I can respect that, and it's not like I can't recognize that Altman had skill.
However I make a distinction between appreciating something for being well-made and actually enjoying it. Impersonal vs Personal
Although, I am always wary of what "swaths of people who know film" say. Too often their cinematic palate doesn't match my own, and I won't lie about having niche tastes.
You've already demonstrated that you don't even properly understand Altman. Your opinion on him is irrelevant.
I must admit I am biased, I love the magic, glamor and romance of the Studio Era and so my natural reaction to the shift during the 60s is unfriendly skepticism.
I think that's a fair personal view to hold and I respect it.
You've already demonstrated that you don't even properly understand Altman. Your opinion on him is irrelevant.
How do you know he doesn't understand Altman? He doesn't like Altman. It's like having to earn respect from an intimidating thug. People will say, "oh you just need to warm up to him and know him better".
Not true. Everyone's a big boy/girl here. At the current time, the decision has been made, period.
Altman made over 50 movies -- the first few one sees can paint an image that's hard to shake off...
Oh, and about critics. I agree that people seem to conform even with speech, terms and phrases that don't make much sense... I'll rephrase earlier -- I don't care what critics think, but AFTER I watch a movie, in the past I'd see what Pauline Kael had to say.. Sometimes I like to see a dissenting opinion.
Oh hell now we have delved into which filmmakers we find overrated. Thought we had that thread(s) already.
I think this is the bottom line to the OP. Whether you think a director is overrated or boring or an outright genius; ultimately you will make the choice yourself. And it will only be done by watching their films in their entirety and not turning off the movie after 15-20 minutes. If you don't a director with a huge fan base and buckets of praise by critics so be it. It comes with the territory of independent thought and personal experience. Lord knows I am cold on a lot of directors that critics and many a MoFo love. Ask any Tarantino fan in this forum. If you don't like a certain director, fine. Just be able to articulate why to the best of your abilities.
Some people will no doubt disagree with opinion. If so keep the discussion respectful. This is art we are talking about. It is heavily subjective.
Also, don't be afraid to give a director you might be keen on multiple chances. Film is an ever growing skill and maybe one movie of his you won't like, but you might love one later on that he did. Rewatches of certain films might even be in order. I have several of my top 10 favorite films that have gotten better with multiple rewatches. Worst comes you worse you gave a director your best bet and you move on from his work.
Altman made over 50 movies -- the first few one sees can paint an image that's hard to shake off...
Oh, and about critics. I agree that people seem to conform even with speech, terms and phrases that don't make much sense... I'll rephrase earlier -- I don't care what critics think, but AFTER I watch a movie, in the past I'd see what Pauline Kael had to say.. Sometimes I like to see a dissenting opinion.
I became skeptical of critics after I choked down Susan Sontag's "On Camp" in grad school. I do know Gene Siskel had similar tastes to mine so I tended to pay a bit more attention to what he liked.
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Yes, it is your circus and these are your monkeys.
I've only seen 1 PTA movie. Question to his fans, is it his subject matter that you love, or his directing style. I think it's the same with Scorsese, people love the subject matter most of all.
It really depends on the Soundtrack, I can watch Boogie Nights and Magnolia any time partly for the story but also for the great use of music.
On the other hand his more visualy stylistic films like The Master and There Will Be Blood I enjoyed but I don't think I would revisit because of the length.
I haven't watched Hard Eight in 20 years...that's a movie I need to revisit I recall liking it but not loving it. It was very 90's indie boomesque and likely his most accessible work.
Inherent Vice, pretty much you have to read the Novel to understand what the hell is going on but it might be worth it.
Punch-Drunk Love was a three star movie, completely average.
This is an absurd thread. You can't say Inherent Vice is bad when you have Click as your 6th favorite film. Especially considering Click is all talk, no action, and the highlight of the film is a big-breasted woman running in slow motion. Tell me again which film you'd prefer to watch porn over.
Can you really call PTA a thief if he is using a technique that is cited in films from the '50s forward? Many have used the long single take to establish their films.
Donald Trump: a horrible President or the worst President?
To be clear, I'm not saying Trump is a horror show who will bring nothing but shame and doom, I was only questioning just how fu*king horrible he is? It was an honest, innocent, totes unloaded question meant to foster thoughtful conversation and not have people start screaming at each other in extremes, which is why I framed it how I did. From what I have seen obviously I am appalled and terrified, but maybe others have different opinions and could persuade me that he is a remarkable leader even though he sucks and is the worst of the worst who I cannot stand to listen to for even two seconds without screaming?
But I'm not labeling him.
I did not call Paul Thomas Anderson any of those things I was just saying that from what I have seen from his trailer his films look boring. And I was asking wether or not I should bother watching any more of his work. I just wanted to hear peoples opinion about him.
I did not intend to offend or stir up any Paul Thomas Anderson fans I am sorry for the miss understanding I may have given to some people.
This is an absurd thread. You can't say Inherent Vice is bad when you have Click as your 6th favorite film. Especially considering Click is all talk, no action, and the highlight of the film is a big-breasted woman running in slow motion. Tell me again which film you'd prefer to watch porn over.
What are you talking about? There is plenty of stuff going on in Click it's not just non stop dribble talk for a whole hour.
I'm not saying Inherent Vice is a bad film I'm just saying the film bored me.
I think PTA is an incredible director, although he has frustrated me. I keep waiting for the next Boogie Nights (in my top 10), and I thought it was going to be Inherent Vice, but that turned out to be my least favorite of his. I think There Will Be Blood is a masterpiece, Magnolia an amazing viewing experience, and The Master masterful filmmaking, but a part of me wonders why he can't combine the quality of the latter three with the entertainment of Boogie Nights. I think that question is the result of how great he is; I just expect brilliance from him every time now and I've become greedy.
What are you talking about? There is plenty of stuff going on in Click it's not just non stop dribble talk for a whole hour.
I'm not saying Inherent Vice is a bad film I'm just saying the film bored me.
I've never seen Click, but it might totally succeed at doing what the film maker intended it to do. So if someone really likes it, that's cool and then it's a great film to them. I read the premise of Click it sounded fun.
I've never seen Inherent Vice, but I did try to watch it and I also shut if off after 15 minutes. I'm not saying it's a bad movie, I can't know that unless I watched it. But in those 15 minutes it didn't intrigue me enough to make me what to spend an evening watching it.
Despite not being interested by the trailer I tried watching Inherent Vice last night but I had to quit after an hour. The film lost me in the first 15 minutes and I didn't get a full understanding of what was going on. It was just boring talk for the whole hour no action at all apart from a little girl on girl action which just made me want to watch porn instead.
It's funny because Paul Thomas Anderson breaks a big rule for screenwriting which is to show more and tell less and all PTA does in this movie is tell which was boring to try and listen to. I can only concentrate for so much.
I do want to see Boogie Nights, There Will Be Blood and Punch Drunk Love but apart from that I don't care. I watched the trailers for his other movies and they all boring and don't explain any part of the plot.
I watched a Wes Anderson film as well a few weeks ago that just bored me as well.
I don't get the appeal of these filmmakers.
Are their films enjoyable for casual people? or are they specifically for art nuts?
Am I too dumb to know what good Cinema is? or they are really just boring films that art people convince themselves are good?
What are you talking about? There is plenty of stuff going on in Click it's not just non stop dribble talk for a whole hour.
I'm not saying Inherent Vice is a bad film I'm just saying the film bored me.
Show me one scene in Click that isn't talking.
Inherent Vice creates a whole world with these strange characters and throws you into it. What exactly does Click do? Make you watch Adam Sandler fart in someone's face? Wow, really groundbreaking comedic work there.
Inherent Vice creates a whole world with these strange characters and throws you into it. What exactly does Click do? Make you watch Adam Sandler fart in someone's face? Wow, really groundbreaking comedic work there.
When there is talking in Click it's either funny jokes or family related matters, that people can relate to. I would assume that no one relates to those characters in Inherent Vice.
No one really understands or has the patience to understand the mumbo jumbo in Inherent Vice except for a niche cult following.
Any way it's worthless to argue which film is better since they are both entirely different films and both achieve there goal.
One is made to appeal to the masses and the other is made to appeal to a niche audience.
Here a few entertaining scenes in Click that is more than just cryptic babble on.
There is more of a set up than just the fart there is more to the joke than that.
This is when we see Sandler use the power of the remote to finally take out his frustration on his boss, it's funny because he get's to do all these things to his boss which every person wishes he could do. It is also funny because his farting in David Hasselhoff's mouth which is just awesome.
There is also a hilarious line at the end of it.
I don't mean to insult you or anything but maybe you just can't relate to the joke, because you may not have ever had a job.
PTA is one of my favourite directors, and There WIll Be Blood is my all time fav film. However I found Inherent Vice toe curlingly boring, I have to say. That's the only film in his filmography that I don't get on with though.
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