April 28, 2024
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It shows how out of it I was in trying to be in it, acknowledging that I was out of it to myself, and then thinking, “Okay, how do I stop being out of it? Well, I get some legitimate illogical narrative ideas” — some novel, you know?
So I decided on three writers that I might be able to option their material and get some producer, or myself as producer, and then get some writer to do a screenplay on it, and maybe make a movie.
And so the three projects were “Do Androids Dream of Electric Sheep,” “Naked Lunch” and a collection of Bukowski. Which, in 1975, forget it — I mean, that was nuts. Hollywood would not touch any of that, but I was looking for something commercial, and I thought that all of these things were coming.
There would be no Blade Runner if there was no Ray Bradbury. I couldn’t find Philip K. Dick. His agent didn’t even know where he was. And so I gave up.
I was walking down the street and I ran into Bradbury — he directed a play that I was going to do as an actor, so we know each other, but he yelled “hi” — and I’d forgot who he was.
So at my girlfriend Barbara Hershey’s urging — I was with her at that moment — she said, “Talk to him! That guy really wants to talk to you,” and I said “No, fuck him,” and keep walking.
But then I did, and then I realized who it was, and I thought, “Wait, he’s in that realm, maybe he knows Philip K. Dick.” I said, “You know a guy named—” “Yeah, sure — you want his phone number?”
My friend paid my rent for a year while I wrote, because it turned out we couldn’t get a writer. My friends kept on me about, well, if you can’t get a writer, then you write.”
~ Hampton Fancher
“That was the most disappointing thing to me in how this thing was played. Is that I’m on the phone with you now, after all that’s been said, and the fundamental distinction between what James is dealing with in these other cases is not actually brought to the fore. The fundamental difference is that James Franco didn’t seek to use his position to have sex with anyone. There’s not a case of that. He wasn’t using his position or status to try to solicit a sexual favor from anyone. If he had — if that were what the accusation involved — the show would not have gone on. We would have folded up shop and we would have not completed the show. Because then it would have been the same as Harvey Weinstein, or Les Moonves, or any of these cases that are fundamental to this new paradigm. Did you not notice that? Why did you not notice that? Is that not something notable to say, journalistically? Because nobody could find the voice to say it. I’m not just being rhetorical. Why is it that you and the other critics, none of you could find the voice to say, “You know, it’s not this, it’s that”? Because — let me go on and speak further to this. If you go back to the L.A. Times piece, that’s what it lacked. That’s what they were not able to deliver. The one example in the five that involved an issue of a sexual act was between James and a woman he was dating, who he was not working with. There was no professional dynamic in any capacity.
~ David Simon
Davey
You post so knowledgably and opinionatedly and yet so wrongly.
You are all about numbers and nothing else.
Sahara will be #1 for the weekend… for a film that a month ago looked like it would lose every dime… that is dynamite. Gold. The Baldwins are gone, Cary cleaned up for Phil, they break even on video, next.
Sin City continues to be a word of mouth film… with a making of book this week and figures coming and the sequel being plotted as we type… I mean- buy a clue, Dave?
The bloom OFF of CGI? Pass that whiskey it is too much for you to handle. The film was “eh” and so the BO is “eh”. People don’t care anymore about 3d or 2d or CG- it is about the movie. Robots was okay and did okay. And will make a boatload on DVD for Rupe.
Drew Barrymore was NEVER a movie star- she was an remains a personality. She is a GREAT co-star for Cameron Diaz or Sandler. But anyone that thought she was a star as in “asses is seats” was on the same bottle as Dave. And Fallon is NOTHING – he was NOTHING on SNL and now in is second movie non-opening will remain a nothing unless Ferrell makes him Elf Jr or something.
I am Spam Dooley and I feed my people.
Apparently, you’re drinking out of a different bottle…
I acknowledge Sin City will be very profitable and sequel… doesn’t make it a major hit. You accuse me about being all about numbers and yet, your only defense for the film is profitability.
Sahara looked like it would lose everything for a year… again, the fact that it will squeak by makes you right? About what?
As for CG, I have always taken the position that it is the movie first. But the industry has not. Shark Tale was horrid. So was this. Timing & marketing. But the false notion that CG is the thing driving the Pixar train is not mine… never has been.
Barrymore was worth money once… never got much past the $10 million range… but she opened this thing… that is not nothing.
And it is just bullshit to say I am just about numbers. Once a week, I am all about numbers. You don’t have to swipe at me to empower your conclusions.
Sin City is The Emperor’s New Clothes… neither as fresh or influential as you believe. But it all just comes down to opinion, don’t it?
Davey
I do not say Sin City is all about the numbers- I mention the Sin City empire growing around it. You then ignore that and say I have nothing to say. But everyone can still read.
You say that Sahara will flop when I say that it actually is the Cinderella story of the year so far based on tracking. I have not and will not see the film. I know and like Breck but the film looks foul.
Fever Pitch is a disppointment to Fox… but you say Drew opened the picture. Potato, Tomato.
You state that films that were CGI were hits BECAUSE they were CGI. I say that they were good first, CGI second. YOu then say that is what you said.
Swipes at what you write. If you want to write what you mean to, by all means go ahead. So far what you wrote is an bass ackwards analysis.
I am Spam Dooley and I feed my people.
You “know and like Breck”? I’ve never heard of the guy, other than that he looks creepily like his Dad and his first film is a sellout piece of crap. As far as Sin City, it looks like it will finish up with about $70 mill. A little more than double it’s opening. To call it word of mouth is laughable. And Fever Pitch is a disappointment, but not a huge one since it probably didn’t cost much. And CGI kids movies seem to be heavily affected by reviews and word-of-mouth, the antithesis of horror films.
Spam, don’t you know that David is a pompous jerk? He praises the things he loves, and bashes the things he loathes, no matter how successful or unsuccessful they might be.
He is an avid Miramax hater (Hence his irrational dislike of Kill Bill and Sin City). Just let it go. He isn’t as smart as he thinks, and it kills him.
As for Fever Pitch … this is a great movie. I have a feeling the word of mouth will save this, and that it’ll get an extended life on DVD, when it comes out this fall (I assume for the baseball playoffs, but who knows).
Sahara, well that can open at whatever it likes, but a 60 percent fall will happen next weekend as it falls into oblivion.
Martin
Did you see SAHARA- no?
How is your first film going?
Did your mommy wipe you first?
Excuse me, but if a movie drops by 60 perecnt in its second weekend, wouldn’t that indicate that the word of mouth, such as it is, is…. well, lousy? As is “Jesus, that movie was crap, don’t go see it!” lousy? (Side issue: Have you noticed the new TV spots emphasizing — no, I’m not kidding — the ROMANTIC elements in “Sin City”?)
And as for the blue-screen gimmickry having lasting impact, and every director in town wanting to make his/her own graphic-novel movie in the same style — well, maybe so. But, then again, as I recall, there were three more Sensurround features after “Earthquake.”
JOE Blo-
and your point is? Sensurround was a gimmick. Sic City is a revolution.
No other director or co-directors would try to
do the Sin City style because it takes something
that should be a straight-up adaptation, and turns
it into utter shite. The “Sin City” empire wont
last past Kingdom of Heaven and will probably be
hardly remembered by the end of the year. Geeks
of course love it, but there’s nothing there. It’s
as vaccant as Steinbrenner’s soul. I will admit.
If this film had half of the emotion QT puts into
all of his films. It would mean something. Since
it does not. It’s a good movie for people who like
nice superficial movies. Nothing wrong with that,
but do not hype it as being anything more than that.
I do disagree on the fact of Drew Barrymore being
able to open a flick because of 50 First Dates.
Sandler opened that movie, and it would have opened
just as big with Julie Bowen as the female lead.
Fever Pitch just went up against and action flick.
It seems all the genre flicks, except RomComs, can
open to #1 in this country now. Fever Pitch will
do well on DVD, because this country has more than
enough couples who have a hard time getting to
theatre to see a movie. What do you think folks
on movie night will rent in September? Fever Pitch
or Sahara?
And if Poland has a irrational hatred of anything;
it’s BULLSHIT. The man cannot anything that makes
his bullshit detector go off. Be it the paper of
record pulling an AICN or Kill Bill 2 getting the
collective PUSH from group thinking critics. You
do not believe me? GO read the Hot Button or MCN
over the last 5 years. That thread will not be easy
to find.
Once last thing; what ruttin plain of existance does
one live on. When they give someone some flack for
disliking three movies? So David did not like the
Kill Bill mini-saga or Sin City? Wow. Let’s just
throw him under the bus then. Get the fuck out
of here with that nonsense. I admit I even disliked
Kill Bill one because it just came across, like a
Rodriguez picture (As heartless as Reggie Miller in
the 98 playoffs). 2 corrected the situation, and
the Whole Bloody Affair ir edited right. Should
be one of the better movies in the last 6 years.
If you are going to give David some flack. Give it
to him for inane views on Jennifer Garner and the
lack of ever producing a MATRIX REVOLUTIONS review.
I dont see how people can attribute Sin City’s drop to bad word of mouth.
I realize that RT and IMDB ratings arent everything, but still 79% fresh and #96 on the IMDB all-time list is NOT bad word of mouth. I know about thirteen people who’ve seen it, most loved it, a few thought it was pretty good, a few hated it (no one said it was “just ok”). Find another answer, it’s rated R, it’s a genre film, it’s a fanboy film, but i’m not buying this “bad word of mouth” crap, no matter how many of you elitists try to sell it to me. (By the way, I have not seen these “romantic” commercials, Joe. You might be onto something)
Sin City vs Kill Bill (interesting, but does it mean anything?)
http://www.boxofficemojo.com/franchises/chart/?id=murdermax.htm
Yeah, I agree that while word-of-mouth may have played a small part in Sin City’s drop, it can probably be attributed to the fanboy nature of the movie and it’s rating and such.
And…
“Davey
You post so knowledgably and opinionatedly and yet so wrongly.
You are all about numbers and nothing else.
Sahara will be #1 for the weekend… for a film that a month ago looked like it would lose every dime… that is dynamite.”
Firstly, there’s no such word as “opinionatedly” (right?) and secondly, the fact that it will open to less than $20 and wont have fantastic legs and that it apparently cost $130million means that it will do down as a disappointment.
I think Paramount need to stop spending so much money on movies. I mean, seriously, they’ve had a whole bunch of $100million movies lately and only Lemony Snickets actually reached that total, and not convincingly.
…and, yeah, opinionatedly? i am SURE that’s not a word.
and to stop anyone commenting:
“means that it will do down as a disappointment.”
that “do” is meant to be a “go”
Elitist? Yeah. I love the friggin Guyver, but I am
an elitist? Bollocks on that right there. The
movie just does not have any soul. What do you
want to me do? Have it go down to Africa, take
on the trials, then it win one? It looks pretty,
but pretty does not always equate to greatness.
The movie fell off in it’s second weekend. That
means two things: 1) The people who wanted to
see have gone and seen it. 2) It has some bad
word of mouth. I personally had a friend tell
me he loved it after I told him it had no heart.
Sin City seems to be the number two movie and probably will hang in there for a few weeks at least. If the word of mouth exists, then it’s positive. Give the college/high school crowd a chance to get back from spring break and exams. After Sahara is out of the way, it’ll be Sin City and Fever Pitch fighting it out. Ebert and Roeper giving both a big thumbs up goes a long way in building good word of mouth in the midwest.
If you feed your people Spam, send us a check.
There are some real cretins on this blog, I expected more from the MCN crowd.
And to the asshole above – Sin City is dropping faster than a hooker in Rourke’s apartment. Why don’t you learn a little about tracking before making such idiotic statements.
L&DB
Maybe “elitist” is too harsh a word (and perhaps I was ranting as well). But I do believe that the word of mouth is good, and that people who say it isn’t are fooling themselves. I personally found Sin City to be very flawed but enjoyable, but the general feeling I keep getting (ooh-ing and ahh-ing in the theater, people talking about it at parties) is that the word of mouth is indeed good. I believe more people are turned off due to the violence, the nihilism, the degredation of women, etc, etc. No, pretty does mean good, but for a lot of moviegoers, it’s enough to warrant a look. After all, that CGI shitstorm Day after Tomorrow pulled in 186 million.
But enough novice box-office analysis from me, I’m going back to ripping Fever Pitch.
LDB (Lorenzo D’Buonaventura? Lying Dirt Bag?)
Your two posts are moronic beyond compare, but take a black star for “The movie fell off in it’s second weekend. ”
First of all it is “its second weekend” mongoloid, but EVERY FILM FALLS OFF IN THE SECOND WEEKEND WITH MAYBE ONE EXCEPTION EVERY YEAR”
So you have no point.
I am Spam Dooley and I feed my people!
What is all this non-sense? It’s a mirage to call Sahara anything other than a miss. It’s budget is reportedly in the $140M range and with the guns of summer a mere few weeks away, the film is going to struggle it’s way to make its money. Fever Pitch placed third this week behind Sin City. Hmmm. How is that a victory — especially opening a farelly comedy against a one quadrant movie like Sin City? Someone is drinking a lot of Kool Aid.
Maybe it’s just ’cause I liked the movie, but I think Fever Pitch will hang in there. The only wide release next weekend is Amityville Horror… not direct competition, although it could hurt that horror movies are often date magnets for the younger crowd. But I’d expect a lower-than-average drop, say 35%. I think this one can get over the $50 million mark. Not a runaway success, but certainly a profitable little movie that will do well on home video too. I’m surprised it didn’t hit a higher mark immediately, but I think it’s hard to get a big “gotta see it right now” factor on a romantic comedy without a star as big ‘n glossy as Julia Roberts or Reese Witherspoon.
And I don’t really understand the HARD CORE sniping going on about it, but I think a 50% drop for Sin City is more indicative of a nerd-and-hype-heavy movie, not so much “bad word-of-mouth.” Doubtless some people hated it, but is that so terrible or unexpected for an ultra-stylized and ultraviolent comics movie? Everyone I know who went at least enjoyed it. Good word-of-mouth is rare, and anyway, is often attached to mediocre movies — the press sometimes treats bad word-of-mouth (or perceived bad word-of-mouth) as some kind of indicator of a movie’s true quality. There’s a lot of things Rodriguez could’ve done to maximize profits on this thing, but I thought that was the whole point of keeping the budget low — he can do what he wants without having to worry about turning a profit on a $100m budget.
LD&B — Are you David Poland’s agent? Or maybe you are David Poland. Regardless, you are an ass.
For the record… I noted that the fall off on Sin City would balance out to about where it is on Saturday… for the reason I said… an unusually large Friday draw last weekend.
The opening was HUGE for a movie like that. All respect. And I don’t think the drop-off is shocking or horrid. But it surely does not suggest an explosive word of mouth.
Here’s a fact. If Len Klady’s estimate of Sin City dropping 54% holds, it will be the biggest drop of any of the Top Ten April openings in history… oh… except for one… Kill Bill, V2… off 58%.
Dooley is right that the film will influence a lot of people less talented than Robert Rodriguez to make a lot of really bad films… just as Tarantino influenced so many horrible movies. I would guess there will be one or car wrecks from studios trying it out before that stops.
As for Miramax, that’s just bullshit. I have supported many, many Miramax pictures… often more than Miramax has supported them. I was a supporter of Minghella on every film but Cold Mountain. I was relentless on City of God. If Lions Gate released Finding Neverland, it wouldn’t change my view. If Harvey produced Kundun, I would be hugely supportive… but he, instead, produced two of the weakest films in Scorsese’s career… not my fault.
I supported Jackie Brown and touted its profitabilty and the right of Tarantino to step back to a quieter film more than any one else when it was happening. $110 million for Kill Bill is excessive. And I have noted that Harvey made a genius move by cutting it (and by extension, its budget) in two.
I go through periods when I can’t find anything to like at a given studio. It happens. I wish it didn’t. It makes my relationships very uncomfortable.
Pompous jerk? Sure. I can live with that. Certainly arrogant. Certainly knowledgeable. Certainly wrong sometimes. “Jerk” is a little simplistic. But so is your understanding of what motivates me.
I think “Sin City” is the type of movie that the audience who wants to see it will see it in the first week. The late teenagers/early twenties-somethings with money and time. There’s the Internet people who endlessly hyped it for months, too. They can gets people in the theater for the first week, but not have as much lasting power (Almost everyone on some boards I know flaunt the Kill Bill movies as American classics, but did either of them even break 100 mil?).
I thought Sin City wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t good either. About a two-and-a-half-stars-out-of-four movie and I have people a ton jumping down my throat because I didn’t love it. There is word-of-mouth, but the audience of it is limited to Internet fans (and fanboys), most who’ve all ready seen it and which aren’t all that much despite being the loudest voices. It’ll be considered a hit. It’ll make some phat cash. It won’t be a two-ton box office behemoth, though.
The ongoing saga of “Sin City” is starting to remind me, oddly enough, “8 Mile.” That’s another R-rated, roughly $40-million movie that opened big — much bigger than “Sin City,” actually — then recorded a steep second-weekend drop-off. At the time, some pundits suggested that the movie played to a very specifically-defined fanbase (i.e., Eminem fans) that showed up early, then quickly went on to other things. Why no repeat business? Why no crossover business? (Reviews and word of mouth were quite impressive.) Hey, who knows? But consider this: When “8 Mile” hit homevid, it wound up setting some kind of record: $75 million, the most ever recorded (up until that time) in opening-week sales for an R-rated movie.
On the other hand, much as I liked “8 Mile,” I don’t think it was revolutionary. And it sure hasn’t had what I would consider lasting influence.
David, I do know what motivates you: your ego and full-blown cockiness.
It grows very tiresome to this reader, as I’m sure it does to most other people. Sure you admit when you are wrong; but not with the same gusto that you do when you bloviate about how right you were about Movie A or what have you (Example, the way you totally brushed your love of Phantom under the rug)…
Basically you are like a bully … when you are right you pile on, when you aren’t, you just back off slightly and hope that readers don’t remember.
Now, all of a sudden I’m supposed to believe you think the world of Miramax and Harvey?? Please. Try selling that to someone else (Maybe LD&B or whoever that guy is) … Me? No chance I believe that you don’t hold a grudge against Miramax. Not sure why, but it is definitely there.
And KUNDUN!???! That’s the worst movie Martin Scorsese has ever made… Bringing Out the Dead running a close second … Nice try though.
I am an “ass” for going against your whack ass
statements Joe? HOORAY! I would rather be an
honest ass, than someome such as yourself. Who
keeps running his mouth with conspiracy theory and
bollocks which are not even true.
Still does not change one thing: Sin City still
one heartless ass movie.
“Joe”… first suggestion… if you don’t like it, stop reading.
And if you can’t appreciate Kundun, you’ve defined yourself nicely.
As for Miramax… let’s look at 2004… pro on Shaolin Soccer, I’m Not Scared, Valentin, Zatoichi and Hero… con on My Baby’s Daddy, Ella Enchanted, Kill Bill V2, Shall We Dance… mixed on The Aviator and Finding Neverland, but not pro-Oscar for either film… never saw Jersey Girl.
So… which films do you want to argue over? Kill Bill and Aviator, I assume. Did you bother to see I’m Not Scared? Are you looking to fight for the honor of Ella Enchanted?
And I never had any great love of Phantom of The Opera… I had a belief that it would be a successful Oscar movie. I was wrong. But in no small part because Eastwood changed the entire map of last Oscar season a month after I wrote the Phantom column. As I wrote, ” if there was a 2001: A Space Odyssey or a The Lion In Winter out there, as there was opposite Oliver!, I would simply be assuming that The Phantom had a good shot to be nominated.” And indeed, M$B became that game changer.
I also wrote in that same piece, “Sideways is still looking like the top of my Top Ten while Phantom is unlikely to be on the list at all.” And it was not.
The hard thing about being on line is that there is a record of exactly what I said. And the good thing is that there is a record of exactly what I said.
You want to paint me with the broad brush… c’est la vie, “Joe.” I think a lot of things about Miramax… some good, some bad. I have never said I, “think the world of Miramax and Harvey.” But acknowledging that doesn’t make for a good attack, does it?
If my ego were my primary concern, I wouldn’t be a journalist and I sure as hell wouldn’t be on the web. I have a very healthy ego and my cockiness has a tendency to become quite restrained when I am dealing with someone who rates respect. I do a lot of yapping… but I do a lot of listening too. And even when I am wrong, I am seeking the truth.
I am not thrilled that Sin City will be very profitable or that all this bitch slapping will proabbly go on again when the sequel arrives (unless it gets better, which is possible, especially if QT is going to work on the script). But in every post, I have acknowledged that no matter how not a cultural phenom it is, it will be very profitable. I have never said that it would bomb or not spawn a sequel and some lame ass imitators.
Sorry, but it’s not black and white.
And Joe is right… this is similar to 8 Mile. But 8 Mile had better reviews and a bigger opening. And the only $50 million openers to ever come up as short after the opening were The Hulk and The Village. Planet of the Apes held better.
But it’s all numbers. I enjoyed Constantine more, but its numbers (but not budget and thus, not profitability) seem like they will be almost identical to Sin City’s.
And here is where Spam starts complaining that I am too busy looking at numbers. And then I say, “Okay… Sin City is brainless, hyperactive, childish crap that looks really cool and could have been a lot better if it just stopped to think for a second.” Is that better?
I don’t quite know how to make these debates into conversations, “Joe.” Perhaps it is impossible. I don’t like the element of these rooms that become name calling instead of exchanging differing, strongly held opinons.
I am a fool to respond to your attacks. But the only legitimate alternative, if I prefer not to, is to shut the blog down. But I don’t feel like that either. So enjoy the freedom to attack me anonymously. And long live Sin City!!!
DAVID: You didn’t see “Jersey Girl”? Lucky bastard!
BTW: In the future, I’d appreciate your referring to me as Leydon or even Joe L. in posts that also refer to “Joe.” Trust me, I don’t want readers confusing us.
btw who’s up for meeting during Toronto for a HOT BLOG powow in person? I’d dig a few pints with the blowhards here.. could be amusing. Dave – could you fit it in amongst the star fucking 😉
A Hot Blog Pow-Wow? Doesn’t that sound like something we could get arrested for?
only if you’re receiving.
Can someone answer me this. Why the hell did they stick with an R for KUNG FU HUSTLE when the film should really be playing to a PG-13 crowd? Are they insane? I can’t even remember anything R rated in it. I’m not usually a fan of lowering ratings to increase b/o – but this film demands to play to 13yr olds.
Maybe if we call it HotBlogapalooza instead….?
Oy… yeah, we should probably organize a whole MCN event with a special Hot Blog section with padded walls.
I too am surprised that Big Sony – which is really anxious for the film to perform – let it play out as an R. There is some language and I guess there is a violent gag or two that push the envelope, but the R is going to do a lot of damage with the 12-year-olds, who are more than capable of handling everything in this film… including the limited subtitles.
Because I didn’t like Kundun, which was a horrendous movie that happened to be beautifully shot, I show the type of person I am. Thank God. That movie is contempable trash from one of the best director’s in the history of cinema.
I would never stop reading your nonsense David. The joy that your ridiculous pompous ramblings give me outweighs any outrage that I feel towards you and your slow trek towards medicority.
LD&B, you are an ass. Actually now you’ve upgraded to asshole. I don’t give a shit that David hates on Miramax. What I hate is how he hates on Miramax no matter how great the quality of product. Kill Bill Vol 1 and 2 are two of the best movies released in the past 3 years. Amazing reviews not withstanding, they are fabulous pieces of film-making.
Sin City is a good movie, not the greatest movie ever, but solid entertainment with a very original look and two fantastic performances (Rourke and Owen). David, however, just pans it for, God-knows what reason. AND THEN, he piles on by only posting the negative reviews (I’m surprised he didn’t link to Lisa Swartzbaum’s horrid review. How does she still have a job?)
Why doesn’t David post Ebert’s review. Or David Edelstein’s? Nah, he probably feels inadequate in the face of real reviewers like them.
Did I “bother to see I’m Not Scared”? Sure did. It was a good film. Nice of you to resort to your cockiness … you think because I disagree with you I MUST be inferior. Or wait, was it because I hated Kundun?! By that rationale, no wonder I think you are a flaming asshole with no brain … you didn’t like Kill Bill.
First off…why are you regs replying to “people” who don’t even have the cajones to post their email address? That’s like, the #1 sign of a troll.
Second: I saw FEVER PITCH Saturday afternoon and I’m still seething about how God-awful it is. I really, really wanted to like it but it had zero redeeming qualities. The only good that can come from it is Jimmy Fallon won’t be starring in anything again.
And third…
When I saw SIN CITY, the people in the crowded theater just weren’t getting it. They all looked kind of dumbfounded. The violence didn’t even get a teen aged cheer as I thought it would. Thus, I think it’s going to CONTINUE to fall based on poor word of mouth. It’s an O.K. movie. Just O.K.
You assholes need to chill the fuck out. Taking shit like Kill Bills or Sin City seriously is downright insane. And relax on the personal attacks. This is the creepiest group of movie fans I’ve yet to come across on the net, and that include the AICN talkbacks.
Chill the fuck out? Why? Because someone called
me an “asshole” on the internet? That has to happen
at least once a week. I just love that the dude
cannot even give me a reason for my upgrade from
“ass” to “asshole.” I hope there are benefits.
And don, if you are seething at a romcom. Does this
mean you need a hug? I personally loved Fever Pitch.
Good times all-around. It could have done without
the sets in LA however. Because as soon as they
went inside of a building. It sort of sucked the
Boston right out of the movie.
Martin, go visit the http://www.mysterydouchebags.com/ .
If you ever think this place gets “too whack.” There
you will see how far off the mark you are about the
Hot blog.
First off, I agree with Martin. Barkeep! A round of Xanax and zoloft for all my high strung friends, please! As for Poland, he runs a great site and he’s one of the better informed journalists working the web. That doesn’t mean he is always on target, but he’s pretty on the mark. At least that’s been my experience — and I have been on the opposing end of some dust ups with him over the years and I’ve always found him to be as responsive as he is responsible. As for Spam Dooley.. He may feed his people, but with his toxic vibe, it’s probably spam and those consuming it likely got food poisoning.
Prozac? Xoloft? Come on! If we need friggin
meds, then Martin and DD you need better analogies!
You want high strung! I WILL SHOW YOU HIGH STRUNG!
FOLLOWED BY SOME BOLLYWOOD DANCE NUMBERS THAT WILL
KNOCK THE WIND OUT OF YOU! WORD!
some guys here are way too sensitive. are shall i say girls here. 12 yr olds. no cat fights ladies
Women? Where? (looks around slightly confused)
And why does being 12 suck so bad? Did so many
people have a collective subconscious hatred of
being 12, that they had to make it the end all
and be all of shitty ages to act like when one
become older? If not, then we all owe an apology
to this years 12 year olds. Sorry kids! Get ready
for 13 when the real fun begins! WOOO!
L, you should listen to DB and take a deep breath. Relax. Even for a 12 year old lady.
Wow, LD&B — you are seriously messed up. I feel bad that I even started making fun of you in the first place. Talk about sensitive. I apologize.
Joe wrote:
“I think “Sin City” is the type of movie that the audience who wants to see it will see it in the first week. The late teenagers/early twenties-somethings with money and time. There’s the Internet people who endlessly hyped it for months, too. They can gets people in the theater for the first week, but not have as much lasting power ”
I think that’s spot on, acutally. If you weren’t a fan boy, the violence is stomach churning in a couple of spots, and I think that’s offputting to mainstream audiences. Fanboys and horror folks? Sure, but that’s not a huge audience.
It’s a big enough audience to justify more (probably bad) comic book movies, though.
Unfortunately.
ldb, how was fever pitch? all u young girls love jimmy fallon
I’ve calmed down a bit since I last posted, but I still hate FEVER PITCH. Why? mainly because I’m a baseball fan and the film had a PERFECT opportunity to really show what it’s like to LOVE baseball and totally and completely FAILED at that. It started off great…for about 90 seconds. Then it got stupid but quick.
The scene that bugged me most was when that group of Bo Sox fans are sitting around commiserating about how bad the Bo Sox are. NO GROUP of season ticket holders in those seats would ever talk like that. Normally I don’t get all nit-picky about “realism” in fiction films, but exposition through dialogue like that annoys me. Was there a scene in SCHINDLERS LIST where a bunch of concentration camp people gripe about how shitty the war is? O.K., extreme example. But still…that scene in FEVER PITCH was so annoying and not needed. Who DOESN’T freeking know the Red Sox SUCK??
But what really bugged me was that this was a chick-flick to the N-th degree disguised as a movie for couples.
**Possible Spoiler Alert**
Did any other guys notice the underlying theme seemed to be that if you can just get a guy to change, everything in your relationship will be O.K.? Fallons moronic character had such a turning arc, it was practically a turning cylinder. What did Drew’s character compromise? He had to change to try and get a workaholic with no discernable personality to love him.
Am I reading too much into this light-hearted romp? Maybe. But the thing is, I WANTED to like the film. But so many things about it bugged me, I was forced to think the way I’m thinking. That only happens when something stinks to high heaven like this flick does. If it had been cute, mindless fun, I would’ve probably liked it. As it is now it’s an annoying single womans wet dream.
Come on don. Do you really have to spoiler a movie that opened 3 days ago? Can you wait at least a week?
yes as much as Jimmy Fallon irks me i got around to seeing Fever Pitch after all the gushing of the local critics, and DOn is correct in saying that most serious baseball fans will be tossing their mini pizzas and beer by the end.
My dad played pro baseball(yes he did) and I played til pony league and the “baseball fans” cast for this were too unreal/annoying as was the ‘romance’. [I know my dad would hate this so I kindly informed him]
Fever Pitch the book and original movie were very very accurate sports-fiend views on soccer so I don’t know why the writers were so lazy as to not use a serious Mets, Cubs or Red sux fan upon which to model the main character and his pals.
This movie was an unbelievable as Sahara’s silly stunts. I cannot think why so many critics seem to think it is ‘charming’.
n.b. No single woman’s wet dream is Jimmy Fallon & Co!
Ebert and Roeper loved it. That’s reason enough for me not to see it.
Jeffrey Boam’s Doctor inquires:
“Can someone answer me this. Why the hell did they stick with an R for KUNG FU HUSTLE when the film should really be playing to a PG-13 crowd? Are they insane? I can’t even remember anything R rated in it. I’m not usually a fan of lowering ratings to increase b/o – but this film demands to play to 13yr olds.”
Well might you ask. I understand that the sole objection was to an early scene where someone gets his legs chopped off; removing it would’ve gotten them the PG-13. Since this hardly seems like a fit of auteurism on Chow’s part, we can only assume that SPC wanted the R. God knows why, but the opening numbers suggest it hasn’t hurt too much.
End of answer. You may now return to childishly insulting each other.
Stella’s Boy,
i was tricked–by friends and critics alike. Fever Pitch wasn’t romantic, comedic or baseball enough.
SOmetimes when Ebert & Roper both give the big Up, it may not be a quality movie, but it can mean it is entertaining. Many people in the packed theater seemed to be enjoying it, but they were college age so maybe they clicked onto something I didn’t.
Joe, I am far from sensitive. It’s called sarcasm.
You apparently are the sensitive. Understand that
not everyone is serious with their responses. If
you cant gauge that, then maybe you should relax.
And I am a girl now bob? Wow. Did you not complain
about 12 year olds earlier? Apparently irony is
never lost on you.
Don, so it did not sum up your love of baseball, and
that makes the film bad? Yeah. Someone seems to
be bringing their own biases to a flick, and not
judging it on it’s own merits. Complaing about a
scene where Sox fans complain about their history.
Totally negates the COUNTLESS F’N SHOWS THAT HAVE
DONE AS MUCH IN THE LAST 3 YEARS! Not everybody
knows the history of sports. God forbid they put
an exposition scene in a movie detailing the long
and sorted past of the Boston Red Sox.
Your complaining about the arc of the characters in
Fever Pitch also seems to be missing the end of the
film. Where Lindsay seemingly turns her back on
something she had been working on ALL FRIGGIN SUMMER!
You also have the Ben character having to come to
a realization. Even if he overreacts. All of the
problems with the film are yours Don. As in they
are problems you extrapolate onto the flick that
are not even in the film.
Slag the film all you want Don, but dont slag the
film because of your issues.
Lota, the Farrellys, Fallon, and countless people
in that film are REAL LIFE DIE HARD RED SOX FANS.
So they had real life fans of the SOX all over
that film. From Lenny Clarke on down, that flick
seaped RED SOX NATION.
Also, in what world do the Mets become comparable
to the suffering of the Cubs? The Mets at least
spend money to try to win. Unlike the Cubs, who
just refuse to spending REAL MONEY to win a world
championship. Anytime that has made a world series
in the last 5 year. In no way equates to the suffering
of a Cubs fan. Not even close.
Just heard that George Romero’s “Land of the Dead,” originally set to open Oct. 21, has been pushed up to a summer date: June 24, just one week after “Batman Begins.” Cowabunga.
Umm…since some people who seem to actually want people to see the 4 pitch walk (ohhh yeah!) that IS FEVER PITCH, why not post a spoiler warning? Nice going L&..
**SPOILER WARNING***
in what way did Lindsay give up on what she had been working towards all summer? We don’t KNOW what happenned because this hunk of crap never SAID what happenned at Lindsays job! So she walked out of a champagne toast that awarded her the position she so desired. That means she now doesn’t get it? Unlikely.
And I didn’t bring any issues into the movie. I’d have liked nothing better than to have enjoyed it as mindless entertainment. But the film was SO bad and SO stupid and SO lame, i had no choice but to think about it far more than I wanted or want to.
In closing…it’s nice to see someone so passionate about a film..even if that passion is severely misplaced. I mean, I honestly didn’t mean to piss on your wheaties by dissing this crap fest.
L&DB
If I were in a burning house and my rescue depended on Jimmy Fallon’s ability to believably act and be a manly baseball fan at the same time, I’d decide where I’d want my ashes spread real quick.
I didn’t buy the story. I think red sox was a bad choice to start with. Just becasue the color red figures in the Arsenal wardrobe doesn’t make the Red sox an analogous team to reshape the story set in America. But since so many people seem to think this is a great authentic story, it may just be me.
And the SCHLUBS, I mean Cubs. Stop crying, please. “Sensible” has never been a Cub strategy. Cubs management goes to a resale store with a dollar in hand and a gold brick in the back pocket.
If the Cubs were a movie they’d be known as the Billion Dollar Swindle. Now that would be some movie.
Hey, no one has suffered like a Cubs fans. The Red
Sox think they know suffering, but us Cubs fans have
that market covered. So Lota, did your pops have
a hard time hitting a Wrigley or something? Anyone
who hates the Cubs. Either has been a fan of the
fellow Central division team or maybe a Braves fan.
Whateverthecase; the Red Sox Nation have suffered
second best, and they have a more nationally recognized
suffering. The bastards. Us Cubs fans need better
press or maybe a book.
Don, I personally feel your hatred has been misplaced.
I just read it as I see it. To me you are slagging
a film from a more personal place, than what the
filmmakers put up on the screen. That’s all fine
and good, but it personally irks me. We will just
have to agree to disagree, but no harsh feelings
or anything.
I just wanted to add one thing; ROMERO OVER BATS
ANY DAY OF THE WEEK! WOOOOOOOOOOOOOO TO THE
HOOO! Man, I get to see a Zombie movie in the
Summer! It’s like 1985 all over again! “The dead
will walk, not run, and John Leguizamo is in the
flick too!”
I have to question your manhood Don when you are seeing this opening night.