What is it about this movie? Why exactly is this movie the highest grossing movie of all time (unadjusted for inflation)? What sent people into the theatres over and over?
Surely it wasn't the love story. I've heard the love story described as vapid. I've heard many references to clunky dialogue. I've heard people call it boring.
Surely it wasn't the spectacle. Nobody wants to see a movie about a big boat going boom. Who in their right mind would want to see people fall a hundred feet off the stern of a boat and go splat in the water? Drowning children? Bobbing frozen corpses? What bloodlust and sadism!
Surely it wasn't the attention to detail. In our day and age, it is merely expected that a historical pic like this will be well researched. If a movie does not elaborately reconstruct sets so that the audience feels like they've entered another era, it has failed its job. Why should Titanic feel so special?
The answer is: all three of those things. Despite what people who were "too cool" for this movie say, millions of people found the love story compelling. People liked seeing other people go squish in the water. And above it all floats the love and care that the cast and crew put into making everything seem perfect. The costumes, the research, the sets, the fact that they recreated a life-size Titanic (!), all of these delight the viewer's senses.
I don't care what all y'all say. I really like this show.
4 hearts of the ocean out of 5
ps- If you need more evidence that the MPAA is corrupt, ponder why this film with shocking violence, swearing, and naked Kate Winslet is rated PG-13.
Monday, March 31, 2008
Monday, March 24, 2008
Review of Easy Rider
O. My. God.
So terrible. So unworthy.
And yet, I'd like you all to try an experiment. If you have parents or other relatives that were young (ages 16-29) in 1969, I challenge you to ask them if they liked Easy Rider. If they've seen it, they'll tell you they liked it.
Why? WHY WHY WHY?
I guess you just had to be there. Some movies age better than others and Easy Rider hasn't fared well. Two guys ride on motorcycles, accompanied by music. They meet some guys. They leave. They ride around on their bikes, accompanied by music. They meet some more guys. They leave. They drop acid in a graveyard. Then before you know it or care, they're dead and the movie's over.
Oops! Did I spoil that for you? Too bad, sucka! Because, the fact is, if you manage to make it to the end you won't care either.
"But Jeremy," you say, "Easy Rider is an avant garde masterpiece. It's not meant to have a conventional Hollywood plot."
Well, my friend, I've seen The Last Movie, also by Dennis Hopper, and I can say without reservation that if Easy Rider has anything good in it, it's an accident. Dennis Hopper was stoned out of his mind for both these films. Easy Rider is considered to be a "good" movie, and The Last Movie is considered to be a "bad" movie. The Dennis Hopper of Easy Rider is portrayed as a gutsy, thoughtful filmmaker, but the Dennis Hopper of The Last Movie is considered to be a drug-crazed, self-indulgent lunatic. But you know what? Both movies are shitty, pointless and incoherent, and the same guy directed them!
Like most avant garde works of art, these movies are only good if people say they're good. Easy Rider has a good reputation, but that's all it is. Don't believe me? Watch it and find out. My prayers are with you.
The scenery is nice, though.
1 acid tab out of 5
So terrible. So unworthy.
And yet, I'd like you all to try an experiment. If you have parents or other relatives that were young (ages 16-29) in 1969, I challenge you to ask them if they liked Easy Rider. If they've seen it, they'll tell you they liked it.
Why? WHY WHY WHY?
I guess you just had to be there. Some movies age better than others and Easy Rider hasn't fared well. Two guys ride on motorcycles, accompanied by music. They meet some guys. They leave. They ride around on their bikes, accompanied by music. They meet some more guys. They leave. They drop acid in a graveyard. Then before you know it or care, they're dead and the movie's over.
Oops! Did I spoil that for you? Too bad, sucka! Because, the fact is, if you manage to make it to the end you won't care either.
"But Jeremy," you say, "Easy Rider is an avant garde masterpiece. It's not meant to have a conventional Hollywood plot."
Well, my friend, I've seen The Last Movie, also by Dennis Hopper, and I can say without reservation that if Easy Rider has anything good in it, it's an accident. Dennis Hopper was stoned out of his mind for both these films. Easy Rider is considered to be a "good" movie, and The Last Movie is considered to be a "bad" movie. The Dennis Hopper of Easy Rider is portrayed as a gutsy, thoughtful filmmaker, but the Dennis Hopper of The Last Movie is considered to be a drug-crazed, self-indulgent lunatic. But you know what? Both movies are shitty, pointless and incoherent, and the same guy directed them!
Like most avant garde works of art, these movies are only good if people say they're good. Easy Rider has a good reputation, but that's all it is. Don't believe me? Watch it and find out. My prayers are with you.
The scenery is nice, though.
1 acid tab out of 5
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Review of A Night at the Opera
Meh.
Not that great. I didn't hate it, but the laughs didn't come very fast nor furious. One cannot even really say, "It was okay for the time it was made", because Bringing Up Baby was made during this same era and was HILARIOUS by modern standards.
Honestly, I think the big problem was that the plot wasn't that good. Like a lot of comedies, it was events strung together to highlight a series of gags and musical numbers. Yeah, those Marx Brothers were talented musicians, but for me it didn't fly.
Suzi seemed to hate it.
2 bearded Russian pilots out of 5
Not that great. I didn't hate it, but the laughs didn't come very fast nor furious. One cannot even really say, "It was okay for the time it was made", because Bringing Up Baby was made during this same era and was HILARIOUS by modern standards.
Honestly, I think the big problem was that the plot wasn't that good. Like a lot of comedies, it was events strung together to highlight a series of gags and musical numbers. Yeah, those Marx Brothers were talented musicians, but for me it didn't fly.
Suzi seemed to hate it.
2 bearded Russian pilots out of 5
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
Posts
