Moulin Rouge vs Blair Witch Project (1 Viewer)

[Darrel Johansen]

The recent controversy over Moulin Rouge reminds me of the last "art" film that had a similar love/hate reaction: The Blair Witch Project. If there is something that causes you to immediately react negatively, then you probably won't be able to enjoy either film. I know that the low budge video of BWP turned many people off.

FWIW, I did enjoy BWP, but was put off by MR. I do like musicals but this one left me cold. Maybe it's that the high budget visuals are so overwhelming that the music and drama seem out of proportion. Something in the mix that caused an immediate disconnect for me, and obviously, for many others.

 

[Thomas T]

You mentioned that you liked musicals. That might explain why you disliked Moulin Rouge. As I said on the lengthy MR thread, it's the perfect musical for people who dislike musicals. The thread is rampant with comments like, "I can't stand musicals but I loved Moulin Rouge".
Some defenders of the film seem to insinuate that those of us who are less than impressed with Luhrmann's wham bam thank you m'am style of film making are somehow "unhip" and unable to comprehend the mastery of technique that emanates from Luhrmann's fingertips. We understand it all right, we're just not buying.
To be fair though, I did enjoy the film in spite of Luhrmann's "I Am The Star Of My Films" method of film making. Nicole Kidman, in particular, was marvelous.

 

[RobR]

Count me as someone who thought The Blair Witch Project was a masterpiece but didn't care for Moulin Rouge. I found BWP surprising effective. Those who were put off by the low budget video of BWP obviously didn't understand how the footages were obtained, as explained in the beginning of the movie. Why is it so difficult to take a film as it is? I've seen too many people bash films for what they think they should be, rather for what they are.

I do not discriminate against any film based on its genre, so the fact that Moulin Rouge is a musical plays no factor in my opinion of the movie. Unlike some people, I have no preference toward any one genre and enjoy movies of all genres as long as they're good.

 

[Darrel Johansen]

Hmmm. Some consider American Grafitti a musical (including the director). Umbrella's of Cherbourg, to Caberet, West Side Story, Hard Day's Night, Yellow Submarine, Singing in the Rain, Stop Making Sense, This is Spinal Tap, Quadrophenia, 2001, all use music in an integral way to promote the art of the production. It's hard for me to understand how one who likes these films would be necessarily put off by Moulin Rouge, or conversely, that one who enjoys MR would not like these other movies.

 

[RicP]

Those who were put off by the low budget video of BWP obviously didn't understand how the footages were obtained, as explained in the beginning of the movie

Rob, you have to be kidding me. Please tell me that you don't think that the BWP project was real? The "footages" as you call them were shot that way to enhance the feel of the faux-documentary style.
Everything about that film...everything...was part of the fabrication. While I didn't like the film very much, I think their marketing plan was sheer genius.
OTOH, I loved Moulin Rouge and thought it was just brilliant. I'd expect it to be nominated for Best Picture (it won't win though)

 

[Sean Laughter]

Some defenders of the film seem to insinuate that those of us who are less than impressed with Luhrmann's wham bam thank you m'am style of film making are somehow "unhip" and unable to comprehend the mastery of technique that emanates from Luhrmann's fingertips

Whereas some people insist on saying that those of us that like Moulin Rouge don't know a good musical if we see one and that we can't like Moulin Rouge unless we don't like musicals to begin with

 

[RobR]

Rob, you have to be kidding me. Please tell me that you don't think that the BWP project was real? The "footages" as you call them were shot that way to enhance the feel of the faux-documentary style.

Of course, I know it's not real. That's exactly the point I was making, yet some people are put off by that.

 

[Justin_S]

THE BLAIR WITCH PROJECT is a horror classic in my opinion, and I don't care how many people may dislike it! I love absolutely everything about BWP, and nothing that anyone says will ever change that! Rob is very correct in calling it a masterpiece! I still have not seen MOULIN ROUGE, but I plan on doing so very soon.

 

[RicP]

Of course, I know it's not real. That's exactly the point I was making, yet some people are put off by that.

Ok..Whew...you had me scared there for a minute
Of the people I know that disliked BWP...it wasn't so much the stock, or the way it was shot, it was more the complete lack of cohesiveness. All the dialog was ad-libbed, and at times that was painfully obvious. I thought the direction was horrible except for a few select parts, and some things "looked" staged, and not completely natural as one would expect to see in "discovered" footage.
The only thing that was "masterful" about that movie was the marketing campaign...that was pure brilliance. The movie itself however, was bunk.
All my take on the flm, naturally.

 

[Greg O' Connel]

IMHO, the one thing that Moulin Rouge and Blair Witch have in common is the "emperor has no clothes" factor. Unique films like these two seem to attract a few people who think that they must be great, artistically brilliant films because they're so strange. Then the stragglers come along and agree, not wishing to make themselves look like they don't have the intelligence to appreciate "brilliant art".
It will probably take several years of retrospect to see if Moulin Rouge really deserved the praise it got. I know many people who ranted and raved about how great Blair Witch and Rocky Horror were, only to watch them again after the craze died down and realize that they're mostly crap.

 

[Justin_S]

Actually, I watch my DVD of BWP quite often, and I still love it more than ever. It is as FAR from being crap as possible in my opinion!

 

[Lewis Besze]

Well I didn't care for both, but for different reasons.

 

[Inspector Hammer!]

Lewis, care to elaborate on that?

 

[Jacob_St]

I didn't care for either. I hate musicals so Moulin wasn't for me and BWP was plain pathetic. If I HAD to watch one of the two again it would be Moulin. At least that one took some creativity and intelligence to make. Outside of the marketing any idiot could have made Blair Witch.

 

[Brian Lawrence]

IMHO, the one thing that Moulin Rouge and Blair Witch have in common is the "emperor has no clothes" factor. Unique films like these two seem to attract a few people who think that they must be great, artistically brilliant films because they're so strange. Then the stragglers come along and agree, not wishing to make themselves look like they don't have the intelligence to appreciate "brilliant art".

I find that comment snobbish and insulting to anyone whoever liked one of these two film. You are simply taking your own subjective opinion and treating it as fact. It presents a mindset of "Well I know these films stink, so many of the people who like them, only think they like them" Well with all of the recent threads on Moulin Rouge that where loaded with praise, perhaps you could point us out to some of the individuals you think fit your above description.

 

[Justin_S]

Yeah, I agree that it was a snobbish statement. It angers me when I hear such nonsense. I KNOW what I like, and will continue to like what I like no matter what! I love The Blair Witch Project, so sue me!

 

[Ruben Zamora]

To me BWP was the crappiest movie I've ever seen in my life. Even if you didnt like moulin rouge you couldnt say it wasnt the worst movie ever because it wasnt.

BWP was just STUPID!!!!!!

 

[Justin_S]

Ya know, there is a little thing called opinions. If a person saw Moulin Rouge and truly thought it was the worst film ever, they COULD call it that. I'm not saying Moulin Rouge is bad, because I have not yet seen it. I plan to very soon. You can say that BWP is stupid in your opinion all you want, but you cannot state it as fact thank you very much. I for one, think BWP is an excellent classic, and to me it always will be. That is my opinion. Think about it.

 

[Sean Conklin]

Count me in for loving both BWP and MR!

I think both are masterpieces!

And when I first viewed BWP, I thought it was real:b

 

[Marvin Richardson]

As I said on the lengthy MR thread, it's the perfect musical for people who dislike musicals. The thread is rampant with comments like, "I can't stand musicals but I loved Moulin Rouge".

Well, I certainly don't fit in that category. I DETEST musicals above all other types of films, and I thought Moulin Rouge was one of the worst movies I've seen in a long time. Pretentious and vapid, in my opinion. I haven't seen Battlefield Earth(because I knew before-hand how bad that would be) so I'm not sure if it would fall above or below that.

The Blair Witch Project on the other hand I hated in the theater (mainly because it made me motion-sick,) but loved it on DVD when the effect wasn't nearly as pronounced.