Cool News
The Beaster explores THE BOILER ROOM
The Beaster braves hot air and the steamy atmosphere of THE BOILER ROOM to file this hot report with Father Geek, and of course all of you...
Harry:
You may remember me as the guy on talkback who called you a windbag. Well,
I don't take it back, but someone pointed out that you do dish your info out
to the general public for free, so I figure I'd help you out a little. Name
is BEASTER, named so from an album by the great Bob Mould and his former
band Sugar.
Last night I had the privilege of attending a screening here in NYC for the
debut film from writer/director Ben Younger, titled "Boiler Room." I'm sure
you've seen the ads for the flick on TV. Anyway, I ripped on you for
talking about yourself so much in your reviews, so I'll get to the bread and
butter:
PLOT SYNOPSIS (POSSIBLE SPOILERS)
"Boiler Room" stars Giovanni Ribisi (in his first real lead performance, and
it's easily one of his best) as Seth Davis, a kid from Queens who drops out
of college to run a casino out of his apartment. His father, a judge, finds
out about his operation and subsequently banishes him from the rest of his
family. As Seth contemplates what has transpired, a casino customer of his
one night brings in a swinging dick named Greg (Mickey Kat, who settles well
into a villainous type role). Greg sees Seth's business acumen and offers
him a tryout at a "brokerage" called JP Marlin.
This ain't no Wall St. firm. It's a small office in Long Island housing
hundreds of Wall St. wannabes. Their aim is to get rich, as told by Ben
Affleck to Ribisi and the rest of the firm's trainees on their first day.
Affleck's role is small and effective, and he's given some of the movie's
best lines.
Things go well for Seth. He does better than all the other trainees, and
even shags the secretary who used to bang Mickey Kat's character. So all is
right, right?
Please. Seth finds out that his firm's CEO is inventing phony businesses
and using the brokerage to get people to buy into these business front
stocks for bogus IPO's (Initial Public stock Offerings). Davis is torn
between doing the right thing and exposing the operation or staying with the
job his father now deems respectable.
This all comes to a rousing climax, but to go into it in detail is just
spoiling it.
REVIEW
The best qualities about "Boiler Room" are three things. First, Younger
does an excellent job writing his dialogue. All of it is authentic and true
to that outside Manhattan bridge and tunnel wanna be rich crowd. People are
that shallow, that competitive, and that mean to each other, men in
particular. The dialogue is also all very funny. And it's very educational
about the business it depicts. We learn the job as Ribisi's character
learns it, and that's part of the fun.
Second, Younger gets good performances out of all his actors. Ribisi does
an excellent job, as does Vin Diesel (as one of his allies), Kat, Nia Long
(as the secretary), and Affleck (who seems to be getting a little chubby
these days) playing a role that suits him to a tee. The man who plays
Ribisi's father (his name escapes me) is also very good, particularly in the
film's early scenes. Also in the film is guy from "Barcelona" (not Chris
Eigemann), who plays one of the average-joe suckers Ribisi lures into a
stock buy. His role is small but full of emotion without hamming it up.
Third, and this is the best quality about the film; when the plot brings in
a criminal element, it doesn't become some violent mystery/thriller or
"Reservoir Dogs" type flick. It stays as a straight drama, and that helps
it remain realistic. Many filmmakers don't stay the correct course.
So is the film good? Writing and acting wise, yes. However, direction wise
it's a disaster. Younger can be excused for being a first time director.
But what is inexcusable is how he must have hired a complete an utter retard
to man the boom mike. The mike enters the picture frame at least a dozen
times during the film (and that's a low estimate), in some cases during very
serious moments. The audience at the screening groaned, and rightfully so.
One thing you should never do during a serious movie is remind people
they're in a movie. And how Younger and the producers of the film didn't
see this error while they were viewing dailies blows my friggin' mind. It
virtually ruins what could be considered a very good film for early in the
year. I think that the budget was so low for the film that when Younger saw
that a majority of his shots were ruined, he felt forced to go with whatever
he had. It's a pity. Had he paid more detail he would have made a truly
good film.
As it is, the film is very entertaining and I recommend seeing it once it
has come out in a VHS "pan-and-scan" format, to eliminate the errors I just
outlined. I'm out. Harry, you're a bitch.
-BEASTER
-
+ Expand All
-
Loser. But the boom mike scenes are sure to be classic...must see movie...
-
Will one of you folks that works in the technical side of the industry clear that up for me? If they are spending the dough to promote and release this film, why can't they touch that boom-mike problem up in some way? Isn't that relatively easy in today's technological world?
-
They're holding an advanced screening at my college. If I get bored with the movie, I can always count the boom mics.
-
After Glenn Gary Glen Ross and Tin Men is there realy any need for a sales movie???
-
I saw a film screening a few years ago of IF LUCY FELL. I remember the same thing happening in that movie. (boom mike poking down.) We got to question the director after the film and the first thing asked was, Whats up with the boom?? He said that the projectionist didnt matte the film corectly. We were seeing too much of the top of the frame. I imagine that the same thing happened here.
-
I saw this film last night and I could not disagree more with the writer of the above review. "boiler Room" was one of the mosr racist, mysogynistic, mean-spririted movies I have ever seen. There is a scene where Seth tells Abby, the black secretary, that he wants some "chocolate love," and she is flattered. His relationship with her is completely underdeveloped and the film is in dire need of an ending. It really has no third act, and the pace of the film does not peak so much as die. The energy of the film is completely flat, with no peaks or valleys.
The annoying subplot about Seth trying to please his dad was overblown and maidlin. Seth throws a little tantrum late in the film, and there were more than a few people in the theatre giggling, including me. It was even funnier than Luke Skywalker's "you're not my father" shitifit towards the end of "Empire."
Another problem with the movie is that there is no one to root for. There are really no good guys, just different degrees of bad guys. All of them are racist, sexist, greedy, misanthropic bastards, which would be okay if there was some kind of center to the film or a redeeming quality under all the "nigger" jokes, but there isn't. These are just childish fratboys with inflated checkbooks and aggressive tendencies. I have a feeling the "real" critics are going to trash this one.
The one redeeming feature of this film is the soundtrack, which set the tone of ghetto-fabulous Manhattan and sort of showed where these guys were coming from.
-
Greetings from Hollywood. Lynn Bracken here, to say a word in defense of "Boiler Room". I saw this film at Sundance (my review will be posted soon), and the boom wasn't visible in any of the shots. I believe this was projectionist error in your case, and not a problem with the print. It is too bad you had to see this movie with such a distraction, as it would obviously impact the overall effect of the film.
Sayonara, Lynn Bracken -
From what I know, the boom showing up in the frames at such a consistent rate has little to do with the actual director, and more to do with the projectionist at your local theatre hall.
I saw this flick yesterday morning and all was well in that regard. I also agree with most of your review in that the film was slick on the acting and dialogue, but the story didn't really blow me away or anything (I coulda done without the token romance, too). A WALL STREET JR., I would say, or SON OF GLENGARRY. BTW, they aren't afraid of admitting their homages in the film with a couple of great "tip of the hat" scenes.
One thing that did REALLY get on my nerves was the booming RAP soundtrack!?! I mean, what was up with dat? I dig on rap music every now and again, but in a junior Wall Street flick? Seemed out of place. Check it out though.
-
I saw a screening a L.A. Confidential when I was in college that had the same problem with the boom mikes. The projectionist had it screwed up. I wouldn't expect a theatrical release of Boiler Room to have a problem that obvious.
-
as a Brechtian alienating device to remind the audience that this is a film and people aren't really like this. Because, they aren't really, i mean, how many guys do YOU know who work in an upstart stock firm selling illegal stocks, come on. Plus didn't we see all of this with the Sheens in Wall Street. In brilliant anti-Hollywood fashion the Gekko character has been stretched out, becoming a number of different supporting cast. Including the amazingly irritable Vin Diesel. Apparently he did this film without starring, under the condition he wouldn't have to show his biceps. Fuck that vain prick. and Giovanni Ribisi, im surprised he wasn't maimed and molested by a gob of slobber soaked retards after his touching performance in the Other Sister, Howd he find his way into the Boiler Room or Gone in 60 sec.Ill sneak in for the "chocolate love scene", at least she showed gratitude, for his attention
-
If you see the boom mic it's the prjectionist's fault. Ebert explained this in a book a few years ago.
-
The actor who plays Greg is Nicky Katt. BEaster got it wrong. I alsop saw the movie at Sundance and didn't notice a boom mike problem.
-
I am staying as far away from this as I can. The only reason I wanted to see Boiler Room was in hope that Freddy Krueger would come out of the shadows and slice n dice all those frat fucks. I can see my wishes did not come true. As for the boom mike/projectionist thing, am I the only one who gets a bad projectionist 7 out of 10 times at the theatre? I'm not talking about a major fuckup, but where YOU KNOW it is tilted up or down a little. It grates on me the whole film. Maybe that's because I've worked with film before, but to me it sticks out like a sore thumb if it's the slightest bit off-center. Most titles are supposed to be in optical center, which is a tad above the middle of the screen. I can usually tell from the green MPAA preview disclaimer screen if the film is going to be fucked up or not. But I don't have the nerve to go tell the manager that it's off by a smidget. Oh well. Does anyone know which cities still have projectionist unions controlled by the mob? These guys get paid WAYYYY to much for doing usually sup-par work.
-
Feb 11, 2000 8:36:53 PM CST
Boom mike the "projectionist's" fault? And I always thought it w
by uncapie
-
If the DP keeps the boom mike outside his frame line for the appointed aspect ratio, then yes, the boom is the problem of the projectionist, not the DP, and certainly not the director, or the editor. There is far more image available in a 35mm frame than should be projected. A movie should not be reviewed based on the incompetent projection of a minimum-wage teenage popcorn seller. If you see the boom in a real screening room run by an actual projectionist with the director and DP present, then you have a problem.
-
THAT movie had horrible boom mic problems, not to mention a horrible story too. anyone else agree?
-
I only studied the art of cinematography from Stanley Cortes, Vilmos Zigasmond, Gregg Toland, Leo Tover, Floyd Crosby, Anthony Richmond, Dan Fapp, Ted Moore, Freddie Young and Otto Heller, just to name a few. I also directed three films(Two I sold to cable.) DP'd over two dozen doing second unit(Never had a boom mike in my shots.) was an editor, sound man, grip, gaffer, p.a., set builder, set designer and a few other jobs. Some glamorous, some sucked. Like when I had to open up a sump pump in four feet of water in Roger Corman's flooded basement or bungee strapping the dailies to the back of my ten speed at one in the morning and riding from Venice to Culver City in the fucking cold to drop them off at the old MGM lab because everyone left early and my car was in the shop. Yes, you're right, I don't know much about film making and why a good boom man never allows the windsocked mike into view or the DP lets it happen. I just know that I've worked on a lot more films than you.
-
What a douchebag this Affleck kid is. From the TV spots it's painfully obvious that this whole movie is a blatant "Glengarry Glen Ross for Gen X" piece of shit. Right down to Ben Affleck having the "small part with some of the best lines", ala Alec Baldwin's brief but ass-kicking monologue in GGR. Affleck and his ass-pal Damon probably watched that film over and over before they broke out big. Affleck sat there with a rod in his pants saying "I wanna be just like Alec Baldwin in this movie!" Congrats, Ben. Ya jackass.
-
Feb 12, 2000 4:05:34 PM CST
the projectionist simply threads the 35mm film through the proje
by darthjoe
Obviously the director of "If Lucy Fell" is an idiot.
-
That "guy from Barcelona but not Chris Eigeman" is Taylor Nichols.
taylor is the man. You've seen him in Metropolitan, Congo, Headless Body in a Topless Bar, on Wings, and Those e-toys commercials with the little kid and the drive through car wash. I can't wait to see him in this movie. -
Now there's an oxymoron. But back to the original point. There is a lot more image in a 35mm frame than should be projected. It is the boom operator's job to get the microphone as close the the actor's mouth as possible without intruding into the FRAME LINE, not the FRAME. It is the DP's job to make sure it does not intrude into the safe area. It is the projectionist's job to mat the image and now show the area beyond the intended frame. If you look at films by every one of your teacher-hero DPs and examine the entire frame, you will find many, many boom mikes intruding into the frame. If their films are properly projected you should never see a boom or mike. Now if the reviewer saw lots and lots of such intrustions, and no one else did at other screenings, then it stands to reason that it was a projection problem, and not the incompetence of the director or DP, or editor. And I don't care how many Corman movies you've worked on, it doesn't change the fact that a great many sound takes will have the mike on film within the frame, which should not be projected. And for those wondering why boom mikes in second unit shots is an oxymoron, it is because by definition second unit shots are those without the principal actors, or any actors, speaking on camera, therefore, no booms or mikes are necessary. And if Unacapie directed three movies without ever getting a mike in the frame (not the safe area, but the frame) then he did a great disservice to his sound recordist by not allowing him to position his microphone for optimum recording without intruding into the safe area. But then again, it was a Corman movie, so who cares?
-
i don't want to sound like a working class asshole, not having been to any film school or knowing the art of being a director and all... but, i worked for a movie theatre for four years, and all you have to do, the minute you see ONE boom mike, is walk out to the nearest usher/concessionist/whatever and ask them to check the frame of whatever movie you're watching. unfortunately, with many movies starting at one time, they frame the movie best they can before it starts, and then the film starts on a timer. if no one complains, they figure everything must be okay with the projection. i don't agree with this practice (i mean, of course you should check up on your work if the only sort of unionized work you do is start a bunch of movies by timer every two hours), but if one boom mike bothers you, it's definitely worth the trouble to leave the theatre for a minute and ask whoever you see to fix it, before you see another boom mike and really start being distracted. trust me on this one; everyone working for the movie theatre knows how to fix it: it's a turn of a knob. now, if you're seeing a kind of a bouncing/tv style vertical hold problem on the screen, it's a gate problem, and that means that the projectionist needs to stop the film and reset it. just my two cents.... i can't remember who posted it, but he/she was right in saying that you can tell if a movie is out of frame by the mpaa rating scene or by the starting credits... all that stuff is supposed to be right in the center. okay, i'm really done babbling now...
monique
mnqf@aol.com -
The Director of "If lucy Fell" IS an idiot, Eric something is his name and hes butt ugly and insists on giving himself constant frontal nude shots. That easily got into the frame if ya know what I mean.
Readers Talkback
User Login
Top Talkbacks
- THE DARK KNIGHT RISES TV Spot Has New Footage And Dialogue! UPDATED To Add Second Spot! -- 301 total posts 301 posts
- UPDATE!! What The Hell Happened With G.I. JOE: RETALIATION?! -- 185 total posts 185 posts
- THE EXORCIST Is Being Remade... -- 161 total posts 160 posts
- Remember when I said I’d kill The Behind the Scenes Pic of the Day last? I lied. -- 155 total posts 155 posts
- Gary Oldman Joins The ROBOCOP Remake! -- 145 total posts 145 posts
- Quint has seen the brand new Jaws restoration and demands that Universal do a wide theatrical rerelease this summer! -- 138 total posts 138 posts
- G.I. JOE: RETALIATION Delayed Nine Months...Thanks To A Force More Sinister Than Cobra!! -- 276 total posts 134 posts
- The day we've all been waiting for has arrived...IN THE ARMY NOW II is in the works! -- 69 total posts 69 posts
- A New Clip From PROMETHEUS!! Charlize And Fassbender Talking About...Something (?)... -- 59 total posts 59 posts
- Honest Abe Dishes Out The Vampire Violence In The New Red-Band Trailer For ABRAHAM LINCOLN: VAMPIRE HUNTER!! -- 53 total posts 53 posts