David Gordon Green

[hedwig]

[polkablues]

Not to digress too much, but god I hate over-plucked eyebrows.

S&M I'm cool with.

[Bethie]

i'm cool with david gordon green.

all the real girls, anyone?


haha had to get back onto topic

[Stefen]

When did it start getting cool to hate on DGG? I still think he's awesome.

[pete]

I loved his first three films, and I loved snow angels, but I have a feeling that he's not as versatile as he'd like to be.  I thought eastbound and down and pineapple express were very okay and didn't really notice any of the material being particularly elevated by the filmmaking.  I hope I'm wrong, but nothing he's done or said in the studio realm comes particularly inspired.  some people cross over well - like linklater, but some can't bring their modus operandi with them. 

[Stefen]

Eastbound and Down and Pineapple Express were both fucking awesome. As far as sell-out shit goes, they're at the top. Because shit rises to the top. Like cream. (is that how it goes?)

[pete]

I don't think he's sold out; I just think he doesn't deliver.  pineapple express was intermittently funny, mainly for danny macbride's parts.  eastbound and down, like the foot-fist way, had macbride doing shit that the brits were doing 10 years ago.  I don't think that's what he's good at - the punchlines are predictable, the gags or predictably outrageous, and I dunno, there's very little shock value left in beating up children or swearing at them in a comedy.  nothing's funnier than danny macbride being sincere, or comically sincere, but the pathos stuff is not too memorable.  I really can't remember too many funny scenes from pineapple express, and I had such high hopes for it too.  who doesn't want david gordon green to show the studios how it's done?  but instead he shows the studios he's merely competent.

[Stefen]

I just think he's playing it safe. Snow Angels was awesome but it was a bomb. Can't even find it at Blockbuster.

I liked Pineapple Express so I'm good with him making another comedy as long as it builds him clout to make shit like George Washington, All The Real Girls and Snow Angels. Can't remember how Undertow did. It was probably a bomb, too.

[matt35mm]

Undertow was a bomb, yeah.

I get the impression that DGG is just doing what he wants to do.  He did some commercials, too.  I don't know whether there's any strategy of playing it safe or even necessarily delivering.  His work seems to be the result of a very insular environment of old friends hanging out, tinkering around, seeing what they can get away with, doing what they think is funny.  Whenever I've heard him speak, this seems to be the general vibe, even with things like George Washington and All The Real Girls.  I think that he thinks that it's hilarious that he's in Ireland making a movie called Your Highness right now.

Personally, I admire that quality.  I just have to not expect him to be great every time, but that each project would have a lot about it that are interesting because of his great taste and amazing sensitivity to environment.  It's a bit like Soderbergh, though in a completely different style.

I love 'im.

[OrHowILearnedTo]

Wasn't undertow the worst grossing film of 2004 or something?

[Gold Trumpet]

I haven't seen Snow Angels yet, but the impression I get from DGG is that he put a lot of effort into his first film and the follow ups were shells of the first film. They say you spend a lifetime on your first film, but just two years on your second. The need for DGG to continue working has resulted in some less than stellar work. The follow ups are technically efficient and reminiscent of the style of the first film, but lacking in distinguishing characteristics. George Washington is still an excellent marriage of style and content. But since, DGG has significantly slowed down the pace of his style exploration and content risks. Ever since All the Real Girls, it's been a gradual move to the middle brow for his 70s-esque style. His working with comedies is fine, but I don't see him trying to challenge George Washington ever again.

[tpfkabi]

Snow Angels was awesome but it was a bomb. Can't even find it at Blockbuster.

I actually just bought it the other day for $3 at the local BB, but have yet to watch.

I'm surprised that didn't get on the radar even moderately because of Beckinsale.

[Stefen]

I respect DGG for working on comedies. He could have continued making the same movies over and over again (slow paced flicks about people in the South) but he's trying something new. Sure, it could be labeled as selling-out, but it's not like he's making movies about talking animals with Eddie Murphy.

[pete]

that's weird that you keep on defending his "selling out" when NOBODY accuses him of such.

[Stefen]

Not here, but that seems to be the general consensus around other boards I frequent in regards to DGG.