Spielberg has heavy pic for Par
Source: Hollywood Reporter
Steven Spielberg is set to defy gravity for Paramount Pictures. The helmer is attached to direct an untitled sci-fi film for the studio that delves into Caltech physicist Kip Thorne's theories of gravity fields.
Although the project is considered embryonic -- there is no screenplay yet and would likely be three to four years away from fruition -- Thorne wrote a treatment with the help of producer and science nut Lynda Obst, prompting Spielberg's involvement.
Obst ("How to Lose a Guy in 10 Days") will produce the film through her Paramount-based shingle.
Based on real science, the film will explore the mind-bending territory of black holes and gravity waves and touch on some of the hypotheses that Albert Einstein chased but never could prove. Thorne, a longtime friend of Obst's, is one of the world's leading experts on relativity.
It is unclear how Thorne's scientific theories will evolve into a film-ready narrative, but the concept has been described as in the vein of "2001: A Space Odyssey."
Spielberg, who directed last year's sci-fi summer tentpole "War of the Worlds" for Paramount, also is developing and producing "When Worlds Collide" for the studio. Although he has not picked his next directing project, there are at least two leading candidates: "Indiana Jones 4" for Paramount and an untitled Abraham Lincoln biopic for DreamWorks.
Paramount's Ben Cosgrove will shepherd for the studio.
Quote from: MacGuffin on June 15, 2006, 01:11:05 AM
Based on real science
That's a good Xixax marquee right there.
Nolan to write Spielberg film
Paramount sets scribe for 'Interstellar'
Source: Variety
Paramount Pictures has set Jonah Nolan to write "Interstellar," a space adventure that has Steven Spielberg attached to direct.
Spielberg set up the project last year. The drama revolves around explorers who travel through a worm hole and into another dimension.
The plot was informed by a scientific theory by Kip S. Thorne, a Caltech physicist and expert on relativity. His theory that wormholes exist and can be used for time travel intrigued Spielberg, who attended a Caltech workshop on the subject with Thorne and other scientists.
Nolan, who hatched the short story that became his brother Chris Nolan's breakthrough film "Memento," most recently scripted "The Prestige" and the Batsequel "The Dark Knight." The scribe will start scripting "Interstellar" as soon as he delivers "The Chicago Fire" for Warner Bros.
There is no hurry. Spielberg is prepping the fourth installment of Indiana Jones for a June start with Harrison Ford and Cate Blanchett, and he is expected to follow with a film about Abraham Lincoln and the Civil War, based on the Doris Kearns Goodwin book. Spielberg wants his "Schindler's List" star Liam Neeson to play Lincoln.
Jonah Nolan turns science into a film script
Source: Los Angeles Times
As news of Jonah Nolan's hiring to draft a screenplay for the potential Steven Spielberg-directed science fiction epic "Interstellar" rippled through cyberspace last week, Nolan admitted to a little starry-eyed wonder.
"I have a better understanding of what those NASA astronauts feel like as they're about to get blasted off into outer space [when I was] waiting to go pitch ideas to Lynda Obst and Steven Spielberg," Nolan says of his meeting in January. "I'm not even sure if I remember what I told them, but they must have liked something. It was a pretty intense experience."
Indeed they did. Now, as soon as the Oscar-nominated screenwriter helps director-brother Chris finalize prep for the "Batman Begins" sequel "The Dark Knight," for which Nolan penned the screenplay, his next job will entail adapting the mind-bending treatment written by Obst and physicist Dr. Kip S. Thorne into a narrative screenplay for the potential Paramount Pictures tent pole.
It's a project that has its genesis in the two-decades-long friendship between Obst, an astronomy enthusiast who produced "The Siege" and "The Fisher King," and Thorne, the Feynman professor of theoretical physics at Caltech. (When Obst was producing "Contact," adapted by screenwriters James V. Hart and Michael Goldenberg from Carl Sagan's novel, Thorne conceptualized a wormhole sequence for the film that also advanced the field of theoretical physics.)
Over the years, Thorne's work on gravitational-wave detectors, which calculate negative space in things like black holes and imploding galaxies, has been at the very front edge of Einsteinian astrophysics. At one point Obst and Thorne were brainstorming about, as Obst puts it, "the most exotic events in the universe suddenly becoming accessible to humans," and crafted a potential cinematic scenario that hooked Spielberg enough to consider directing.
Enter Nolan, whose clever, brain-twisting creativity elevated "Memento" and "The Prestige," both directed by Chris, above their erstwhile genre material. Nolan's original short story, "Memento Mori," was the basis for his brother's screenplay for "Memento," which earned them both Oscar nominations. According to Obst, Nolan took the "Interstellar" treatment's "basic idea" and "added a time element that none of us had thought of." (Obst and Thorne may retain story credit on "Interstellar.")
"It really is true that truth is stranger than fiction, and we want to explore some of that," says Nolan, who as a young boy loved to watch old 8-millimeter NASA film strips of Saturn V launches with older brother Chris. "A lot of the narrative will be suggested by some of these amazing ideas that Dr. Thorne has been working on — his accumulated knowledge of the wonders of the universe. I'm going to immerse myself as much as my feeble little mind can wrap itself around some of these concepts and the narrative will emerge."
Spielberg, who's currently working on the fourth installment of the "Indiana Jones" saga scripted by David Koepp, has a long history of exploring the sci-fi realm.
This would be the first time, however, that Spielberg does not remain Earthbound. "Interstellar" has been described as an effects-laden exploration in the tradition of "2001: A Space Odyssey," written by Arthur C. Clarke and original "A.I." developer Stanley Kubrick.
"The truth is, since I watched 'Close Encounters' when I was probably 7 or 8, I've been waiting for Mr. Spielberg to make this movie," says Nolan, now 30. "That I have anything to do with it is mind-blowing."
Christopher Nolan in Talks to Direct 'Interstellar' for Paramount and Warner Bros. (Exclusive)
Source: THR
The 'Dark Knight Rises' director is negotiating to board the sci-fi project written by his brother and longtime collaborator Jonathan Nolan
With his Batman trilogy now complete, Christopher Nolan has found his next project.
According to multiple sources, Nolan has set his sights on a sci-fi project titled Interstellar, which he is in talks to direct and produce. The project involves time travel and alternate dimensions in a story that sees a group of explorers travel through a wormhole. The script is based on scientific theories developed by a Kip Thorne, a theoretical physicist, a gravitational physicist and astrophysicist at Caltech.
Sources say that dealmaking has been underway for months and is described as very complex.
Interstellar is set up at Paramount but would be made by both Paramount and Warner Bros., where Nolan and his Syncopy banner are based and for which he has made the three Batman movies as well as Insomnia and Inception. (The Prestige was made for Disney.)
The script for Interstellar was written by Jonathan Nolan, Chris' brother, who worked on The Dark Knight Rises and The Dark Knight, as well as Prestige. Jonathan Nolan (known as Jonah) also has a "story by" credit for Memento, Chris Nolan's breakout movie.
Steven Spielberg was previously attached to direct Interstellar and produce with Lynda Obst. It is unclear if Spielberg will remain involved, especially considering the director's planned next movie, Robopocalypse, was delayed indefinitely on Wednesday.
Regardless of how a deal shakes out, Interstellar has all the elements that seem to attract Nolan. Apart from his brother's involvement, there is the complex and multi-layered nature of the story.
Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar' Sets Fall 2014 Release Date
Source: Playlist
So much for those "Justice League" godfather rumors we hope? As you might remember, Christopher Nolan kicked off the year with some exciting news that he was lining up his next project, a sci-fi film entitled "Interstellar." Well, just like that, the movie has a release date and it looks like it won't be too long before Nolan delivers another multiplex spectacle.
Warner Bros. and Paramount are teaming up to produce and release "Interstellar" on November 7, 2014. The project has a script from his longtime collaborator and brother Jonathan Nolan and will deal with time travel and alternate dimensions, telling the story of a group of explorers who go through a wormhole. Earning its sci-fi bona fides, the film was developed by theoretical physicist Kip Thorne, and has actually been brewing for years. In fact, Steven Spielberg was once attached to direct. However, Nolan is using that old script, combining it with an original idea of his own, and giving it a rewrite, so it will be interesting to see the twist he puts on what sounds like a hella ambitious movie.
Just the fact that Warner Bros. and Paramount are teaming up suggests this is gonna be big. We can only guess that Nolan will want to use practical effects over CGI as usual, which usually requires more money, manpower and that kind of thing. Paramount will get the domestic rights to the movie, while WB will take "Interstellar" international. So strap in: 18 months or so of speculation, rumor and more begins here. Now the big question: who from Nolan's roster of regular players will be back on board? Just remember, Michael Caine has already said he's in it.
The final conclusion to Nolan's 'In- Trilogy'. I'm actually pretty excited for this, or at least I will be.
Matthew McConaughey offered lead role of 'Cooper', a serious and often-shirtless astrophysicist.
Anne Hathaway To Star With Matthew McConaughey in Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar'
Source: Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: I'm told that Anne Hathaway is near a deal to star with Matthew McConaughey in Interstellar, the next film that Christopher Nolan will direct. This is a heckuva follow up to Les Miserables, for which Hathaway won the Academy Award. It also reunites her with Nolan, after she last year played the Selina/Catwoman role in Nolan's Batfinale The Dark Knight Rises. McConaughey is also enjoying a resurgence fueled by his Independent Spirit Award-winning turn in Magic Mike, and several other pics.
Not much is known about the specific log line (Nolan and cohorts work under the cone of silence) and that includes casting. I was able to break the news about McConaughey (he confirmed it a week later), and I am sure Hathaway's deal will make. The film is a co-production between Paramount and Warner Bros and was originally set up in 2006 by Steven Spielberg, when Paramount owned DreamWorks, and after Spielberg became intrigued by Caltech physicist and relativity expert Kip S. Thorne and his scientific theory that wormholes exist and can be used for time travel. Spielberg set Jonah Nolan to write the script, which made it easy for Christopher Nolan to come aboard after Spielberg left the project. After all, the Nolan siblings have a collaborative track record, with Jonah hatching the short story that became Christopher's first hit Memento, and following that with two Batfilms and The Prestige. Christopher Nolan signed on in January to write a script that merged an original idea of his with the script that Jonah wrote. The ambition is a film that will depict a heroic interstellar voyage to the farthest borders of our scientific understanding. Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are producing with Lynda Obst. Jordan Goldberg is joining as exec producer alongside Thorne, who'll remain on as technical consultant.
Who will be cinematographer?
Pfister is making his directioral debut, so he's out.
POSSIBLE:
Robert Elswitt- has experience with IMAX. but PTA wants him for Vice. Will Interstellar happen 1st
Mihai Malimare
Roger Deakins
Emmanuel Lubezki- doesnt really fit Nolan's style
Januz Kaminski
Robert Richardson
CinemaCon: IMAX Teaming With Paramount On 'Interstellar' And 'Transformers 4′
BY THE DEADLINE TEAM
IMAX chairman Greg Foster tonight confirmed that Christopher Nolan's Interstellar and Michael Bay's Transformers 4 will use footage shot in IMAX. Three other Paramount films are involved in the five-picture deal. Those titles have yet to be announced. Nolan shot parts of The Dark Knight and The Dark Knight Rises in IMAX and Bay used IMAX cameras to shoot sequences in Transformers: Revenge Of The Fallen. Foster made the announcement during tonight's opening presentation at CinemaCon in Las Vegas.
'The Fighter' DoP Hoyte Van Hoytema Reportedly Wally Pfister's Replacement On Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar'
via The Playlist
The careers of Christopher Nolan and Wally Pfister have been forever linked, with the pair first meeting in Park City as filmmakers (Pfister had lensed a movie playing Sundance, Nolan was at Slamdance with "Following") and they've been inseparable ever since. Pfister has lensed every Nolan flick to date, but now that he's embarking on his own directorial career with "Transcendence," someone else will have to get behind the camera for the Batman moviemaker and it appears he's found his man.
Dutch site Film Abides is reporting that in an interview, cinematographer Hoyte Van Hoytema has revealed he'll be working on Nolan's "Interstellar." Certainly, he's got the chops. His CV boasts movies from David O. Russell ("The Fighter"), Tomas Alfredson ("Let The Right One In," "Tinker Tailor Soldier Spy") and Spike Jonze (his upcoming "Her") so he certainly knows how to adapt to a variety of styles on a variety of budgets. But certainly stepping into Nolan's realm, his game will be raised to a blockbuster level he's never quite experienced.
This news isn't officially confirmed so just pause a beat for now, but we will say that if it seems far too early for Nolan to be locking his DoP with the movie only shooting this fall, remember that Hoytema will have to get up to speed on shooting in IMAX, which Nolan will again utilize.
Hopefully Van Hoytema will be in Alfredson-mode, and add some much-needed mood to Nolan's boring talkies.
Jessica Chastain In Talks For Christopher Nolan's 'Interstellar'
BY MIKE FLEMING JR | Deadline
EXCLUSIVE: Jessica Chastain is in talks to star with Matthew McConaughey and Anne Hathaway in Interstellar, the next film that Christopher Nolan will direct. She will play the third lead, I'm told, and this is a great follow to her Oscar nominated turn in Zero Dark Thirty. Quite a cast Nolan is cooking up; Hathaway won the Oscar for Les Miserables, and McConaughey is on quite a run himself. Not much is known about the specific log line (Nolan and cohorts work under the cone of silence) and that includes casting. I was able to break the news about McConaughey (he confirmed it a week later), and also Hathaway.
The film is a co-production between Paramount and Warner Bros and was originally set up in 2006 by Steven Spielberg, when Paramount owned DreamWorks, and after Spielberg became intrigued by Caltech physicist and relativity expert Kip S. Thorne and his scientific theory that wormholes exist and can be used for time travel. Spielberg set Jonah Nolan to write the script, which made it easy for Christopher Nolan to come aboard after Spielberg left the project. After all, the Nolan siblings have a collaborative track record, with Jonah hatching the short story that became Christopher's first hit Memento, and following that with two Batfilms and The Prestige. Christopher Nolan signed on in January to write a script that merged an original idea of his with the script that Jonah wrote. The ambition is a film that will depict a heroic interstellar voyage to the farthest borders of our scientific understanding.
Christopher Nolan and Emma Thomas are producing with Lynda Obst. Jordan Goldberg is joining as exec producer alongside Thorne, who'll remain on as technical consultant. CAA and Mosaic rep Chastain.
I can confirm that Hoyte van Hoytema is dp on Interstellar.
All brag, very little info :yabbse-grin:, but as he's my mentor and we've worked together several times, he told me this just when it got confirmed.
Teaser
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nyc6RJEEe0U
that was truly a teaser since it was mostly not footage from the movie.
and it was also a levi's ad.
this, this is what people want? well you got it
My only takeaway from this was that Nolan has a thing for dead wives.
Quote from: jenkins<3 on May 16, 2014, 01:51:16 PM
this, this is what people want? well you got it
what does that mean?
i'm hugely excited. i got big contact vibes from that, but for people my age. the floaty spherical thing. whoa. species vs. individuals. slomo chastain. i think the thing that really gets me about it, in a nutshell, is the connection between technology and spirituality. whatever that spaceship is doing, at its core it's opening our eyes a bit wider. it feels like a new direction for nolan. the concept is huge but the humans are more important.
Quote from: picolas on May 16, 2014, 03:06:28 PM
Quote from: jenkins<3 on May 16, 2014, 01:51:16 PM
this, this is what people want? well you got it
what does that mean?
fair question. means this isn't my kind of party, but the party is large
technology as spirituality is a growing theme, present in her and gravity and transcendence, but i'm not personally captivated by its current foundational form, its conversion of a big idea into a self-serious fantasy. i live in technological times. i live in the future. i like when it's given to me straight. for me, interstellar is oil and water
but that's my personal view. and it's not nice to ruin other people's parties. and, you know, this is how you build a fantasy narrative. so, i'm sorry. i actually am sorry, because i don't think one person's perspective should impose another's. i look forward to hearing about the party!
i'll be in the corner, practicing my zen breathing exercises
oooooooooooooooooohhhmmmmm....
Hmm, they're making the YouTube vid for trailer 3 private.
Hi-res version here: http://www.interstellarmovie.com/ (http://www.interstellarmovie.com/)
Use the access code 7201969 to view
Film-Equipped Theaters Getting INTERSTELLAR Three Days Early
from Badass Digest
http://badassdigest.com/2014/10/01/film-equipped-theaters-getting-interstellar-two-days-early/ (http://badassdigest.com/2014/10/01/film-equipped-theaters-getting-interstellar-two-days-early/)
(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fcf.badassdigest.com%2F_uploads%2Fimages%2F43232%2Fo-interstellar-trailer-facebook__span.jpg&hash=d3d883eab2217cc32f3d03dd009a3476b144b2b2)
There's a new trailer for Interstellar (embedded below), but the biggest news of the day for Nolan's next film is this: theaters with 70mm or 35mm capabilities will get the movie three days early. That's incredible! I love this initiative! Nolan is incentivizing film-watching, making the simple act of watching a movie on celluloid into an event.
That means the film will be released on a lot of IMAX screens two days early, but it also means cool movie theaters will have it on November 4th. Among those cool theaters? A host of Alamo Drafthouses, including The Ritz, which will have the movie in 70mm.
And if you happen to live in Houston they're going to be showing a whole slew of Christopher Nolan movies to celebrate. And if you attend all the screenings, you'll get free dinner and drinks at Interstellar on opening day! Here's the schedule:
FOLLOWING – Tuesday, October 7 at 7:30 PM
MEMENTO – Tuesday, October 15 at 7:30 PM
INSOMNIA and INCEPTION double feature – Sunday, October 19 at 4 PM
THE PRESTIGE – Monday, October 27 at 7:30 PM
THE DARK KNIGHT TRILOGY – Sunday, November 2 at 4 PM
If you don't live in a Drafthouse town click here to find out where you can see Interstellar on November 4th, days before everybody else!
https://interstellar.withgoogle.com/ways-to-see (https://interstellar.withgoogle.com/ways-to-see)
...
Just got tickets, looks like they are going fast!
confused because i clicked this thinking i'd see an a+
http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/review-christopher-nolans-interstellar-starring-matthew-mcconaughey-jessica-chastain-anne-hathaway-more-20141027
TOMATOMETER
74%
hmmm. i think because nolan's batman was such a big fucking deal, and this movie is about like saving the human race or some shit, and he's supporting film, and he did science research (http://www.wired.com/2014/10/astrophysics-interstellar-black-hole/), i thought it was going to be all a's and 100% and idk i just thought that
Dammmmm. James Rocchi just went in on Interstellar!!! Still going to see this, despite the review and despite reading an early-draft-of-the-script-that-was-drifting-around-the-interweb which also suffers from presenting some really cool ideas (wormholes!) before selling them out for a by-the-numbers, predictable, action/fantasy plot, dripping with cliches. But, and this is the asshole cynic in me, can you really deliver a "deep-thought" science fiction movie on the level of budget ($100million+) which naturally dictates hitting the four quadrants and delivering the same ol' same ol' just repackaged as original and new and different???
Which reminds me, I'm gonna re-watch The Matrix this week (for the goofy fun) and The Terminator (just for the lighting, I mean those streets...and that club, Tech Noir! Can we have our xixax xmas party there?)
I'll see it Thursday. Always excited about the movie and the event, but I remember how Nolan's stories never seem to flow...if what I say make sense...he's always kind of heavy, and for a man with his visual talent I'm always a little bit disappointed.
The Prestige is, I think, his strongest movie. Maybe because it's not a blockbuster? Maybe not.
why have i thought for literally over a decade that mark romanek directed insomnia?
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I'll take the word of these two over those reviews.
You know, I expected the response to be unanimously positive. That 74% could possibly shoot up in the coming weeks though. I mean The Dark Knight Rises sits on 88% right now.
If he's made something divisive and challenging, more power to him. Anyway, I'll be watching this in the first week of release, should be a grand adventure at the very least. I expect this to be less 2001 and more heartfelt Spielbergian adventure (wearing several layers of Nolan's sensibilities).
I take the mixed reviews as a good sign. I think Altman said once "if you make a movie everyone loves then you know you've made something truly banal."
i think you guys are missing the biggest point here, apparently christopher nolan directed insomnia.
i wish i could believe that people went to see movies without selecting the ones they already think they'll love. but this'll do fine and i was just surprised, he'll laugh to the bank
i know what you mean about insomnia. i believe you. while making the dear white people thread i noticed i'd mentioned the director in an article i posted in david lowery's topic, and while in that topic i noticed there was a section where i can't remember the difference between two christopher nolan movies. so i wouldn't say he's had a big impact on me either. but i never see the benefit of bringing down what other people like, and i just gotta do those zen breathing exercises man, gotta stick to my zen
Even if it's bad, it's ultimately something to look forward to seeing. I think I will make this my first Imax experience and while I can't say I'm a fan of nolan, i am intrigued by all his work because he does challenge on some levels and cops out on others. But Interstellar seems like a film that wants to go for it so that makes it something to look forward to.
Quote from: O3 on October 27, 2014, 04:10:36 PM
why have i thought for literally over a decade that mark romanek directed insomnia?
You were confusing it with One Hour Photo, the other movie where Robin Williams played a creepy bad guy.
So.
It looked great, Nolan, behind his camera, was at his best. The photography is beautiful. Full of dust and shadows. To see it in 35mm was a pleasure, I wanted them to save film, too, with humanity. I thought I was becoming a cynic, growing up, seeing blockbusters, not being impressed by what I saw. But here, I was impressed. The movie can be breathtaking in its imagery. One action sequence is the best I've seen since ages. Outside the value of the two movies, I felt more in space with Interstellar than with Gravity.
But Nolan doesn't trust his talent. Everything goes really fast. You want to contemplate but it goes away. Some characters are uni-dimensional, always. Almost all of them, actually. Always frustrating to watch a three hours movie where characters feel like sketches. Other stuff are problematic, in the construction of the movie, I can't talk about it.
Nolan has good ideas, is visually brillant, but he doesn't seem to be able to add a human dimension to his vision, to feel truly alive, and it is problematic when the movie tries hard to have this dimension...
Anyway, I think everyone has to experience this movie. Even if it's frustrating to see that much talent fail total greatness; but Interstellar, definitely, has moments of greatness.
Quote from: Drenk on October 31, 2014, 08:58:05 AMSome characters are uni-dimensional, always. Almost all of them, actually. Always frustrating to watch a three hours movie where characters feel like sketches. Other stuff are problematic, in the construction of the movie, I can't talk about it.
Nolan has good ideas, is visually brillant, but he doesn't seem to be able to add a human dimension to his vision, to feel truly alive, and it is problematic when the movie tries hard to have this dimension...
Ugh this is what I was worried about, although I can't say I'm surprised. I don't think I've ever truly cared about or felt like I've known a Christopher Nolan character. They feel less like actual human beings and more like ciphers used to spout exposition and ideas, albeit interesting ones. I still think his movies are fun and I'm still super excited for this though.
let's talk about these two "clips"
1:
*COUGH*
'can i help?'
'.... :yabbse-smiley:'
SEE INTERSTELLAR2:
'let's relate to each other'
'nope'
'ouch'
*mild studio applause*
SEE INTERSTELLARwho chooses these clips? are they meant to be viewed this way? maybe they're just supposed to be soundless b-roll under interviews with the actors. still, such odd choices.
i still can't get over these promo pics:
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Watched this yesterday, enjoyed it.
It feels different from Nolan's previous works. A number of the characters in the film are rather thin but McC is compelling. The human element is there but McC is the main person really pulling his weight in this department. Structure and pacing is a bit off at times. Drama and intensity falters or feels uneven in certain scenes- but there are definitely a number of moments where my heart was left racing. The film becomes really compelling in some of its more abstract and isolated moments and there are some absolutely incredible visual representations of ideas, particularly in the third act. Hoyte van Hoytema was a great choice and Zimmer didn't annoy, in fact I appreciated his use of organ and electronics. Look forward to watching it again in the near future. Reasonable chance I'll enjoy it more.
people at the screening seemed to have a near religious experience with this movie. heard a lot of people with post-sob sniffles as the credits rolled. the exaltation among most of the audience was palpable.
me, i thought it was pretty painfully stupid.
i think the projectionist may have fucked up because the print seemed less than pristine and uneven in quality. considering trying to see this again in a different theater with a 70mm print but i don't see improved visuals sparing me all the eye-rolling i did this first time around. asphyxia by narrative coddling, and nolan's continued ineptitude in his portrayal of women should comfort every other man on the planet that none of them will ever be as clueless when it comes to the fairer sex. spectacle abounds and it's all very entertaining, but it's hardly his best work, let alone the genre/cinema at large.
tarantino compared it to malick and tarkovsky, which makes me think he's never actually seen a movie by either of them. any reference to 2001 for any other reason than to say how far short Interstellar falls of it is misguided to say the least.
I overall liked the film but I am also surprised at anyone mentioning tarkovsky anywhere near this film. It was beautiful to watch (in 70mm imax), and I found it fairly compelling but to compare it to other infinitely more cerebral experiences does no justice to any of the films involved.
I had story and script issues but the crux of what the movie was going for was successful. Not Nolan's best but I think it's an achievement of which he can be proud.
I have to admit, I was vaguely reminded of Solaris during a few moments. But it was mostly a superficial thing. As for 2001, the influence is there but this is far more Spielberg than it is Kubrick or anyone else. Spielberg would have made a considerably better 1st act though. This film comes from a lot of places but it certainly is put through the Nolan filter. Even then, this feels different to previous Nolan works.
Also, has anyone watched The Right Stuff? That was the film Nolan screened to the crew before starting.
SPOILER
Similarly, one of the trippier end moments is slightly reminiscent of The Aleph/The Library of Babel. At the very least, we know Nolan is no stranger to Borges. But there are probably more obvious (if unintentional) points of references to omni-dimensional beings.
i don't know how to summarize my feelings towards this. i'll have to go chapter by chapter.
MEGA SPOILERS
chapter 1: the first hour
pleasant, boring. mccons does a great job of keeping my attention with his glorious voice and face while the premise that the trailer explained in two minutes + some ghost stuff is stretched out over the course of an hour. i don't hate it, but nothing is really doing it for me. and i have serious doubts about a lot of the story (like mccons being on the mission). but i'll go with it. i'm treating it more like a myth or a fairy tale than a 'real' thing, even though that's at odds with the way nolan conveys stuff (ie. as realistically as possible).
chapter 2: space
wow. now the realism is interesting. we can hear the suits moving. we can't hear anything in space. and there's way less score than a typical nolan. the use of imax to accentuate the vastness of space is overwhelming. there's a delightful robot that feels as though he was written by different people. i would have loved this levity to be more spread out amongst the characters. why must it be assigned to the robot?
chapter 3: wormhole
YES YES YES. this was like a documentary of something we've never seen before. as though nolan snuck in real footage of travelling through a wormhole. SO REAL and yet so completely otherworldly. i was in AWE.
chapter 4: wave planet
one hour on this planet = many years??? OH JESUS. i've never experienced stakes like this before, outside of maybe homer's odyssey, but those guys didn't know about the time difference going in. the race against the clock is riveting, and it's really hard to take a side in the mccon vs. hathaway showdown.
chapter 5: return from wave planet
this is probably the best part of interstellar. we experience the time jump from mccon's perspective, and the swell of tragedy/wonder as he experiences his children grow before his eyes hit me like a rocket to the face, which is also what mccon's face looks like. simply STELLAR work from everyone involved. there's also something very emotional about the casting of the little girl vs. chastain. i didn't love the little girl as an actor, but chastain is so convincing as the older version of that kid, it's almost like nolan pulled a 'boyhood' on us.
chapter 6: planet decision time
hathaway has a monologue that ALMOST works really well, and gets to the heart of the themes of the movie, but then it goes a couple steps too far and i'm like 'uh-oh... you're spelling out all the themes. i can hear you doing it. noo...'
chapter 7: DAMON 1
holy fuck. i cannot believe they snuck in damon. his story is compelling as an idea, and i like the IDEA of his speech about how we haven't evolved far enough past our concern for a select group of people. we're too single-minded to think about, let alone SAVE, our entire world. good stuff, but once again i can feel the writing. then he has to deliver a monologue as mccon struggles for his life that REEKS of WRITING and EXPLAINING, when no human would keep talking to mccon. he's clearly not listening. i'm confused by damon's motivations. i love the idea that he took years to transform into the bad guy.
MEANWHILE, ON EARTH: affleck is being a weirdo and i don't understand how michael caine could've fooled so many smart people for so long, but he really does a great job of dying, even though he dies at a very convenient time (right after he's asked a very important yes or no question and he decides not to answer. classic stupid trope.)
chapter 8: DAMON 2
a great sequence partly because it involves some serious ingenuity on mccon's part, which is just as crazy as it is believable. and damon's death is great. he's about to deliver another expositional monologAND BOOM
chapter 9: mission to wha?
i was genuinely confused about what mccon and hath were doing at this point. one of the few times i needed more explanation. but i went with it.
chapter 10: BLACK HOLE
YESSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSSS. heavy shades of contact. diving into the unknown. fear and wonder and the ultra-real feeling of something extraordinary, like the worm hole, but still its own thing.
chapter 11: FURTHER DOWN THE BLACK HOLE
the audacity of this sequence is unlike anything i've ever seen. the way we experience this ROOM OF ROOMS feels like nolan isn't just speculating. he's sitting you down and explaining 'this is exactly what happens when someone does that.' it's a true meeting of the fantastic and the scientific, but i still can't decide if it's TOO MUCH. it's kind of hokey, but kind of BALLSY too. it's definitely poorly written, but i'm not sure how else one could write this aside from using a little more finesse with the explaining of mccon's thought process.
chapter 12: the new world
hmm... there's no way this would happen. it's almost on par with batman surviving the nuclear bomb as far as stupidly happy endings go. i'm still trying to see this story as a myth etc, but that's tough because it's so real! the idea of murphy seeing her dad exactly like when he left her is hugely moving, like getting to meet a REAL ghost. another incredible bridge between science and fantasy. i don't like how murphy ends the conversation and mccon just leaves. after all that. it feels flippant. stupid writing!
chapter 13: finding hathaway
sequel?
closing thoughts
writing is nolan's biggest enemy. i'm not convinced a movie is the right format for a story of this scale. a miniseries might've given the characters enough room to breathe. to show us rather than tell us. i cannot deny the power of many ideas contained within. i love that interstellar exists, but i want it to be better. but maybe it's enough. it's going to take time and views for me to really know where i stand. or i'll just always feel mixed about it. or i'll just watch the good parts.
I don't feel like writing a lot here, but I really dug this movie. Yeah it has narrative problems and blah blah blah but I didn't care. This was exactly the kind of thing I want out of a big budget film, and no matter how ridiculous or abrupt or out of left field any of the revelations are, I was in with the story's emotions almost the whole journey through. God it's beautiful looking. Kept thinking "oh yeah - this is how the movies are supposed to be...". My heart was practically beating in my ears during the wormhole scene -- that hasn't happened to me in well over a decade, probably since I saw Titanic or something (yeah fuck you all). This was the shit. A real movie. It's not Malick or Tarkovsky it's Spielberg. Conjured the same type of excitement I felt when watching things like Jurassic Park. Good on Nolan this time and thanks for reminding me that movies can be awe-inspiring again.
^ I dig how much you love this movie, and the way you talk about its beauty resonates with me as well. I tried commenting earlier today, but the more I type out my thoughts the more it smacks me in the face how beyond uneven it was --/mattdamon\-- I haven't seen such an uneven movie in a really really long time. And uneven isn't the word. Just not rhythmic. Lacking dance skills. Lacking funny skills. Lacking an intuition for how movies move in a way Spielberg is a master at. That's a huge flaw. But somehow it barely covered all those flaws up with massive moments of intimate yet delicious power and beauty that took complete control over everything else, texturally, visually and sonorously. And for that alone, and for bringing back film the way it did, I'll probably see it again with another group of friends at home in IMAX 70mm this time instead of 35mm. What's interesting is that he made an intimate film, which made the 35mm projection with medium format photography weirdly fitting.
Remember when pt said a monkey could make 65mm look good? I still don't believe him, I think it was Hoyt VH. Also, I gotta see Matt Damon open his eyes from a deep annual slumber one more time, that was one of the funniest moments in the cinema in a while.
Anyway, thanks for saying that Wilder.
i feel overall mellow about what's happening with this movie. i think it has strong cultural support. the biggest/baddest imax theater was installed at the chinese theater here in los angeles, prompted by the theater wanting to ready itself for interstellar. when the movie leaves that'll still be a dazzling theater, so thanks for that
i said before that my friends and i jazzed ourselves to see it. we hype talked ourselves into thinking we'd experience what wilder described. we simply didn't. we left cold. it's a bit our loss, isn't it. because i think if you liked the movie you liked the movie, and that's that. happy for the happy people, and i'm standing on the outside, butso i just wouldn't worry about me or anyone like me <3
god i wish spielberg made a movie with this premise instead of nolan.
even spielberg seems like a stretch. maybe nolan's shit exposition was meant to mimic the uselessness of the first half hour of close encounters? spielberg's sense of wonder and pure cinematic bravura allowed him to get away with just about anything because on top of all the technical prowess and grandeur, there's a sense of wonder instilled in every goddamn frame. there's love/warmth/humanity there, indicative of a sensibility that is as generous as they get, not just navel-gazing grandstanding. spielberg invites audiences to escape with him. nolan, especially with this and inception, is more about impressing people while not giving them the credit to understand things without hand holding.
there are awe-inspiring sequences to be sure, and it isn't all a complete misfire but dammit if it wasn't a total dud for me. i love big movies.
I had no expectations, not much interest even. Wasn't able to attend any of the 70mm screenings and thought I was just going to rent it down the line. But: was in a terrible state earlier this week and wanted to escape from everything, found a theater playing it in 35mm and ended up going on a whim. It did what movies are supposed to do and transported me. Pure entertainment. That's all I wanted and that's what I got. Guessing it helped that I didn't go in wanting more.
^That's me exactly, terrible state and all. Well said.
Jenkins, I have no clue how you managed to muster up high expectations going in....
Like wilder and cloudy I didn't have expectations of greatness from this. I was ready to hate this even, because of a really terrible line in the trailer and my general allergy to Nolan films.
I ended up enjoying it a lot even though (or because) it was such an easy to hate movie. Samsong could have written his review of the movie before he even saw it and he wouldn't have had to change a word after.
The key to appreciating this is to think of it as the most expensive Bollywood movie ever made.
Quote from: Cloudy on November 13, 2014, 12:27:50 AM
Jenkins, I have no clue how you managed to muster up high expectations going in....
we said things like we wanted to feel young and be kids and go like the space movie. it just didn't happen. sometimes it doesn't happen
i didn't go in with dissimilar expectations than those who enjoyed it. i went in pretty tepid and really just wanted to be taken in by a massive escapist headtrip. i remember seeing some sort of promotional bit wherein nolan promised an experiential kind of film, one that could be enjoyed outside of the limitations of narrative. i suppose holding him to that is having expectations in and of itself but it gave me hope for its potential, that nolan was going to use his status and big studio carte blanche to make something akin to 2001, by his estimation. still, went in wanting to like this and just have a good time. scout's honor.
can't say i understand the uber-positive contrarian route to enjoy a movie that's easy to hate. usually movies are easy to hate because they, you know, suck. how anyone can stick with this movie after hathaway's love monologue is beyond me. but as jenkins has said, it would've been nice to see the movie that everyone enjoyed/is happy with.
Quote from: samsong on November 13, 2014, 05:52:45 AM
can't say i understand the uber-positive contrarian route to enjoy a movie that's easy to hate. usually movies are easy to hate because they, you know, suck. how anyone can stick with this movie after hathaway's love monologue is beyond me.
Not being contrarian, just trying to approach a movie on the movie's terms. That means not being preoccupied by issues everyone expects from a Nolan film, which issues are amplified here by the fact that this is him trying to throw everything he's got on the screen which puts both his strengths and weaknesses on full display. I'll take the melodrama and hackyness (reluctantly) if I can still watch the most awe-inspiring and goosebumps-inducing things I've seen in a blockbuster in recent memory.
Quote from: Axolotl on November 13, 2014, 07:34:20 AM
I'll take the melodrama and hackyness (reluctantly) if I can still watch the most awe-inspiring and goosebumps-inducing things I've seen in a blockbuster in recent memory.
I'm a Nolan diehard (I will rep TDKR for life) and this definitely is his most uneven film since Insomnia. But as Axolotl says above, even with its problems it still easily eclipses anything else at the multiplex in terms of scale/spectacle/ambition/visual splendor/weighty action scenes, etc. which still puts it among my favorites this year.
Matt Damon though :yabbse-thumbdown:
I feel like watching it on a normal movie screen didn't do it justice; Definitely gonna check it out on our local IMAX theater. Yeah it was lovey-dovey/silly at times but you know what? I'd rather have Nolan using a studios money to make something huge (even if it is a misfire with some people) rather than Bay or whoever wants to make a Transformers movie.
this is the worst movie I've seen since The Dark Knight Rises. I'm now out of the nolan boat for good. the dude is out of control, each new film is longer, more absurd than the last. about 20 minutes in I knew this wasn't looking good and it just got worse by the minute. yet I have to recognize there are some great sequences here and there, but scattered through hours of boring dialogue, cardboard characters and bad performances. almost all of the dialogue is cringeworthy, not even jessica chastain can save some of it.
mcconaughey does what he can, and he has two effective emotional moments, but damn that first hour with him blabbering endlessly about what we used to be and how we used to look at the stars, my eyes kept rolling. again, like in TDKR, there was anne hathaway doing nothing. and when matt damon showed up I just started laughing.
very interesting idea just blown out of proportion. the visuals were ok, but I never felt the awe of something like 2001.
fuck this.
it took a lot of restraint not audibly saying "matte day min" a la Team America when he showed up. then he said, "pray that you never feel the relief of seeing another face after so long" or whatever his line is and i went back to waiting for the movie to be over. I've thought about seeing this again on the big screen but the 20 or so minutes of good isn't worth enduring the movie again.
big hero 6 was better.
Did Matt Damon Gerry up the rendezvous or WHAT?!
Spoilers
Not a fan, unfortunately. I wanted to like it, but it turned out to be the most humorless episode of Doctor Who there never was. Obviously there were strong elements to it, but it never really seemed sure of what it wanted to be about. For all the criticisms that Nolan has faced in the past for being too cold and emotionless, this film suffered for the opposite. Not all of the family-emotional dynamics were bad, of course, but the fact that they culminated in the whole "ghost behind the bookcase" scenario was a step too far into Spielbergian sentimentality for me. Of course, the clues were there from the get go (the "ghost", who are "they - future humanity obvs, duh) but I think this would have been a much more interesting piece of cinema if it had struck to the realistic science rule that it seemed to start out with - and that much of the marketing of this was based around. But from the moment MM survived the attack by MD it was obvious this was going to do a big 180 from a true sci fi experience into a bonafide "crowdpleasing" blockbuster. Disappointing.
Spoiling stuff:
Robots will save us all.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3pAnRKD4raY
https://twitter.com/davechensky/status/1450836055507173381