Licorice Pizza - Speculation & General Reactions

[wrongright]

Biting my tongue, but PTA in the Q&A basically had the idea for this relationship by imagining an older woman indulging a teenager's horniness, and despite the fact that this seems to be « Alana's movie », the feeling I get is that this is pretty much from the horny PoV, which isn't ideal to fully flesh that story.

Okay. My tongue is bleeding.

Yeah, honestly (and I'm sure this is going to annoy people), his explanation for how this idea came about sounds ridiculous. That's what you want to make a film about? It's like his idea about a movie about a guy kidnapping women so they can look at Christmas lights together which he mentioned in that talk with Martin Brest. That understandably didn't amount to anything, but this did?

FTR, I don't feel that way about how his idea for PT started out. That came from a personal, intimate moment.

[Drenk]

To be fair, he mixed that with Gary's memories and his own family lore. I wish it was only that, though. I'd be more excited, yes. (I am insanely excited anyway, though.  )

[Montclair]

That's kinda too spoilery for this thread.

It's in the video of the Q&A that was posted in this very thread.

[ono]

That doesn't matter. People have a choice to click on the video. But outright saying PTA's motivation that he himself said should be kept to the actual thread.

[pynchonikon]

There were numerous Letterboxd reactions like that which have seen been removed. The latest one posted basically says it. Like I said before, a lot of these are still positive overall. I've seen a lukewarm review on Instagram that I didn't post because people didn't want me focusing on the negatives. I can post it if you'd like.

Dissenters will always exist concerning PTA because, well, he's not a mainstream filmmaker. The "unmatched couple/undercooked plot/potentially problematic-divisive elements" arguments by a minority don't bother me for the time being, because that kind of stuff I remember very well reading from LOTS of people about Phantom Thread as well (a famous cine-youtuber with a million subs went as far as to name it the worst film of '17), a movie that started a huge discourse about toxic/false masculinity (entire essays were written), yet somehow it ended up the second best reviewed movie of his career and scored six oscar nominations against everyone's odds.
What I'm trying to say is that there is no reason to spread negativity without finding out what the general consensus is. Being pessimistic/skeptical about the outcome of a movie and acting like it's already a colossal misfire are two completely different things.
And nobody told you not to post mixed/negative reactions, but entirely focusing on them like they are definitely correct without even watching the film with your own eyes first is rather impetuous.

[Lots of Bees]

There were numerous Letterboxd reactions like that which have seen been removed. The latest one posted basically says it. Like I said before, a lot of these are still positive overall. I've seen a lukewarm review on Instagram that I didn't post because people didn't want me focusing on the negatives. I can post it if you'd like.

Dissenters will always exist concerning PTA because, well, he's not a mainstream filmmaker. The "unmatched couple/undercooked plot/potentially problematic-divisive elements" arguments by a minority don't bother me for the time being, because that kind of stuff I remember very well reading from LOTS of people about Phantom Thread as well (a famous cine-youtuber with a million subs went as far as to name it the worst film of '17), a movie that started a huge discourse about toxic/false masculinity (entire essays were written), yet somehow it ended up the second best reviewed movie of his career and scored six oscar nominations against everyone's odds.
What I'm trying to say is that there is no reason to spread negativity without finding out what the general consensus is. Being pessimistic/skeptical about the outcome of a movie and acting like it's already a colossal misfire are two completely different things.
And nobody told you not to post mixed/negative reactions, but entirely focusing on them like they are definitely correct without even watching the film with your own eyes first is rather impetuous.

This is very well put, I agree completely. I don't mind seeing negative reactions, it's just the dismissive attitude - "I'll catch it on VOD," calling it a "light workout" before even seeing it. Especially because so many people do seem to be loving the movie (and not just in a "minor" way) it seems intentionally obtuse and pessimistic.

I'm excited for everyone to watch the movie so we can start talking about the work itself and not just speculating. I enjoyed the speculation before, now that people have seen it, it feels like we're just talking in circles.

[Yes]

https://twitter.com/TheGregoryE/status/1457851035645452295

Awards pundit (for those who care) and Playlist critic/writer. Seemingly liked it

[pynchonikon]

https://twitter.com/TheGregoryE/status/1457851035645452295

Awards pundit (for those who care) and Playlist critic/writer. Seemingly liked it

Great news if you consider that Ellwood isn't a regular PTA stan and wasn't too impressed by Phantom Thread. (I think his preference for Boogie Nights/PDL might not be totally irrelevant with Licorice)

https://twitter.com/TheGregoryE/status/938835841081688064

[Drenk]

lol, why does he assume that Woodcock is talented?

[Yes]

lol, why does he assume that Woodcock is talented?

Lol he had a very strange vendetta against PT for whatever reason

[Montclair]

There were numerous Letterboxd reactions like that which have seen been removed. The latest one posted basically says it. Like I said before, a lot of these are still positive overall. I've seen a lukewarm review on Instagram that I didn't post because people didn't want me focusing on the negatives. I can post it if you'd like.

Dissenters will always exist concerning PTA because, well, he's not a mainstream filmmaker. The "unmatched couple/undercooked plot/potentially problematic-divisive elements" arguments by a minority don't bother me for the time being, because that kind of stuff I remember very well reading from LOTS of people about Phantom Thread as well (a famous cine-youtuber with a million subs went as far as to name it the worst film of '17), a movie that started a huge discourse about toxic/false masculinity (entire essays were written), yet somehow it ended up the second best reviewed movie of his career and scored six oscar nominations against everyone's odds.
What I'm trying to say is that there is no reason to spread negativity without finding out what the general consensus is. Being pessimistic/skeptical about the outcome of a movie and acting like it's already a colossal misfire are two completely different things.
And nobody told you not to post mixed/negative reactions, but entirely focusing on them like they are definitely correct without even watching the film with your own eyes first is rather impetuous.

This is very well put, I agree completely. I don't mind seeing negative reactions, it's just the dismissive attitude - "I'll catch it on VOD," calling it a "light workout" before even seeing it. Especially because so many people do seem to be loving the movie (and not just in a "minor" way) it seems intentionally obtuse and pessimistic.

I'm excited for everyone to watch the movie so we can start talking about the work itself and not just speculating. I enjoyed the speculation before, now that people have seen it, it feels like we're just talking in circles.

Let he who has not watched a trailer, read reviews and said to himself, "I'll see it eventually, but it doesn't seem like I have to see it at a theater" cast the first stone. Can we agree that "Sydney" was a light workout before the heavy weight of "Boogie Nights?" 90 minute "Punch Drunk Love" was definitely a light workout in comparison to "There Will Be Blood." Maybe, both "Sydney" and "Punch Drunk Love" would be brilliant epics for most members in the Directors Guild, but for Paul, these were warm ups before the herculean efforts that are his biggest films. From what's being said, it seems like Licorice Pizza was a detour from a much more challenging project Paul was having a lot of difficulties with and these initial reactions are reflecting that. Also, I'm sure I'll really like Licorice Pizza when I buy it on video.

[Drenk]

Are...Are you Sam Harpoon? 

[pynchonikon]

Are...Are you Sam Harpoon? 

[ono]

Calling Magnolia a bad movie invalidates anything else he says on the matter.

[Robyn]

Does bigger and longer equals better art?