tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.comments2023-03-25T02:52:15.537-07:00You Talking to Me?The Taxi Driverhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.comBlogger838125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-24956744152127449012013-07-17T12:57:42.064-07:002013-07-17T12:57:42.064-07:00Love that blog title as Taxi Driver is one of my f...Love that blog title as Taxi Driver is one of my favorite movies. Anyway.<br /><br />I can't really agree with the much advanced notion that Star Wars and Jaws destroyed the era of auteur filmmaking. I agree with Paul Schrader's observation that it was an era that came and went. A few years ago there was an article in GQ magazine that shifted the blame away from those two often cited suspects on to a later film: Top Gun. While I realize that the author was being pretty arbitrary in choosing that as his target, it was more accurate. Jaws and Star Wars both still hold up as legitimately good movies, worthwhile pieces of entertainment. Top Gun is more or less a piece of 80s kitsch. <br /><br />Top Gun didn't singlehandedly case this. But it did set the stage for it and it went into overdrive with the likes of Armageddon. <br /><br />To paraphrase Warren Littlefield: The Michael Bayization of cinema in recent years comes from a viewpoint that audiences exist not to be nourished. But to be manipulated. In the Michael Bay worldview the audience does not count, only the numbers do. This philosophy in practice led to John Carter, Battleship and Total Recall last year and we know how well those turned out. This year we had The Lone Ranger. <br /><br />Great letter. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-1921645254586895372013-07-11T21:35:35.067-07:002013-07-11T21:35:35.067-07:00Amazing review! I couldn't have summed this up...Amazing review! I couldn't have summed this up better--his statement is unclear, and that's exactly the point. It's not a movie I could say was spectacular or terrible, but one that definitely made me think in a way no other director out there does. I'm not familiar with Korine's work at all, but my roommate gushed about the strangeness of Gummo, so I'll have to check it out! Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-56741650408679733382013-06-10T09:32:30.509-07:002013-06-10T09:32:30.509-07:00Hi Damien,
Sure, I'm always interested in hea...Hi Damien,<br /><br />Sure, I'm always interested in hearing about opportunities. Do you have an e mail address I can reach you at to talk about what exactly it is you have in mind?The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-29386232001735263932013-06-09T08:28:41.561-07:002013-06-09T08:28:41.561-07:00Hi,
I have just come across your site mikesyoutal...Hi, <br />I have just come across your site mikesyoutalkingtome.blogspot.com and would be really interested in chatting to you further about some advertising opportunities and partnerships that would be mutually beneficial for us. <br />We work with a wide range of publishers in your niche and would like to also begin working with you. <br />Please get in touch if you would be interested in discussing possible partnerships. <br />Look forward to hearing from you soon,Damienhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07316607238586875203noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-89758473192729363062013-04-24T05:01:40.307-07:002013-04-24T05:01:40.307-07:00boston2 So, it turned out to be the wrong week to ...boston2 So, it turned out to be the wrong week to be teaching a post-apocalyptic novel as a way to lighten things up in the British survey. Yikes. <a href="http://photoreading.webmium.com" rel="nofollow">How to read fast</a><br />albina N murohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08139646674252673476noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-43377569682684200962013-04-09T04:43:03.857-07:002013-04-09T04:43:03.857-07:00Sounds interesting. I haven't really read revi...Sounds interesting. I haven't really read reviews/essays about the film like you did. Entering in a Cinema room with that in mind could change a viewers perception of films. I'll try to catch it in theaters.MPhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08366182655374603950noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-68453167281214473662013-04-01T10:27:42.407-07:002013-04-01T10:27:42.407-07:00Thanks for the link! By the way, small correction,...Thanks for the link! By the way, small correction, the name's Chris :)<br /><br />Wow, Howard the Duck returning, I'm speechless. <br /><br />I've never thought about that before, a director's name above the title on the poster. For auteurs I'm ok with it. Never seen a Tyler Perry movie.Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-62431171808653879022013-03-25T11:31:18.183-07:002013-03-25T11:31:18.183-07:00Thanks for the links! Another reminder I need to s...Thanks for the links! Another reminder I need to see Stoker. Will check that Zero Dark Thirty review.<br /><br />If it has any interest, you can read my review of ZD30 here:<br />http://moviesandsongs365.blogspot.com/2013/03/monthly-recap-what-have-i-been-watching.htmlChrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-38958887176782975492013-03-19T11:50:54.729-07:002013-03-19T11:50:54.729-07:00Great collection of links here, thanks for includi...Great collection of links here, thanks for including my ROCK N ROLL NIGHTMARE review! It is a fun little film, I hope you dig it!Alexhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13471664551639091150noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-17346930990011865472013-03-18T18:16:12.648-07:002013-03-18T18:16:12.648-07:00Thanks for the linkage! Although Spring Breakers ...Thanks for the linkage! Although Spring Breakers is getting mixed reviews, I am hoping it will at least be a pulpy good time.Courtney Smallhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00045575858464121137noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-73656912103710287902013-03-02T00:32:51.885-08:002013-03-02T00:32:51.885-08:00No, they cannot be worse than The Clone Wars.No, they cannot be worse than The Clone Wars.Derek Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13750747272647975591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-44995925426410661152013-03-02T00:30:03.803-08:002013-03-02T00:30:03.803-08:00I'm glad that you could engage enough with thi...I'm glad that you could engage enough with this movie to write so many words about it. It completely turned me off, though I suppose Labute is laughing at me for my bourgeois desire to have likable characters. <br /><br />You neglected to mention that these characters are only actually named in the credits. They don't get names in the actual film, leading to a bunch of logistical awkwardness about referencing a character without that luxury of the person having an actual name. There are a lot of disembodied pronouns thrown around. Seeing in the credits that their names all rhymed was the final straw in my dislike of the whole movie. <br /><br />Labute is one of my least favorite writer-directors among people I can recognize as being talented. Aside from Nurse Betty and In the Company of Men, he hasn't made anything that I thought was a success -- and some (The Wicker Man) have been epic failures. Derek Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13750747272647975591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-40353148025732910682013-02-16T21:07:53.265-08:002013-02-16T21:07:53.265-08:00So...I just found out the guy on Boardwalk Empire ...So...I just found out the guy on Boardwalk Empire was not Leonardo, I feel like an ass.WillowBrookFarmhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03582504337619854512noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-63929801658368781642013-02-07T21:19:32.838-08:002013-02-07T21:19:32.838-08:00It's for the chance to watch movies like this ...It's for the chance to watch movies like this that makes me love watching movies.<br /><br />I am forever in awe of movies that fail every single litmus test a studio would apply to them in order to decide if they were worthy of a greenlight. Clearly, Howard the Duck should have failed every test.<br /><br />If you are interested in reading my own piece on it, you can find it here:<br /><br />http://theaudient.blogspot.com/2012/03/leap-day-schlocktacularfest.htmlDerek Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13750747272647975591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-9170632890538398192013-02-07T20:18:37.295-08:002013-02-07T20:18:37.295-08:00My #1 movie of 2010. My #1 movie of 2010. Derek Armstronghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13750747272647975591noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-5769556828194447342013-02-07T06:57:22.588-08:002013-02-07T06:57:22.588-08:00I liked your list. We share some of the same picks...I liked your list. We share some of the same picks, but I've got a couple unconventional favorites of my own. They are here: http://movieworship.blogspot.jp/2013/02/top-10-films-of-2010.html in case you're interested. <br /><br />Shane<br />movieworship.blogspot.com<br />Supercordshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14516452165667442506noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-69314717952017328132013-02-06T11:47:57.292-08:002013-02-06T11:47:57.292-08:00I hope new Star Wars films will satisfy audiences ...I hope new Star Wars films will satisfy audiences and fans, but I fear they'll not be able to live up to the massive hype. The original trilogy is great, because we went in blind to the universe and characters. <br />The 2015 movies will struggle to have that freshness, much like OZ The Great and Powerful (2013) can't compete with The Wizard of Oz. The only way to go I think is a completely new direction, but is it still Star Wars then?Chrishttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09395044055566348346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-81649489236246160672013-01-27T13:11:30.800-08:002013-01-27T13:11:30.800-08:00I watched Howard the Duck for the first time last ...I watched Howard the Duck for the first time last year, and while it's such a mess, I didn't mind it so much. I'd never claim that it's good, but it's so ridiculous and odd that it isn't dull. I agree with you about the lack of an audience. The budget for this was up there with the biggest movies of the year. I can't see how any studio thought this would make money. Dan Heatonhttp://ptsnob.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-9413558481428466762013-01-25T12:51:46.268-08:002013-01-25T12:51:46.268-08:00Steve - Ironically enough isn't the movie indu...Steve - Ironically enough isn't the movie industry in a bit of the same shape now as it was then? <br /><br />Last summer after all did see the worst opening for a movie with a 200 mil+ budget ever (Battleship) plus John Carter, etc. The movies are getting too bad for people just to simply buy any crap. <br /><br />Maybe better days are soon ahead?The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-65300598719895565162013-01-25T12:10:58.427-08:002013-01-25T12:10:58.427-08:00What's sad is that the original comics that th...What's sad is that the original comics that this dead duck was supposedly based on are actually quite good and interesting to read. They hold up surprisingly well, despite being packed to the gills with 1970s political and pop-culture references... the general themes and big picture politics are pretty much exactly now as they were then. <br /><br />I'm not sure if that is a result on how good a writer Steve Gerber was (and he was very, very good) or a result of what a sad state of affairs the world was and is in.Steve Millerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11263633883997493518noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-73569953060654095392013-01-24T13:13:58.404-08:002013-01-24T13:13:58.404-08:00Hi Technology, thanks for stopping by. I am the so...Hi Technology, thanks for stopping by. I am the sole person working on this blog. Maybe one day I'll look into bringing in someone else and really growing this blog into something of note other than just my rambling.The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-54699473517276181062013-01-23T02:44:57.850-08:002013-01-23T02:44:57.850-08:00I think that you did awesome when you selected thi...I think that you did awesome when you selected this theme of the article. Do you usually make your blog entries alone or you have a business partner or a helper?TechnologyIsFuturehttp://technologyisfuture.wordpress.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-73836407117443928692013-01-11T13:30:52.869-08:002013-01-11T13:30:52.869-08:00Thank you good sir! Well at least Sandler tried wi...Thank you good sir! Well at least Sandler tried with Spanglish and Reign Over Me or whatever it was called where he looked like Bob Dylan and had his family killed in 9/11. At least he's tried to show depth again and can be good (he's quite good in Funny People) but I think it had to do with Punch-Drunk Love being written specifically for him. Ah Magnolia is indeed a masterpiece among masterpieces. The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-46259105365987280372013-01-11T11:15:10.549-08:002013-01-11T11:15:10.549-08:00Wow. This is a wonderful post about a film that I ...Wow. This is a wonderful post about a film that I really love. It's too bad about Sandler, who took the modest box-office take for this movie as a sign that he shouldn't stick his neck out too far. At least, that's the way it looks from most of his choices. Magnolia is one of my favorite movies, but Punch-Drunk Love isn't that far away. I've admired PT Anderson's last two movies, but not in the same emotional way as the Magnolia/Punch-Drunk Love duo. Dan Heatonhttp://ptsnob.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1571769854236946971.post-32454370484426837632013-01-07T09:32:42.995-08:002013-01-07T09:32:42.995-08:00Yojimbo, you read very carefully. You're a kin...Yojimbo, you read very carefully. You're a king among men.<br /><br />Vance - I hear you and more or less agree. I won't be running out to revisit this film any time, if ever. Although it's ideas are abundant and moving, that still doesn't take away from the fact that you need to sit for over 2 hours mostly watching a man in a raft with a tiger. It was the same problem with Cast Away, throw a man on an island with no one to engage in dialogue with and there isn't much drama there. There isn't much drama in Life of Pi either. Thankfully I found things in it to connect with personally, that, as can be seen by this piece, I related to above and beyond the film itself. Call it Yin and Yang again. The Taxi Driverhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04352371911592068643noreply@blogger.com