Don DeLillo wrote White Noise (the book) way back in the 80s. Baumbachs screen adaptation here is a hilarious existential crisis stream of consciousness film where Kylo Ren is a H:tler expert, his wife Frances Ha is hopped up on 'Dylar' trying to fend off her fear of death and a cloud of gas is unleashed on their little 80s retro-style suburb. I wonder if the other non-meta thinking commentors watched Wandavision and thought "This is a real pretentious sitcom!" It's satire about academia and family life. Note that - it's satire about ACADEMIA and FAMILY LIFE. I'm repeating that because some of the others didn't get that and saw the film as pretending to be academic. IT"S RIFFING ON IT NOT BEING IT. How you can look at Don Cheadles professor of "Elvis Studies" in any other way but hilariously, is beyond me. Lighten up tankies! The war is in the mind not in the universities on your children!
Despite a conventional narrative this film relies on engaging into intellectual combat with you, the audience, as if it was the book. Advertising, media and consumerism are its own character in the film - occupying the background or 'white noise' around the family. This is important to grasp or else you will be turned off by the cacophony and quick pacing of the scenes. It's not hiding it's literary connection to post-modernism so the dialogue is RICH IRONY and the scenes are high-satire concept. That means two things, it's not for your average bear and if you do get it, it delivers the good a'plenty. For other appreciators of good things this has REWATCH value. If you have not considered the futility of your own mortality in false inflation post-pandemic greedworld you will struggle to understand Baumbachs pseudo-metaphorical pandemic told via DeMilos early 80s polemic. If you are muddling through since lockdown and wondering if there will ever be normality in media dominated, soma dependance culture - this movie is for you.
2 Parts Wes Anderson 2 parts Paul Thomas Anderson 2 parts Godard and 2 parts Salvador Dali.
Fascinating documentary on what was a negligible late 90s festival. The director makes the case Woodstock 99 was an expression of “white rage” and examines the musical performances as a bunch of shallow musicians egging on the primarily “frat bot” crowd to misbehave — which they did.
I remember in 99, thinking how awful music had become and witnessing every event being horrible, so I would make the case it wasn’t just Woodstock 99, but everything that year was filled with chaos. Whether its the the fault of MTV sinking backwards to pop acts, the rage of nu-metal acts or a statement on “white behaviour”, its up to you in the end. What you get out of this documentary will entirely depend on where you fall in relation to those aspects. Gen-Z respectively might not care at all and see Woodstock 99 as a primordial pig stew of their parents culture war. Gen X however, might be able to squeeze some meaning out by remembering where they stood in relation the the nonsense at the event. I know I was too busy trying to build a career and saw the burning stages on the news as a sign that American alternative music culture had completely failed to escort us into the diverse daydream of a Nirvana based early 90s promise.
Lollapalooza 1 and 2 were better than Woodstock 99 or 94 (the latter is constantly referenced as being this ideal version when in fact, the absolutely never-mentioned Beastie Boy "Tibetan Freedom Concerts" were the real evolution of the Woodstock vibe.)
So, its a good documentary, but it’s based -- because it doesn’t consider the "better festivals" I mentioned above, which require critical examination in our culture on how we do a modern peace event. For example, where's the Uygher Awareness music festival (to match the Tibetan Freedom Concerts of the 90s) or the Anti-Fascist Music Festival (to match the LiveAid Anti-Apartheid festivals of the 80s, which can be argued effectively ended apartheid in South Africa.) Right? Where's the discussion on what worked instead of documentaries on festivals that failed due to privledge and whiteness - we know about Fyre, we know about Woodstock 99. That examination is nowhere to be seen, therefore the documentary is based -- a symptom of an overwhelmingly cultural bankruptcy in American culture right now.
America had a single export in the 90s -- our music culture, an attitude of anger towards racism and white supremacy, a repulsion towards the objectification of women and the privileged materialism of the 80s, all wrapped up in our music scene (conscious hip hop included within Nirvana, RATM and even Janes Addiction/Sublime/Pixies mystiques.) All of those mystiques were systemically dismantled by a war-mongering mindset of corporate commodification of (a) our concerts and (b) the acts that played in them. By the late 90s we were back where the 80s left off, overwhelmed with contrived boy bands (Limp Bizcuit included) through various consolidations of media companies, betrayals of peace-love-unity vibe and "colonization" of a rave scene that was probably the most vital historical outgrowth of it all. The commentary by Moby in the documentary contains gems to this perspective which can be expanded on tenfold for another documentary -- we'll see. The point is that Durst did go on to run Sony Music, so his moronic display in 99 had some kind connection to what the record companies saw him as beholden to. As a kind of white-Kali destroyer to the white-Christ Moby figure.
These aspects of white-rage, the subtleties explored in Woodstock 99 are now active in US politics (down to the unironically adornments of "red hats" repeating echoes of Fred Dursts moronic manipulations of the crowd. Much like the red hats storming the capitol looking to "break stuff." In that sense, Woodstock 99 begins a conversation about the poisons in American culture actively still destroying us, that began in the late 90s. What we do know is that the exported American coolness that went out to the rest of the world — our musical diversity, our punk rock, our skate scene, our real street music, our real trauma inspired grunge scene -- have been gutted by something. The mystery of what that was will not be answered in Woodstock 99 but maybe in a future revolution we will rediscover who we are again. The central question Woodstock 99 brings up therefore is not so much how to get it back, but to ask ourselves why, in 22 years since has not a single "good cause" festival occurred.
People will look back at Southland Tales after Trump and say Richard Kelly predicted the entire decade, and them some. Those who don't get the film just have low IQ's and can't see the brilliance of it. A hitman with amnesia, a reality television president, the bs conspiracies and angry vets while Tech Companies create an elite political class existing off human capital a midst a climate apocalypse (followed by a nuclear one); welcome to 2020.
But this was made in '06. Right it was, and it belongs in the canon of "Idiocracy", almost serves as a prequel. You've got all the elements of the sh-tstorm we're in from Q-Anon to Reality Television presidents to traumatized Iraqi vets on a mission to Facebook dictatorships and mysterious foreign interference's communicated through bizarre corrupt Homeland Security type organizations.
This movie is about the overall dumbing down of America before the apocalypse but after what we thought in 2006 a post-911 world would bring us to -- Dwayne Johnson, The Rock, represent this playing a hitman with amnesia throughout the story. A guy who doesn't remember what he's fighting for. People just use the word "Freedom" to justify their neurotic sadism and greed throughout the film. Justin Timberlake, an Iraqi vet, who predicts Jaoquim Pheonixs' Joker performance, plays an insane militia vet in his self-cutting musical numbers. It's a cinematic masterpeice and Timberlakes greatest paradoxical performance.
Warning : The "conservative media" is a central character in itself this film and if you don't understand how FOX news is hate speech propaganda you will, right off the bat, not understand the premise of the movie from scene 1. Instead of seeing how each character is either being manipulated by the media or is making the media that manipulates others you will just see moving pictures you wont understand. Unfortunatley, this is because your brain doesn't understand that media is created and since Kelly doesn't spell out to the inept audience what each characters motivation is, you would have to think that out. Which for 42% of Americans is very difficult to do. If you actually believe one single solitary ounce of Q-Anon or InfoWars BS you won't see the cutting humor of this film. I feel sad for you because you are stuck in a rabbit-hole by people who watched this movie in 2006 and created their little BS cultspracies. This movie teaches you how to mess with people and how politcal sides are all horseplay. Only culture-makers understand what this film is saying because Richard Kelly, the director, thought his Donnie Darko audience was smarter. Followers of conservative media who actually see the world through FOX news absurdity are numb to the profound absurdity of SouthLand Tales -- because it's talking about you easily reactionary freaks who see the world like Dwayne's character -- paranoid, amnesiac and scare sh*tless of terrorists. Meanwhile, he's the central terrorist. It's a genius judgement of domestic militant Americans today.
The people who don't see this movie as a prophecy, including a great performance by Kathy Griffith as this muscle bound feminist liberal ripping political heads (something she ACTUALLY did in 2016 much to her professional shigrin), are blind to prophetic cinema. Then again, the word Republican/Conservative are now synonymous with Corporate Environmental and Human Right annihilation, Cult Racism, White Supremacy, Sadism and greed -- so anything against that is considered anti-fascist. Don't get me wrong, If there ever was an Antifa Manifesto that American Nazi's couldn't interpret because of their traumatic FOX induced brain injuries, this movie is it. I doubt they even understood that sentence. My only contention is if this was a prequel to Mike Judges' classic comedy"Idiocracy", where the future of American is beyond stupid, I wonder what film could END the trilogy.
Southland Tales is about the fall of America by paranoia, media manipulators and toxic masculinity (even in women), who carry out the apocalypse dictated to them by elite's, literally in a bubble. I won't give away the ending...but hint, hint -- look outside your window.
Cheap cop out way of writing an ending. The intended effect Safdie was going for was everyone will wonder, “why all the gentrification themed - non-magical realism 9 previous episodes?” They’ll think he’s a genius but realize theres little rewatch value. For this ending? Nah. Safdies character was cringe, the episodes were cringe. Stone and Fielder made the experiment slightly watchable but I see this series as sealing Safdie for me as having gone beyond his expertise. It seems he was given an opportunity by the studio with the seed of an idea that never really grows up - rather it just evaporates.
I relate with wanting to play out a timeline where I have a son — for a few hours. I can also see how Nathan fans who have kids and are living their best lives in Oregon with family (or in a 2br rental with a kid) won’t relate. Quite possibly some single moms will get bent on Nathans apparent inability to have foreseen the kid getting attached. It happened to me as a kid. A natural consequence of sh:tty fathers. That's what I saw as Nathan tackled with what he had done. I saw all my mother's boyfriends realizing how immoral it was to fake dad me. If it gives you single moms any recompense this will likely be a lifelong issue for your boy to not have a good dad. Chances are the kid in the show continues to look for a dad until he is one, or at least until some politician becomes his daddy.
Those contradistinctions is what makes Nathan Felder a growing meta-cognitive comedian who hits us all in differing ways. His trying to figure out peoples dreams until he is left alone to figure out his own. That is what makes The Rehearsal’s final moral message so poignant to our times; the grass of our lives may not necessarily be greener after our futile manifestations arrive even with infinite rehearsals but "monkeys paw" and all -- the show must go on. Or better said by the late Buddhist monk Thicht Nhat Hanh, when asked by a disciple, "Master what is the best path in life?" He replied simply, "Decency is the absence of strategy." And it seems that is what Nathan has learned here at least until his next wild concept meta-comedy show. You may have gotten something else or maybe nothing. Just a stare into the screen wishing for another "Nathan for you" to soothe whatever rehearsal you're in the middle of.
I tolerated the first episode, but honestly this second episoder is pure cringe. Elizabeth Holmes is portrayed not as a grifter POS but a hip-hop loving nymphomaniac who breaks out in dance every five minutes. And the rest of the cast has suddenly become terrible versions of a Judd Apatow movie.
Problematic pacing but its Gilliams next addition to the Brazil universe. I should be lucky to get anything from such a prolofic director. Unfortunately, it took me 3 viewings to finish and I couldn’t shake the feeling it was “required viewing” over wanting to watch. It earned its 6 stars, it seemed hard to make.
If you're a woman this is a good movie to test if your tinder date is a garbage person. If they say "It was a cool movie," chances are they are garbage people. It's Brown bunny for GenZ. The social equivalent of Vincent Gallo and Chloe Sevigny without Fiona Apple 10 years ago on repeat with a reality television star convincing an indie filmmaker (Sean Baker) to make a film entirely around his junk -- the whole movie resolves to SImon Rex's penis. Previous commentors who are stanning for this movie need to srsly ask themselves some hard questions. 1 mini bags of popcorn.
This is the episode where you realize this whole Boba Fett thing is going to be embarrassing -- for everyone involved.
Seemed like a Canadian, made-for-specific-morons-from-Ontario, and not a public from outside Tim Hortons locality. In other words, a total Snoozefest ‘82
ps - if i have to hear that god awful mozart requiem song one more time I sware, this is literally an awful film
I havent enjoyed a film like this in a long time. Really, Lilly Tomlin and Bette Midler and the whole cast were so great. Great film!
Contrary to the overwhelming opinion, I believe this film to be a masterpiece. Stunning visuals invoking what many steampunk aficionado’s attempt to do add to a profound soundtrack, classically orchestrated score and very well paced plot.
Yes, Lynchs’ limitations on this is legend, however, he finished - unlike Vilanuevas boring, dull and visually unstimulated clone. 1984s Dune got us to the end of the Atreides and Muadib saga with heart, grace and Patrick Stewart. Twelve bags of popcorn.
High noon meets Dune. Probably the best episode of the series so far. 4 bags of popcorn.
What a labor to watch. It’s clear the writers thought they tapped into something -but apocalyptic scenarios are not hard to find on tv, so they really didn’t. The idea seemed to be “lets show these characters humanity instead of the impending doom of other apocalypse themed shows.”
Unfortunately, its moments of doing that is exactly where it falters. You can’t expect an audience to give a wholesome reception to characters they don’t care for. I didn’t see evidence of why an audience should care for anyone here :from Carol to her nudist parents and their lover/nurse on some cruise, her workplace friends and a random dude named Jeff. Entire episodes are committed to subplots of these characters. I’m reminded of the “never do” writers rule, “Don’t put a hat on hat.” This show layers little boring hats on its premise - the actual hat, they are all facing imminent doom. Without spoiling the arcs of these cartoon people in their final months the show seems like some overqualified writers needed a gig during the pandemic and wrote a season off a 3 line treatment. If you want to just lean back and follow their little hats, fine, but don’t expect big laughs or memories.
Safdies and Fielder - not exactly an incredible combo. He should of done another season of The Rehearsal or his og show. The “Nathan” we know and love isn’t plugging and playing quite the way we wanted here. Emma stone gives tho.
Was another fine hilarious season we should be grateful we got. Laughs in every scene, every episode, a solid plot arc, conflict. These comments however are absolutely insufferable. Bunch of energy vampires up in here! You make Colin Ferguson proud.
I really wanted to like it. I was mildly amused in ep1 but ep2’s intro was such a turn-off, some straight never do comedy (because it doesn’t feel good to watch i wont say what.) The grossness made my amygdala say “threat to chill vibes! threat to chill vibes!” Yea, so sorry Mel - you were my idol and whatever the f-ck happened to make you think Nick Kroll needs to be literally in every single sketch I have no idea. Kroll dominated in what I watched in a way I can only say seemed like he was a rich kid who demanded being in every sequence type of way without bringing any comedic value. Look, Kroll can be watchable. I’m not hatin’ the security company behind 911s nepo baby but c’mon dude absolutely blows chunks in every sketch here. A piece of pastrami in the wind would of been funnier. Hard pass!
Love the sense of space this movie creates. The dialogue about architecture in Columbus is super interesting too. Architecture fans gonna love this movie. Not many like it. What makes it though is the small details like how the shots are composed and the actors contrasting situations. It feels overall like the entire film forces you to examine opposites in yourself and where you’re stuck. I’m saying this because Cho’s character is having to face his dad not being their for him but now having to be present for his father in a coma. And Haley Richardsons character must leave her mom to become somebody in a life.
Don’t get this movie wrong! It tackles huge shifts people need to make in life with a gentle slow hand.
Straight trash. Principal photography hasn’t even started but call me Nostradamus, the third Venom be him versus hippopotamus. :smirk:
The Osho doc on NetFlix was much more interesting. The XViM cult documentary on Showtime was also a bit more interesting as far as religious cult documentaries go. This one is dry and the “cult leader” is a privileged bro. I guess its Discovery+ channels approach. I found it like the Fire fest doc and the “cult leader” profiled not that interesting.
Two days since I consumed this tart parp of a shtick flik. Couldn’t remember what I watched the next day. I thought all day specifically about what I watched the night before. “What did I watch last night?” I finally remember the next night when NetFlix had it up on “Trending”, then and only then I recalled watching it. It was long and convoluted — I vaguely remember David Duchovny being the strongest performer however I know it was ensemble cast. The fact the film is being thrashed through the waste pile of my brain rot so soon should be an indicator of its value to me.
Incredibly poor direction from a Coppolla — almost rings of she got the job because of her name. Movies’ plot is around a relevant story about a transient achieving YouTube stardom — but it seemed either rushed to be written or written by someone with little writing skill. Seemed like a first year film student film that needed a few more
drafts.
Can you name one brown artist -- and I mean a non black and non white artist or actor? That's alot of people in the world today but no one can be found in media to really represent that range. I'll give you a minute to think about it...
Chances are you just had a real hard time. Most of you won't be able to because the binary of black and white is such a dominant control mechanism that when an artist like Maya appears the intitial spectacle of "Error! Life is not black and white!" ends with a whimpering cancellation -- and return to the black-white dynamic. You are just as guilty as I am, and she was, for it.
This documentary is Maya's own chronological year by year log of her own rise from UK streets, as documentarian for Elastica to the fated Superbowl show where she is crucified and exiled from America. However, it's much more than that when you look at it as more complicated than the documentary even get's into. I would say M.I.A's lineage is more Cesar Chavez, Frida Kahlo, Adam Yauch, and Willie Guthrie than Rosa Parks, Malcolm X or the Stonewall Riots. If you understand what I mean then you know. She's complicated. What she represents is complex to most people who live in a very myopic view of culture. I don't blame them or you -- since we are bombarded with binary cultural leaders all day. The little voices hardly get a spoonful of soup unless they make a ruckus.
The documentary asks if she is less a social justice symbol or more a force in time. Is she her own narrative of herself as this reluctant savior for the Tamil people? Or is she a multiplicity of issues, the result of things being arranged in a certain way at the time? I'm not sure a white artist with activist roots could ever be stuck in the same corner as an artist who originates from a place undergoing active genocide can be. Unless of course said white artist made the genocide their issue without being there (Cue Kony 2012.) M.I.A came close to being that because she sort of was "in the mix" of the genocide, or at least tried to be by placing herself there. For M.I.A fans you know. This idea of going back to the homeland to represent the homelands people is a rough slog (read "Seasons of Migrations to the North"), its a heavy load to carry and it almost never resolves to any success for the artist or activist. It historically resolves to sleeping with the dominant race and getting your jollies on despite your people's interests. That's what "Seasons of Migrations" was about -- an African dude sets out to France to achieve success and spends his time having trysts with the white bourgeoisie as his hometown floods to extinction -- and it bares a striking similarity with Maya's tale.
The larger point of celebrities trying to save the downtrodden and failing though still stands. Even the white folks that do this are crucified; the Rachel Corrie incident in Gaza for example (look it up), Adam Yauch from the Beastie Boys' speech at the VMAs (he denounced Islamophobia, and was the lone voice to do so), Brando sending an indigenous woman to collect his Oscar (Brando was protesting Big Oil raiding indigenous land.) These folks were either unalived or tossed off as nutsos for taking these positions. And the issues they were taking a stand on continue to this day unphased by their grandstanding! Why is this a pattern with celebrities? Rather, why do they just say something and then stop at the rest of the work required? ANSWER: Because it's not enough to just take a stand. Community activism is an artform that celebrities seem profoundly unskilled at.
I personally believe she was robbed by the NFL. 16 million dollars, c'mon! That's forcing her into slavery to pay back. It wasn't really that bad and she didn't need to be crucified or made into an example. Didn't Dre and Eminem do the same? Didn't Janet Jackson show full nudity? Placed under a microscope I wonder if the NFL has fined anyone else that ever did something risque who performed at a half-time show. I wonder if that one aspect of the film presents the moral story of M.I.A's rise and fall in America. Or, does it only serves to show the shelf life of non black/non white American artists is around 5 years. Cue Aziz Ansari -- the other jack of all trades, master of none time has forgotten. Combined they were both cancelled; one by the liberal feminist left (Aziz) and the other by the conservative populist right (M.I.A), that's the bigger story I saw. She's got a canary in a coalmine story less about her people and her own personal narrative, but about how "others" in general hit a wall that only generational wealth can solve.
And yes, I realize the word hole I just put myself in since her marrying into Seagrams fortune is what probably kept her alive. And even for a potential revival. I bet she knows exactly how to solve the Sri Lankan issue by now. She commanded fleets of ships for her videos and armies of arabs for "Bad Girls", I bet this is not the last time we hear from M.I.A. I just hope on round 2 she reads "Rules for Radicals" by Saul Alinsky and does the other 14 steps required to create community change. ;)
Take it or leave it, On the Road is a quintessential American novel. There were members of my generation that swore by it as a kind of bible to living, writing and being free. As a matter of fact, I was lucky enough to be in the school Allen Ginsburg was teaching at. I was also lucky enough to get hit on by him in the hallways of said school.
Be that as it may, he croaked teaching Whitmans Leaves of Grass before I graduated. It was the “challenger explosion” for my peer group of wannabe beatnicks. Not for me. I wasn’t very much into the beatnick era, alive or dead. Even though I shared space with one and even though I should due to a similar writing, nomadic life.
Now with all that bs out of the way I hope you realize I’m qualified to make an assessment on authenticity of people, product, and position — why? I don’t just idolize sh:t for no reason. Why am I writing what I think about idolizing sh:t? Because this film is an idolizers version of an objectively unreadable book. With that being said the performances are better than expected. Kristen Stewart is a cameo considering she get main stage on the poster art.
And the dude playing Kerouac pulls it off. Its polished grit made me want it to be grittier. But alas, we cant get gritty anymore with these GenZ flex mongers trying to gloss up everything with claymorphic dilly dallying. Not your fault GenX. Im sure these GenZ Euphoria idolizers wont get three seconds into the film without get lost browsing TikTok. Hey, at least the streaming numbers show the movie is playing. Amirite?
Not your average puff piece about a hip-hop legend. The Rickster is not your average rapper from the 80s — he’s the photographer of all those rappers. What makes this doc pseudo-iconic (slightly a masterpiece) is where it goes.
There’s a sequence where he recorded Easy E hanging out, and you realize, “Oh snap, this dude was everywhere.”
From the beginning, you think “Oh snap the Beastie Boys…oh snap Run DMC…oh snap LL Cool J…Oh snap Lawrence Fishburne,”.
Then the Rickster takes a turn. And then another and then your left, “Oh snap, how did the filmmaker even make this?”
Buddhist, Nudists and Zootists : My codewords for this episode. :)
An odd one. Bit of a pollywog stew with emphasis on the pollywog. An anxiety ridden bloke connects with a relatable but equal parts Benny + Joon’ish / Ed Scissorhandish could’a been milf. Shes got a unique relationship with her son - unique enuff to say this film got single motherhood more right than the best “straight” films on the sub. One part romantic comedy, two parts avante garde light, half a part magical realism. Cool ending too. Felt like life.
The actor from the 1992 NZ Maori hit "Once were Warriors", who played a wife beating rage-a-holic now approaching his 80s, plays the role of a bounty hunter in his late 20's. Okie Dokie. Out of 8 Billion people on Earth that was the directors choice. Fine, I'll suspend by disbelief. At least, he's ethnic and not Johnny Chad Brad, right? Next -- it picks up where the famous Empire scene with him dying in the sandpit left off. Good idea. That's one way of rebooting a tertiary character that people care about because of one scene from a movie in 1982. Easy peezy Disney! Then it spirals into some BULLLLLLSH:T !
I watched the whole episode half awake since its almost entirely CGI of an 80 year old fighting dragons. That in itself makes it half interesting. 3 bags of popcorn.
Benneton ad + super hero spandex / stakes is way too high plot minus the need to care because we just met.
If Eternals was a tinder date I would call the cops before the appetizers.
If Marvel was trying to follow up literally decimating their brand with Thanos’ snap, they managed to bullsh:t us with another “holy sh:t the universe is gon explode” plot, this time with a literal bunch of randos.
Watch for the Kumals lulz only, he’s hilar.
Some original good laughs. Russian women probably will hate the American relationships but if you’re a proud native non-maga normal decent human who doesnt get off traumatizing children this is a sleeper hit. Also, Mindy Kalin and Kevin Hearts cameo roles are wound in well enough they feel like the Soviet Union collapsed and never came back. If you’re reading this I have news for you - reevaluate your whole life.