Directors Why Does George Kaplan Hate This Movie Tournament? (1 Viewer)

[Rain]

Touche.

In any event...

All About Eve. A great film about the lengths people will go to climbing their way to success on someone else's back. Besides, wasn't that impressed with Safe. For me it was one of those films with giant aspirations, but that just don't quite pay off.

Abstain on 2. Nada on the Alphaville.

(PS. I'm not really narcissistic...it's just my schtick. )

 

[JohnRice]

Who do you really think that coment was directed at?

 

[george kaplan]

I don't know. I may need a new chew toy for the dog. The photos I got in Colorado for that purpose are pretty much used up.

 

[JohnRice]

Because, of course, Colorado is considered one of the least photogenic states in the Union.

 

[Agee Bassett]

Abstain (no Safe, although my curiosity is piqued after reading Rich's analysis. *adds to queue*)
Abstain (no Alphaville. The Piano wasn't all that, I must agree.)

 

[SteveGon]

Hey, I've got relatives in Colorado. Punk!

 

[george kaplan]

Trust me Steve - not what I was referring to.

 

[Lew Crippen]

Safe beats Eve 3–0, but The Piano can only tie Alphaville. Since I dislike The Piano almost as much as George, my vote goes to Jean Luc.

Safe and Alphaville advance.


Today’s matches:

Round 1: Bracket 3:

Dancer in the Dark, Lars von Triers’ story of a mother driven to sacrifice anything and everything for her son. This movie is both innovative and innovative in its cinematography. Admittedly not a mainstream movie, but I’d think that the musical number on the railroad would be worth the price of even George’s admission.

vs.

Once Upon a Time in America, undoubtably the very best of Sergio Leone’s movies and with a cast that contains, De Niro, Joe Pesci and Danny Aiello and a wonderful appearance by Tuesday Weld, what’s not to like about this movie?


Round 1: Bracket 6:

All That Heaven Allows, a movie that I am sure George will dismiss as ‘soap opera’ and understandably so, as Douglas Sirk’s movies of that era were considered lady’s matinee or three-hanky movies. For many, Sirk uses the conventional form as a means to consider larger issues—and that he does so with style, beauty and panache can hardly be disputed—though I’m sure that George will provide us with that disputation.

vs.

Withnail & I, an English comedy that I would have thought would be considered funny by almost anyone. The kind of zany situation where everything goes wrong is a staple of many comedies (and many of which I know George loves). So why does he dislike this one? Perhaps the drugs, the squalor (rather than the glamour of zany Hollywood movies) or maybe just the overall psychosis. Or perhaps something else.


Why does George hate these movies? He comments:

"Dancer in the Dark

" Von Trier is a certain sign that a movie is worth hating. Bjork is a certain sign that any music in it is going to suck. At least I can find something nice to say about this film. It's better than Breaking the Waves (to about the same degree that being buried in 100 pounds of shit is better than being buried in 101 pounds of shit).

" Once Upon a Time in America

" Compared to films like Dancer in the Dark, it's not really fair to say I hate this film. I do, but to such a lesser degree that it's almost not comparable. Once Upon a Time was boring, poorly edited into a incomprehensible mess, and way unworthy of Leone, but it's Citizen Kane compared to many of the other films in this tourney.

" All that Heaven Allows

" Speaking of which... Well, actually, while this is far worse than a film like Once Upon a Time, it's still far better than films like Dancer in the Dark. But there's no getting away from the fact that this is nothing but a superficial afternoon tv soap opera, prettied up. But a pretty to look at soap opera is still a horrible thing to inflict upon people. Critics were right in the 50s about this film, and the audience is right about it today. Horrid.

" Withnail & I

" Now this film approaches the reprehensibility level of Dancer in the Dark. A stupid film about stupid people that has as it's motto "weird for weird's sake". It's even more hated for the fact that it's supposedly a comedy. I hate bad melodramas, but when my favorite genre, comedy, is used to pass off something that isn't funny at all as a comedy, and instead it's just a weird boring melodrama with psychotic characters (I'm guessing that we're supposed to be laughing at their psychotic behavior?) than it's even more worthy of hatred."

 

[SteveGon]

Once Upon a Time in America - No contest.

Abstain - Haven't gotten around to seeing either one.

 

[JohnRice]

Once Upon a Time in America - This movie is so freaking great I can hardly believe it.

Abstain - No Withnail


I'm dazzled by the simpleminded humor.

 

[Bill McA]

Once Upon a Time in America - ouch, I love both of these films but I prefer Morricone over Bjork. Amazing film

All That Heaven Allows

 

[Brook K]

Dancer in the Dark ("I don't mind it at all, if you're having a ball. This is my mu-si-cal. And there will always be someone to catch me...when...I...fall")

All That Heaven Allows (much as I like Withnail and I "We went on vacation by mistake!")

and once again, ATHA is working on a level about 10 miles above Random Harvest which is melodramatic and soapy in the extreme. You do realize that every character on every daytime soap opera has had amnesia at least 3 times?

 

[george kaplan]

Well Brook we'll just have to agree to disagree. Random Harvest is SO much better written, directed and acted than All That Heaven Allows that I'd have guessed you were the one hit on the head for not being able to see it.

 

[JohnRice]

I am having a mini Asian Film fest today. Staying inside since it is nearly as unpleasant here as a "pleasant" day in Texas (90+ degrees) and I thought it might be nice to have George join in on the festivities. It will begin with lunch and a movie of Three Extremes (accompanied by a nice big plate of ravioli) followed by Oldboy. May jump across the pond and close out the night with a re-viewing of Irreversible.

 

[Adam_S]

I agree with George on {Safe} and would have easily voted for All About Eve, but I have to abstain on these matchups.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

I must be in the Twilight Zone, because I did not see so much as a mention of what I consider George's most notorious hatred for a movie....and I don't think I even need to say what it is.

Of course I haven't been around for a while. Has George finally seen the light? I know, I know....not likely.

 

[JohnRice]

No, not likely. If you aren't around to nom your personal choice, don't expect the rest of us to do it. I mean, with literally hundreds if not thousands of worthy contenders.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

Oh, I agree about there being hundreds if not thousands of worthy contenders.

My point of contention, however, would be that none are more worthy than Lawrence. And to not even have it mentioned is quite suprising, to say the least.

I would certainly think that it would have had a chance to win the overall tournament had it been nominated.

 

[JohnRice]

That overrated piece of crap? It's self-absorbed, poorly written, directed, acted and edited. Besides, it too damn long, boring and makes me thirsty.

 

[Rob Tomlin]

Thanks George!