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| bartist |
 Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 11:02 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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| Red State. In a word: Blecchhh. The writer has it easy, as most character arcs are resolved with a bullet in the head. And most of the characters are crudely drawn -- horny teen boys who stumble into the clutches of grotesque Christian fundamentalists....lurching caricatures who trap, torture, and murder gays. A bumbling local sheriff. An ATF team torn between common decency and inhuman orders from above. It all goes down like Waco until the sudden shift to a cute shaggy-dog story sort of conclusion. This film is gore-soaked garbage, with a puerile joke tacked onto the end. And a monumental waste of such talents as John Goodman, Melissa Leo, and Michael Parks. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 1:01 pm |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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Was it very violent?
I have a low tolerance for that stuff.
Violence in films really irritates me.
It seems like the kind of film that would be better off not in Kevin Smith's hands. Actually, it just sounds like something that would be hard to pull off. Too topical and hot-buttonish and political to expect it to be dealt with intelligently.
So you think it's not worthwhile?
I've done a pretty good job avoiding crappy, films this year. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Sat Oct 22, 2011 4:49 pm |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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Quote: So you think it's not worthwhile?
Great horned toads! Run for your life! Flee! Flee! (is that clearer?)
Esp. if you don't care for the violence. I may not eat for a couple of days, after a scene involving Saran Wrap.
Quote: It seems like the kind of film that would be better off not in Kevin Smith's hands.
I'm starting to feel there is no kind of film that fares well in Mr. Smith's hands. I'm starting to think handing film to Mr. Smith is like putting Hannibal Lecter in charge of a team that transports donor organs. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| carrobin |
| Posted: Sun Oct 23, 2011 12:12 pm |
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Joined: 21 May 2004
Posts: 7795
Location: NYC
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| More Buster Keaton tonight on TCM, according to the website--starting with "College" at 8. |
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 12:00 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 4742
Location: Upstate NY
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The Danish film In a Better World got the Oscar and the Golden Globe as the Best Foreign Language Movie last year. It is about two school kids and their drifting into violence and about family dynamics. I liked it.
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 5:27 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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bartist wrote: I'm starting to think handing film to Mr. Smith is like putting Hannibal Lecter in charge of a team that transports donor organs.
Funny--and true. Smith is the closest thing to a no-talent I can think of. He did do a decent job with the pilot for the television series Reaper. Besides that, it's all crap.
In interviews he sounds like an all-right guy, and intelligent. But that don't cut the mustard cinematically. |
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| billyweeds |
| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 5:27 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 20618
Location: New York City
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| knox |
| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 4:31 pm |
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Joined: 18 Mar 2010
Posts: 1246
Location: St. Louis
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| Red State disturbed me in how many components of a fine movie were in place and ready to assemble. Michael Parks was actually pretty mesmerizing, giving a long (like 10 minutes) pep talk to his flock....made Fred Phelps look like a Unitarian....but then, it just kind of fell apart. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Mon Oct 24, 2011 6:43 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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| Love Kevin Smith, but not at all Red State is the kind of movie he should be making (haven't seen it yet, so can offer no evaluation). |
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| gromit |
| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 3:07 am |
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Joined: 31 Aug 2004
Posts: 9010
Location: Shanghai
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I liked early Kevin Smith a lot -- Clerks; Chasing Amy; Dogma. I sort of ignore Mallrats and Jay & Bob figuring that they were aimed at a much younger audience.
But post-Dogma which means since 2000, Smith has been pretty bad and out of ideas.
Jersey Girl was terrible
Clerks II a real disappointment
Zach and Miri fairly awful
I'll give him credit for at least (finally) trying something different with Red State, and if this were 3 or 4 years ago, I'd be sure to give it a try. Now I'm wary and hoping to avoid a crappy film.
I remember there was something about him being asked to buy 2 seats on a plane.
Here's a pic from Toronto Film Festival 2008:
Whoa!
The 2-seat version of Kevin Smith!
and 2011:
Big difference. |
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Killing your enemies, if it's done badly, increases their number. |
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| Joe Vitus |
| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 4:01 am |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
Posts: 14498
Location: Houston
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| Loved Clerks II and Zach and Miri. |
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You've got a great brain. You should keep it in your head.
-Topher |
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| marantzo |
| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:18 am |
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| Didn't like Clerks at all. Didn't see Chasing Amy, liked Dogma and then saw it again and didn't like it anymore. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 8:30 am |
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Joined: 27 Apr 2010
Posts: 6958
Location: Black Hills
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| The KS oovruh.... I've liked Dogma. Looks like he lost an entire person between 2008 and 2011. Impressive. |
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He was wise beyond his years, but only by a few days. |
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| bartist |
| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 11:14 am |
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Location: Black Hills
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| Ghulam |
| Posted: Tue Oct 25, 2011 12:58 pm |
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Joined: 20 May 2004
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Location: Upstate NY
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Liked Clerks and Chasing Amy. Didn't care for Dogma. Don't remember seeing any of the others.
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