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SXSW: Quint THANKs YOU FOR SMOKING during that FILM that IS NOT YET RATED!!!
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here in the wee hours of the morning after my first full day at SXSW. I'm exhausted, having juggled organizing a last minute trip to Las Vegas for ShoWest, which has me leaving in a few short days, with my regular SXSW schedule. I saw 3 movies today and interviewed a PTA regular one on one style.
I'm on 20 hours of consciousness, so forgive me if the below is incoherent or brief.
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING
This was the second time I've seen the movie. I saw it for the first time at the Santa Barbara Film Festival a couple weeks back.
I had a blast with the movie. It's fun, witty and incredibly entertaining with great performances all across the board. From Aaron Eckhart's lead character of tobacco lobbyist Nick Naylor to William H. Macy as the ultra-ridiculously liberal senator to Katie Holmes' sexpot, dirt-digging reporter to J.K. Simmons doing what he does best... yelling and being a hardass. Everyone is great, including Rob Lowe as the "funny because it's true" stereotypical big Hollywood Agent and Naylor's lobbyist friends, Maria Bello (alcohol) and David Koechner (firearms).
Whew, that was a bunch of information in tight, little compact place.
If you haven't seen the trailer, I implore you... avoid it. It is a great trailer... if you've seen the movie. If you haven't, it gives away way, way, way, way, way too much.
All you need to know is Jason Reitman crafted a smart comedy that avoids being preachy anti-smoker or defiantly pro-smoker. The hero of the story is a despicable tobacco lobbyist... despicable, but really charming and likable.
THANK YOU FOR SMOKING is one of the most enjoyable films I've seen this year. Look out for a show-stealing performance from Adam Brody as Lowe's creepily enthusiastic assistant. Anyone who has had to deal with the fakeness of the Hollywood industry will recognize that character.
God, this review sucks... I'm sorry I'm fucking this one up. Just go see the movie. It's good. You'll like it, honest injun.
THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED
Moriarty wrote a great, in-depth review of this film RIGHT HERE!... I just want to add that this documentary, which is basically filmmaker Kirby Dick pulling the curtain back on the MPAA revealing the dirty old man hiding behind it, is a must see if you're a movie fan.
In fact, I'd say that this film should be required viewing for people considering getting into the industry... hell, for all high school kids and their parents.
THIS FILM IS NOT YET RATED is one of those rare documentaries that is both important and entertaining. Dick and his mother/daughter investigator team staking out the MPAA and following the needlessly anonymous censors, putting faces to names and names to faces results in a lot of exciting and just plain hilarious exclamations of triumph and joy.
My only critique of the film is I wish Kirby had spent more time illustrating just how specifically the MPAA uses the ratings system as a censoring tool. Sure, they're not forcing filmmakers to cut to make an R. That's their choice... They can always release their film Unrated or NC-17... But they know that the majority of newspapers and TV stations won't carry advertising for NC-17 films and a lot of national chains won't carry them. They know that if they rate a film NC-17 it's the same as killing it. They might not have forced the newspapers, TV and theater chains to be so harsh against NC-17 films, but they certainly exploit it and for sometimes petty reasons as you see in the doc.
There's an interesting argument made by a first amendment lawyer in the doc that really fascinated me and I would have liked to have seen more on that as well. He was essentially saying that there'd be almost no chance of the government stepping in to censor films, but if they did set up a governmental censor board it'd be better than what we have now as at least the government would be subjected to the judiciary, not anonymous. There'd be the ability to fight for your film in the public eye.
Tons of filmmakers chime in with their thoughts on the MPAA, including funny bits from Matt Stone and Kevin Smith. But you also hear from Atom Egoyan, Darren Aronofsky, Mary Harron and John Waters.
I can't see one person seeing this documentary, seeing the hypocrisy and corruption within the MPAA , and not believe that it's time for reform in the movie rating system. It's been a long time coming, for sure, but Kirby Dick has made a quick, entertaining, but extremely informative film that wraps it all up in a nice little box. It's not a perfect documentary, but it could be the beginning of big changes if there's enough of a push and enough people see it. If you treasure film at all, try to find this one at a film fest near you. IFC has it, so hopefully it'll get around.
So, that's me. I'm about to collapse. Be back tomorrow with more. Hope I was at least somewhat coherent.
-Quint
quint@aintitcool.com
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You guys truly dont know how good you have it.
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Is it possible we could get a moratorium on stating certain movies should be required viewing for segments of the population? I hear this used by fervent fans of particular films right and left - sometimes for movies I too outright love (Requiem for a Dream) and sometimes for films I'm not partial to (Crash). I understand that your intentions are for noble causes - you'd love to see an end to racism, crack, the MPAA, or fill in the blank, but think about it - while it's with good cause that we encourage those around us to see something we feel may open their eyes and minds, at the same time you're just one step away from the Ludovico technique.
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using the "This Film Is Not Yet Rated" title? Because I for one can't wait!
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SXSW..............yaaawwwwwwwn
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It's a movie, not real life. Anyway, you just named 3 films. Does not a trend make. Anyway, the rating movie looks interesting but I don't see any reform coming soon. Who's going to make them reform? The moviegoers? Most moviegoers think the ratings system is if anything, not restrictive enough. Newspapers and TV? They cater to the masses. Filmmakers? They're already slaves to the system. So we can whine and cry and makes all the documentaries as we like about how the MPAA sucks but it's not actually going to do anything. Still, I'll check out the film.
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I hardly think the anti-hero, a bad guy who is treated as a good guy, started with anything as recent or as trite as Nip/Tuck... Know your film history. Was there ever a more dispicable hero than John Wayne's Ethan Edwards in THE SEARCHERS? And look, virtually every character William Holden ever played was a completed bastard, but we rooted for them nonetheless... Who do you root for in PULP FICTION, RESERVOIR DOGS, BOONDOCK SAINTS? These films aren't glorification of bad people. They're simply a look at the world from those bad people's perceptions; their view of the world, if you will. Anyone who does something bad or immoral for a living--arms dealer, tobacco lobbyist, drug dealer, etc.--justifies his or her actions. If you were to see the Holocaust through the eyes of Adolf Hitler--demented eyes as those may be--I guarantee you you would see something quite different from what you are used to seeing; a very skewered look at life. Just because we deem someone's actions "bad" or "good"--relative terms at best--does that mean their stories aren't worth telling in a film? There are at least as many "bad" people out there, so why not focus on them? That mentality is as stupid as someone saying, "Okay, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has fully covered the gamut of homosexual characters. Now we don't ever need another film about gays." That's just moronic.
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I hardly think the anti-hero, a bad guy who is treated as a good guy, started with anything as recent or as trite as Nip/Tuck... Know your film history. Was there ever a more dispicable hero than John Wayne's Ethan Edwards in THE SEARCHERS? And look, virtually every character William Holden ever played was a completed bastard, but we rooted for them nonetheless... Who do you root for in PULP FICTION, RESERVOIR DOGS, BOONDOCK SAINTS? These films aren't glorification of bad people. They're simply a look at the world from those bad people's perceptions; their view of the world, if you will. Anyone who does something bad or immoral for a living--arms dealer, tobacco lobbyist, drug dealer, etc.--justifies his or her actions. If you were to see the Holocaust through the eyes of Adolf Hitler--demented eyes as those may be--I guarantee you you would see something quite different from what you are used to seeing; a very skewered look at life. Just because we deem someone's actions "bad" or "good"--relative terms at best--does that mean their stories aren't worth telling in a film? There are at least as many "bad" people out there, so why not focus on them? That mentality is as stupid as someone saying, "Okay, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has fully covered the gamut of homosexual characters. Now we don't ever need another film about gays." That's just moronic.
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I hardly think the anti-hero, a bad guy who is treated as a good guy, started with anything as recent or as trite as Nip/Tuck... Know your film history. Was there ever a more dispicable hero than John Wayne's Ethan Edwards in THE SEARCHERS? And look, virtually every character William Holden ever played was a completed bastard, but we rooted for them nonetheless... Who do you root for in PULP FICTION, RESERVOIR DOGS, BOONDOCK SAINTS? These films aren't glorification of bad people. They're simply a look at the world from those bad people's perceptions; their view of the world, if you will. Anyone who does something bad or immoral for a living--arms dealer, tobacco lobbyist, drug dealer, etc.--justifies his or her actions. If you were to see the Holocaust through the eyes of Adolf Hitler--demented eyes as those may be--I guarantee you you would see something quite different from what you are used to seeing; a very skewered look at life. Just because we deem someone's actions "bad" or "good"--relative terms at best--does that mean their stories aren't worth telling in a film? There are at least as many "bad" people out there, so why not focus on them? That mentality is as stupid as someone saying, "Okay, BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN has fully covered the gamut of homosexual characters. Now we don't ever need another film about gays." That's just moronic.
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While certainly Kirby Dick attacks an interesting subject in this documentary, it is by no means one to get militant over. It's the fucking MPAA, a ratings board....There are a lot worse things going on in the world to cry over. Yes, I agree, The MPAA are hypocritical, blah blah blah blah....but really, who cares? With the invention of DVD now, the director's cut will almost always be seen. I don't think that the rating of "unrated" has effected DVD sales in any way whatsoever, and in the future, the same may go for theater ticket sales. I'm not trying to take away from the film itself which is a great documentary, that was interesting and humorous all the way through. Come to think of it, it's the starving artist's version of "Fahrenheit 9/11".
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Are you born again or a mormon or soemthing, and do you think that makes you a "winner"? Whatever your belief system is (that you think smokers and other "deviants" are lacking) I urge you to use it to absorb this bitterness that you are projecting onto smokers, that raging hostility is going to kill you a lot faster than second hand smoke could.
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But then neither are marching penguins. Not every documentary has to be about the most vital problem in the world. I for one am glad that someone's finally saying something about these assholes. And so what if you can get the unrated version on DVD? It's the theatrical release that's the audience's first look. If it turns out not as good because it was cut to shreds at the behest of the MPAA then people might not rent it later. Anyway, I don't think the film will actually cause any change but it's still a worthwhile project.
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It sounds good and I will go see it, I wonder what rating it will get ;-) hey walterego, I don't think lepointe's problem is his spiritual choice but more likely (judging by his rant) that he's a sarcastic drunk or just isn't getting enough oxengated blood to his brain.
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You're wrong. Penguins are the most important topic ever. Everybody knows that.
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Maybe someone should film a documentary on Penguins fucking each other and what happens when a man loves a penguin and then make another documentary on how the MPAA didn't approve and slapped it with a NC-17 rating.
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fuck you, if you dont think so
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when I buy an unrated DVD, it's really because I want to see more titties or hear more cusswords...but the MPAA does need...a change or a shock or something and I think that's what this film is trying to do
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....All film makers are self centered self promoters who got beaten up as kids and now smoke pot and film their little movies to escape reality." Hahahahahahhahaha, yeh Peckinpah was just a egotistical stoner, Sam Fuller was just a little geek who got picked on. I can smell a dumbass from 3,000 miles away andyou fucking reek leponite28. Is trolling fun?
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I'm in film school and I'm not like that. Actually, I'm not really a filmmaker, I'm going more for technical stuff like editing and FX. So maybe I don't count. I'll take up pot smoking if you like though, I've been looking for a hobby.
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...to the REAL workers. If you are an example of who's working in the "industry" then we no longer need to wonder why the industry id going to shit.
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That's weird. I posted this morning, checked it, and then left the house. Came back tonight and looked on here and see that my post somehow reposted itself two more times at completely different times. How in the hell does this happen? Makes no sense. Must be a glitch in the system? Weird shit. Anyway, as much as I like my own comments, I did not post them three times. Also, Penguins, I can assure you, are *NOT* the most important topic ever. The most important topic ever is either belly button lint or sniffing airplane glue after eating an entire tub of neopolitan ice cream while sitting nude in your parents basement (and considering masturbating to pictures of farm animals and/or pictures of your friends' mothers) and watching reruns of "Macguyver" with the sound turned all the way off. Am I wrong? But make no mistake, Penguins are awesome.
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Just the fact that your here throwing your ego around as well as assinine generalizations shows that you are little more than someone's assistant. You wouldn't be bothering elsewise. Go get your boss some coffee industry boy so he/she can get the real work done. In order to make yourself look better you have to assume anyone who disagrees with youe is a pot smoker, fat goth, or idiot. That's how week your ego filled possition is. Cream and suger on the tray too mister.
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I'd actually like to pick your brain as to how you got inside but this isn't the place. So I'll just ask you to hook me up with a job now. I keed, I keed. Not really. I do see the people you're talking about though. The would be directors who already wrote a script in high school and come to class in an all black James Bond villain outfit and act all pretentious towards everyone else. Usually their script sucks ass and they're idiots. I dread my screenwriting class because I'm not a writer but I could puke out better crap than some of these coffee house goons. But I digress.
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Bad people are interesting. Bad people do exciting things. Bad people make major contributions to the economy. We are all bad people, at one time or another. Some of us are bad people all the time. A movie like "Thank You For Smoking" just has fun with the idea of Being Bad For Pay.
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It's unfortunate you'll never know just how why off your ASSumption about me is because that's the funniest part of all this. Apparently only people who learned the world of "CG" know anything and the rest of you are peons. Nice attitude LP and it once again proves my point for me so thanks again. Personal insults and accusations of drug abuse are real weak come backs, but I suppose you spent all that time learning CG programs that basic debate ettiquette and ego checking were beyond you. To top it off you admit you got "in the industry" through your connections with a friend...nice work, and your actually proud. At least I earned my carreer possition through actual good work ethic, not through I knobbed or rimmed like you did. I guess that means you REALLY ARE in the bizz there.
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