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I always try to explain Jim Jarmusch like this: no movie is for everyone, and Jarmusch's movies even more so. He is maybe the very definition of an 'acquired taste'. BUT, those of us who do like his work usually tend to love it.
I think Dead Man and Ghost Dog: the Way of the Samurai are in many ways his two most accessible films. Becuase they use familiar genres as a starting point, it may be easier for audiences unaccostomed to his storytelling style to find their way into Jarmusch. But that's a double-eged sword since both of those movies ultimately stray so far from those genres, it's also easy for audiences to be disappointed or confused by what in the hell he was trying to do.
Much like trying to explain a joke to somebody who doesn't get it, it may be impossible to talk someone into liking a Jim Jarmusch film. If you don't connect with 'em, you don't connect with 'em, what else is there to say? I happen to think the guy is a genius, and Dead Man is one of my very favorites, but while I can detail some of what it is I adore about it, I'd be a damn fool to try and talk someone into "getting" it.
Will this be your first experience with a Jim Jarmusch movie, Patti? The other one of his people tend to have caught up with, other than Ghost Dog, is Night on Earth. I guess that's because the trailer was funny and Winona Ryder was still a somewhat hot star back then in the early '90s. I like Night on Earth, but it's my least favorite of all he's done so far. His other major films are Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law and Mystery Train, but unless you've got access to cool channels like IFC or Sundance, those don't pop up too frequently on television and only a really good video store (as in NOT Blockbuster Video) is likely to have them on the shelves.
In any event, let us know what you think of Dead Man, good and bad.
I think Dead Man and Ghost Dog: the Way of the Samurai are in many ways his two most accessible films. Becuase they use familiar genres as a starting point, it may be easier for audiences unaccostomed to his storytelling style to find their way into Jarmusch. But that's a double-eged sword since both of those movies ultimately stray so far from those genres, it's also easy for audiences to be disappointed or confused by what in the hell he was trying to do.
Much like trying to explain a joke to somebody who doesn't get it, it may be impossible to talk someone into liking a Jim Jarmusch film. If you don't connect with 'em, you don't connect with 'em, what else is there to say? I happen to think the guy is a genius, and Dead Man is one of my very favorites, but while I can detail some of what it is I adore about it, I'd be a damn fool to try and talk someone into "getting" it.
Will this be your first experience with a Jim Jarmusch movie, Patti? The other one of his people tend to have caught up with, other than Ghost Dog, is Night on Earth. I guess that's because the trailer was funny and Winona Ryder was still a somewhat hot star back then in the early '90s. I like Night on Earth, but it's my least favorite of all he's done so far. His other major films are Stranger Than Paradise, Down by Law and Mystery Train, but unless you've got access to cool channels like IFC or Sundance, those don't pop up too frequently on television and only a really good video store (as in NOT Blockbuster Video) is likely to have them on the shelves.
In any event, let us know what you think of Dead Man, good and bad.
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"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
"Film is a disease. When it infects your bloodstream it takes over as the number one hormone. It bosses the enzymes, directs the pineal gland, plays Iago to your psyche. As with heroin, the antidote to Film is more Film." - Frank Capra
