tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post2354812313324967810..comments2024-03-24T20:15:00.996-04:00Comments on Critic After Dark: Zero Illuminated, Django UnzippedNoel Verahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comBlogger12125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-7101143980605262702013-02-14T20:12:29.521-05:002013-02-14T20:12:29.521-05:00So much for moving on. :)
Dude, if you're goi...So much for moving on. :)<br /><br />Dude, if you're going to argue with a writer of Noel Vera's caliber by citing Rotten Tomatoes and whatnot, that's like friggin going to war in Afghanistan carrying a popgun. I'm surprised he even bothers replying to you.<br /><br />Dude, Stallone wrote classic stuff like the first Rocky, broke Ted Kotcheff's rib with a single punch, was awesome in Copland and in his senior years, still has the energy to do friggin The Expendables. That takes real talent and cojones to do even if you're not prepared to acknowledge it.<br /><br />And here you are dissing him by citing fanboy excrement like RT or MC or whatever. Dude, who's the troll now?<br /><br />-RamonAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-50292551148999294742013-02-14T16:03:15.045-05:002013-02-14T16:03:15.045-05:00The only reason I brought up RT and MC is to point...The only reason I brought up RT and MC is to point out that you weren't the "lone voice of dissent", not to suggest that if someone is in the, say, 13% of critics that don't like a film, that they're necessarily "wrong". That said, WERE you the lone voice of dissent, I'd probably better understand your continuing obsession with dropping those filmmakers' names.<br /><br />But nonetheless, those sites can be useful, in drawing attention to titles that might otherwise get overlooked. I mean, if you're really determined to see something, based on a fondness for a director's past work or some clips that piqued your interest, OF COURSE you shouldn't let mixed reviews sway you from seeing it. But there are a lot of films released in any given year, and most people don't have the resources to see everything (nor would they want to), so it helps to have some filters in place.<br /><br />" I wouldn't always trust the opinions of people I read..."<br /><br />I suppose we could mistrust everything we read, but over time, we tend to find a handful of critics whose taste in film generally aligns with our own, and it can sometimes be useful to consult them when one is on the fence about seeing something.<br /><br />" Despite all this, yes, because there's more to great art than craftsmanship."<br /><br />I find this interesting coming from you, when many of your reviews tend to place more emphasis on technique over narrative content and/or plot. Would you disagree with the following statement?: the artistic quality of a film is not defined by what it is about, but rather HOW it is about it.JCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-40152660233675314312013-02-14T12:38:14.370-05:002013-02-14T12:38:14.370-05:00Oh, and personally speaking, I wouldn't trust ...Oh, and personally speaking, I wouldn't trust metacritic, or rottentomatoes. Review aggregates, that average a film's 'score' across a series of arbitrarily scored reviews (which to pick? how much to assign?) are almost as bad as movie awards.Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-24620352887082930942013-02-14T12:35:21.145-05:002013-02-14T12:35:21.145-05:00To watch or not to watch--you make the call, of co...To watch or not to watch--you make the call, of course; I can't do it for you. Personally speaking, I wouldn't always trust the opinions of people I read--sometimes I actually go and watch the durn thing.<br /><br />Sloppy craftsmanship--Dostoevsky was a sloppy craftsman; he told more than demonstrated, he was repetitive, he was endlessly melodramatic and sentimental. Is he a great writer? Despite all this, yes, because there's more to great art than craftsmanship.Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-51440676670101991862013-02-13T13:05:27.654-05:002013-02-13T13:05:27.654-05:00Actually, I've known Noel, in print and on mes...Actually, I've known Noel, in print and on message boards, for a number of years now.<br /><br />Anyways, moving on.JCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-54837074165398265512013-02-13T09:46:42.532-05:002013-02-13T09:46:42.532-05:00You must be a newbie. Anyone familiar with Vera...You must be a newbie. Anyone familiar with Vera's writing knows that his biases for and against filmmakers can border on grating. But when the man is on top of his game he shows a dazzling command of the language that has few peers (and probably none in the Philippines). Some would say that he deserves a grander platform to ventilate his "biases," and they would probably be right. But that might explain a bit of the cantankerous tone of his posts. Small price to pay, I say, for the privilege to read his gems of reviews such as the one of the last Bond film made by Mendes. I still don't get his staunch, bullheaded devotion to O'Hara, though-- an original filmmaker for sure, but a sloppy craftsman in my book. Nevertheless, I will keep on reading the exceedingly readable blog of Mr. Vera.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-73055780093446738772013-02-12T12:34:20.426-05:002013-02-12T12:34:20.426-05:00Well, I've read enough from numerous critics w...Well, I've read enough from numerous critics whom I find reliable to suggest that Bullet To The Head isn't really worth my time and/or should flat-out be avoided. Hey, it's nice to support filmmakers you like, but I feel like sometimes, certain critics' obsession with auteurism can get in the way of common sense. Perhaps I'm wrong, but I'll sleep fine knowing I've passed on Bullet To The Head, particularly when I've got five seasons of Breaking Bad to work through in the next month.<br /><br />Re: action films, I consider most of Nolan's films to be "suspense thrillers/dramas" that contain some action, but are not defined by it. So whether they are as technically proficient or impressive in their action choreography or coverage as something that's a more pure "action film" (and that's always a subjective thing), it doesn't really matter to me, because they have other qualities that are of greater interest.<br /><br />And though Django may have more action than is commonly seen in a Tarantino film (outside of Kill Bill Vol. 1), I'd reckon most folks go to his films for the colourful, exaggerated personalities and dialogue, and the arch, lively soundtracks.<br /><br />So all I really meant to say was that boiling it down to "action" seems more than a little reductive.<br /><br />Re: your "annoyance" with the filmmakers...<br /><br />Well, QT's dealing in some touchy subject matter, and DU is fairly recent, so if you want to have a go at it for supposed racism or historical inaccuracies (heh, at the latter), okey-dokey.<br /><br />Nolan, on the other hand, made a mainstream blockbuster film SEVEN MONTHS AGO. It was generally well-received (87% on Rotten Tomatoes and a 78 on Metacritic), but it's not like it's without its detractors. And folks with negative opinions of things certainly tend to be the most vocal. I mean, if it was getting 99% positive reviews, and you were the lone individual trying to convince everyone why they're "wrong", I might understand the continued annoyance. But by now, one would think you'd have moved on to other things that are of greater interest to you. <br /><br />It's just weird, man.<br /><br />Anyways, I enjoy much of your writing here, regardless of whether I agree with it or not.<br /><br />Cheers. JCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-20492998273912127972013-02-11T12:36:10.819-05:002013-02-11T12:36:10.819-05:00Oh, Ableminds. Yeah--it's a step above faceboo...Oh, Ableminds. Yeah--it's a step above facebook. I wonder if I'm going to bother renewing my membership next year.Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-34413646285867800242013-02-11T12:35:10.848-05:002013-02-11T12:35:10.848-05:00single clip is a lot like trailers, which I'd ...single clip is a lot like trailers, which I'd say reveals as much about a movie's true nature the way a cover does about its book. I'd watch the film.Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-26344933604812994272013-02-11T12:33:01.650-05:002013-02-11T12:33:01.650-05:00Uh--it's facebook. If I'm doing a thought ...Uh--it's facebook. If I'm doing a thought piece or something I want to put effort into, it's on this blog. If I'm just shooting the breeze and kvetching--and I kvetch a lot, it's on facebook. <br /><br />You're welcome to block my posts on facebook and just stick to this blog. <br />But life's too short to censor myself every moment every day, and at the moment--which might change at any time--I'm annoyed at Nolan and Tarantino. If they make better movies, maybe I'll stop.Noel Verahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05904212081036547668noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-71048215580470751002013-02-10T15:06:31.389-05:002013-02-10T15:06:31.389-05:00To clarify "and then move on", I just me...To clarify "and then move on", I just mean perhaps find other frames of reference than the most obvious (or populist), when talking about other action films.<br /><br />Articles like the one above, following up on thematic elements of Django, through detailed analysis, are perfectly reasonable/understandable. JCnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-12690266.post-90305221074217327992013-02-10T14:57:36.525-05:002013-02-10T14:57:36.525-05:00Just noticed your post about Walter Hill's Bul...Just noticed your post about Walter Hill's Bullet To The Head on the AbleMinds forum. You know, I realize directors like Chris Nolan and Quentin Tarantino get a lot of attention from the media and critics, but snidely dropping their names in a negative fashion practically every time you see an action film you like is borderline sad at this point. It's really no different than what many teenagers do on the imdb forums every day, and it'd be nice if you were above such petty nonsense. Anyone who's read your work knows full well you don't, in general, like their films, and that's just fine. But here's an option: write, or don't write, about their films during their week of release, and then move on. You can be a thoughtful, incisive film critic, who serves to enlighten his readers (as you often are on this blog), or you can be what is commonly referred to as a "troll" (which is what you sometimes come across as on AbleMinds).<br /><br />And re: Bullet To The Head, perhaps it's full of technical virtuosity, but I've yet to see a single clip from it that reads as anything other than "generic action film". Gotta draw the line somewhere. Personally, I'll wait until Hill finds a better subject for his material than Stallone, who is of zero interest to this viewer (and apparently many others, as it pretty much bombed last weekend).JCnoreply@blogger.com