What movies are you watching?

[Mickey]

I loved Hail Caesar(!).

It's a charming film. Very funny. A wonderful little tribute to old Hollywood. There's a lot to like about it, for sure.

This is a phrase that gets thrown around all the time by critics as if it's supposed to be interesting to the average viewer, and I've never found it not-strange. Thinking here of Once Upon a Time... as well. Nothing wrong with old Hollywood as subject matter, but the critical presumption that we all have warm nostalgia for a city/industry we were never a part of seems, well, presumptuous.

[epilogue]

I loved Hail Caesar(!).

It's a charming film. Very funny. A wonderful little tribute to old Hollywood. There's a lot to like about it, for sure.

This is a phrase that gets thrown around all the time by critics as if it's supposed to be interesting to the average viewer, and I've never found it not-strange. Thinking here of Once Upon a Time... as well. Nothing wrong with old Hollywood as subject matter, but the critical presumption that we all have warm nostalgia for a city/industry we were never a part of seems, well, presumptuous.

I agree. And it's part of what keeps Caesar from being a great film for me. They handle it well by throwing in fun little treats (like a character named Carlotta Valdez). But it ultimately doesn't mean much to me. I will say that while QT's lens focuses on the extremely boring and unfortunate aspects of old Hollywood -- even going so far as to celebrate some truly awful stuff -- this is pure Coens, which at times means the exact opposite of what others have chosen to celebrate. Their lens is a little... stranger. This isn't just easy nostalgia. Far from.

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[Mickey]

By the way, both of you have Burn After Reading, the most prescient political film of our moment, way too low on your list.

[epilogue]

I would add that’s exactly my problem with A Serious Man.

That it's presumptuous? Or...

[epilogue]

By the way, both of you have Burn After Reading, the most prescient political film of our moment, way too low on your list.

That's another one that's due for a rewatch. I goddamn love that movie so much. I wanted to put it higher but I just couldn't do it. Though, it may deserve to be in the "Masterpiece Tier" with the others. Like I said, it's been a while and I need to see it again.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

Hail Caesar worked a lot better for me on second viewing...still somewhat close to bottom tier Coen's, but very enjoyable nonetheless

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

I would add that’s exactly my problem with A Serious Man.

That it's presumptuous? Or...

Not that it’s presumptuous, just that it is geared towards a very specific viewer

i think it's one of those that the specific viewer will get the MOST out of it, but everybody else can still enjoy it on their level...it also worked much better for me on subsequent viewings

[Orpheus]

1917 was awesome. Felt very mythical in a way. The scene in the village with the flares going off was just incredibly beautiful.

[epilogue]

I would add that’s exactly my problem with A Serious Man.

That it's presumptuous? Or...

Not that it’s presumptuous, just that it is geared towards a very specific viewer

Interesting. I personally didn't find that to be the case. But I do think I get what you mean.

[epilogue]

I would add that’s exactly my problem with A Serious Man.

That it's presumptuous? Or...

Not that it’s presumptuous, just that it is geared towards a very specific viewer

i think it's one of those that the specific viewer will get the MOST out of it, but everybody else can still enjoy it on their level...it also worked much better for me on subsequent viewings

yeah, what "lenny" said.

[lennytheweedwhacker]

I would add that’s exactly my problem with A Serious Man.

That it's presumptuous? Or...

Not that it’s presumptuous, just that it is geared towards a very specific viewer

i think it's one of those that the specific viewer will get the MOST out of it, but everybody else can still enjoy it on their level...it also worked much better for me on subsequent viewings

yeah, what "lenny" said.

have you seen the death of stalin?

[epilogue]

I would add that’s exactly my problem with A Serious Man.

That it's presumptuous? Or...

Not that it’s presumptuous, just that it is geared towards a very specific viewer

i think it's one of those that the specific viewer will get the MOST out of it, but everybody else can still enjoy it on their level...it also worked much better for me on subsequent viewings

yeah, what "lenny" said.

have you seen the death of stalin?

I have not

[tragabigzanda]

Whenever there's active promotion on the part of somebody else, whenever I see somebody all dolled up for a fancy photograph and someone's handing out flyers or whenever there's active promotion for something like that, as an imposition on my day, I hate all those people and I want them to fail. I have a visceral reaction to advertising and promotion. There's just something about salesmanship that grates on me on a very base level and I react very negatively towards it. I want those people to suffer and I want their enterprises to fail.

[epilogue]

spoiler alert Stalin dies

But seriously, I love Veep and would like to watch that

[VinylGuy]

Only You.

Bonkers. At least Marisa Tomei and Robert Downey Jr lift everything.

How Do You Know

Jesus, horrible movie. The cast is amazing but here its awful. Was this supposed to be a screwball type of comedy? its just awful.

[Mickey]

Banana Split

[VinylGuy]

American Psycho.

20 years!! I still remember going to the theatre to see this one! I love how good this one is, great adaptation from a masterpiece. Its uncanny how many things that are happening right now in culture and politics are shown here.

Bale is so fucking good.

[Jorge]

American Psycho is a great example of how a movie can be better than the source material, because that book is terrible