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.

 

[4-earredwonder]

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.

Not having seen it of course I cannot comment, but IMO, FFC's last COHERENT film was 2009's TETRO which he filmed in Buenos Aires and Patagonia!

 

[4-earredwonder]

Every once in awhile while perusing FIOS one comes across a GEM which received little or no fanfare. Currently streaming on THE MOVIE CHANNEL...GREAT DISCRETE USE OF SURROUNDS and the music selection is AMAZING!!!!!!!

IMO one such film is 2008’s 5~25~77 which received a Rotten Tomato score of 100% and which I thoroughly enjoyed starring Freaks and Geeks Sam Weir….one John Frances Daley, as an over enthusiastic film geek who since age 9 has been making outrageous 8mm movies in his backyard in a small Illinois town. His mother arranges for him to go to Hollywood and there he meets his idols …. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas who is currently working on STAR WARS and director/special effects guru Douglas Trumbull.

A semi autobiographical film based on the life of Hollywood Script writer and director Patrick Read Johnson

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/5-25-77-Blu-ray/320207/

 

[jamesc]

Every once in awhile while perusing FIOS one comes across a GEM which received little or no fanfare. Currently streaming on THE MOVIE CHANNEL...GREAT DISCRETE USE OF SURROUNDS and the music selection is AMAZING!!!!!!!

IMO one such film is 2008’s 5~25~77 which received a Rotten Tomato score of 100% and which I thoroughly enjoyed starring Freaks and Geeks Sam Weir….one John Frances Daley, as an over enthusiastic film geek who since age 9 has been making outrageous 8mm movies in his backyard in a small Illinois town. His mother arranges for him to go to Hollywood and there he meets his idols …. Steven Spielberg, George Lucas who is currently working on STAR WARS and director/special effects guru Douglas Trumbull.

A semi autobiographical film based on the life of Hollywood Script writer and director Patrick Read Johnson

https://www.blu-ray.com/movies/5-25-77-Blu-ray/320207/

Oh, I've got to see this one! That description almost describes me, right down to Illinois kid and making bad stop motion Star Wars films with models and the family 8mm camera (and lots of fireworks).

 

[4-earredwonder]

Oh, I've got to see this one! That description almost describes me, right down to Illinois kid and making bad stop motion Star Wars films with models and the family 8mm camera (and lots of fireworks).

It's a bit overly long [over 2 hours] but I LOVED every minute. Also reminds me of myself who always wanted to be Mr Hollywood since an early age ...have quite an arsenal of 8mm sound on film extravaganzas and always wanted to go to film school [UCLA] but my domineering Dad assured me I'd starve ... and maybe he was right1