Comments on: When Celebrated Directors Lose The Plot: Interesting Left Turns And Failures In An Auteur’s Oeuvre https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/ Sat, 08 Jul 2017 16:02:35 +0000 hourly 1 https://wordpress.org/?v=6.7.2 By: Edward Davis https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92483 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92483 Damn guys ,if any film DOES belong on this list that we\’re not apologetic at all about it\’s Death Becomes Her. Was there a convention in town for this film that we missed? Christ

]]> By: blap https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92465 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92465 Death Becomes Her is a hilarious movie. I feel sorry for anyone who doesn\’t think that.

]]> By: Alfred https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92481 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92481 in defense of 1941 I offer a re-write:
“I will spend the rest of my life disowning this movie,” confessed legendary filmmaker Steven Spielberg to the New York Times. WAIT A MINUTE, Steve. Maybe the flick was disjointed here and there, but I have this 1979 war-comedy in my private collection, and still like to watch it. The film was instantly compared to his wildly popular preceding films (Jaws and Close Encounters) and condemned by many as a flop. WAIT A MINUTE, try to follow that act. In the first place, war-comedy is a difficult genre to portray to the general public. War is deadly serious business, and certainly not at all funny to the 1941 Americans at Pearl Harbor, or the American Navy preparing to meet the Japs at Midway. To be more forgiving, consider this one in the only-in-California genre. I loved the opening scene which parodies the director’s two previous hit movies. A gorgeous skinny-dipping lady has a close encounter with a Japanese submarine lurking off the California coastline. When you see a joyous Jap sailor howling, “Hollywooood” at the sight of her bare bottom, it was worth the price of admission. Sure the movie stomps on today’s delicate PC toes, but that’s not my problem.
And remember, this flick features some of the best SNL clowns in their prime. RIP John Belushi

]]> By: Tim https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92482 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92482 Well, I really dig Zardoz but I can see how some people wouldn\’t. The biggest problem I have with this (otherwise good) article is the praise for The Dresser-one of the worst films I\’ve ever seen. I think at least nine of the top ten most gratingly histrionic speeches in film history can be found in this too stagy melodrama. By comparison, the merely mediocre Krull looks like a masterwork.

]]> By: Edward Davis https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92486 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92486 Ashby\’s first plot loss is \”Second-Hand Hearts.\” Plus as we said, we\’ll eventually do another one. This was at good first overview.

]]> By: james https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92466 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92466 We now that Preminger was stricken with Alzheimer\’s, and I wonder now whether he was in the early stages with Skidoo.

]]> By: Filipe https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92474 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92474 Did you just put Nolan on the same level os Hitchcock and Kubrick? You gotta be fucking kidding me.

]]> By: chris https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92478 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92478 I have to disagree a bit on Rio Lobo. While it\’s not nearly as good as Hawks\’ other westerns, it\’s still quite watchable.

]]> By: Tommy K https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92480 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92480 A good article but this-
\”One can safely argue that whenever the great Sidney Lumet left New York, his films felt unmoored, out of place or uneven .\”?
I call bullshit. You\’ve clearly never seen / forgotten about \’The Hill\’ (1965)- Filmed in Africa with an almost entirely british cast. It is, unquestionably, one of his greatest cinematic accomplishments.
If I had to add to the list, I\’d go for Fincher\’s \’Benjamin Button\’- an absolute stinker of a film, a blemish (alonside the distinctly average Alien 3) on an otherwise outstanding filmography.

]]> By: Brian https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92475 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92475 In defense of Death Becomes Her, it almost seems to have been made with a cult audience in mind. It never was a film that was going to appeal to a mass crowd, but rather a \”select group\”.

Of course test audiences were going to balk, and Zemeckis himself wanted the ending redone after seeing it, calling the original too \”saccharine\” and not in keeping with the tone of the rest of the film.

Compared to today\’s films, the special effects are not too obtrusive, and still hold up well today. It was a remarkable technical achievement, and Hawn and Streep were an incredible duo.

]]> By: Silverdolphin https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92467 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92467 Gangs Of New York is much worse by Scorsese – while Daniel Day Lewis is his reliable self, Leonardo DiCaprio is bland and lifeless and Cameron Diaz miscast. The film is also lifeless which is odd for a pet project. It\’s as if, once he started filming, Scorsese didn\’t seem to know what to do.

]]> By: olicats https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92471 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92471 congratulations! you suck!

]]> By: CF https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92473 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92473 Christopher Nolan \”never went off the boil, or at least haven’t yet\”? Did no one watch that godawful GWoT-wank-fest which was _The Dark Knight_?

]]> By: Rufus https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92469 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92469 Brewster\’s Millions? I\’ll Do Anything? O.C. and Stiggs? Southland Tales?

I would gladly trade you one of these for Death Becomes Her.

All kidding aside good list.

]]> By: meebly https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92488 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92488 One very notable omission is the one truly great director of the 70s who seemed to implode (most likely in a drug-and-alcohol binge) on 1/1/1980 and never made another even passable film.

This would, of course, be Hal Ashby, who gave us \”The Landlord\”, \”Harold and Maude\”, \”The Last Detail\”, the overpraised but still memorable \”Shampoo\”, \”Coming Home\” and \”Being There\” all between \’70 and \’79.

Then studios and the blockbuster ethos took over (thanks, George), and Ashby retreated from bold risk-taking and gave us \”Second Hand Hearts\”, \”Lookin\’ to Get Out\”, \”The Slugger\’s Wife\”, a boring rockdoc on the Stones and, finally, the absolute worst of his career, \”8 Million Ways to Die\”.

Apart from maybe Frank Capra, this was the most tragic fall ever for a once-great auteur.

]]> By: tristan eldritch https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92518 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92518 Zardoz is so enjoyable and insane it defies easy categorization as either good or bad. Does certainly quality as a director losing the plot, though.

]]> By: Oliver Lyttelton https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92485 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92485 @meebly

Agreed on Ashby, but we covered his career fairly extensively a few weeks ago, and didn\’t want to repeat ourselves so soon.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/the_films_of_hal_ashby_a_retrospective/

]]> By: Alexandra https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92468 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92468 The problem with Carpenter is that somewhere around Village of the Dammed he stopped making any good movies.

And nice on the Tim Burton honorable mention. I really liked every movie of his up until Planet of the Apes and I\’ve really disliked every one since. somehow I blame this on Helena Bonham Carter.

]]> By: Markus https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92477 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92477 I would add M. Night Shyamalan to the list. From Oscar nominated writer-director to… Village/Lady/Happening/Airbender…

]]> By: David Konow https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92479 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92479 You gotta admire Boorman and Altman, they weren\’t afraid to fail, and with Zardoz and Exorcist II, Boorman failed big. He also made at least three of my all time favorite movies, Point Blank, Hell in the Pacific, and Excalibur. (Deliverance is great too, but I\’m not fanatical about it.)

Popeye\’s actually a pretty fun movie, not perfect but enjoyable, and one of the most perfectly cast films you\’ll ever see. Everyone was perfect for the roles they were picked for. Friedkin\’s Sorcerer also has an undeserved bad rap, it\’s his best film.

With 1941, at least Spielberg learned from his mistakes, and came back stronger than ever. Sadly, with a lot of directors, a big bomb or two or three and they never recover, which is really too bad for some of them. Bogdanovich will never live down At Long Last Love, though Nickelodeon\’s much better than its rep, and Saint Jack is considered his lost gem.

]]> By: Arthur S. https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92470 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92470 I have to say that a lot of the films here are actually very good and some are in fact among the director\’s best films. I personally would say Scorsese lost the plot with THE AVIATOR and consider NEW YORK, NEW YORK with some of its(minor) flaws among his six or seven best films.

Same with Coppola\’s ONE FROM THE HEART, 1941, SKIDOO, ZABRISKIE POINT and others. These films are just different and unusual, on their own terms they are excellent works.

]]> By: Kevin Jagernauth https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92487 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92487 Hey Meebly, you might dig this: http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/archives/the_films_of_hal_ashby_a_retrospective/

]]> By: Amy https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92489 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92489 I have to disagree with The Lovely Bones for Peter Jackson. While it wasn\’t nearly as good as it should have been given the source material (one of my favorite books) and the talent involved, I maintain that it was a decent movie and that, regardless of missed opportunities, Jackson was the right director for the job. The problem wasn\’t a lack of emotion – especially on a rewatch, I actually found the movie quite touching – and honestly, it annoys me that people act like Lord of the Rings was all about the action and epic-ness, ignoring the fact that what really made LOTR stand out from other fantasies was its ability to make you care about its characters. Anyway, the real problem with The Lovely Bones was that, despite a number of good, memorable scenes, the movie as a whole felt rather clumsy and not-quite-there. It really made me wonder whether the book is truly unfilmable. And by the way, I still don\’t know why people have such a problem with the rape scene. I thought it was one of the movie\’s most well-executed and imaginative scenes.

]]> By: Commander Adams https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92472 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92472 Village of the Damned is far from John Carpenter\’s only misstep. ALL of his films are ridiculously overrated and that includes The Thing, but at least it\’s not utter garbage the way They Live, Prince of Darkness, Memoirs of an Invisible Man, Ghosts of Mars and Escape from LA all are.

]]> By: Kyle Milner https://staging2.theplaylist.net/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-20110721/#comment-92476 Fri, 13 May 2016 14:10:07 +0000 http://www.indiewire.com/2011/more/uncategorized/when-celebrated-directors-lose-the-plot-interesting-left-turns-and-failures-in-an-auteurs-oeuvre-117378/#comment-92476 Hitchcock actually has had missteps in his career – Marnie is pretty bad, The Man Who Knew Too Much (1956) isn\’t very good, The Wrong Man is pretty boring at times and I bet nobody gives a shit (except for historical reasons) for his EARLY films….except for The 39 Steps of course

Also, on Kubrick, I think the first half of Full Metal Jacket is a real masterpiece whereas the second half is the same old, same old. Eyes Wide Shut is pretty bad as well.

As of now, I\’d say PTA hasn\’t had any missteps and I\’ll agree that Nolan hasn\’t either (although Memento, while good, is highly overrated IMO!)

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