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| Joe Vitus |
 Posted: Thu Oct 22, 2009 11:51 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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Marj wrote: Point taken, Marc. I do think this may be the end of the musical discussion for now. And if you and others prefer, we could move any future discussion to the musical forum.
Point rejected by this forumite. We've always discussed upcoming films here, and Nine isn't a project in development, or even being filmed. It's a soon-to-be released picture entering previews. I doubt if we were discussing an upcoming documentary on punk rock, Marc would be trying to squelch the discussion after half a day. |
Last edited by Joe Vitus on Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:02 am; edited 1 time in total
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 12:00 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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lissa wrote: I never saw Chicago on Broadway, so please enlighten me, those who have...didn't the story change somewhat to become a vehicle for the big screen? Is it possible that might occur for Nine as well?
I'll reserve all judgment till I see the film - which, I think, I am compelled to see...just 'cause. But I also think that comparing musicals is a little like comparing people; there is a complexity and a character that engenders surrounds them which renders them unique unto themselves...I mean, can anyone really compare My Fair Lady with Fiddler on the Roof other than the fact that they're both musicals?
Chicago as originally concieved by Fosse was a vaudeville show. It was the era of the concept musical, so everything was geared towards telling the story through various vaudeville styles. Even drag (very popular at the time) gets its turn in a plot revelation that could not have been duplicated on film. For the movie a definate line was drawn in which there was a "real" world and then the fantasy musical numbers that (only) Roxie envisions. There's no real difference in plot other than...maybe...the resolution. Onstage when the announcer heralds Roxie and Velma at the finale, his reference to the theater they play as the finest in "family entertainment" is done with an intonation suggesting they're working in a dive. Thus their "great moment" is as tasteless as everything else about them. In the movie, they really have made it big, at least temporarily, and are the sole talent in an elaborate and sold-out show in a high quality venue. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:00 am |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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| deleted. Marc rant. |
Last edited by Marc on Sat Oct 24, 2009 10:47 pm; edited 1 time in total |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 1:24 am |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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Best one sentence review of the week. Joe Morgenstern of the Wall Street Journal in his review of AMELIA:
Amelia Earhart is still missing. |
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| Marj |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 2:58 am |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
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Location: Manhattan
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Marc, I can see both sides of the argument. Though my point of view is perhaps more pragmatic. Since Nine is indeed a film that is opening soon, there is no reason not to discuss it here. And considering its filmmaker, it's next to impossible to discuss it without the obvious comparison - Chicago. Nine may end up being the *big* film of the year, hey, WTHDIK? And I think it may garner more interest than just movie musical enthusiasts.
Joe, I made a suggestion. That was all it was. If we are to spend more time discussing this, I do think we ought to do so BTC. But this was one reason why the musical forum was created - to avoid this very problem.
I'm fine either way. So I leave the decision up to youse guys. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:19 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Houston
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No fuckin' way Marc, You don't blame us for keeping new people away, or preventing you from inviting them, then get off because of a "luv ya" comment. I believe your a sweet guy in person, but your posts are often abrasive and insulting, especially when things are going the way you want them to. I think that probably keeps potential contibuters away as much as anything. Own that you are as much a part of the "problem" of low membership—should there be one, I don't happen to think there is—as any of us.
And remember that when you pull the "newcomers don't feel welcome here" line, you're parroting the statement the moderators back at the Times used to make—and that you always vehemently denied.
I saw and reviewed The Invention of Lying, and it led to a little discussion but not many people are seeing movies right now. A few of us are excited about a new movie musical, and want to talk about our hopes for it. That fits here as much as anything.
We go through these cycles before where most of us aren't seen a lot of movies, and so don't have much to say. We will go through them again. Just as we've had this argument before. And will again.
My final statement on this subject. |
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| Marc |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 3:43 am |
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Joined: 19 May 2004
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Quote: My final statement on this subject.
Thank god, because prior to your final statement, your message was practically incoherent. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:36 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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I've never seen Chicago, don't plan to see Nine, and mostly skipped over the discussion about he two, but don't see any reason to try to squelch the discussion. It's not like it's crowding out other talk of Current Films.
I've recently reviewed the new Woody Allen, Bruno and Anti-Christ. Billy's been on top of some new releases. I'm looking forward to some more turning up especially the Coens latest. Everyone will catch up on 2009 films when they become available and when it's clearer what's not to miss. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:37 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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Here's what I've seen from 2009 so far:
Best:
1. Sita Sings the Blues
offbeat animation, I'm a big Annette Hanshaw fan.
2. Kameleon (Goda)
Hungarian thriller, well-crafted
3. Brüno
better flow than Borat, as it seems to have borrowed from Michael Moore's techniques. Lots of good gags.
4. Coraline
weird haunting little film. Didn't really come together as I'd like, but was a good creepy ride.
5. Tyson
just Iron Mike talking, baring his soul. Admirable restraint.
Average -- not bad, but flawed:
6. Goodbye Solo
I'm surprised by how little this has stuck with me. I really have to strain to remember it, even thought the lead was similar to a friend of mine.
7. Revanche
just seemed rather familiar in its story and storytelling.
8. The Hurt Locker
sort of a standard action flick, which didn't create enough tension for me.
9. Anvil! The Story of Anvil
a little talent or accurate self-assessment wouldn't hurt. I thought this needed to go deeper.
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Just Okay:
10. The Watchmen
-- not really my kind of stuff. Seemed a bit silly. Some of the material and set-up had potential.
11. The Silence of Lorna
Seemed like an old French crime plot filmed with the Dardennes deadening focus on slogging through life. Not a satisfying mix.
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Disliked:
12. Anti-Christ
von Trier just throws a bunch of mumbo-jumbo together, and then tries to fuse Tarkovsky with Saw. An ugly mess.
13. Whatever Works
Woody's lech routine given a bitter edge, with characters striving to become one-dimensional. Very sketchy and unfunny.
14. The Girlfriend Experience
Chic ennui. What's the point? Where's the thrust?
15. Che Pt 1.
An ugly look, no arc, no emotion, no plot.
I got nothing out of this. Nada. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 5:49 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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Critics are witty today. Marc quoted Joe Morgenstern on Amelia. Here's A.O. Scott of The NYTimes:
Women: intrinsically evil or tragically misunderstood? If this strikes you as a fruitful topic of discussion, then you may wish to see — or perhaps I should say endure — Lars von Trier’s Antichrist.....
Mr. von Trier has said that making the movie helped him overcome a crippling depression. I’m glad he feels better. |
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| lissa |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 8:16 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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I brought up Nine because it's ABOUT to become current, and the trailer's caught my attention. Where else, Marc, would I have posted that? Or would you have preferred I not post it at all? Given my son's trauma, and the fact that he doesn't feel safe staying alone at home these days, I don't have the opportunity to get out to movies. You seem to have been able to gloss right over my recent fright, Marc, why couldn't you have glossed over the Nine/Chicago thread? Most of us can skim threads we don't feel relevant to our interests or lives, without snarky comments about others' rights to post them.
I'm looking forward to an upcoming movie. I don't feel there should be rules imposed on what comprises "Current Film". We're all bright enough to know what sections our discussions belong in - so unless everyone else feels Nine isn't worthy of Current Film discussion, I'll discuss it - and any other upcoming films - as I wish. I won't be intimidated into toeing a line I haven't crossed.
Joe:
Quote: You don't blame us for keeping new people away, or preventing you from inviting them
Word. Thanks. |
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| lshap |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:15 am |
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Joined: 12 May 2004
Posts: 4248
Location: Montreal
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Gromit,
Woody Allen's Whatever Works was worse than bad; it was a hateful, arrogant soapbox disguised as light entertainment. Not only does Woody think everyone's an idiot (except him), but he creates a cast of humanoids who are supposed to represent modern Americans, but instead talk like Freudian dream interpretations from 1975. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 10:40 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
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Location: Shanghai
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lshap wrote: Gromit,
Woody Allen's Whatever Works was worse than bad; it was a hateful, arrogant soapbox disguised as light entertainment. Not only does Woody think everyone's an idiot (except him), but he creates a cast of humanoids who are supposed to represent modern Americans, but instead talk like Freudian dream interpretations from 1975.
Well, I think he was attempting to skewer that pose, by having his main character, a self-proclaimed genius, be unhappy enough to attempt suicide twice, another task he fails at. He walks with a limp from the first attempt, and lives in a cruddy basement apartment and has awful social skills.
It's unfunny, and the satire of the superior pose is poorly done, but it's supposed to be laughed at. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:18 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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Marc wrote: Quote: My final statement on this subject.
Thank god, because prior to your final statement, your message was practically incoherent.
Oh, just own you're as much the problem as anyone. Stop the the passive aggressive "I'm trying to make this place work, but everyone else just isn't doing their share...and I love you guys." |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Fri Oct 23, 2009 11:20 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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lissa wrote: I brought up Nine because it's ABOUT to become current, and the trailer's caught my attention. Where else, Marc, would I have posted that? Or would you have preferred I not post it at all? Given my son's trauma, and the fact that he doesn't feel safe staying alone at home these days, I don't have the opportunity to get out to movies. You seem to have been able to gloss right over my recent fright, Marc, why couldn't you have glossed over the Nine/Chicago thread? Most of us can skim threads we don't feel relevant to our interests or lives, without snarky comments about others' rights to post them.
I'm looking forward to an upcoming movie. I don't feel there should be rules imposed on what comprises "Current Film". We're all bright enough to know what sections our discussions belong in - so unless everyone else feels Nine isn't worthy of Current Film discussion, I'll discuss it - and any other upcoming films - as I wish. I won't be intimidated into toeing a line I haven't crossed.
Joe:
Quote: You don't blame us for keeping new people away, or preventing you from inviting them
Word. Thanks.
The only thing you did wrong was talk about something Marc's not interested in. Which somehow makes us "boring" and keeps newcomers away. |
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