The Ramblings Of An Imbecile

[Companero]

largemichael said:

if he won the 200 mil, no wonder he aint worked since....!!

I don’t think he did win, mate. The last I heard of him was a feature that was written in Total Film, back in 2002/3 – he was filming an Marlon Brando masterclass in acting, with the former great one discussing the finer points of thespianism, dressed as Osama Bin Laden. Good work, if you can get it.

[fattaxi]

Juest been reading on IMDB and I saw the fella you were on about Mr.Tommos Dad... what a grade a prick hey?

[kunstler]

companero said:

fattaxi said:

I like American History X

I do too, mate. And it’s a little bit dismissive to state “American movies suck”, Kunstler, even if you are American, mate. There have been some great American films (granted, Haggis’ CRASH isn’t one of them!), it’s just that they’re becoming fewer and further between. There are some great American filmmakers that continually surprise, or at the very least, entertain – Martin Scorsese, Alexander Payne, Spike Jonze, Paul Thomas Anderson, Quentin Tarantino, the list could run and run.

There have been some good american film makers, but america is not everything. Perhaps a day will come when other people in other parts of the World will have a fair chance to showcase their art, yeah? Anyhow, when you live in america and have been brought up on a lot of this mediocre crap, Films like shane's stand out because they are NOT Hollywood. Get it? There is a such thing as "film" fascism too y'know? How would you like it if "america" took over the british film industry completely and there would no longer be any true art of the british people. This is whats happening for real. Get with it. besides, it is only your opinion, people do have other opinions that are different than yours. Stop being so American, okay.
Some people do not consider Hollywood dribble 'art'.

PS

I have to right to say whatever I want about America. perhaps you should move here, they like people who luv america and are blind to reality. You'd have lots of friends here. And you can pay $12.50 to go see your fav directors raunch every week.

[kunstler]

Watch the films of Gasper Noe if you want to see art mixed with insanity. no American director can approach such a piece.

[kunstler]

Not to drag this topic out, though once i complete this I will not repsnd and will be letting it go. However, as an american who once lived on the hill over looking Burbank in Los sleazy california and having family memebers in the tv/film industry. These Gods who you worship in america film are anything but. I speak mainly about the new blood over here, you seem to think of them as expressionists or something. however, these people are motivated by $$$. Film to them is a scientific formula that is pieced together from various marketing corporations that are commissioned to do market research. There is no art involved, except for that which has been establised to appear as art. It's all bull*hit, there is more drama and character depth in an average episode of Eastenders than you will find in the most expensive billion dollar Hollywood mess. That is why I have more respect for British and European actors and directors than I will have ever for any American, any day. Also, check your history, some of the directors who are "american greats" were either first or third generation americans. kind of like Andy Warhol, not quite american. Grindhouse bombed, in 1998 I met mr. Quenton. Also, his 'kill bill' film was a total rip of Sonny Chiba's Japanese exploitation flicks of the 70's . these american directors like to grab at other cultures for their content often it seems. Not quite as genius as everyone thinks.

[Companero]

Listen, there’s no need for such a defensive reaction and I’m well aware of how films are made and marketed in the US. All all-encompassing statement like “all American films suck” kind of betrays those filmmakers that do make decent movies. Do you honestly think films made outside of the US are not made to make money? Do you have any idea how hard it is for British filmmakers to get their films financed?

The difference between the way most American films are made and marketed from the rest of the world is simple. A production company in the UK will option a script. Then there’s the huge task for them to find additional funding through the acquisition of partners – in the case of Shane’s last couple of films, they were co-produced by FilmFour (a division of one of our terrestrial TV channels) UK Film Council (a government-funded organisation which draws money from the National Lottery profits) and Optimum Releasing (a UK film distributor).

That’s not the end of the story, neither. In many cases additional revenue must be accrued before a film can go into production, and this money is generated through selling the film to distributors across the world. So, in order for a film to be made, it must appear to be commercially viable to a hell of a lot of companies before a single frame is shot.

Test screenings, as you mention, are a popular device in the US but it’s a practice that is employed here in the UK for British films, too. Don’t be under the allusion that all films made outside the US are done for the purpose of art, because that is a fallacy. The difference is, for the most part, you do not have the “filmmaking by committee” mentality that you have in the US, where a film can be taken from out of the directors hands as much, though it does happen.

I really do hope you do not think my initial post to you was hostile; that was not my intention. I was just trying to point out that America still produces great films, even if they are fewer and further between these days. You’re right about so many of the points you make and going to the cinema as regularly as I do, it does become disheartening because the criminally bad American films far outweigh the good ones.

As for Tarantino, yes, he’s a rip-off artist, cinematic magpie or whatever else you want to label him with. The difference between him and a regular hack is that he’ll freely admit his influences. While most of his films aren’t art, they’re shamelessly enjoyable, in my opinion, and hark back to my favourite era of American filmmaking – the 70s.

Like I said, I wasn’t singling you out at all, so I hope you’ve not taken any offence, I was merely voicing my opinion.

Peace,

Comp

[large michael]

Comp, buy her a handbag and have done with it.You did'nt say anything you should feel bad about.now stop being so american, okay? ;-)

[billywizz]

kunstler - if you're making a point about lazy, formulaic, production line filming for berks, then quoting eastenders as a comparison isn't doing your argument much good.....

on the other hand I think most of what you said seemed reasonable......

[Dave]

When is Die Hard 4 out? ;D

[jtrodreigez]

you see this is why i love it here, never a dull moment.

The thing is i see it as almost half and half really for all the manufactured shite we get from across the pond movies and music alike we also get the great stuff.

[Companero]

admin said:

When is Die Hard 4 out? ;D

Hahaha. Fox have changed the title for the rest of the world, eh? The US get the disgustingly patriotic LIVE FREE OR DIE HARD. Us and the rest of the world get 4.0 - which sounds like an upgrade and judging by the guy that's directing it - Len UNDERWORD Wiseman, we're proably in for a rehashed upgrade that's probably best downloaded! ;D

[billywizz]

jtrodreigez said:

you see this is why i love it here, never a dull moment.

The thing is i see it as almost half and half really for all the manufactured shite we get from across the pond movies and music alike we also get the great stuff.

but ain't that just america in a nutshell - the best and worst extremes of everything.....for every decent film there's a truckload of shite.....for every kurt cobain and bob dylan there's britney spears and backstreet boys......for every buffed up miami beach hunk there's a thousand morbidly obese....for every nasa scientist there's an army of redneck hicks.....for every episode of the simpsons there's an episode of 'Joey'.....

I could go on.....

[jtrodreigez]

i was trying to say the same thing but couldn't get me words out right.



It always baffles me though when you see these obviously piss poor films get released, even if its crackerjack 4 straight to dvd or what have ya, how and why the hell does this shit get made when there must be hundreds of reasonable scripts out there? I just doesnt make sense unless dumb mother fuckers actually watch snoop dogs hood or horror or one tough bastard starring michael bien.

[Hyde]

the last two films i've seen in the cinema have been perfect stranger and the reaping, both american and awful (was expected that though)

not saying all american films suck but come on a lot do.

[Companero]

As I wrote in my rather large post above:

companero said:

I was just trying to point out that America still produces great films, even if they are fewer and further between these days.