I've watched 3 bad movies recently:
1) Lady in the Water: This movie proves, yet again, that M. Night Shyamalan needs someone to stand behind him while he is on his auteur chariot and whisper "All fame is fleeting. All fame is fleeting." What the hell M. Night? What the fucking hell? Watch Unbreakable and get back to your core, dude.
2) Black Dahlia: The same for Brian De Palma. Just because you can make a stylish movie, doesn't mean you should try to do it with a convoluted script and some very bad acting. Poor De Palma. Scarface beckons you.
3) Superman Returns: Paying homage to Christopher Reeve and Marlon Brando is one thing, totally ripping the poor dead guys off is another. The only redeeming thing about this movie is Kevin Spacey's imitation of Gene Hackman with none of the humor that Hackman brought to the role. He was positively menacing, like Jack Nicholson was menacing as the Joker in Batman. Postmodern, indeed this film sort-of was. Too bad the Lois Lane actress didn't get it and put on a spoof of Margot Kidder. Too bad the directors really didn't get it either.
Oh well.
Haven't seen The Black Dahlia, and boycotted Superman Returns, but did see Lady, and so agree with you about the person saying what you said.
ReplyDeleteIf you get sick of your current job, maybe that could be your new job. Maybe a studio would hire you for a lot of money to do it.
Well that person you speak of is a reference to Roman triumphs. They would put a slave behind the conquering hero and have that slave say to the hero "All fame is fleeting" over and over again.
ReplyDeleteI'd be happy to assume that job with an uncounted number of entertainment and political heros of our day.
I haven't seen The Black Dahlia but I've seen the other two.
ReplyDeleteI have to agree with you about Superman Returns, Spacey and Parker Posey stole the show. Bosworth was worthless.
However I disagree with you about Lady in the Water. I don't know who okays or decides the PR for his movies but they are always misleading. I enjoyed and took the film as a telling of a modern day fairytale, after I made the paradigm shift of it not being a horror story like the previews portrayed.
Have you seen any movies that you did like?
ReplyDeleteI've only seen Batman Returns. I've been avoiding the other two because I'd heard similar things from others. I have to agree that Bosworth was an incredibly disappointing Lois. She looked like she was trying, but she really didn't seem tough. I love Parker Posey though and I didn't mind the homage to the old Super Mans. It made me nostalgic
ReplyDeleteI can give you an hour long diatribe one how I loathe Mr. Shalaman, but it mostly comes down to the pretentiousness of calling one's self M. Night. C'mon, what is that? What's his first name? Marty? Mortimer? I'm pretty sure kids didn't run around on the playground calling him M. Night. (By the way, I liked Unbreakable and The Sixth Sense.)
ReplyDeleteI loved Superman as a kid, and I find it blows as an adult. I guess I just can't get past the idea that a pair of glasses hides old Supe's identity.
For a truly scary movie check out Jesus Camp.
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