I remember a time, around five to ten years ago, when anything fitting this description seemed worth watching. And some were great--Sideways, Adaptation, Lost in Translation. Fuckin' *anything* by Wes Anderson, including the Life Aquatic (I don't care what anyone says). You know, stuff like that.
Lately, though, it seems like many movies in this vein are just disappointing. Dramadies that work as neither comedy nor drama--not really clever or funny, not compelling. Just, blah.
Examples: The Darjeeling Limited was a bit of a letdown. I thought Cyrus sucked. Everything Must Go was pretty boring.
Agree? Disagree?
All newer movies from Will Farrell and Steve Carell are just disappointing. Hollywood executives have their heads up their asses looking for a dollar that they might have missed. I haven't seen a full Wes Anderson movie, seen bits and parts and I was convinced that I need to watch all of his movies- I'm a terrible person for procrastinating watching them....and the Star Wars movies.
Oh and every Adam Sandler movie after Airheads is garbage.
i just saw YOUTH IN REVOLT... that can go on the list
NICK AND NORAH'S INFINITE PLAYLIST (this is how you can tell you love your wife)
darjeling limited... jesus christ
i thought BRIDESMAIDS was trying to be "clever" enphasis on trying
imagineers, operation endgame... in fact fuck zack whateverthefuckhisnameis in general
what was that one with steve carell where he falls in love with that writer chick?
Be Kind, Rewind
A few movies with Michael Cera would probably qualify (but I did like Scott Pilgrim).
- The Box
- Insidious
- Devil
- Scream 4
- Avatar
- Donnie Darko
- The Hangover
- The Day the Earth Stood Still (remake)
- Serenity
- The Happening
- I Am Legend (colossal disgrace to the source material)
- and I will definitely second Youth in Revolt, Cyrus, Everything Must Go, and Bridesmaids
I just looked up Be Kind, Rewind on IMDB:
"Two bumbling store clerks inadvertently erase the footage from all of the tapes in their video rental store. In order to keep the business running, they re-shoot every film in the store with their own camera, with a budget of zero dollars."
... Jack Black's career sort of epitomizes what I'm talking about.
I really wanted to like The Brothers Bloom: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0844286/, but its compulsory creativity just ended up feeling contrived.
Let's not hate on Donnie Darko. I didn't watch Youth In Revolt because it looked terrible but the book is amazing.
IMO Donnie Darko pretended to have a lot more going on that it really did. It wasn't a terrible movie at all, but it isn't the masterpiece that some folks seem to herald it as.
and I agree with the Nick. Jack Black's sense of humour seems to completely pass me by. The guy is a dickhead.
And wait, there's a Scream 4? When did that happen.
In fact, the only film mentioned so far that I disagree with is The Darjeeling Limited. I thought that was a good movie.
@ Alex: NOOOOOO not Donnie Darko!!!!!!! NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
^^^ Agreed. Donnie Darko is on my list of favorite movies.
The Happening is probably one of the worst movies ever made. Marky Mark talking to a plant and then running from the wind is hilarious!
Sucker Punch - Zack Snyder, Lots of hot women, guns and fighting galore - yet it was so average?
Maybe a bit too mainstream for the thread, but as his films are beloved for their supposed "quirk", I'm going to go with Tim Burton.
Everything later than the late nineties. The last film of his to show a slight bit of invention was Mars Attacks!
There is not a single spark of originality or innovation in anything since. His films are devoid of life. He has, I hate to use the hackneyed phrase but I'm gonna, sold out.
This especially irks me as some of his films are billed as "from the imagination of Tim Burton!" I've known people who talk about how twisted and strange his films are.
Ugh.
Tim Burton's imagination damn near fucked up Superman.
I remember the pictures, Brandon. Nick Cage in that suit.... Christ that looked bad.
Anytime someone brings up how bad Superman Returns was I tell them the story of Superman Lives.
