Xixax Film Forum

The Director's Chair => The Director's Chair => Topic started by: Pas on May 20, 2003, 09:08:04 AM

Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Pas on May 20, 2003, 09:08:04 AM
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
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Pubrick on May 20, 2003, 09:33:01 AM
he has cool friends.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Cecil on May 20, 2003, 09:33:48 AM
raising caine rocked. i love depalma, but its true that those titles are kinda dumb
Title: Re: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: godardian on May 20, 2003, 09:37:27 AM
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.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: SoNowThen on May 20, 2003, 09:48:24 AM
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.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Pas on May 20, 2003, 10:37:04 AM
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.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: SoNowThen on May 20, 2003, 10:47:01 AM
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.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: godardian on May 20, 2003, 10:47:36 AM
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.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: MacGuffin on May 20, 2003, 10:49:28 AM
Quote from: _|P|_he has cool friends.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.colba.net%2F%7Ejecr%2Ffilmsgen.jpg&hash=e389669ed58a6a555db0e97611f6150bd349008f)
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: godardian on May 20, 2003, 10:52:09 AM
Quote from: MacGuffin
Quote from: _|P|_he has cool friends.

(https://xixax.com/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.colba.net%2F%7Ejecr%2Ffilmsgen.jpg&hash=e389669ed58a6a555db0e97611f6150bd349008f)

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:
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: ©brad on May 20, 2003, 11:02:01 AM
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?"
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Gold Trumpet on May 20, 2003, 11:42:06 AM
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
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Keener on May 20, 2003, 11:49:56 AM
I hardly think he's over-rated. He has his share of crap but he makes up for it.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: godardian on May 20, 2003, 11:55:59 AM
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
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Pas on May 20, 2003, 12:02:45 PM
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 :-)
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Cecil on May 20, 2003, 08:23:01 PM
Quote from: Boothsince I almost always like the stuff Cecil B. likes. (Hey, I'm a noob, but a long time lurker :-) )

ooo a stalker. im flatered
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Pas on May 21, 2003, 08:25:22 AM
:lol:  :lol:  :lol:

Ok, this didn't sound right :-) I meant that I read your musical top ten and film top ten, which were similar to mine. Nothing more.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: RegularKarate on May 23, 2003, 10:04:47 PM
Okay... I just got off Femme Fatalle and went looking for a thread about it.

Here I am...

Good movie... terrible ending... can someone tell me how that's not the most retarded ending?  I mean serisously... it blows ass... the rest of the movie builds up to this?  You gave me all that and you're leaving me with this?  What the fuck?

So... someone, please tell me, what the fuck?  Am I missing something?
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: Cecil on May 23, 2003, 10:37:09 PM
yeah i know.... its like he tried to rip off lynch or something.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: godardian on May 24, 2003, 12:41:10 AM
Quote from: RegularKarateOkay... I just got off Femme Fatalle and went looking for a thread about it.

Here I am...

Good movie... terrible ending... can someone tell me how that's not the most retarded ending?  I mean serisously... it blows ass... the rest of the movie builds up to this?  You gave me all that and you're leaving me with this?  What the fuck?

So... someone, please tell me, what the fuck?  Am I missing something?


If you're De Palma, ya gotta kick it up that extra notch. He's so in love with the movie as dream, and he seems incapable of making a film that doesn't reflect that (even Casualties of War had the Scary Dream Ending, if I recall). That's fine with me- doesn't ruin it at all. He's just fetishizing what he sees as the inherent dream-state of the cinema. If any director successfully integrates the sublime and the ridiculous, it's De Palma.

However, I have a friend who agrees with you and who was almost violently angry as we left the theater. Me, I was grinning.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: MacGuffin on May 24, 2003, 01:18:46 AM
Quote from: godardianHe's so in love with the movie as dream, and he seems incapable of making a film that doesn't reflect that (even Casualties of War had the Scary Dream Ending, if I recall).

That was a flashback. Fox's character sees a woman that resembles the girl that was raped and that triggers it as he sleeps. It wasn't like the situation didn't happen as in "Femme Fatale's" case.
Title: Is De Palma overrated ?
Post by: modage on May 25, 2003, 01:17:17 AM
just watched FEMME FATALE as well, thought i would hate it, but came away pleasantly surprised.  i think i liked it quite a lot.  not perfect, but its clear just in his storytelling that he has so much talent, it just bugs me that he gets stuck making sup-par movies a lot of the time.  technically it was really cool to watch, and loaded with ideas, although im not sure i fully loved it, as i can only think of a few movies of his i really enjoyed, it was one of my depalma favorites.