Why? Oliver. Why did you show that to your class? Have you not seen the multiple threads mentioning exactly what you said about this film?
Yeah but my disgust with the film aside, I think it's still a useful film for the course. I mean, I also screen "Birth of a Nation", yaoming?
Not really. These are undergrads right? Nobody in your clas had any critical thoughts on the film? I'm curious.
On another note. I saw film recently that had a montage of racist cartoons at either the beginning or end. I can't remember what film that was? Anybody?
On another note. I saw film recently that had a montage of racist cartoons at either the beginning or end. I can't remember what film that was? Anybody?
i think that's bamboozled, but i am not 100% on that.
My problem with this film was the simple fact that it was a complete and utter bite off of 'Magnolia'! Replace the "race relations" with "disfunctional families" and it's the same movie. It's unfair how much attention it got for being a rip off.
Don't believe me? Check it:
1) It has all these different storie lines that initally seem like they have nothing to do with each but remarkably are all connected by the end.
2) The corny "it's snowing in LA", impossible-seeming natural occurance? Hmmm. . .that's an awful lot like the raining frogs at the end of Magnolia. . .
On another note. I saw film recently that had a montage of racist cartoons at either the beginning or end. I can't remember what film that was? Anybody?
Bamboozled? Been a while since I've seen it. Might be wrong.
On another note. I saw film recently that had a montage of racist cartoons at either the beginning or end. I can't remember what film that was? Anybody?
Bamboozled? Been a while since I've seen it. Might be wrong.
My problem with this film was the simple fact that it was a complete and utter bite off of 'Magnolia'!
And you could say that Magnolia was a rip of 13 Conversations About One Thing which was a rip of Happiness which was a rip of Short Cuts which was a rip of Altman's other films... and so on.
If only biting other films was Crash's main problem.
Magnolia was, for many I know, self included, "a complete and utter bite off of robert altman's "shortcuts" (which itself was a more elaborate - and in my opinion, less effective - revisit to the narrative style he so successfully mined with "nashville").
I like PT Anderson but thought "magnolia" was, by far, the weakest and most self indulgent film he ever put out and the fact that it so closely hews to the narrative arc of "shortcuts" does little to improve my opinion of it.
Btw, can anyone tell me if altman's overall arc took its cue from raymond carver's stories or whether he (altman) weaved carver's tales together?
My problem with this film was the simple fact that it was a complete and utter bite off of 'Magnolia'! Replace the "race relations" with "disfunctional families" and it's the same movie. It's unfair how much attention it got for being a rip off.
Don't believe me? Check it:
1) It has all these different storie lines that initally seem like they have nothing to do with each but remarkably are all connected by the end.
2) The corny "it's snowing in LA", impossible-seeming natural occurance? Hmmm. . .that's an awful lot like the raining frogs at the end of Magnolia. . .
My brother recommended that movie to me and I watched it several months ago. I still cannot get over how robotic the dialogue was. What was this film supposed to provoke? I hate these hoity-toity movies that basically point to a controversal subject with a huge neon sign, so to speak, complete with hammed up dialogue. Ehhhh, I ranted enough about this movie. Treat others as you would be like to be treated; Don't pull the guilty, overcompensation bullshit, yet don't judge a person based on a physical feature they were born with. Any other "message" extended on that is just pretentious.
On another note. I saw film recently that had a montage of racist cartoons at either the beginning or end. I can't remember what film that was? Anybody?
Bamboozled? Been a while since I've seen it. Might be wrong.
nah, it was another film.
I only saw it once, and was blazed out of my mind, but was it CSA: Confederate States of America?
On the topic of that film, someone should explain to the producer what the term "heavy handed" means.
Magnolia was, for many I know, self included, "a complete and utter bite off of robert altman's "shortcuts" (which itself was a more elaborate - and in my opinion, less effective - revisit to the narrative style he so successfully mined with "nashville").
Ahh, I totally forgot about Short Cuts, your right, I feel you there.
The snow scene at the end though still. . .kinda uncanny.
Laughably bad films from my Netflix Rental History: -Crash (well coverd above) -Harsh Times (so bad it's good - thanks rootlesscosmo) -Fast Food Nation (TERRIBLE adaptation, should of just made a doc) -The Illusionist (thanks for curing my insomnia Ed Norton!) -An American Haunting (a molestation awareness film under the guise of a horror film? Greeeat.) -Running Scared (the modern definition of style over substance in films) -Domino (ooof & see above)
On another note. I saw film recently that had a montage of racist cartoons at either the beginning or end. I can't remember what film that was? Anybody?
Bamboozled? Been a while since I've seen it. Might be wrong.
My problem with this film was the simple fact that it was a complete and utter bite off of 'Magnolia'!
And you could say that Magnolia was a rip of 13 Conversations About One Thing which was a rip of Happiness which was a rip of Short Cuts which was a rip of Altman's other films... and so on.
If only biting other films was Crash's main problem.
I just had this same conversation with a friend about 20 minutes ago. We both agreed that the recent film Little Children was a much more original addition to the "middle class people whose lives intertwine" sub-genre.
Magnolia was, for many I know, self included, "a complete and utter bite off of robert altman's "shortcuts" (which itself was a more elaborate - and in my opinion, less effective - revisit to the narrative style he so successfully mined with "nashville").
Ahh, I totally forgot about Short Cuts, your right, I feel you there.
The snow scene at the end though still. . .kinda uncanny.
Not really - in both "Magnolia" and "Shortcuts", the "big event" at the end was meant to create a narrative means to resolving a variety of storylines at once. In "Shortcuts" it was an earthquake, in "Magnolia" it was raining frogs. In "Crash" the snow didn't really push the story in any direction whatsoever - it didn't effect people's relationships to one another nor drive any character arc. It was just an "unusual" event that's supposed to signal some bullshit "change gonna come" moment but other than that is apropos to nothing.
We saw Killer of Sheep a few weeks ago on a big screen.
And JRoot made an enlightened post on Crash around Oscar time (and around the time missbassie originally posted the article above). I won't try to recreate it, but you should search for it.
Killer of Sheep was a great movie--and the antithesis of Crash--in that it said everything it needed to without dialogue. It was also made independent of the Hollywood spectacle. I mean, what do you expect from that place? Subtly? Please...
Not really - in both "Magnolia" and "Shortcuts", the "big event" at the end was meant to create a narrative means to resolving a variety of storylines at once. In "Shortcuts" it was an earthquake, in "Magnolia" it was raining frogs. In "Crash" the snow didn't really push the story in any direction whatsoever - it didn't effect people's relationships to one another nor drive any character arc. It was just an "unusual" event that's supposed to signal some bullshit "change gonna come" moment but other than that is apropos to nothing.
I got you, I have to go back and see Shotcuts. It's been 10 plus since I've seen it. Now that I think about, Ludacris "letting the people go" from the van as some huge symbolic moment may have been cornier than "it's snowing in LA".
Comments
Not to mention with better music.
Yeah but my disgust with the film aside, I think it's still a useful film for the course. I mean, I also screen "Birth of a Nation", yaoming?
Not really. These are undergrads right? Nobody in your clas had any critical thoughts on the film? I'm curious.
On another note. I saw film recently that had a montage of racist cartoons at either the beginning or end. I can't remember what film that was? Anybody?
i think that's bamboozled, but i am not 100% on that.
If not, was it a recent film?
a complete and utter bite off of 'Magnolia'! Replace the
"race relations" with "disfunctional families" and it's the
same movie. It's unfair how much attention it got for
being a rip off.
Don't believe me? Check it:
1) It has all these different storie lines that initally seem
like they have nothing to do with each but remarkably are
all connected by the end.
2) The corny "it's snowing in LA", impossible-seeming
natural occurance? Hmmm. . .that's an awful lot like
the raining frogs at the end of Magnolia. . .
There's more too but just for now. . .
Bamboozled? Been a while since I've seen it. Might be wrong.
nah, it was another film.
And you could say that Magnolia was a rip of 13 Conversations About One Thing which was a rip of Happiness which was a rip of Short Cuts which was a rip of Altman's other films... and so on.
If only biting other films was Crash's main problem.
Magnolia was, for many I know, self included, "a complete and utter bite off of robert altman's "shortcuts" (which itself was a more elaborate - and in my opinion, less effective - revisit to the narrative style he so successfully mined with "nashville").
I like PT Anderson but thought "magnolia" was, by far, the weakest and most self indulgent film he ever put out and the fact that it so closely hews to the narrative arc of "shortcuts" does little to improve my opinion of it.
Btw, can anyone tell me if altman's overall arc took its cue from raymond carver's stories or whether he (altman) weaved carver's tales together?
Altman weaved the stories - they are a series of short stories.
I only saw it once, and was blazed out of my mind, but was it CSA: Confederate States of America?
On the topic of that film, someone should explain to the producer what the term "heavy handed" means.
Ahh, I totally forgot about Short Cuts, your right, I feel you there.
The snow scene at the end though still. . .kinda uncanny.
-Crash (well coverd above)
-Harsh Times (so bad it's good - thanks rootlesscosmo)
-Fast Food Nation (TERRIBLE adaptation, should of just made a doc)
-The Illusionist (thanks for curing my insomnia Ed Norton!)
-An American Haunting (a molestation awareness film under the guise of a horror film? Greeeat.)
-Running Scared (the modern definition of style over substance in films)
-Domino (ooof & see above)
Was it a French film?
Next semester you could make your class watch all four seasons of The Wire.
But then if they wind up not liking it you'll be even more depressed...
Or he could borrow Terry_Clubbup's FUBU Presents Street Snaps DVD, which I drunkenly viewed on a recent trip to Chicago.
It has it all in terms of race, class, gender, sexuality, age and popular culture:
Homosexual contestant finished by an opponent straightfacedly observing, "All jokes aside, dog, you do look gay";
White girl reduced to tears when her teeth are compared to "chalk stubs" and Chiclets;
Fifty-something dude who is able to use his age to his advantage tawmbout "Me and your mama thinking abut kicking your punk azz out"
I just had this same conversation with a friend about 20 minutes ago. We both agreed that the recent film Little Children was a much more original addition to the "middle class people whose lives intertwine" sub-genre.
Not really - in both "Magnolia" and "Shortcuts", the "big event" at the end was meant to create a narrative means to resolving a variety of storylines at once. In "Shortcuts" it was an earthquake, in "Magnolia" it was raining frogs. In "Crash" the snow didn't really push the story in any direction whatsoever - it didn't effect people's relationships to one another nor drive any character arc. It was just an "unusual" event that's supposed to signal some bullshit "change gonna come" moment but other than that is apropos to nothing.
We saw Killer of Sheep a few weeks ago on a big screen.
And JRoot made an enlightened post on Crash around Oscar time (and around the time missbassie originally posted the article above). I won't try to recreate it, but you should search for it.
Killer of Sheep was a great movie--and the antithesis of Crash--in that it said everything it needed to without dialogue. It was also made independent of the Hollywood spectacle. I mean, what do you expect from that place? Subtly? Please...
I just did a search on isohunt. No luck.
I got you, I have to go back and see Shotcuts. It's been 10 plus since I've seen it.
Now that I think about, Ludacris "letting the people go" from the van as some huge
symbolic moment may have been cornier than "it's snowing in LA".