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Moriarty’s Post-Thanksgiving Pre-BNAT Overload! PRO-LIFE, 12 New Reviews, And A Look At The Rest Of 2006!!

I want $2 million by BannedOnTheRun	Dec 8th, 2006 02:33:24 AM
I'm glad you wrote this, 'cause I don't really get the sense that open, honest discussion really is appreciated here; there has been a lot of snapping back by certain writers here. That said, I'm not glad you wrote it, 'cause there's a lot of subliminal finger pointing: Carpenter had the final word, we ran out of money, etc. Save that for your own Sly talkbalk in 20 years.
Fun Read.... by dead000	Dec 8th, 2006 02:34:20 AM
Congrats on your career, Drew. I thoroughly enjoyed this article and agree with you on the Fountain. That film transcends words. Criticism is criticism, do with it what you will but remember, you are doing it and they are not. So fuck the naysayers.
On second thought by BannedOnTheRun	Dec 8th, 2006 02:36:36 AM
I just opened up emotionally to a man whose brain thought up the vacuum extraction scene. Ewww. I'm going to stand over here now.
Banned... by TheRealMoriarty	Dec 8th, 2006 02:51:54 AM
... did I delete a single hostile talkback in the PRO-LIFE thread? Nope. Like I said, when you create a piece of work, you open yourself up to criticism. I've certainly dished out plenty of it over the years, and I'm more than happy to take my turn in the barrel. And I'm not pointing fingers at anyone. You talk to any filmmaker, they're going to be extremely critical of their own work, and I know plenty of people who have made what I consider to be great films who can't even watch their own work. I'm not making great movies yet. I'm not sure I ever will. I wrote two horror films that allowed me to work closely with one of the icons of the genre, and I have problems with both. I also like quite a bit about both. That conflict is probably never going to go away, no matter if I'm directing or someone else is, and I'm fine with that. But it's the trying that counts from my end, and I'm pleased with the effort every single person on both episodes made on our behalf. Wishing things were better doesn't mean I'm running anyone down.
I saw the Fountain last night... by iamnicksaicnsn	Dec 8th, 2006 03:26:07 AM
and thought the story was good, the visuals were beautiful, but it still needed to be put together a little better. If it was, I think it could've been considered one of the best love movies of all time, but unfortunately, it didn't quite reach there. It'd make a great book or something though.
Actually, I was thinking of Herc by BannedOnTheRun	Dec 8th, 2006 03:45:03 AM
I don't even remember the thread, but he had gone ban-happy. It was ugly. That said, I never insinuated that you deleted anything, anywhere, ever...which is exactly what I'm talking about. All I said was that it sounds like you're making excuses for something that got good feedback on other boards but with which you're not personally satisfied. No creative person I know ever is. Anyhoo, don't ever write for an audience of one (insert joke about Showtime viewership here). You've got great potential, kid, and I wouldn't want you to hitch your wagon to John Carptenter's star (not after his recent work). Now that you're a father, I'm anxious to see how that influences your work; perhaps you could invite David Lynch to collaborate on Weenyhead. Cleansing man-hug, OK?
One last clarifying point by BannedOnTheRun	Dec 8th, 2006 03:52:45 AM
You have to understand that when you're speaking to fanboys outside the biz who wish they had $300 for a camcorder, $2 million sounds mighty friggin' generous. I'd pull an Eli Roth, spend 50 bucks filming someone sawing off my arm and pocket the rest.
I'd like to see you review Half Nelson Mori by IndustryKiller!	Dec 8th, 2006 04:19:57 AM
It's the first film I saw when I moved to LA and I'm still trying to work it out in my head. It's certainly not a complicated film per se but I would like to see an intelligent review of the film rather than Ryan Goslings undeniably incredible performance, which seemed to be the trend. Also thanks for the calling out of folks in The Fountain, I absolutely loved it. My friends and I sat stunned through the entirety of the credits when I saw it and I'll take on anyone who cares to take me to task on it. I'm sick of any film that wears it's heart on it's sleeve automatically getting pissed on. There is a difference between sappy sentimentality and a lack of cynicism.
Well done Mory by RobFromBackEast	Dec 8th, 2006 05:25:39 AM
Your taking the jibes on the chin, haven't seen the episodes as i live in Ireland but will def take a look as i find your reviews well balanced and beautifully written. Congrats on all the success and i hope theres much more for ya!
OFFSIDE looks interesting but... by YackBacker	Dec 8th, 2006 05:55:29 AM
it sounds a little too cute, considering Iran's regime is doing far worse to its people than banning women from football arenas. I mean, could you enjoy the same type of movie about Hitler banning ladies from the '36 Berlin Games? The context is all messed up.
Hotlinking is evil by DerLanghaarige	Dec 8th, 2006 06:51:49 AM
Everytime a picture got hotlinked, a little kitten dies...
Every director gets those $2 million by godoffireinhell	Dec 8th, 2006 06:58:01 AM
and yet some of the episodes end up looking and being great while others look very cheap. That's especially interesting since much of the same crew seem be working on all of them. I take it that it must have soemthing to do with the talent (and current form) of the director and of course also with how well the chosen story/script lends itself to these budgetary constraints. One of the things I critisized about PRO-LIFE was that the idea of an abortion clinic staffed by 2 doctors, 1 nurse and 2 orderlies is ridiculous. But I can see how the money was needed elsewhere and couldn't be spent on hiring a few dozen extras.
Running the risk of sounding stupid by Captain Sensible	Dec 8th, 2006 07:08:39 AM
I still don't understand the Cigarette Burns ending. I'm not the usual negative AICN poster, that role seems to be quite taken, but I saw the episode and about halfway in it lost me, and I'm kinda scared Pro-Life will too.
Pro-Life Bashing by Buffalo500	Dec 8th, 2006 07:19:52 AM
It was very obvious that most of the AICN talkbackers hated the film, while the IMDB had a lot more positive reviews. My own theory is that a lot of sad people knew that the writer of the episode would read their posts and so took their chance to have a go. I’ve said it before and will say it again, while the episode had its faults it was not nearly as bad as a lot of people here have made out.
Always interesting to read Moriarty. by MasterKenobi	Dec 8th, 2006 07:27:03 AM
Hope to soon see your thoughts on Curse of golden flower.
Movies Woth Seeking by psychedelic	Dec 8th, 2006 07:52:46 AM
Hey Drew, I’ve luckily been able to hit a number of festivals this year. Here are 19 titles well worth watching that aren’t on any of your lists. I note general release (gen) and/or if they’re a documentary (doc). By general release I mean they played at a regular theatre in L.A. to the best of my knowledge. Countries other than USA are also noted. AFI Fest is not included since you went and I know you read my articles. The 4th Dimension Once In A Lifetime: The Extraordinary Story of the New York Cosmos (gen/doc) The Ring Finger [France] Lunacy (gen) [Czech Republic] Beyond Conviction (doc) Stranded [Australia] Jack Smith and the Destruction of Atlantis (doc) [This is my #2 movie of the year, sometimes #1 depending on my mood. Fabulous.] Ira and Abby Jonestown: The Life and Death of Peoples’ Temple (gen/doc) Wild Seven Mario’s Story (doc) Right At Your Door The Damnedest Finest Ruins (doc) Friendly Fire (doc) Night of the Lebon Tod In Memoriam The Other Side [another possible Top Ten contender] Desperation [This has nothing to do with the Stephen King novel] Isolation [Ireland] Notes: You wrote up The Road to Guantanmo in your DVD column, but since it’s not on any list I mention it. The same goes for Tristram Shandy: A Cock and Bull Story. Old Joy really, really sucks. It’s way at the bottom of my list. As far as I know only Once In A Lifetime:…Cosmos and The Damnedest Finest Ruins are available on DVD. Have a blast at BNAT!!! I applied but, alas, did not make it this year. I’ll be there in spirit.
Good words, Mori. by Roguewriter	Dec 8th, 2006 07:58:06 AM
Well said. And kudos for being the bigger man. Still looking forward to what's next from the desk o' Drew...
That's Movies WORTH Seeking by psychedelic	Dec 8th, 2006 07:59:16 AM
Okay, none of the spacing came out on my post. Drew, I'll just email you the list
I didn't hate THE FOUNTAIN and I didn't love it by JohnGalt06	Dec 8th, 2006 08:16:29 AM
I admired Aronofsky's ambition with tackling such advant-garde subject matter with expensive special effects and big stars. But I was completed baffled...not by the plot, which really was very simple or by the ending...but by the fact that Aronofsky spent SIX YEARS bringing this to the screen and had so little of insight to bring to the material. "What do you think about that idea...death as an act of creation?" I may have the quote not exactly right but that pretty much sums up all of Aronofsky's "big ideas" and to find so little imagination in the movie was frankly depressing. And as much as I wanted to like the movie, I couldn't help but laugh at the image of the Buddhist version of Jackman appearing before the Mayan keeper of the Tree of Life. It was beyond silly. Still, it was a movie worth seeing.
Didn't like THE FOUNTAIN... by biggles2_22	Dec 8th, 2006 09:20:22 AM
...guess I'm not as complex and in touch with my feelings as you are, Mor!
DVD to watch by unmask	Dec 8th, 2006 09:35:47 AM
You should check out Joyeux Noel, or Merry Christmas, on DVD during the holidays. It's a terrific war movie with a Christmas message. Yeah, I just wrote that. Also, I'd steer clear of Death of Mr. Lazarescu unless you want to spend 3 hours of your life listening to an old man moaning about pains, which for half the movie is literally the only thing happening. Oh, and The Uninvited Guest came out on DVD this year, which was one of the better films I've seen all year. It's in the vein of Amenabar and Shyamalan.
Venus, Fur and US vs John Lennon by CatVutt	Dec 8th, 2006 09:58:07 AM
I could've written that blurb about Venus myself. Exactly my feelings about the thing, very lightweight and completely forgettable beyond the opportunity to see O'Toole again. The biggest problem with the script is that it's only real character arc goes to that vapid girl, and she's terribly uninteresting as a character to begin with. Now, Mori...scratch 'Fur' from your list, because while it's got a nice visual style, it beats you over the head with its 'THIS IS ALICE IN WONDERLAND' point unitl you start tuning out. Disorientation in the beginning 'going town the rabbit hole', looking through the little door, the cookie, the tea party, a damned white rabbit that keeps popping up, and then Downey's character is actually reading the damn book to whatshername's daughter at one point. And the framing device at a nudist colony is entirely pointless. But US vs. John Lennon is great, find a way to see that ASAP.
cave in by lopan	Dec 8th, 2006 10:13:24 AM
tlnr
Yes, 'The Road' is a great film. by Seph_J	Dec 8th, 2006 10:52:42 AM
I must agree. But why has it taken so dam long for somebody to write about it? Jeeez, come on people.
ProLife - Constructive criticism by MrD	Dec 8th, 2006 10:59:18 AM
I enjoyed PL on the whole, though whether that was for RP's performance (he even made moments of Desperation watchable) or the writing I can't say. I've tried some writing myself back in the day, so I can appreciate the effort involved and can thank you for that at the very least. I especially liked the way you used the abortion issue to frame the story, rather than let your politcs drive the entire episode (which is why I loathed Homecoming, and I am an unabashed Dante fan). Anyway, that brings me to the constructive critcism. The episode is largely driven by the actions of one man, and his determination not to let his daughter get an abortion. Without him, we've just got yet one more retelling of Rosemary's Baby. His sense of urgency moves the story foward, pushing him to kill the security guard (somewhat reluctantly as I saw it). Yet once he gets into the clinic, he abandons his goal, and instead chases after the doctor (surely there were other parts of the hospital that could have been explored ), and once he neutralized him, choose not to renew his search for his daughter (who could have been getting prepped for an abortion at that very ), but rather extract vengeance in the most time-cosuming way possible. I understand that this is a horror show aimed at horror fans and with that apparantly comes the expectation for a certain amount of gore, but in this case the scene should have been excised. It is true neither to the story nor the character, and comes across as either pandering or self indulgence.
Oh, one more thing... by MrD	Dec 8th, 2006 11:01:26 AM
Budget be damned. The demon kicked ass. If you ever talk to the guys at KNB, give them a hearty "well done" for me.
What about VITUS? by rost	Dec 8th, 2006 11:15:42 AM
Have you seen VITUS? Of course not, nobody watches a movie from Switzerland. Banause.
the fountain WAS incredible by tylerfullltilt	Dec 8th, 2006 11:33:20 AM
Your comment about how we are supposed to be so emotionally detached in art these days was spot on.
When is Killshot coming out? by S-Mart shopper	Dec 8th, 2006 01:49:02 PM
It looks to have some potential
Can't see half the images, Mori. by Lenny Nero	Dec 8th, 2006 02:22:50 PM
And don't give us that "I can see them, so you should, too." This shit hasn't happened on the site in a while, and suddenly it's happened at least twice in the last week. What gives?
The Road by Ralije	Dec 8th, 2006 02:36:32 PM
The Road is the poor man's To Live. Seriously, To Live is just the better movie in every way, shape, and form. The Fountain was also incredible. Fuck the haters. It's also bad to link to other peoples' websites for images. Why does AICN always steal other peoples' bandwidth?
"I can tell you every beat of the rest of this film" by Alonzo Mosely	Dec 8th, 2006 03:56:46 PM
and she replied "And I can tell every inch of your penis, sight unseen"... Sorry Mori, I think you have genuine ability as a writer, but you don't half come across as very full of yourself at times...
Pro-Life by TheDarkShape	Dec 8th, 2006 04:25:29 PM
There are numerous problems with Pro-Life, and a good chunk of them come down to a very simple, very scary story that's been filled with bucks of blood to quality as 'horror.' It's reflective of the entire MoH series -- we're getting gore, not scares. WHY was she impregnanted with a fucking demon child? Frankly, it's scarier to me if it's just a nut-case dad prepared to shoot his way through an abortion clinic just to get his daughter back. I'm not even complaining about the incredibly man-in-suit demon. Just the concept hurts the episodes. Further, Dad spends the entire assault telling his boys, "We have to be quick. Can't run out of time." So what's he do? Stop for a half hour to perform an 'abortion' on a doctor. Why does he do it? Because we need more gore, I guess. Pro-Life magnifies just about every problem I had with Cigarette Burns. Very interesting, potentially scary concept that goes to hell in the name of 'more blood! More blood!'
Wheres... by Hyphin	Dec 8th, 2006 05:00:19 PM
Wheres ZombieSolutions? Am I wrong to think he would try and bite back?...come now Zombie, wheres the razor wit.
Blindsight deleted scene by SPlissken	Dec 8th, 2006 05:06:27 PM
They need to find a way to include this on the dvd... http://youtube.com/watch?v=cQI wT4PdRa4
o'toole really classed up caligula! by reckni	Dec 8th, 2006 05:17:04 PM
as for the fountain, i'm still not sure whether i liked it or not. will definitely be seeing it again on dvd.
"serious, ponderous" Iranian movies by eraser_x	Dec 8th, 2006 05:50:17 PM
Yikes! You mean even slower and more boring than "White Balloon"!
true by AllieJamison	Dec 8th, 2006 06:17:18 PM
Ach...it's good to have some Mori stuff up on AICN for reading pleasure. Your OFFSIDE piece finally may move me to watch this one after the reports on it in german newspapers didn't really inspire me. great. I wish all of you guys a great and inspiring time at BNAT.
Hell... by Sly Fox	Dec 8th, 2006 07:14:32 PM
I liked the last one, I look forward to seeing this!
About the talkbackers by shutterghost	Dec 8th, 2006 08:37:57 PM
There's an interesting rant about them or us on the Good Shepherd talkback where we're equated to the mob.
I can get you... by Seph_J	Dec 9th, 2006 04:37:36 AM
The Illusionist, A Scanner Darkley, Perfume, and The Devil Wears Prada
...Yeah, but what I really want to know Drew... by TheRealRatigan	Dec 9th, 2006 01:35:09 PM
Did you get your money back for MISS CONGENIALITY?
Banned, opinions are like assholes... by chaplinatemyshoe	Dec 12th, 2006 08:14:20 PM
...I have the uncontrollable urge to have sex with every one I see. But seriously, get a life.

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Moriarty’s Post-Thanksgiving Pre-BNAT Overload! PRO-LIFE, 12 New Reviews, And A Look At The Rest Of 2006!!

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