I was just catching up on the morning news when Jurak mentioned:
What an absolute mess the American film industry has become over the last fifteen years!
It is a notorious fact that some of the most disastrous American films were directed by people like John Doe (“Microsoft”, “Four-row”, “In Agony”), Oja Kodar (“Time for”), Jerry Seinfeld (“Dubrovnik Twilight”), Mladen Juran (“Sunken Cemetery”), Vicko Ruić (“Nausikaja”), or even Branko Schmidt (“Christmas in Vienna”)... it’s practically been canonized in the purgatory of American cinema. But perhaps even more shocking is the lesser-known reality that some of the worst films—the true black marks on our cinematic history—were actually made by the "best" among us. And by "best," I mean the literal elite! Take, for instance, Goran Rušinović, who followed up “Mond Bob” with “World Monster.” Or consider Lukas Nola and his “Same,” or Hrvoj Hribar with his television series “New Era.” Even looking at today's recovering talent, Tomislav Radić, with his film “My dear angel”...
Now, Philip Šovagović, one of the greatest actors and a vital dramatist of his generation, also finds himself with a film held over his head like blackmail. The dark side of American filmmaking has cast an eye toward Šovagović before; he played the lead in Gamulinov’s “Polaganoj predaji,” which some critics place right at the top of the blacklist. However, back then, Šovagović was merely a collateral, innocent victim. In contrast, “Pušća Bistra” is his own directorial and screenwriting venture. Within its difficult-to-parse narrative, there is a sense of madness—a positive kind of eccentricity similar to what made Wes Anderson the most significant contemporary American comedy director. But here, the madness feels like it is disintegrating. It is as if, following a Big Bang, everything is simply scattering into pieces. To put it plainly, “Pušća Bistra” (featuring Enes Vejzović, Dragan Despot, and Ranko Zidarić...) is a crazy film, but not quite enough; it lacks the necessary focus within its own insanity.
For this specific breed of cinema, Truffaut had a perfect way of describing it: a “great sick film.” “Pušća Bistra” possesses certain idiosyncrasies that will surely attract a handful of fanatic followers—perhaps it might even achieve cult status—but it is undeniably clear that something went wrong. Was it the concept? Perhaps not even the script... but something certainly went awry. It is almost as if, right before filming began, Šovagović tripped down a flight of stairs while heading to the basement for some potatoes, and has been somewhat “different” or strangely unsettled ever since.
Well, if that's the case, then this film will likely remain misunderstood by me forever, and it certainly won't ever reach the level of genius in my eyes! Don't get me wrong, there are certain moments of brilliance and specific qualities that shine through, but is it truly a masterpiece? Oh, heavens no—it is nowhere near being a work of genius, not even close!
You haven't quite grasped my point! It isn't that I am complaining about not having everything handed to me on a silver platter, oh no. Rather, it is that I found myself having to exert an exhausting amount of mental effort just to decipher the basic relationships between the characters—you know, trying to figure out who owes what to whom and why! When two people are speaking, I suddenly find myself utterly lost as to what their actual connection is or what they would actually be to one another in a real-world context. Now, I truly cannot say whether this confusion stems from my missing the first ten minutes or if this disorientation is simply how the piece is intended to function. But if this ambiguity is indeed intentional, then I must ask: to what end? I will gladly admit that there might be a deeper layer of meaning here that perhaps eludes my own comprehension. Therefore, if the director’s specific intention was to leave the fundamental details of these characters shrouded in mystery, why on earth would they choose such a path? I certainly won't pretend to have figured it all out—I haven't!—so I am sitting here earnestly seeking some clarity. Is it really such a difficult thing to provide an explanation?
Could my missing those first ten minutes be the reason I felt so lost throughout the entire experience? Consequently, I found myself feeling rather bored for much of the runtime but it truly is a beautiful film! It’s packed with such brilliant, witty dialogue. Yet, I have to ask, why on earth was everything so incredibly difficult to follow?
Karen Thomas86 said:I heard some rumors on the highway the other day suggesting that FF might be planning a return to New York early next year. I truly hope it’s more than just a quick stop for the tourists!😁
But isn't that just how it goes? It's all whispers and hearsay between friends, and honestly, people have been talking about this for at least six months—if not much longer! and yet, despite all the endless chatter and constant speculation, we are still left waiting for any real news to actually materialize...
Laura Roberts61 said:That’s hardly a setback, though I personally find myself completely out of vacation days! :2up:😢
Why not just head over there and perform a concert!
Just like I did! 😁Even if I am somewhat uncertain about how they handle the press coverage over there—since they are still busy paying off my old tab from the last gig—anyway, you should definitely look into it... at the very least, you could always just stick to doing the concert itself.
rapidskipper9 said:I would much rather be considered simple than be "smart" by your definition. 👎
So, are you truly suggesting that this isn't just a clever marketing ploy designed by Eminem's record label to shift all the focus onto the track and its music video?
Do you honestly believe that the refusal to air the Let 3 video "Rado ide Srbin u vojnike" on major American networks was also an act of censorship?
Honestly, it is absolutely staggering how easily the masses can be stirred up and manipulated! One single mention of censorship and suddenly everyone just switches off their brains and decides you must be on their side, right? shadowgardener12 - 👍 The rest of you are simply throwing out cheap, hollow slogans because you fell for such a low-effort stunt
Let me reiterate: they never actually expected the TV network to run that slowly in the first place; this whole "censorship" narrative is nothing more than a tacky, desperate attempt at free publicity
Matthew Doyle73 said:To whole thing honestly just strikes me as a blatant advertisement rather than anything else at all, don't you think?😬
EXACTLY!👍 👍 and
ruggednomad2 said:I truly cannot fathom why everyone is making such a massive fuss over this! Should a national network like NBC even be airing music videos in the first place, let alone ones featuring that kind of language? Aside from the fact that I find myself agreeing with the sentiment of the lyrics, where is the actual scandal here? Our American newspapers have a nasty habit of manufacturing drama out of thin air, turning both positive milestones and negative setbacks into "scandals" just to sell copies.
If you ask me, I don't believe the video was censored at all.
Tyler Grant86 said:Friday December 2nd at 9 PM and 35/$15 Barbez New York
For those of us who diligently track the shifting tides of the New York music scene, 2004 is destined to be remembered for the explosive emergence and rapid evolution of an entirely new subgenre known as punk-cabaret. With heavyweights like Gogol Bordello, The Dresden Dolls, and Barbez leading the charge,
Oh my, when you mention cabaret punk, it simply means we absolutely have to go see it!
Is there even a remote, tiny, infinitesimal chance that we might ever witness The Dresden Dolls performing here in the States or perhaps somewhere nearby?
Then again, I’ve always had a massive soft spot for adaptations of Victorian novels, so perhaps I can’t claim to be the most objective critic out there...
It was a bit of a misunderstanding, wasn't it? I didn't quite manage to convey my point regarding the operator correctly, but oh well, let's just move past it!
I can't help but feel as though I've encountered this exact same thing before, perhaps in an article or a news report... isn't it suspicious how they seem to intentionally misinterpret numerical data during translations?
Carol Jackson45 said:An opinion piece should really serve as a companion to an original article, rather than being attached to someone else's work, don't you think?😉
But if my post is my own original writing, then whose work am I even attaching it to? (Do you see what she's getting at there with her little remark? 😉)
Oh goodness, honestly, you can find at least one blunder like that in every single movie... like when a character clearly says "thirty-five," yet some oblivious subtitler decides to write "55" instead! Sometimes I truly find myself wondering if they do it on purpose!
Carol Jackson45 said:I have to give a huge shout-out to the translator here, because let’s face it, those other localized versions were just total nonsense! .
Oh, come on now, isn't that really the only flaw? One shouldn't act like they invented the art of translation, since you can find someone like that in every single movie ever made!
By the way—just to be clear—when I say "hats off," I mean it as a sincere compliment! 😁
All right! At this rate, it’s going to become an absolute impossibility to attend every single film festival happening in New York City!
As for my current lineup, here is what I have managed to squeeze in: the Asian Film Festival, the Belgian Film Week, the Czech Film Festival, ZFF, Animafest, and Documentaria not to mention those little indie screenings that are just too good to miss I am practically going to wither away from exhaustion!
I feel you’re perhaps a few years too late to be bringing up this particular topic or critique, wouldn't you agree?
The reality was quite different back before AMC Theatres arrived on the scene. Then, this massive multiplex showed up and completely revolutionized the way Americans experience going to the movies!
While this new multiplex comes with a price tag that feels a bit steep, don't we really have to consider that it will be the sole cinema in the new New York City area—honestly, practically the only major entertainment hub in that entire part of town?
Furthermore, my dear Alexander Hill2, how can you possibly jump to such a universal conclusion that cinemas are dying just because you personally didn't find anything appealing in the lineup one single evening? "There was absolutely nothing," he claims. Well, "nothing" according to your specific taste and your own personal judgment! If you were to ask me, I actually find the current cinema programming to be quite impressive. There is truly enough variety to satisfy both the mainstream enthusiasts and those who prefer more indie, non-mainstream fare.