I’m eagerly awaiting the day BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET get added to the collection. Linklater was quoted maybe a year or so ago as saying he was trying to get them in (or something to that affect,) but I haven’t heard anything about it in ages.
My name is Steve. I live in the Cleveland area, in Ohio. I just graduated from Film School in May, and am saving money to move… somewhere where I can get a job, essentially. I think the first movie as a child that really made me fall in love with movies was Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN. The movie that made me want to (attempt to) become a filmmaker way back when was Kevin Smith’s CHASING AMY, and though it will always have a special place in my heart, I think I’ve outgrown it. I’m currently working through a bit of a Woody Allen obsession.
1. I maintain RED DRAGON is a really good little thriller. Whether or not you believe the rumors of his on-set behavior causing Dante Spinotti to “direct” a good majority of it, if Ratner announced tomorrow he was making another horror-ish movie, I’d be there. It’s well plotted and paced, well written (he knew enough to go after Ted Tally, so you have to give him credit for that), and thanks to some really good blocking there are some legitimate scares.
2. If you listen to the commentary tracks for his movies in the order of release, starting with RUSH HOUR and working your way to RED DRAGON, you can literally hear his ego getting bigger. It’s fascinating :) On the RUSH HOUR commentary he’s this humble guy talking about how much he loves movies and how much fun he had every day, and by the time he gets to RED DRAGON he just talks about how awesome he is.
I’m a massive television fan. My TV-on-DVD collection is almost as large as my movie collection. Notable shows folks should check out:
THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW is probably the best sitcom of all time. Brilliantly written, funny, touching, awkward, and sad often within the span of thirty minutes, Garry Shandling really came along and set the stage for HBO for the next fifteen years. It’s the show that inspired Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchent to write THE OFFICE, and was a major influence on Mitch Hurowitz for ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, among many others (30 ROCK is essentially a really broad version of the same show; Aaron Sorkin clearly had seen it when he started STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, etc). It ran for 89 episodes, and there wasn’t a bad one in the lot. NOT JUST THE BEST OF THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW is a “Best-Of” collection with close to thirty episodes, as well as eight hours of bonus materials that are astounding. Shandling basically uses the DVD as therapy, and it’s just as engaging as the show itself.
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 is comedy writing at its finest :) Each episode has close to 600 jokes, and while its premise is simple, the comedy rarely ever is. (Mike is better than Joel…)
FREAKS AND GEEKS was a wonderful little show that was killed before its prime. Co-created by Judd Apatow (THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, and a driving force behind the aforementioned THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW), it easily has the best pilot of all time.
I don’t think there’s one I don’t enjoy, but if I had to pick I’d go BARTON FINK. It really is brilliant. But I can’t say enough good things about FARGO, RAISING ARIZONA, or MILLER’S CROSSING, either. Those are the top tier, for me. Obviously NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is really good, too, but I’d hesitate to use the word “brilliant” when talking about it.
They really are annoyingly good, aren’t they? Nobody should be that good at what they do.
I take a lot of crap for this, but I think METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER is really terrific. Made by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, it’s a fascinating portrait of three people who just happen to be some of the biggest musicians in the world. You absolutely do not have to like their music to enjoy it – it’s probably better if you don’t. At it’s emotional core it’s the story of three guys who have been friends for decades trying to decide whether their relationships are worth saving, and it’s incredibly satisfying because of it.
I’ve always looked at every version of the film as a separate entity, in which case it really depends on which cut you’re watching. In the 1982 Theatrical Cut, he definitely isn’t. In the 1992 Director’s Cut, he definitely is. Likewise with the 2007 Final Cut.
As others have said, I do think that people who get incredibly hung up on the question to the point where it’s all they take away from the film are kind of missing the point. Does it ultimately matter? No. But the fact that you’re asking the question is more important than whatever the answer is. It just drives home one of the main themes of the picture.
Criterion should start releasing film prints. Obviously not of everything, and not in mass quantities, but I’m sure if they did limited runs on certain titles they own collectors would eat them up. I know I would.
I’m about to turn 23 years old tomorrow. I’ve been a movie fan since I was a child, I’ve been a movie lover since I was thirteen, I’ve seen a couple thousand movies in my day and try not to use the word “perfect” too lightly. Like “brilliant” or “genius,” I think it gets used to the point of devaluing it. So I’ve thought long and hard about this question, and when I say this particular movie is “perfect,” I really mean it in the literal definition of that word.
Of every movie I’ve ever seen, the only movie I’d call “perfect” would be Godfrey Reggio’s KOYAANISQATSI.
Though THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is a close, close second :)
KOYAANISQATSI is a really beautiful film – even the parts that are all industrial and ugly and scary. If any film deserved a Criterion treatment, it’d be that one.
I like watching ‘em. If something I like doesn’t win something, I don’t really mind, because it’s not like I’m suddenly not allowed to like that particular movie. Likewise, if something I don’t like wins, I’m all “well, huh…” and then I go back to whatever I was doing.
I tend to pay much more attention in recent years to Cannes and Sundance as far as interesting noteworthy stuff goes.
I’ll defend SUPERMAN RETURNS until the day I die. It’s 60% a really fascinating character drama that just happens to cost $200 million dollars. Suddenly, though, it remembers that it’s supposed to be a “comic book movie,” and it all goes straight to hell from there.
All the albums that dominated my iPod this year were all the top albums from 2007; I didn’t really get anything super new. Just played a lot of Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, and the New Pornographers over and over again.
I still think “Funeral” is the best album of the century thusfar, and I’ll fight anyone who thinks differently :)
Movies That Should Be In the Criterion Collection over 3 years ago
I’m eagerly awaiting the day BEFORE SUNRISE and BEFORE SUNSET get added to the collection. Linklater was quoted maybe a year or so ago as saying he was trying to get them in (or something to that affect,) but I haven’t heard anything about it in ages.
Go to Comment
New to The Auteurs? You Belong Here over 3 years ago
My name is Steve. I live in the Cleveland area, in Ohio. I just graduated from Film School in May, and am saving money to move… somewhere where I can get a job, essentially. I think the first movie as a child that really made me fall in love with movies was Richard Donner’s SUPERMAN. The movie that made me want to (attempt to) become a filmmaker way back when was Kevin Smith’s CHASING AMY, and though it will always have a special place in my heart, I think I’ve outgrown it. I’m currently working through a bit of a Woody Allen obsession.
Go to Comment
can someone explain why brett ratner is in the auteur profile list?? over 3 years ago
Two notable things about Ratner:
1. I maintain RED DRAGON is a really good little thriller. Whether or not you believe the rumors of his on-set behavior causing Dante Spinotti to “direct” a good majority of it, if Ratner announced tomorrow he was making another horror-ish movie, I’d be there. It’s well plotted and paced, well written (he knew enough to go after Ted Tally, so you have to give him credit for that), and thanks to some really good blocking there are some legitimate scares.
2. If you listen to the commentary tracks for his movies in the order of release, starting with RUSH HOUR and working your way to RED DRAGON, you can literally hear his ego getting bigger. It’s fascinating :) On the RUSH HOUR commentary he’s this humble guy talking about how much he loves movies and how much fun he had every day, and by the time he gets to RED DRAGON he just talks about how awesome he is.
Go to Comment
TV SHOWS over 3 years ago
I’m a massive television fan. My TV-on-DVD collection is almost as large as my movie collection. Notable shows folks should check out:
THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW is probably the best sitcom of all time. Brilliantly written, funny, touching, awkward, and sad often within the span of thirty minutes, Garry Shandling really came along and set the stage for HBO for the next fifteen years. It’s the show that inspired Ricky Gervais and Stephen Merchent to write THE OFFICE, and was a major influence on Mitch Hurowitz for ARRESTED DEVELOPMENT, among many others (30 ROCK is essentially a really broad version of the same show; Aaron Sorkin clearly had seen it when he started STUDIO 60 ON THE SUNSET STRIP, CURB YOUR ENTHUSIASM, etc). It ran for 89 episodes, and there wasn’t a bad one in the lot. NOT JUST THE BEST OF THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW is a “Best-Of” collection with close to thirty episodes, as well as eight hours of bonus materials that are astounding. Shandling basically uses the DVD as therapy, and it’s just as engaging as the show itself.
MYSTERY SCIENCE THEATER 3000 is comedy writing at its finest :) Each episode has close to 600 jokes, and while its premise is simple, the comedy rarely ever is. (Mike is better than Joel…)
FREAKS AND GEEKS was a wonderful little show that was killed before its prime. Co-created by Judd Apatow (THE 40-YEAR-OLD VIRGIN, KNOCKED UP, and a driving force behind the aforementioned THE LARRY SANDERS SHOW), it easily has the best pilot of all time.
Go to Comment
TV SHOWS over 3 years ago
EDIT: Gah, double post.
Go to Comment
Coen!!! over 3 years ago
I don’t think there’s one I don’t enjoy, but if I had to pick I’d go BARTON FINK. It really is brilliant. But I can’t say enough good things about FARGO, RAISING ARIZONA, or MILLER’S CROSSING, either. Those are the top tier, for me. Obviously NO COUNTRY FOR OLD MEN is really good, too, but I’d hesitate to use the word “brilliant” when talking about it.
They really are annoyingly good, aren’t they? Nobody should be that good at what they do.
Go to Comment
Documentaries over 3 years ago
I take a lot of crap for this, but I think METALLICA: SOME KIND OF MONSTER is really terrific. Made by Joe Berlinger and Bruce Sinofsky, it’s a fascinating portrait of three people who just happen to be some of the biggest musicians in the world. You absolutely do not have to like their music to enjoy it – it’s probably better if you don’t. At it’s emotional core it’s the story of three guys who have been friends for decades trying to decide whether their relationships are worth saving, and it’s incredibly satisfying because of it.
Go to Comment
Coen!!! over 3 years ago
Hmm… I’d never thought about the similarities between the two before. That’s really interesting.
Go to Comment
Is Deckard a replicant? over 3 years ago
I’ve always looked at every version of the film as a separate entity, in which case it really depends on which cut you’re watching. In the 1982 Theatrical Cut, he definitely isn’t. In the 1992 Director’s Cut, he definitely is. Likewise with the 2007 Final Cut.
As others have said, I do think that people who get incredibly hung up on the question to the point where it’s all they take away from the film are kind of missing the point. Does it ultimately matter? No. But the fact that you’re asking the question is more important than whatever the answer is. It just drives home one of the main themes of the picture.
Go to Comment
Anyone Here Collect Films? over 3 years ago
Hmm. This brings up an interesting thought.
Criterion should start releasing film prints. Obviously not of everything, and not in mass quantities, but I’m sure if they did limited runs on certain titles they own collectors would eat them up. I know I would.
Go to Comment
When I say "A Perfect Film", What One Film Pops Into Your Head First? over 3 years ago
I’m about to turn 23 years old tomorrow. I’ve been a movie fan since I was a child, I’ve been a movie lover since I was thirteen, I’ve seen a couple thousand movies in my day and try not to use the word “perfect” too lightly. Like “brilliant” or “genius,” I think it gets used to the point of devaluing it. So I’ve thought long and hard about this question, and when I say this particular movie is “perfect,” I really mean it in the literal definition of that word.
Of every movie I’ve ever seen, the only movie I’d call “perfect” would be Godfrey Reggio’s KOYAANISQATSI.
Though THE SILENCE OF THE LAMBS is a close, close second :)
Go to Comment
The most beautiful films? over 3 years ago
KOYAANISQATSI is a really beautiful film – even the parts that are all industrial and ugly and scary. If any film deserved a Criterion treatment, it’d be that one.
Go to Comment
Closet Oscar Fans? over 3 years ago
I like watching ‘em. If something I like doesn’t win something, I don’t really mind, because it’s not like I’m suddenly not allowed to like that particular movie. Likewise, if something I don’t like wins, I’m all “well, huh…” and then I go back to whatever I was doing.
I tend to pay much more attention in recent years to Cannes and Sundance as far as interesting noteworthy stuff goes.
Go to Comment
Which Movies Have You Walked Out On? over 3 years ago
As far as the theater goes, I didn’t walk out of but I did actively go to sleep during THE DAY AFTER TOMORROW. Such rubbish :)
I was taking a comic book movie theory class in college and we were going to watch ELEKTRA, and I left in protest.
Go to Comment
Films you love but most people hate. over 3 years ago
I’ll defend SUPERMAN RETURNS until the day I die. It’s 60% a really fascinating character drama that just happens to cost $200 million dollars. Suddenly, though, it remembers that it’s supposed to be a “comic book movie,” and it all goes straight to hell from there.
Go to Comment
Top Albums of the Year (aka What rocks your ipod) 2008 over 3 years ago
All the albums that dominated my iPod this year were all the top albums from 2007; I didn’t really get anything super new. Just played a lot of Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem, and the New Pornographers over and over again.
I still think “Funeral” is the best album of the century thusfar, and I’ll fight anyone who thinks differently :)
Go to Comment