Come on, guys, let's stick to the topic. First off, the idea that someone fell into a crisis because of one movie—especially since the whole afterlife thing doesn't help that argument—is pretty silly. By that logic, they’d just be in a "permanent crisis." So, the point isn't about who "missed the mark" with a single film, otherwise everyone in Hollywood would end up on your blacklist. Besides, if we're really debating *Eyes Wide Shut*, I might as well move all these posts over there.
Jerry Morales78 said:If that movie isn't controversial, nothing is. Clearly, you just have a thing for cheap shock value. Honestly, it might be Kubrick's best work. It's layered, subtly brutal, and has those Kafkaesque vibes running through the plot.
I think the film is pretty underrated... plus, Stanley put an insane amount of effort into it, so production-wise, it holds its own against anything else he’s done. I can't even list all the details here without hitting a word limit... anyway, I'll stop before I drift too far off topic. Carry on...
Kevin Sanders87 said:Bringing up family is totally unnecessary here; Jerry Martin19 raised a perfectly valid point. I'm looking for an answer too. If you actually look at Jose Miller17's opening line, then your random Kubrick reference, Jerry Martin19's question, and finally crimsonmoose3's response, it’s pretty obvious the logic isn't adding up somewhere...
Good to see someone else actually using their brain for its intended purpose👍 ...
MrBeast said:So, what? You're going to stop using those sneaky little hints to get your point across? Please. You're just losing all credibility with these vague, half-baked arguments.
Good grief, the ego on this guy is unreal 🤣...and honestly, I don't care who you think you are. You're just going to have to accept the facts, no matter how much they bruise your pride 🤣 🤣... ... I'm not buying the "exposure" angle either...like I said, even a hero like Captain America doesn't fall because of some minor setback...I disagree with your final point entirely too.
haha Look at this guy acting like he’s some dark cloud looming over the horizon... spreading his claws over the fate of an average Joe like he’s some cosmic entity...😁😁 ...well, look, you eventually have to accept the fact that some people just won't care who you are... but honestly, take it as a compliment. I don't like you because of your fame, I like you because you're actually 😁 😁... >-possible spoilers- ....sure, we could get lost in the weeds here... did he actually expose the organizers? Does the word of some random anonymous guy—who, let's be honest, ended up like a character in a Kafka novel shortly after—really carry that much weight? Is the money in the box about a family's survival, or is it more of a metaphor for what a single life is worth? Just a few deep questions to keep us thinking :-)
1) Honestly, I don't know and I don't really care... so yeah, big deal. :-) 2) I get where you're coming from, and you might be right, but aren't you just being biased because of your stance on the movie? I have no clue if people are actually glorifying it or whatever... the number of people in this thread certainly doesn't prove that. :-) 3) There's no reason for me to get worked up or for you to lecture me—I'm saying the exact opposite. It was described as a "noir" film, though maybe more like a neo-noir with a Kafkaesque vibe. Gelin isn't exactly reinventing the wheel here. What is it actually about? I don't want to sound like a cliché, but it's essentially about an individual caught in a surreal, bizarre chain of events that they have zero control over... just numbers and instructions. A sequence where things only make sense once they reach their physical end, and the greatest human virtue turns out to be the sheer luck of a miserable number. It’s the tyranny of an all-consuming present, regardless of the naive, arrogant idea that some noble purpose must emerge from suffering—or that the hero can actually be a subject who influences anything. It's that feeling of being squeezed, of being forgotten because you're irrelevant and invisible... like trying to crawl out from under a meat grinder.
…there he goes, our knight in shining armor, reacting with that classic bruised ego because anything that doesn't align with his worldview must be some kind of divine revelation..."enlighten me"... "enlighten me"...Sorry, I don't have any enlightenment to give you. I'm not exactly Gelin, an angel Gabriel, and let's face it, you aren't exactly a saint either. The formula is as disappointingly simple as always: try actually listening—or reading—to what the other person is saying :-) ...or just look at your own previous posts. Our hero was never exactly portrayed as the wise, clever, or cunning type, so I'm not sure where you're getting this from. If you really want enlightenment, listen to my neighbor down the street... though it’s probably been a while since you actually picked up a book! 😁
"He loves me, he loves me not, he loves me, he loves me not..." Ugh. This guy was basically picking flower petals on a Sunday afternoon... ...Look, you can love the movie all you want, but I’m telling you again: you completely missed the point.
northerncrane4 said:When I talk about banality, I mean that forced need for the protagonist to have some big "life lesson," even when the story isn't really about him. Plus, I can't stand protagonists who act completely detached from reality throughout the film.
I don't think it's actually a story about him either, so the "lesson" isn't meant for his benefit... our lead is basically just a way for the plot to move. In that sense, that "detached" vibe fits perfectly. As for the scares? They're totally justified... boo. 😁😁
Well, Xavi, you said the "twist" wouldn't turn into some "fantastic ending," but I disagree. Since I already figured out what was going on by accident, I still found myself glued to the screen. Honestly, the pacing works for me—the shots are timed perfectly, and that middle sequence is spot on. Whether the ending feels cliché is subjective. It’s like asking if the end of Kafka’s *The Trial* is cliché; maybe that ambiguity is exactly the point. edit: Oh, and apparently his brother was the absolute last choice for the lead role, picked at the very last minute right before filming started.
My neighbor, a local mechanic, would probably call this 'Kafkaesque neo-noir.'😁 The concept works, and they pulled it off perfectly. Using black-and-white cinematography was a smart move, and at a tight 90 minutes, it doesn't overstay its welcome. Honestly, I walked away feeling like Gelin knew exactly what he was doing—he crafted a lean, mean little film without a single wasted frame. Major props to Gelin. Plus, he somehow managed to squeeze his younger brother into that 5 to 12 movie too.
We should probably just title this thing 'When the Madness Hits'... Honestly, Clint Eastwood is the only old-school legend who still feels untouchable to me. 😁 Besides, the real question is how many masterpieces an author can actually squeeze out of themselves before they run dry.
Kevin Sanders87 said:Sure, Woody Allen might be having a midlife crisis—he popped his head out for a second with 'Match Point' before sinking back into it with 'Scoop'—but saying he isn't a director... Are we even talking about the same guy? The man directed some of the best comedies ever made in the 70s and 80s. Just look at 'Annie Hall', 'Manhattan', 'Hannah and Her Sisters', or 'Crimes and Misdemeanors'. Or are you actually talking about the actor version of Woody Allen from those movies? Because, spoiler alert, it's the same person.
Have you actually seen Scoop? Honestly, I was fine with his mid-90s stuff too. Even those cheesy Hollywood endings where the blind director suddenly strikes it big in France don't bother me much.😁😁
Here’s another agreement regarding the movie... I think it’s obvious that yesterday’s total flop completely ruined my mood. So, I finally managed to forget that I even went to see last night with my neighbor at the local dive bar... until I found a lighter in my cabinet today. No joke, you have to see what's inside... nickels, quarters, those thick empty ones, and the thick full ones... there's enough stuff in there to fill half a wallet. But the funniest part was realizing I was reading everything upside down without even noticing. ... And then I’m reminded of The Maltese Falcon 😲 ... But enough of this nonsense!!... Scavengers... soul-sucking vultures hiding behind (virtual) human faces!! Your intentions are transparent!! 🙂 ...🧐 😬 Go ahead, throw your money away if you’re really that bored... peace out!! 😁
quietdriver3 said:Reading this thread, I honestly thought, "Wait, what the hell?" I checked the username to make sure I hadn't misread it, thinking maybe the guy was just having a meltdown. 😁 😁
😁😁 ...let me throw in something positive so it doesn't look like I'm just trashing the movie... I actually enjoyed that part where a Coke cap rolls off the table and disappears, and you just start chasing it... 😬
So I roll up to the theater... and weirdly enough, there wasn't a hint of that stench yesterday. They must have finally fixed it, because that place usually smells like death. You’re halfway through a movie and the odor hits you so hard you feel like your hair might fall out. It’s like someone took twenty rotten eggs and seasoned them with spoiled cabbage. Anyway... I grabbed a huge bag of chips since I was starving, but everything was closed. Honestly, yesterday was actually a decent day to hit the cinema—which is saying something, since Sunday is famously the worst day ever. Oh, and earlier that morning, my neighbor Pete stopped by asking for help moving some tires out of the hall; apparently, his wife won't cook him anything until those things are gone. So, I'm on my way over to Pete's when ....... doesn't anyone else get tired of following this nonsense? ... you'll end up missing The Black Dahlia, for heaven's sake.
Amanda Lopez50 said:...boss, you're late... I'll be among the first ones there 😉
I'm just crunching the numbers here. Honestly, it's unlikely anyone would come up with such ridiculous pseudonyms on their own 😁... I'm genuinely curious to see how many signatures we end up with by the end of this whole saga
Look, you aren't going to convince her that anything exists beyond the Beltway 😁 , let alone that cities outside of D.C. actually have decent action scenes. But even if you did, that’s no excuse to quit. So what, you're stuck with just Netflix now? You guys even have a movie theater out there?