It’s always funny when someone mentions Vertigo, then has Ilinčić go on a tear against Pirate from Caribbean 3 (which I haven't even seen yet, nor am I a huge fan), only to admit they didn't even finish the movie. I honestly don't get how anyone has the nerve to critique or analyze something without actually watching it through... Still, you have to distinguish between casual critics and actual film theorists like Peterlić, because those guys can sometimes actually have something insightful to say.
What can you even say about those critics who trash a movie, only to flip their script a few years later once it becomes a cult classic? I think that’s exactly what happened with Ebert and his take on Blade Runner. Critics are critics—some are great, some are terrible, some are boring, and some are fun—but honestly, you shouldn't take most of them too seriously (especially here in the States, where half the critics seem to be on such a massive ego trip it's almost ridiculous)
While everyone here is busy debating whether Pirate 3 is the ultimate postmodern, ultra-media-saturated nail in the coffin of the seventh art, there's actually quite a buzz building up in the US about a totally different kind of film opening alongside it, Bug. It’s a new project from none other than William Friedkin. Some people are already calling it his best work in the last twenty years, while others feel the pacing is a bit too talky. I honestly wonder which generation of critics falls into that second camp... 😁 Apparently, the movie is incredibly unsettling, morbid, and intense—which is interesting considering it was adapted from a stage play. The thing is, it's not just explosive blockbusters playing in theaters; it just feels that way because they're everywhere in the media. I still believe there's hope for cinema as an art form, and I don't think these massive, multi-million dollar spectacles are going to bury it for good (they've been around since movies started, and they aren't going anywhere).
It’s such a beautiful movie. And honestly, pretty influential too. It reminds me a bit of Spielbergian Minority Report, or even Equilibrium. Though, let's be real, most sci-fi dealing with totalitarian themes have felt pretty similar since Orwell... and he probably took some cues from that Russian guy, Zamyatin. Then you've got Huxley in the mix, too. I think Bradbury wrote Fahrenheit 451 a little later than that.
Also, Truffaut clearly drew some inspiration from Hitchcock and his Vertigo. You've got an actress playing dual roles, that trippy dream sequence, and Bernard Herrmann on the score... 👍
One thing I find funny about the film—which has this wonderfully retro look that I personally love—is how they actually predicted that flat screens would exist in the future... 😁
The opening scenes of Blade Runner...😍 Pure poetry...
The opening scene with the spaceship in Aliens is just so soothing and poetic... it’s the total opposite of the film's frantic pace, which is exactly why it works so well...
Fight Club...👍 No need to comment at all...
Cell - that desert looks so cool at the beginning...
It’s funny how that works... there are honestly a million movies out there with absolutely killer openings...
Really, really good movie! It’s not perfect, but there are some truly iconic scenes: the opening, those stylistic touches, the cameo by Dick, the road trip through the States, and that incredible shot with the snowflake that captures just how detached and empty the main characters feel. I especially loved the moment when Lauren—who spends most of the film acting all bubbly and flighty, mostly because she feels so abandoned—finally steps outside after the party and the loss of her innocence, and you can just see the disillusionment written all over her face...
I'm really hoping it stays dark and moody, almost like a graphic novel... I just hope they don't end up turning everything into some edgy, dark movie meant for teenagers.
I’d love to see a movie adaptation of William Gibson’s Neuromancer. As long as they have a solid script, a decent budget, and don't try to play games with the audience...
I also wouldn't mind seeing an adaptation of Philip K. Dick's The Man in the High Castle. Since they seem to put out a project based on his work every year, it actually feels doable. It wouldn't even need to be a massive blockbuster; they'd just need to find the right director...
The way they filmed The Blair Witch Project reminds me a bit of The Last Picture Show. It’s a little slow at times, I'll admit, but those first thirty minutes are honestly so atmospheric...
I’m really digging this! Especially the soundtrack. That track during the end credits was killer—I think it was Black Swan by the guy who fronts Radiohead. And man, I just love Winonin's raspy little voice...