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lazarus said:
I thought Lance was the only major LOTR detractor here?

I have issues with some camerawork choices and the treatment of a couple characters, but overall I don't know who would have done a better job at writing, directing AND producing the thing.

Plus he deserves credit for making a star out of THE VIGG!
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I enjoy Fellowship and Two Towers a fair amount, but found Return of the King to be fairly overblown, at least by comparison. I've tried to revisit the series and give it another shot, but I haven't really cared enough to do so. Nothing about it has stuck with me in a significant way and I usually love epic fantasies like this.

The one guy who comes to mind is Guillermo Del Toro, and there you go. Alfonso Cuaron is another pick, and possibly Spielberg? Or is he too much of a sci-fi fanboy to dip into the Middle Earth waters? How about Ridley Scott?
 
Del Toro is a great director, no doubt. I'm not sure if he had/has the writing or producing chops to pull off that big of a production, though. Cuaron's style doesn't really jibe with this type of film? I don't know that it would have had the same visual prestige (something that, ZombieCam aside, Jackson mostly was able to deliver). Let's not forget that as good as Azkaban was, it was a mostly claustrophobic film, and while he nailed that atmosphere, LOTR has a bunch of different settings, tones, etc. Ridley Scott can't write, and would have had a difficult time finding the true heart of this material. Spielberg...let's just say that he's not a writer either. I could elaborate on how he would have fucked up and compromised the story, but that should go without saying.

Again, Jackson's contribution also involves bringing his wife and Philippa Boyens on board, and the importance of their input can't be stressed enough.
 
I was thinking more from a purely directorial standpoint and a lot of your points in refuting those choices were extremely valid. As far as Del Toro, we'll see with The Hobbit. Children of Men certainly has a specific tone, but it has a grand scope to it while still being entirely character-driven. Scott and Spielberg, totally understand, too.

There's always the possibility that Jackson did the best that he could and I just won't end up loving them like everyone else, which is most likely the case. I'd prefer that to anything else, really.
 
No doubt Jackson was probably the only one around at the time with the drive, the game-plan and just the right opportunities to get the films made the way they were. Unfortunately I just don't think they're really any good. Most of it has to do with Jackson's direction, which I've never liked. Never seen a single film of his I've really enjoyed (Though I did like Fellowship the first time I saw it, but that was a long time ago). But likewise, at least some of the problem is that I'm beginning to think I just don't really like Tolkien's story all that much either. I only read the first book, and I could take it or leave it. I know it's a bad sign when by the end of the last film I'm rooting for the Dark Lord or whoeverr to win and for all the main characters to die horrible painful deaths.
 
The WOO!

Capone talks RED CLIFF and other acts of violence with the great John Woo!!! -- Ain't It Cool News: The best in movie, TV, DVD, and comic book news.

JW: I would still like to make a film… What I feel…. I would still like to make some gangster movies, like one of my next projects is I’m trying to remake Jean-Pierre Melville’s LE SAMOURAI.

Capone: That’s right. I heard about that!

JW: We are planning on doing that and are looking at writers to work on the script. It’s co-financed by the Japanese and the French. I want to make different kinds of movies, and I also want to make my first martial arts movie as a tribute to Akira Kurasawa and King Hu. I also want to make a love story in war. I just want to do what I feel.
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Am I the only one who hates how the announcer says the name of the host after the main cast, and then goes right to "Ladies and gentlemen..." and repeats the last name he JUST FUCKING SAID? Why not say the host's name at the beginning right after "Saturday Night Live! With tonight's host..."

There are few insignificant things that bother me more.

As for JGL, I appreciate the effort, but a little TOO energetic and eager to please.
 
Looks good. I liked The Squid and the Whale but never checked out Margot. Anyone see that one? Greta is gorgeous. She really reminds me of somebody I know here too, only slightly more gorgeous.

Anyone else checking out Ninja Assassin this week? For some reason it feels like the perfect Thanksgiving holiday film to me. I can't wait.
 
lazarus said:
Apple - Movie Trailers - Greenberg

"I'm in" doesn't even begin to describe how I feel about this one. Greta Gerwig might be my new crush.

Love the slapping the hand on the van and then running away.
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I was really taken by it, too. Sweet, sweet Greta.

Lancemc said:
Looks good. I liked The Squid and the Whale but never checked out Margot. Anyone see that one? Greta is gorgeous. She really reminds me of somebody I know here too, only slightly more gorgeous.

Anyone else checking out Ninja Assassin this week? For some reason it feels like the perfect Thanksgiving holiday film to me. I can't wait.
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Need to watch both of those. Have any of you checked out Kicking & Screaming?

Nah, I'll catch it in a second-run theater or the school theater if it comes here. Mr. Fox for me.
 
I finally got around to watching Adventureland.

Really fucking good. So refreshingly honest while still taking some liberties with some very "movie" storytelling. But Mattola really captured the period perhaps better than I've ever seen it done before on film. Although it's not as though we've been seeing 80s period pieces for very long. But still.

And best of all it kind of made me like Kristen Steward again! I might be willing to forget about her bullshit Twilight sell-out/tabloid faux badass shenanigans for a while now, as long as she keeps reminding us she's still a talented actress. Also, that epilogue/coda/whatever you want to call it was too right for words.

I didn't start writing this to be as review-like as it is, which is why it's in this thread. But fuck it.
 
Adventureland > ((5_00) Da_ys (of) Su_m(me_r))

At least Mottola's film was SET in the time period it was taking all its cool music from.

Suck it.
 
Both are in my top ten for this (UK) year so far, but (500) Days of Summer beats Adventureland for me. (500) has more likeable characters and deals with a certain kind of relationship in such a relatable way. Adventureland was far more conventional and while the characters' actions are explored just as well, it's a much easier area to do so.

Plus:
(500)'s leads > Adventureland's leads
(500)'s humour > Adventureland's humour
(500)'s creativity and energitic, if verging on OTT, style > Adventureland's muted style

And the Lou Reed music is all late 60s / early 70s. I'm sure the characters grew up with it, just the same as those in (500) can be seen listening to The Smiths and Joy Division back in the day.
 
I have no idea what these films are, but didn't Yo La Tengo score a movie called Adventureland, laz? If so, I have a copy of said score. Can't remember.
 
monkeyskin said:
Both are in my top ten for this (UK) year so far, but (500) Days of Summer beats Adventureland for me. (500) has more likeable characters and deals with a certain kind of relationship in such a relatable way. Adventureland was far more conventional and while the characters' actions are explored just as well, it's a much easier area to do so.

Plus:
(500)'s leads > Adventureland's leads
(500)'s humour > Adventureland's humour
(500)'s creativity and energitic, if verging on OTT, style > Adventureland's muted style

And the Lou Reed music is all late 60s / early 70s. I'm sure the characters grew up with it, just the same as those in (500) can be seen listening to The Smiths and Joy Division back in the day.
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First, I'll acknowledge that Joseph Gordon Levitt is a better actor. He's hard not to like in 500 Days. But Jesse Eisenberg also perfectly nailed the awkwardness of his character (in a way that I think surpasses what someone like Michael Cera would have done with it), and I was cringing through a good portion of the film because of it. I consider this comparison a bit of a wash because of the different things they were aiming for.

And while I'm a big fan of THE DESCH!, I have to refer to what Lance posted and say that Stewart is a VERY talented actress who hints at depths that I really haven't seen from Zooey (maybe with the exception of her work in All The Real Girls). I think she gives a significantly better performance.

As for the humor, I'm pretty sure I laughed more during Adventureland. 500 Days was structurally more creative (which was your third point), but I don't know that the jokes or funny moments were overall better. Obviously we're talking about two different films here; we're not talking simply about two rom-coms directed at young people. One was trying to do something different with the genre, and I applaud its efforts in that regard. Adventureland was, as you say, more conventional, but gave us something very truthful that you don't often find in these types of films. Also, I'd add that because 500 Days is trying to stand out, things like Gordon-Levitt's VERY conventional (not to mention obvious) speech at the greeting card company ring false. And I'd still love to know where there's a karaoke bar in downtown L.A. where you can sing The Pixies.

Lastly, the music. If you consider what was used in Adventureland, yes, there's Lou Reed/VU material that isn't from the time period. But MOST of that soundtrack was. With 500 Days, it seemed that the music that tended to be highlighted was stuff made in the 80's, when the main characters (who appear to be somewhat recent college grads, maybe 23-25) were either not even born yet, or only a few years old. It's as if the screenwriter wanted all the music he listened to when he was younger to be in it, and forced those tastes on that characters. It's not as if there are no people nowadays who are into The Smiths, but I didn't get a sense that most of this music was from THEIR lives.
 
Adventureland blew 500 Days out of the water for me. As I mentioned back when I reviewed the latter, a lot of the deliberate artifice and formal playfulness didn't really work for me. It always felt like it was covering up for a real lack of substance. Now, I think there's some solid genuine relationship stuff under all the gloss in 500 Days, but I feel it's pretty cut and dry. I definitely prefer Adventureland's authenticity, both in its setting as Laz points out and in its character behavior. That was my favorite thing about Superbad too if I remember correctly. That despite the more ridiculous comedy, the characters felt like familiar real high school kids. Here, these feel like real people I've met and will be meeting in the next couple years, who behave in shockingly familiar impulsive awkward manners. It was all just that much more genuine, and thus all the performances and the relationships between the leads and even the supporting players were far more compelling.

As for the comedy, I laughed out loud far more often during this one as well.

"What are you majoring in?"
"Russian literature and Slavic languages."
"Oh wow, that's pretty interesting. What career track is that?"
"Cabby, hot dog vendor, marijuana delivery guy. The world is my oyster."
 
Yeah, I was a bit surprised to see TWBB so high on that particular list with No Country nowhere in sight. I don't know though. Critics were really high on No Country when it came out. :shrug:
 
Lancemc said:
Adventureland blew 500 Days out of the water for me. As I mentioned back when I reviewed the latter, a lot of the deliberate artifice and formal playfulness didn't really work for me. It always felt like it was covering up for a real lack of substance. Now, I think there's some solid genuine relationship stuff under all the gloss in 500 Days, but I feel it's pretty cut and dry. I definitely prefer Adventureland's authenticity, both in its setting as Laz points out and in its character behavior. That was my favorite thing about Superbad too if I remember correctly. That despite the more ridiculous comedy, the characters felt like familiar real high school kids. Here, these feel like real people I've met and will be meeting in the next couple years, who behave in shockingly familiar impulsive awkward manners. It was all just that much more genuine, and thus all the performances and the relationships between the leads and even the supporting players were far more compelling.

As for the comedy, I laughed out loud far more often during this one as well.

"What are you majoring in?"
"Russian literature and Slavic languages."
"Oh wow, that's pretty interesting. What career track is that?"
"Cabby, hot dog vendor, marijuana delivery guy. The world is my oyster."
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For some reason, I thought 500 Days was one of your favorites this year, but then I realized that was YLB. We'll wait for him to respond.

And Dalton, I was as shocked as you were. That list, to be honest, is almost as obnoxious as the one from The Telegraph, just in different way.

Here's a great one from a guy who runs one of my favorite blogs:

Some Came Running: My Seventy Greatest Films Of The Decade
 
lazarus said:
For some reason, I thought 500 Days was one of your favorites this year, but then I realized that was YLB. We'll wait for him to respond.

And Dalton, I was as shocked as you were. That list, to be honest, is almost as obnoxious as the one from The Telegraph, just in different way.

Here's a great one from a guy who runs one of my favorite blogs:

Some Came Running: My Seventy Greatest Films Of The Decade
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500 Days is still one of my favorites of the year and I plan to re-watch it at the student theater next week to see how it holds up. I can see where you guys are coming from RE: Adventureland and can't really refute either of the points you've brought up comparing the two.

Sure, they're both about relationships and the level of authenticity may be higher in Adventureland, but I see that as more of a general coming-of-age story while 500 Days is a straight-up romantic comedy, and both absolutely nail what they set out to do. There may be more bubbling under the surface of Adventureland and stronger characterizations beyond only the two leads... I just prefer 500 Days.

I may overrate 500 Days because it's one of the few romantic comedies that I think are even worth a shit. It's strange, because Adventureland explores an extremely similar situation and themes to a piece that I've written before, yet 500 Days may carry more of my comedic sensibilities at this point. It's insane how much I was able to relate to JGL and Jesse Eisenberg (The better version of Michael Cera) on such a deep level, too.

Glenn Kenny's writing is awesome, by the way, Laz, as was his bit part in The Girlfriend Experience.

Have any of you guys seen The Kid Stays in the Picture? This is one of the more compelling docs I've seen in a while, if you could call it that.
 
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