Films (Almost Entirely Surround)

[PurpleMoustache]

And PM what was your honest impression of Francis Ford’s fever dream EXTRAVAGANZA?

It’s… not great…BUT! I greatly enjoyed myself. A film so audacious that hours later I’m still remembering strange parts and then I start laughing.

There were some critics (Mark Kermode in particular) who claimed it’s not even bad in a so-bad-it’s-good kinda way. I strongly disagree. This is the most bonkers movie I’ve ever seen. It’s stuffed so full of ideas, and it’s acted so woodily (or campily, from Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf, who are the only two who truly understood the assignment and lock in). The only way to watch it, IMO, is somewhat ironically.

The story is the feature film equivalent of:

Its visual effects are all over the place. Sometimes they look amateurish, sometimes they look solid. Every shot, however, looks gorgeous (Ron Fricke of Koyaanisqatsi on DP duties)… and that’s kinda the problem. It looks competently made, but it’s not.

Blindfold me, plop me down in front of this, and give me no context, I’d never in a million years be able to tell it’s a Francis Ford Coppola film. It feels like an entire film school class all tossing in their ideas into one film.

Not since Cats (2019) have I been so thoroughly baffled by every single choice in a film.

I recommend seeing it if only for its audacity. I fear with time my enjoyment will switch from ironic to earnest.

 

[timothyemerson]

It’s… not great…BUT! I greatly enjoyed myself. A film so audacious that hours later I’m still remembering strange parts and then I start laughing.

There were some critics (Mark Kermode in particular) who claimed it’s not even bad in a so-bad-it’s-good kinda way. I strongly disagree. This is the most bonkers movie I’ve ever seen. It’s stuffed so full of ideas, and it’s acted so woodily (or campily, from Aubrey Plaza and Shia LaBeouf, who are the only two who truly understood the assignment and lock in). The only way to watch it, IMO, is somewhat ironically.

The story is the feature film equivalent of:

Its visual effects are all over the place. Sometimes they look amateurish, sometimes they look solid. Every shot, however, looks gorgeous (Ron Fricke of Koyaanisqatsi on DP duties)… and that’s kinda the problem. It looks competently made, but it’s not.

Blindfold me, plop me down in front of this, and give me no context, I’d never in a million years be able to tell it’s a Francis Ford Coppola film. It feels like an entire film school class all tossing in their ideas into one film.

Not since Cats (2019) have I been so thoroughly baffled by every single choice in a film.

I recommend seeing it if only for its audacity. I fear with time my enjoyment will switch from ironic to earnest.

Cool review, thanks. Props for the Garth Marenghi's Darkplace reference too!

I remember reading about FFC's next flick Megalopolis in the 90's and thought he'd never make it.

Glad to read Ron Fricke was there to at least make it look good.

Hopefully I'll check it out when it gets a bargain BD release.