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Mr. Dinosaur scopes out JENNIFER'S BODY and says...
Ahoy, squirts! Quint here. I found Diablo Cody's script for JENNIFER'S BODY to be... interesting. It was definitely fun, but reading it I could tell the execution of the material would mean the difference between a really good movie or a bad movie. I guess that's true of any material, but there are some cases where the execution is especially crucial. My gut told me this was one of those cases and it seems that Mr. Dinosaur below agrees.
Our spy caught a test screening of the flick and seems to think it needs some work. Thankfully, that's the point of these screenings and hopefully the filmmakers will take the criticism to heart and try to get the film into the best shape possible before it hits for the rest of us.
We're guaranteed great eye candy at the very least. Meagan Fox is nothing if not super sexy and I find Amanda Seyfried absolutely adorable... I think it's the big eyes and striking similarity to my first girlfriend.
Anyway, here's Mr. Dinosaur with the rundown... what worked and what didn't in this very early screening. Enjoy!
Hey Harry,
I just got back from an advance screening of JENNIFER'S BODY and I thought I'd send in a little review. To start off, I'll vouch that Diablo Cody is NOT a one hit wonder nor a talentless hack who happened to luck out with the whole JUNO dealy. Her work here is fantastic. That being said, the film itself is a series of disappointment after disappointment. I've heard the phrase 'Garbage in, garbage out.' In this case, it seems as though it was gold going in, then trashed and smashed into not quite garbage, but bronze or maybe some kind of tempered metal at best going out. Director Karyn Kusama seems to have completely misinterpreted the script and turned what seems to have been a great, quirky horror comedy and turned it into a studio-style slasher flick.
While the marketing definitely favours the titular Megan Fox character, the film is told from the perspective of her best friend, Needy, played effectively by Amanda Seyfriend. Needy and Jennifer, high school students, have been friends from their playground days, and are basically inseparable. They live in a middle of nowhere type town named Devil's Kettle, where everyone knows everyone else and there's only one bar-that kind of place. After a mysterious fire at that bar during an indie band concert, Jennifer turns into a demon-possessed, boy killing succubus who seduces her high school mates and eats their insides. Meanwhile, she grows farther and farther apart from Needy, who slowly figures out what's going on with her best friend.
It's a great concept that had the potential to become a quiet horror classic. The screenplay is endlessly clever, not so much in its structure, but in its execution, with witty dialogue and a very matter of fact way of handling the gruesome violence. For folks who didn't enjoy JUNO's style of dialogue, they'll be glad to know that it's tempered a bit here, although still very much her style. It's a very funny script that produced many, many laughs.
Kusama, however, completely ignores the style in the screenplay and shoots it like a bad Friday the 13th sequel. Cheesy scary music (although it was a temp track), cheap jump scares, and ominous lighting and camera moves undermine the humour and deadpan that Cody seems to be trying so hard to bring out in the horror sequences. It's frustrating because the writing is far more intelligent than the direction, which seems content in having characters walk into dark hallways and pumping up the spooky sounds. The cinematography is also laughably bad. There's a night scene where Jennifer turns off a lamp in her room, and as soon as the lamp turns off, the moon seems to turn on, and the room gets BRIGHTER. There's a general sloppiness to all the lighting work in the film, especially in the night scenes, save for a few gorgeous shots that I suspect were second unit or B-cam photography.
Beyond anything, though, is the lack of an emotional core. Jennifer, the character we're supposed to be following (through the eyes of Needy), has absolutely no character arc and is unlikeable from beginning to end. Seyfried's character has a bit of an arc, but it's so obvious that you end up wondering how Needy didn't come to the conclusion years before the film even takes place. The actors seem to wander from scene to scene without any sense of objective or motive; a lack of subtext pervades the whole movie. Additionally, there's a curious subplot about Needy and Jennifer being potentially lesbian, but it's only ever mentioned twice, once briefly, and once very explicitly. It comes out awkward and silly, however, because it's never shown in the subtext elsewhere in the film, which is dumb because one of the problems with the film is that it's hard to understand why Needy and Jennifer are friends-Jennifer bosses Needy around and in general is an all around bitch-and having a sexual undertone to their relationship would explain a lot.
This is the overall problem with the movie: Lots of potential for a very unique film, but completely nixed by incompetent direction. But it's not a complete waste. We get good, albeit shallow performances, with some solid casting. Megan Fox is very attractive and relishes her role-she shows some chops here. Also, the print I saw was unfinished with some work in progress effects and sound. So maybe it'll be recut and adjusted and half my complaints are unwarranted. But as of now, it's a big missed potential.
If you use this, call me Mr. Dinosaur.
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Toldja!
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Toldja!
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for the double post. But yeah, I read this script a while back and thought it was pretty stupid. Love Amanda Seyfried on Big Love but even she told me it needed work after the first screening so the studio paid for reshoots. I thought the problem with the script was that the tone was all over the place. I wasn't the biggest fan of Cody's Juno script, although the movie ultimately won me ovee, primarily thanks to Reitman's inventive direction and Page's dynamic performance. Fox isn't nearly as good an actress (and Seyfried is more my type anyways) and Kusama is a decent director but I don't see how she was the best fit for the material, other than the fact that it's female-oriented. I definitely plan to see the movie when it comes out but I'm not expecting much at all. It'll be interesting to see if other people felt like the dude who wrote this review, and if the studio will recut or pay for further reshoots. Watch it make $150 million and make me look like an asshole.
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Fuck you fag.
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Cody fucking sucks, fuck that.
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Coz if not, his review smells just like his nose... way up Cody's ass.
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so disappointed, somehow I thought it said Doctor Parnassus
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Really didn't like that film.
I think Ellen Paige has only 1 style of acting - she plays the exact same part in Regenesis.
And none of the Superbad kids should ever work again in film. -
Then count me out.
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The super-smart alec, witty retort, cynical contemptuous teen style is one-note and just doesn't ring true. Hell even the Superbad kids are infintely more likeable.
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The movie sucks, but D. Cody was fabulous? Give me a break. Another Diablo Cody lover covering for her shot. The most over-hyped Hollywood story of the last few years by far!
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Megan Fox and Amanda Seyfried in hot, hardcore vampire porn action starring yours truly, LaserPants, as the Guy With The Gigantic Penis Who Makes Fox and Seyfried Scream His Name In Ecstasy As He Fucks Them Senseless!
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I think its one of the worst movies I've ever seen. Terrible dialogue (NOBODY talks like that in real life), irritating characters, and a crypto-conservative message. HATED IT! How it got nominated for anything other than the cut-out bin at WalMart I have no idea.
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A snotty kid gets knocked up & her family rallies around her while a young couple separates. Paige, as the title character, was especially annoying.
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But she is DEEPLY irritating in that movie. Nevertheless, I'd love to ride that pixie pussy till the sun explodes.
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Feb 18, 2009 5:58:17 AM CST
Juno is one of the most insincere films of the last decade
by industrykiller!
It's a film pretending to deal with a very serious issue while simultaneously letting the audience off the hook at every possible moment. That's why the teeming masses loved it, they saw the feel good comedy of the year while being fooled into thinking they also watched something important, which also made them feel smart. But the joke was on them as anyone with a brain knows what utter bullshit that film is. It did all this with dialogue about as realistic as that on late night cinemax. Now an actually realistic film about teen pregnancy would be far less palatable to the average american ostrich sticking their head in the sand and ergo would make far less money.
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Any one who wants to bitch can shove their head up their ass so we dont have to deal with you
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bitching about people bitching
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What is that exactly?
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Hottest up and coming writer in Hollywood, hottest up and coming young actress...and the fucking pretentious, amazingly untalented hack behind fucking up something as simple as Aeon Flux?
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It was actually probably just as hated then, but the academy, as they are prone to do, likes their stupid feel good bullshit. See Crash
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in the bedroom scene being distractingly bad, wondering if Megan Fox ripped a crew member a new hole, Bale-style.
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i'm about to pass out and go to sleep, but i swear i didn't see anything in the review about megan fox's breasts and their level of exposure. that would be the only reason for me to watch this. fox is just another crappy young actress with a nice body and nice tits. well, really nice tits. damnit... time to google up those production photos...
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Okay, so let me get this straight. This review starts with Mr Dinosaur stating (quote): "I'll vouch that Diablo Cody is NOT a one hit wonder nor a talentless hack who happened to luck out with the whole JUNO dealy. Her work here is fantastic" and then he adds later: "The screenplay is endlessly clever."However, then he gives the movie a thumbs down noting that all of the problems with the film belong to -- well, let's run down the list quoting him more, shall we? This is a shitty movie and the fault belongs to (drum roll, please)...THE DIRECTOR: "Director Karyn Kusama seems to have completely misinterpreted the script" and "Kusama completely ignores the style in the screenplay"...THE CINEMATOGRAPHER: "The cinematography is also laughably bad", with Mr Dinosaur then adding "camera moves undermine the humor and deadpan that Cody seems to be trying so hard to bring out in the horror sequences"...THE LIGHTING CREW: "There's a general sloppiness to all the lighting work in the film, especially in the night scenes"...EVEN THE COMPOSER IS TO BLAME: "Cheesy scary music".But what made me literally laugh out is that Mr Dinosaur didn't even spare the ACTORS since he noted: "The actors seem to wander from scene to scene without any sense of objective or motive." Plus he pointed out we get "shallow performances".So according to Mr Dinosaur NONE of this wretchedness is Diablo Cody's fault -- she's not to blame AT ALL for this being utter garbage -- except that THEN he writes: "Beyond anything, though, is the lack of an emotional core. Jennifer, the character we're supposed to be following (through the eyes of Needy), has absolutely no character arc and is unlikeable from beginning to end. Seyfried's character has a bit of an arc, but it's so obvious that you end up wondering how Needy didn't come to the conclusion years before the film even takes place. The actors seem to wander from scene to scene without any sense of objective or motive; a lack of subtext pervades the whole movie."Hmm, NO emotional cores... BAD story arcs... UNLIKEABLE characters... NO proper motivations or subtext. Gee, correct me if I'm mistaken here......BUT ISN'T ALL OF THAT THE SIGN OF A SHITTY SCRIPT TO BEGIN WITH?Diablo, if you're going to send your friends out to movie and review sites like this, to do preemptive damage control on your latest shit-fest, to try and stall your inevitable return to stripping, at least TRY to be less obvious about it.Oh yeah, and by the way: JUNO really was an over-hyped, over-rated, groan-inducing self-conscious shit film that will not stand the test of time. In fact, you can already look at it and say "Why the hell was anyone EVER raving about this?" Which means that around this time last year I assume Diablo Cody was either out blowing or giving lap dances to most of the Writers Guild to secure votes because now, looking back, that's pretty much the only explanation for her Oscar win.
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Anyone else?
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...unrealistic dialogue that Cody writes. Yeah, nobody talks like that in real life, but nobody talks like they do in Tarantino's movies. Or Kevin Smith's. Or Woody Allen's! Or Joss Whedon's! Or on Veronca Mars! Did Juno deserve the Oscar? No, not really, but isn't it weird how 95% of the people who hate the movie and especially Diablo Cody can't come up with anything better than "The dialogue was unrealistic"?
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Fair point, but I think peoples issue with Juno is that there was a big hoopla on it's release and subsequent publicity that its viewed by many as a 'modern, realistic, down-with-the-kids look at teenage pregnancy from a writer with her finger on the pulse' (I'm paraphrasing from a review I'm sure I read in the UK press). This couldn't be further from the truth and as someone above posted, if a realistic view of teen pregnancy was taken it would bomb faster than pearl harbour.
You can suspend that from your mind if it gives you something, but it was just full of unlikeable characters for me. Fair point Cody does attract a lot of hate on here, a fair deal unfairly so, but that is the trade off when you are suddenly in the limelight. If shes worth her salt she'll brush it aside and write something with substance, rather than seemingly trying to sound clever-clever and self-righteous. -
that's a perfect girl right there, beautiful face, gorgeous blue eyes, lucsious lips, long blond hair and a nice body with a great pair of breasts.
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I guarantee that film wouldnt have anywhere near the level of hate it gets now if it wasnt nominated for an oscar...its one of those things that, as soon as it becomes popular, its not "cool" to like anymore. Well, Im a big fan of indie cinema, and while the flick is certainly over hyped it is a nice little film...its no Ghost World or anything, but its pretty enjoyable and Page is great as the lead. And let me get this straight-people dont like it cos the dialogues "unrealistic"? So then you guys must hate every 40's film noir, and things like This Girl Firday and Briniging Up Baby...cos nobody talks like that either! And nobody talks like the Gilmore Girls, or Buffy, but they were pretty damn successful too! Its just stylised dialogue, it doesnt have to be "realistic"-if films reflected the way people talked it would be pretty damn dull....PLUS, as I recall, teenagers have slang dont they? they have phrases that they share between their close friends, and jokes and habits that maybe outsiders dont "get"...dont you think maybe, just MAYBE thats what Cody was going for? And is it not likely that if there was no fuss over it, and the film made a quarter of its profit in total then the site would be full of people going "why no Juno love? its a classic! the academy never nominates the good films blah blah blaah"...I only know this cos I watched it happen. When it was first released people here loved it, then once it got recognition it turned to hate...I mean it even happened here with The Dark Knight for Gods sake....nad then at the end of the year with Let The Right One In...Sorry, got a bit angry there...I just dont like seeing good films get dumped on for no good reason
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my thoughts exactly..this sounds really, REALLY like Ginger Snaps...whether it'll be as good remains to be seen
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Seriously.
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The anticipation of the cheap scare always works. I really see nothing wrong with it.
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Yeah it's annoying when that happens generally. Juno really didn't float my boat, but then I loved the Virgin Suicides. On release everything was fine, it became moderately successful and tthen in rolled the hate...so each to their own.
With Cody it's not about the unrealistic dialogue. I just didn't like her (to me) condescending tone but I genuinely hope she turns out more to make me reconsider. It's just when you read quite defensive reviews of her like this, she has no other output to support or warrant such favouritism.
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kind of in the league of good like amercan pie good.
Not as good as american pie was all those years but you know kind of ok. I wouldn't watch it again, like i'de probably watch bits of american pie again if they replay it on the telly, but yeah it was vaguely ok. I suppose. I'm bored -
= JENNIFERS FUCKIN UNPROFESSIONAL BODY.
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I'm getting the Ginger Snaps connection.
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Except Ginger Snaps was an enjoyable film. This one, not sounding so good...
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being a "fan of indie cinema" isn't the same as "I liked Juno, Little Miss Sunshine and Napoleon Dynamite".
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The description from the reviewer makes this film sound very similar to Ginger Snaps. I'll wait for a trailer to make my final judgment, but I'm not impressed with Cody's "writing" skills thus far.
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Lopez? Tilly? Jason Leigh? Connelly (pre-anorexia)?
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That's why the lighting is crap.
Anyway, that review is useless. All anyone needs to know to decide if they want to see the film or not is how much we get to see Megan Fox's tits. Getting all "intellectual" about a Diablo Cody script isn't necessary. -
WE'RE GOING TO HI-JACK EVERYTHING UNTIL YOU GIVE US OUR ISLAND!
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Took the words right out of my mouth.
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That is all.
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Nah I'm just playing. Megan Fox is a very average girl. She cleans up nice, but she has bad skin and an unshapely body. You'd see her in a bar and probably try to fuck her, but she definitely doesn't have that otherworldly movie star thing. She's prob. great in the sack though.
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Silly me!
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someone win the lottery?
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...you have no idea what my personal tastes are, and your accusing a guy you have a no clue about, you havent met and are never likely to meet that his knowledge of indie cinema is limited to big mainstream indies films, depspite what other films he might have named in his rant. I'm in the middle of an MA in film studies here-so what do you want to know about my knowledge of indie cinema then? Who are you to question how big a fan I am? And where have you gotten your wealth of information on what I like and what I dont like?You couldnt be possibly be just throwing out wild assumptions and attempting to sound condesending just becuase you dont agree with me could you?
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where are you two getting all your info on me? You're able to get a full rundown of my knowledge of cinema just cos I said Juno was a good enough film? Thats an amazing ability right there!
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actually, her clone with shorter hair. I kid you not. And...she played blues like Stevie Ray Vaughn. Try wrapping your head around that. What's she doing now? Waitressing in a yuppie coffee shop. Go figure.
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He will this stupid shit into shape. OOOOOOOOOHHHHHH GOOODDDD!!!!!!!!
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NO! NO!
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and cast a new Elvira, sorry Casandra Peterson, but ya know, you're like a senior citizen now.
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Diablo writes and Zombie directs!! You love this idea now and forever. You love this idea more than you love cheese and taking sunday afternoon naps. You know you do but you still deny it. Why?
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Diablo Cody isn't a one hit wonder ... but this film is a dissapointment? Are you really sure it was the Director and not the writer?
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Had to be said.
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Failed.
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Diablo Cody.
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it sucked. That's why I hated Juno. I used to dig Tarantino's dialogue but it just sounds so unnatural. I know it's a movie, but I'd at least like the dialogue to be some what realistic and not peppered with references to bad 70s movies. Although to give Tarantino some credit, most people reference pop culture in their daily conversations, especially us film geeks.
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Feb 18, 2009 11:16:09 AM CST
Juno = lets ignore parental responsibilities so we can play guit
by somashine
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Haven't read the script or seen the movie - but there are many elements that I have heard thus far that sound like a bit of a rehash of GINGER SNAPS.
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...but it was her clone. I grew her in a tank of ambeonic fluid that I keep in my basement. I have found her to be most satisfying physically, but she lacks any kind of mental stimulation...
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Fuck that dialog was shite. The
Famliy Guy of film dialog. -
just tell me... where... they... are.
I can't wait to see this movie, I don't care about filmschool techniques from an pro-filmshool student. Movies are what they are and I'm getting sick and tired of some flunky who's jealous someone has a great assignment to produce a horror movie and expect something else. The genre is what it is and not every director will go or want to be like David Fincher. Karyn Kusama IS NOT TRYING TO RE-INVENT THE GENRE ASSHOLE uh I MEAN MR.DINOSAUR! SHE'S TRYING TO GIVE A NOD TO THE GENRE, an appreciation for what horror movies are and will always be. How about this, make movies for a living and see how easy it is--just like you fucking think it is. I'm getting sick of these filmschool assholes, who had a couple of lessons from some teacher who never HAD IT to make movies, write these cornball opinions of should be and in actuality films are not made or contructed in the way they think! -
"I find Amanda Seyfried absolutely adorable... I think it's the big eyes and striking similarity to my first girlfriend."
You post at AICN, fella. You are a geek like the rest of us, therefor only a troll dressed in black with a nose ring, greasy hair who waves a hard foam sword at the weekends would date you. That's what our girlfriends look like. Not Amanda Seyfried. Time to wake up. -
Fuck off you fake kiss ass wannabe.
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That was quint discussing his ex's similarity, not Mr. Dino. Of course your point is still appropriate.
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CAPZ!
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dialogue.
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show us Megan Fox fully naked.
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Actually, I hate it when Tarantino, Smith and Whedon do it, too. Woody I would put in a different category because his cleverest lines are (usually) limited to a Woody surrogate. I could imagine one person talking like that (but even then it would get prety annoying), but the trouble with Cody et al is that EVERYBODY has a clever line. FOr me, the best comedy dialogue around is from Mitch Hurwitz, Edgar Wright and Simon Pegg, and the Coens, and in each case they know how to write good stupid, which is more realistic than clever, from my experience.
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As lazy as studios are, they may "fix" 1 or 2 things but that's about it. This flick rests firmly on Megan Fox's tits.
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If there isn't, I pass.
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Just search the web for Megan Fox and you'll see a bunch of pictures from this movie as she's getting out of what looks like a lake and onto a dock. Great breasts, and a few camel toe shots as well. Mr. Green is a lucky man, IMHO.
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I thought Juno was ok, nothing exceptional. However, when I see such irrational hatred directed at a person such as I see here, I have to assume it has more to do with the broken psychology of the hater than any attribute of the hated subject. Get therapy, guys.
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over the limit for juvenile asswipes, self-important twats, and Academy-haters. Christ on a crotchrocket, get over yourselves.
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But I think she is an overrated grandstander whose style is overwrought to the point of incoherence. And I would say the same about Whedon, Tarantino, and (especially) Smith ANY DAY OF THE WEEK. So spare me the pop psychology about being a "hater."
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The one with the small, fake tits, trashy look and greasy-looking hair? Who looks like she's carrying at least three STD's? THAT Megan Fox? Bllleeeeeccch. Give me Amanda Seyfriend ANY day over that thing.
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. . .til something new happens this season. So probably not til the week of the season finale.
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Not that either of them would sleep with you Nosferatu. No offense.
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When you bring up indie cinema in a talkback about Juno, while also name checking Ghost World, it makes it seem like you should probably set yourself up for your Masters thesis to be rejected.
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I liked JUNO, but was surprised (not pleasantly) to see it as a Best Picture nominee. It was a decent-enough comedy-drama, but I didn't love it like everyone else did.
Also, there are people who don't consider Megan Fox attractive? Thank God. I thought I was losing it. How this average-looking - at best - woman got crowned the new Aphrodite, I'll never understand. -
you don't like Diablo Cody and you don't like Juno, does it need to be repeated over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and over and
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you and me are almost done professionally, I mean this is pretty nice website, but FUUUUUUUUUUUUUCK!!!
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Thought the trailer was funny and was happy to see that the actual movie was just as good. Sure, the dialouge was filled with "hipster" talk, but it was a light-hearted film about a serious subject that didn't bang people over the head by being too preachy.And somehow, I always get the feeling that many who HATE the film are mainly upset because Juno chose to carry her baby to term and give it up for adoption, rather than simply abort it.
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it's a cute little movie, worthy of an Oscar or even an Oscar nom? probably not, but worth the MASSIVE amounts of hate it gets? nooooooooooooooo, also I liked Little Miss Sunshine too, fuck you
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Yeahhh...I read the script a while ago. It was okay. Better then Juno. I didn't mind the script in Juno as much as the Reitman's Anderson/Hess direction and annoying score and production design. Also, he's an arrogant prick. Oh and Page's super smug peformance. Cody told me she wanted a director for Jennifer who she could have more control over. So I guess maybe she thought she could push Kusana around after the career killer that was Flux. Do you realize the studio thought that film was unreleasable? She's a moron. So hiring her does not speak well for you. I knew the movie was dead right there.
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ok, I've ragged on Diablo and Juno enough in these talkbacks, but I have to say i only saw the movie once and hated it ,no deisre to see it again, dogged on it to anyone who would listen...I recently caught it on HBO and once I get past all the hipster too cool for school NO THIS ISN'T HOW KIDS TALK ROGER EBERT thing, it's not a bad little piece of comedy. JK Simmons and Alison janey are really good in it and Cera doesn't bother me as much as he used to. There are some weird turns in it, I still don't like what they did to Jason Bateman in that movie, I kind of wish he would have realized that it was time for him to grow up and take responsibilty. I think it would have fit the narrative better, but that's just me. Again I think my main problem was how overhyped the movie was espically again how "real" the dialoge is supposed to be...and isn't. and it's not fair to compare Diablo to Smith DerLanghaarige because he doesn't write things like "honest to blog", his dialog flows a little more naturally and if someone said "no it's Morgan Freeman" (my personal favorite for worst line in that movie as a line that makes no sense) Randel would rip them or they would get a condensending look for being a "geek". In Smith's unvierse his leads are geeks, the edges of society, Juno is supposed to be the hipster, the person that Brodie or Bankey or Randel would hate on.I guess the reason some people complain about Diablo's writing and not Smith's or Tarintino's is because those guys aren't getting the "oh this is so real this is really how teens talk REALLY IT IS" comments that Juno and Cody got when it first came out.
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I don't know what your political affiliations are, but lets assume you are mroe right of center. Is that really what you think pro choice people are like, that they WANT people to abort their children so badly that a movie where a young girl chooses to carry it is literally offensive to them? Because if thats the case then you are fundamentally insane. im very pro choice but Im glad whenever anyone chooses to have their child as there are plenty of loving families who would love to take it in. I HATED Juno and it has nothing whatsoever to do with her not getting an abortion for christ sakes. It has everything to do with the immature way the subject material is handled with shit dialogue and cartoonish characters.
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So Skinny McNoCurves gets naked but the hot chick doesn't? So it's like every other Hollywood film, then, is what you're saying? Seriously, get them all cheeseburgers stat!
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seeing as your clearly one of the people who perpetuates the trend-why do Tbers feel the need to dump on eachother? I wrote my opinion and you mouthed off with no info on me....why? Have you got some short coming you feel bad about and want to vent on someone else? Yeah, you could say Juno isnt a proper indie film-but for generic purposes its been labelled one by the powers that be. Now I wasnt looking to evoke a discussion of proper indie cinema, but seeing as you clearly know more than me-what do you want to talk about? Do you want to see an essay on Stranger Than Paradise? Naay, I guess thats too mainstream for you now isnt it? Jesus's Son? Good lord no-its got Jack Black in it! And Dennis Hopper? We're into the mega stars here...and I guess Slacker or any of Linklater's stuff is right out cos hes just too big? So whats it going to be-Mysterious Skin? The Rapture? what exactly fits your template of indie cinema? And do tell me why you feel the need to try to dump on me from your pedestal of great knowledge? I'm not just namechecking random films with no prior knowledge or attempts to show off-so I'd refrain from that comeback. Im not looking for an argument, simply an explanation-from one completely anonymous person to another.Why is there a compulsve need for talkback hate between strangers?I'm tired of posting here and having to brace myself for the wave of random shtiflinging that usually accompanies it...
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The problem with the dialogue in Juno isn't that it's unrealistic, it's that it's lame. The screenwriter should be invisible in a movie. You shouldn't constantly be aware of a writer's words coming out of a character's mouth. The dialogue in Juno is what people mean when they call something labored. There are so many lines where you can practically feel Diablo Cody straining to find some super-clever, snarky thing for Juno to say. Someone above described it as "overwrought," and I think that describes it well. It's that Trying Too Hard quality that's so obnoxious.
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The United States Of Tara? I too don't see how everything can be off but the script in the review of Jennifers Body. Just from the review alone, the character's name Needy (really?) and the town name of Devil's Kettle is just a bit too precious. Cody is a clever writer from what I've read of her columns in Entertainment Weekly, but clever will only make it for so long, Oscar or no Oscar.
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Feb 19, 2009 1:48:41 PM CST
"Meanwhile, she grows farther and farther apart from Needy..."
by killdozer
Funny, I'd expect one person turning into a demon-possessed, vampire would bring about more of an immediate end to most friendships...
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I know i'm not suppose to talk about it but i saw the test screening the other night in HB and i really enjoyed it. If i payed money for it i would leave the theatre happy.
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