Is De Palma overrated ?

Started by Pas, May 20, 2003, 09:08:04 AM

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Pas

I can't think of a single De Palma movie that I really love. I *liked* some, Scarface most of all, but hated most. How can you forgive something like Mission to Mars or Raising Cain ?

Considering his work, why does the marketing of his movies put so much emphasis on his name when advertising ? I've heard so far :

Brian De Palma Master Of The Macabre
Brian De Palma, premier of the erotic thriller
Brian De Palma, cheesy director, bad writer .... oh no wait, I just said that

Pubrick

under the paving stones.

Cecil

raising caine rocked. i love depalma, but its true that those titles are kinda dumb

godardian

Quote from: Booth
Brian De Palma Master Of The Macabre
Brian De Palma, premier of the erotic thriller
Brian De Palma, cheesy director, bad writer .... oh no wait, I just said that

Unfortunately, that's mostly cheesy radio/TV critics the studios choose to quote for the blurbs.

As far as I know, Brian de Palma takes a great deal of almost unanimous critical drubbing. The only (legit) critics I can think of who really admire him were the late Pauline Kael and, at present, some of the people over at Salon.

Otherwise, he's severely underrated.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

SoNowThen

Yeah, over the last week Godardian and GT have convinced me, De Palma is WAY underrated. I've been re-watching all the good stuff (leaving out Mission To Mars & Snake Eyes), and this guy makes films that are continually more rewarding with repeat viewings. People on this board will give Lynch a chance by watching his stuff 100 times.... do the same for DePalma.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Pas

Underrated ? Well that's a twist :-) I admit not seeing his most early works, so maybe I should do this before judging.

Anyway, let's admit his last four were really crappy.

SoNowThen

Again, through this board I have been led to re-examine Femme Fatale, and can now put it on my list of top ten from last year. Truly an amazing film.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

godardian

Quote from: BoothUnderrated ? Well that's a twist :-) I admit not seeing his most early works, so maybe I should do this before judging.

Anyway, let's admit his last four were really crappy.

Loved Femme Fatale.
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

MacGuffin

Quote from: _|P|_he has cool friends.

"Don't think about making art, just get it done. Let everyone else decide if it's good or bad, whether they love it or hate it. While they are deciding, make even more art." - Andy Warhol


Skeleton FilmWorks

godardian

Quote from: MacGuffin
Quote from: _|P|_he has cool friends.


If only Scorsese had kept his beard... apparently, some of these guys were known as the "men with beards" back in the seventies...

...wait a minute. I think that's something I read here. Sorry if I'm blatantly repeating something I read here.  :oops:
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

©brad

the coolest thing about depalma is the thing he said to george lucas after a test screening of the first star wars. walking out in the lobby after the movie depalma walks up to george and goes "What is this shit?"

Gold Trumpet

Considering the flood of people saying he is overrated, the better question to ask is he underrated. My thoughts completely believe he is considering his last movie, Femme Fatale, was generally destroyed by all critics. I thought it was his best.

~rougerum

Keener

I hardly think he's over-rated. He has his share of crap but he makes up for it.
Alabama Film Forum
Uniting film lovers and filmmakers of Alabama

godardian

Quote from: cbrad4dthe coolest thing about depalma is the thing he said to george lucas after a test screening of the first star wars. walking out in the lobby after the movie depalma walks up to george and goes "What is this shit?"

That's my favorite De Palma story, too.  :-D
""Money doesn't come into it. It never has. I do what I do because it's all that I am." - Morrissey

"Lacan stressed more and more in his work the power and organizing principle of the symbolic, understood as the networks, social, cultural, and linguistic, into which a child is born. These precede the birth of a child, which is why Lacan can say that language is there from before the actual moment of birth. It is there in the social structures which are at play in the family and, of course, in the ideals, goals, and histories of the parents. This world of language can hardly be grasped by the newborn and yet it will act on the whole of the child's existence."

Stay informed on protecting your freedom of speech and civil rights.

Pas

You liked Femme Fatale ? Ok, there's something I'm not getting here. Yeah, me too I like lesbians, but hey, not THAT much  :wink:

Seriously though, I'm surprised to see such appreciation for De Palma, It doesn't really change my opinion, but it makes me wonder. Especially since I almost always like the stuff Cecil B. likes. (Hey, I'm a noob, but a long time lurker :-) )

Anyway, let's admit that uh...PT Anderson is great :-)