OK, now let's talk about "MAY"! ( w/A psychological decathlon that you'll appreciate) (1 Viewer)

[Matt Stone]

Has anyone listened to the commentary yet? My copy should be hear tomorrow. I can't wait

 

[Andy Sheets]

I listened to the first commentary but haven't gotten around to the second. It's alright but I think it suffers from too many participants. There's a lot of "Oh, I love this shot" stuff and I would have liked to have heard Angela Bettis comment more often. It's not boring, though, and there's a really odd moment during the scene with the blind kids in which they start playing a tune on a harmonica while Nichole Hiltz sings. Lucky McKee says after they finish that they paused the movie so they could snort some cocaine and it's actually hard to tell if he's joking

 

[Jens Raethel]

Scott:
After I had read your review, I had to order the dvd.
Thanks in advance, I trust you on this one!

 

[SteveGon]

I listened to the first commentary last night. It's fun enough, but for the most part it's not especially enlightening - as Andy noted, it consists of a lot of joking around. Director McKee did mention and discuss some interesting-sounding deleted/alternate scenes during the course of the commentary and I wish those had been included on the disc. :frowning:

 

[Kevinkall]

I got the dvd on Sunday and just got around to watching it last night. GREAT MOVIE!! Also I really liked all the Breeders songs in it. Did anyone watch the trailer? I didn't watch the trailer until after I watched the movie. The trailer made it seem like American Psycho 3 or something. I'm glad I didn't watch the trailer beforehand or I MAY have passed over this one.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I'm really glad to see so many people enjoying the movie. It's still #1 on my 2003 list.

 

[Tino]

O.K. Scott, based on your rave review (and Matt's ), I bought this DVD blind today. It better be good!

I'll watch it tomorrow and chime in here afterwards.

 

[Chris Clark]

Tino, I bought it blind today and thought it was wonderful. I hope you have the same experience.

 

[Tino]

Scott and Matt, you each owe me $10!

I didn't like it. At all. I thought it was dull, pretentious, derivative, and predictable. It was devoid of humor, suspense, interesting characters or an original story.

To mention this film in the same breath as Halloween to me is unthinkable. It has none of the great qualities of that classic film.

Imo, it works neither as a horror film nor a black comedy. I don't know what to call it, besides not very good. I didn't like or sympathise with May's character, or any character in the film for that matter, so I could not care what happened to any of them. The story, as I mentioned, was predictable and the outcome was telegraphed pretty early on.

Sorry guys, I'm glad many of you enjoyed this film, and I don't want to rain on this parade, but it just didn't work for me. I however only have myself to blame for buying it blind (no pun intended).

Buyer (and watchers) beware indeed.

 

[Cary T]

I love this film. Like Scott, it's on my #1 of 2003 as well. However, I can understand this May is not for everyone. Not everyone will sympathize a quirky character who is also a killer.

I'm still waiting for my dvd from DDD. I know a few of you have listened to the first commentary. Has anyone listen to the second comentary track yet? And how is the transfer?

 

[Matt Stone]

Oooh, Tino...them's fightin' words!

Sorry you didn't enjoy it as much we did. It's certainly a polarizing film (kinda like Donnie Darko) ... now, to discuss the film.

The story, as I mentioned, was predictable and the outcome was telegraphed pretty early on.

Damn straight it was...just like it was obvious that May was going to hack out her eyeball when she was looking at the mirror. We knew it was coming, but it didn't come right away. It played up the tension.

Saying the film is bad for being predictable is like saying that American Beauty is bad because we know Lester is going to die. In AB it makes is pay close attention to his descent (or ascension) to death. In May, due to Bettis's great performance, we feel drawn to May...and we really want her to turn out happy, but we ultimately know that she is doomed.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

Matthew! You march RIGHT back here and Spoiler Tag that eyeball statement! Or NO Bad Boys 2!

 

[Matt Stone]

Your not the boss of me!

(storms off to room)

 

[Alex Spindler]

Well, I managed to secure my own copy of May. Interesting story that.

In a very minor logical leap, I assumed that May would be delivered in very small quantities to my area (a little hamlet called Kansas City). Lo and behold, nobody was going to get any in. Hard enough that not a single store considered it a new release or marked it as such, but that the title caused confusion as well ("it was released in May?"). Finally, I was able to find, on Monday, that my local Best Buy had one in. However, it wasn't shown as available for instore pickup in that location. I called, and they said that one copy had been delivered. They recommended I try an online order on Tuesday and see if I could get it set aside at that time. I try at 10:00am and find that it does not appear to be available and that the closest one was about a 30 minute drive. My desire to enjoy a nice drive and to see a movie I was intrigued with (as well as a not inconsiderable instant gratification urge), I set and online order with instore pickup from Best Buy. I drive there and the fun really begins.

I wait in the customer service line and when helped, they can't find my order. Tried searching my name, credit card, nothing worked. After trying for several minutes, she recommended that I just try to find it on the shelf and then try and cancel my order later. I head directly to the horror section and find several Best Buy employees displaying the international sign of confusion in from of the M titles. One has a paper slip and I hear the word "May" several times. I suspect the reason that they couldn't find my order was because they were trying to find it themselves. As they try in vain to find it in the horror section next to The Lord of the Rings:FOTR (obviously a horror title), I head to the other sections already being wise to their normal shenanigans. After searching briefly in Comedy, I find my copy of May in the action section. I would still call this a success. I am one of (maybe) two in Kansas City to actually own May from a B&M.

The movie itself is something really special. Angela Bettis was excellent altogether, from her lazy eye phase to her more confident cracked glass version. I also liked how the story didn't leave the lead character immaculate. She does things that are not very audience friendly and are irreversible. This could have lost me, but I was always on the edge of my seat waiting to see where it was going to go. The conclusion was also very good and matched the film without any kind of silly trick ending. Any film that makes me feel sympathetic to a character because her boyfriend leaves her after she injures him and is covered in blood it a great film indeed.

If there were any faults, I'd say it was Anna Farris. She was certainly hot as the femme fatale, but she seemed out of place for the movie. She also acts only slightly better than in Scary Movie.

Oh, and major bonus on the use of The Breeders (and related members) for the soundtrack. One of my favorite bands from the '90s.

In all, this was a great addition and a great contributor to the great 2002-2003 horror revival. I was prepared to give Scott a ration of crap if the movie turned out bad, but it was certainly worth all the effort I took to get it.

 

[Tino]

Matt

I didn't say it was bad for being predictable, just that it was one of my problems with the film.

Bettis' performance was good, but standard for that kind of character. Her performance didn't create sympathy for me, so I didn't care what happened to her. To me she just came across as weird and creepy, not sad and likeable. I enjoyed Anna Farris' and Jeremy Sisto's performances more. In the end, I didn't hate May, I just think it's an immediately forgettable generic film with little to offer the genre. Not trying to be harsh fellas, just honest.

As for the transfer, for the most part it's very good, but on a number of occasions, there was a considerable amount of artifacting that was very noticeable on my 65" Sony. The DD 5.1 soundtrack was excellent.

FWIW, I enjoyed Donnie Darko much more than May.

 

[Scott Weinberg]

I was prepared to give Scott a ration of crap if the movie turned out bad

But clearly it's not crap, so you're now prepared to give Scott a ration of what?

(Oh, I hope it's cookies...)

 

[Alex Spindler]

All I can offer is a ration of increased confidence in your recommendations, which are high enough based on 28 Days Later and Below. Feel free to recommend LXG and Gigli and you should still be in the black.



How many other people responded to her "funny/gross work story" with "holy shit"?

 

[Andy Sheets]

To me she just came across as weird and creepy, not sad and likeable

She's weird and creepy AND sad and likable

 

[Scott Weinberg]

How many other people responded to her "funny/gross work story" with "holy shit"?

Yes! And that fact that she delivers it in a very matter-of-fact and breezy fashion makes you realize that her perception of 'weirdness vs. normalcy' is more than just a little askew.

Plus it's just gross.

 

[Tino]

Fair enough Alex!

Btw, Scott, I agree with your raves of 28 Days Later and Below. Loved 'em both! See, we do agree once in a while. Now about your review of The League.....