Spike Jonze (and now Megan Ellison)

Started by Teddy, May 23, 2003, 11:20:41 PM

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Duck Sauce

Quote from: cecil b. demented
Quote from: ShanghaiOrangeThe video for "Buddy Holly" is the most genius thing Spike Jonze has done.

no, sabotage

Sabotage is better, thats a fact

Sleuth

Listen all of y'all, it's a sabotage
I like to hug dogs

brockly

C'mon guys. BJM wasn't that that great, was it? Well, not compared to Adaptation anyway, which wasn't far off from being the best film of 2002. Anyway, I just felt like BJM was trying to be weird, whereas Adapaptation was just naturally brilliant.

modage

i dunno. i just finally re-watched ADAPTATION tonite, as i never got a chance to go see it a second time in the theatres as planned with the onslaught of december movies.  it does seem like a more brilliant screenplay/movie for sure, but there is still a special place in my heart for BEING JOHN MALKOVICH and the surprise i got seeing that in the theatre.  whereas, this i was (pretty much) fully prepared for knowing what it was about and the parties involved. i also kind of feel like ADAPTATION isnt something i will want to put on as often as i have watched BJM.  just a preferencee perhaps, but oh well.
Christopher Nolan's directive was clear to everyone in the cast and crew: Use CGI only as a last resort.

Pubrick

broke the tie, go BJM!

i've seen it more times than adaptation, and i make reference to it more.

"hey malkovich, think fast!" haha.
under the paving stones.

MrBurgerKing

Quote from: P™broke the tie, go BJM!

i've seen it more times than adaptation, and i make reference to it more.

"hey malkovich, think fast!" haha.

I have a big problem with that scene. Malkovich was wearing a hat, and some guy was driving 60 MPH on the high way with his beer can prepared. There's also the fact that Malkovich himself isn't that famous so I doubt a hillbilly would recognize him. That scene is way too fake, but the rest of the movie worked for me.

Teddy

ADAPTATION hits home for me in a way that only RUSHMORE has done.  Watching CHarlie Kaufman and listening to his narration is like having a conversation with myself.  He's so like me, like perfectly.  Also, I fucking love John Laroche.  Such a great fucking character.

I love BJM too though.  I don't know, when I watch BJM it's like the writing is so fucking clever that that's the showcase of the movie, especially early in the film.  It's almost like you can see Charlie Kaufman as you watch the film, saying, "You like that, wait till you see what happens next."  It just kinda gets on my nerves, but other than that BJM is great too.
"I saved Latin.  What did you ever do?"

Pubrick

Quote from: mag i owand it adds more salt in malkovich's wound so to speak.
zactly.

it's hilarious that after gettin all mad at schwartz like "it's my head!" that sum dude would just drive past and throw shit at him, like the situation wasn't effed up enuff. haha, one of the best scenes for sure.
under the paving stones.

Gold Trumpet

The more I watch and think about the films of Spike Jonze, I can't help but how amatuer they all are and how they exist for the attention of Charlie Kaufman capabilities than Spike Jonzes'. First off, the screenplays in both seem to stand around an idea that seems to be an ingenious idea or whatever and that stands in a weird circumstance to try to color it original of some sort. I'm not going to argue for originality, and especially not in Adaptation that has found acclaim in ideas ripped off from 8 1/2, though 8 1/2 is of genius. Both movies seem to be standing on the idea though that they can pass for supposed originality and in that, there are countless number of scenes of standing around and talking like the greatest idea has been conveyed. Its amatuer hour and nothing really is forwarded by way of plot to go into the unique or fulfilling of anything. Its ideas for short films trying to pass as feature length ones. I will say Adaptation is the better of the two because it does try to forward its idea somewhat into a story that can better show the ideas but the countless scenes of obviousness in talking about the greatness of general art against commercial films is numbing and just dumb. Its general words that have as much value as a fifteen year old kid saying pearl harbor sucked.

~rougerum

Sleuth

Were you in any way entertained by these movies, GT?
I like to hug dogs

BonBon85

I'd have to say that although I was certainly entertained by both films, I ultimately must agree with GT on this subject. I remember when I first heard about my favorite music video director's plans to make a movie that was going to push boundaries and be hilarious. I had such high hopes for BJM but was disappointed with the results. The same was true with Adaptation, which was one of the films I had most looked forward to seeing in 2002. In conclusion: music videos = brilliant, films = unfulfilled potential. As GT stated, his tendencies towards cleverness are best suited in a shorter medium.

Gold Trumpet

Sure, I could say I was entertained at moments through out these films, but i am also entertained by someone telling a good joke as well. Fulfillment for me in seeing a movie and entertainment are two different things.

~rougerum

EL__SCORCHO

I thought Being John Malkovich was absolutely great, but Adaptation was a little dissapointing. The whole thrid act joke was very lame. And as I watched it the second time on dvd it got a lil worse for me.

Recce

I think they are both two amazing films. I choose Adaptation just because I was more blown away by it when I first saw it. I'll admit that they are both extremely plot driven films, so the amazing story plays a big part in their apeal, but they're not exactly easily make-able films. I mean, look at all the puppet stuff in BJM. I mean, its one thing for Kaufmann to write about a ballet with the main dancer being a puppet, but to actually make it happen and make it look cool takes one hell of a director.
"The idea had been growing in my brain for some time: TRUE force. All the king's men
                        cannot put it back together again." (Travis Bickle, "Taxi Driver")

Mesh

Quote from: The Gold TrumpetBoth movies seem to be standing on the idea though that they can pass for supposed originality and in that, there are countless number of scenes of standing around and talking like the greatest idea has been conveyed.

A.  Was that English?

B.  Before you saw Being John Malkovich, you had never seen anything like it.