even know your first name! And Solo is not really appropriate for the screenplay I'm writing. Maybe when Lucas dies and I get the chance to remake all the shitty Star Wars prequels, you'll finally have a shot!

Its nowhere near as scandalous as Miles, Maurice, or Jose, Im afraid. It's Chris.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

I'm sure Willco can fanagle the name Chris somewhere in Cop Out 2: Now With More Dated Parkour References

[Cheebs]

I'm sure Willco can fanagle the name Chris somewhere in Cop Out 2: Now With More Dated Parkour References

Willco is going to be a PA on the set of Hit Someday bringing Kevin Smith his daily weed.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

And his daily seven course mid-day snack

[The Fake Shemp]

Please, Kevin Smith is two flops away from being my PA.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Kevin Smith is a few months away from eating his fucking PA

[Solo]

I hope Feder gets his movie and out-Gary Whitta's the Whittanator himself. Of course, that would mean Id have to start hating Feder.

[drew]

nnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnnneeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeerrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrdddddddddddddddddddddddddddsssssssssssssssssss

[Cheebs]

 

Whoever said Kevin Smith should focus on his q&a tours and not making a film every year was a genius.

And I love how gaf is obsessed with whitta and that movie of "his". From what I read the script of that movie was massively re-written by other random studio writers.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Hopefully whoever buys Willco's script has enough faith in him not to shitcan his ass and bring in like ten other writers to polish his turd. And/or dump the film during the "who gives a fuck" post-Oscar season.

[Cheebs]

Duncan Jones  :'(

At least he now gets to film a movie with hotties like Vera Farmiga and Michelle Mongahan.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Duncan Jones? Jones' film got a pretty decent summer release iirc and though Sony basically dumped it still ended up being seen and was on a shitload of end of the year lists. And really, who gives a fuck about the blind Denzel movie now?

[Solo]

Feder, you should write ANIMAL: THE TIGER WOODS STORY or JESSE JAMES: MY LIFE WITH THE VANILLA GORILLA next.

[Cheebs]

Duncan Jones? Jones' film got a pretty decent summer release iirc and though Sony basically dumped it still ended up being seen and was on a shitload of end of the year lists. And really, who gives a fuck about the blind Denzel movie now?

I read that as dumping it in the Oscar season as in Sony's refusal to send oscar screeners.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Like I said, Sony dumped the film but at least it was worth more than what it got. From what I heard Denzel Ninja deserved to be taken out to the shed, not merely dumped during a season no one cares about.

[Cheebs]

Like I said, Sony dumped the film but at least it was worth more than what it got. From what I heard Denzel Ninja deserved to be taken out to the shed, not merely dumped during a season no one cares about.

Yep.

Also I must say my favorite part in this whole "debate" was PD taking a throwaway reference to Harry Potter into writing this long rant about the character of Professor Snape that no one read. 

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Yeah, who gives a fuck about Harry Potter?

[Phoenix Dark]

Fuck you both

[The Fake Shemp]

Hopefully whoever buys Willco's script has enough faith in him not to shitcan his ass and bring in like ten other writers to polish his turd. And/or dump the film during the "who gives a fuck" post-Oscar season.

Dude, this is totally going to happen. That's reality of trying to be a screenwriter in Hollywood. I already came to grips with the fact that if a major buys my spec, I can kiss it goodbye. Whatever happens at that point is out of my hands.

If you can't deal with that, you shouldn't bother even trying to become a screenwriter.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

That's why you have to be a screenwriter/director

And preferably get your shit financed by an indie producer and sold to a respectable distributor after it sweeps every major festival across the globe

[Dickie Dee]

Whitta's original script did bring the Hughes bros out of semi-retirement, though I don't know how out of his hands it got if he was on set during filming

Note: haven't seen movie, don't give a fuck

[The Dark Shake 3000]

I downloaded a copy of the original draft and looked over it. It's barely a grade above Monsters and Madmen, which even I admit was horrible.

Most likely they were taken by the logline, realized it was a concept they could work with (Zatoichi meets Road Warrior? We can do that!) and paid Whitta off to take his script and tear it to pieces in favor of their own studio-approved version.

[The Fake Shemp]

That's why you have to be a screenwriter/director

They are the worst. I have not met a writer-director yet that hasn't severely overrated his abilities. Can't stand 'em. That's the worst part about kids that graduate film school, they all think they're going to be writer-directors (I'm not talking about you). The inevitable crash and burn is always interesting to watch.

And preferably get your shit financed by an indie producer and sold to a respectable distributor after it sweeps every major festival across the globe

Yeah, that's a pretty sweet fantasy.

[The Fake Shemp]

I doubt Book of Eli was untouched by some uncredited studio lackey - maybe even a dozen or so! That's pretty much par for the course for any major production, though.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

That's why you have to be a screenwriter/director

They are the worst. I have not met a writer-director yet that hasn't severely overrated his abilities. Can't stand 'em. That's the worst part about kids that graduate film school, they all think they're going to be writer-directors (I'm not talking about you). The inevitable crash and burn is always interesting to watch.

And preferably get your shit financed by an indie producer and sold to a respectable distributor after it sweeps every major festival across the globe

Yeah, that's a pretty sweet fantasy.

Yes you are

[Cheebs]

My favorite was when people at gaf seemed honestly shocked Whitta wasn't a voting member of the academy in the oscars thread.  

[The Dark Shake 3000]

Whaaaa? I thought Whitta and James Cameron were titty-banging hookers on a boat in the Carribean while tossing boxes full of Academy votes into the ocean :'(

[The Fake Shemp]

I'm really not. That's why I specifically stated that. You have to understand, most of my friends are NYFA and USC grads. A lot of them had to learn that lesson the hard way, and a few still need to learn that lesson.

From that list, I only know a few that were able or have the talent to pull it off. In fact, I personally only know one truly proper writer-director with credits to his name.

I don't mean that as a shot against you, in all seriousness. I don't. But you have to understand that inflated sense of ego that most of your peers will graduate with.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

I'm not saying you're not right, believe me I know. Plenty of the people I've taken classes with want to get into the industry, but know absolutely nothing about film history, techniques etc. They just see Michael Bay chilling with his shirt off at Hollywood coke parties and go " I want that guy's life". It's depressing.

[Cheebs]

Trahan will be fine, just look at this direction:
http://www.twitvid.com/8F2CF

[The Fake Shemp]

I actually prefer the struggling artist lifestyle. The fact that something of mine might sell, and that we're inching ever closer to something tangible scares the crap out of me.

My favorite times as a non-existent filmmaker is sleeping on the floors and second-hand couches of my friends in Los Angeles, going to test screenings, watching demo reels and discussing film. At the end of the month, we can only hope to scrounge up enough money to pay the interest on our credit cards, rent and utilities.

If there is some money left over, we might go watch a matinee.

I totally dig that, actually.

[The Dark Shake 3000]

I've spoken to a few producers here and there who were interested in looking at my shit (and two who did and expressed interest in actually getting it made), but the thing is I'm still very protective of my scripts and what have you and refuse to sell them for the minimum and let them have their way with them. I really do want to direct as well as write, and I know there's no way in hell I'm gonna be able to convince people I'm a real director at this stage (I'm 19 for fucks sake, who's gonna take me seriously?) so I prefer to wait and get the necessary experience on my own before actually trying to eek out a career. I don't want to sell a script off just to get some cash now when there's a chance I could be able to sell it and direct it myself in a few years' time.

It might be stupid, but goddamn it it's the Shake way

[Cheebs]

I am still mad you turned down that chance to work on the set of that Kristen Stewart Joan Jet biopic!

[The Dark Shake 3000]

What the fuck am I gonna do in LA?

But for seriousss there was no way I could have done it anyway, too many prior engagements. And it was really late notice.