I am not so sure:
"I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world for every kind of craft – my fame has reached the skies.”
I am not so sure:
"I am Odysseus, son of Laertes, known to the world for every kind of craft – my fame has reached the skies.”
Maybe we need a bit of troubling elitism and rampant snobbery if on the other hand people can write things on IMDB like:
A true cinematic masterpiece, one of the most rewarding cinematic experience of the year.
One of the most incredible films ever watched. And my favorite…
When I think of the greatest cinematic epics of all time, Lawrence of Arabia, Gone with the Wind, Ben-Hur or Schindlers List come to mind. Yet even those comparisons feel inadequate discussing The Odyssey. Every line of dialogue delivered feels purposeful and expertly performed and so on…
What strikes me is the similarity of the praise–for both THE ODYSSEY and SPIDER-MAN. The same notes and tropes are hit over and over again. Almost Trumpian in its (over)praise and hyperbole. It is the Big Beautiful Wall approach to film commentary.
I wonder how many people are actually familiar with these films today? How many - especially - young people have watched CITIZEN KANE, Z, 12 ANGRY MEN, SEVEN SAMURAI, PSYCHO, A MATTER OF LIFE AND DEATH, METROPOLIS?
Maybe the actual frame of reference for current film critique doesn’t reach further back than a decade or two. Even if critics surely have a deeper understanding, today they write for an audience that in its majority doesn’t care a lot for what happened before the ‘00s.
What the average Joe writes on a message board (look at me), has no relevance for public perception. That’s the difference.
Exactly.
It might even be worse: the current generation of critics consists of a large group of people who don’t know nor enjoy the classics and consider Pulp Fiction as the start of film history.
Granted, the generational change always leads to forgetfulness and disrespect. But soon respected critics will cite IRON MAN as a pinnacle of filmmaking.
TRAINSPOTTING was now 30 years ago, LIFE OF BRIAN - and MOONRAKER! - almost 50; the cultural significance of films that shaped our worldview is rapidly diminishing for the current generation. Meanwhile, I increasingly stumble about celebrity names I never heard, people who became famous in films and shows I didn’t watch. ![]()
It is an interesting question: are the important figures of yesterday less important tomorrow because then others capture the spotlight?
I wonder if truly one of a kind charismatic stars actually have been replaced or even are replaceable.
Is there anyone who can be even near Cary Grant? And if one is too young to know him and/or uninterested in watching his movies, does this justify to ignore him and claim that Damian Hardung is „so much cooler“?
I’ve been in an Arnold Schwarzenegger mood lately. James Cameron shared this quote from Arnold during the filming of The Terminator which is relevant: “Jim, make no mistake, I’m not interested in being an actor. I’m interested in being a movie star like Clint Eastwood and John Travolta.” The probability of that seemed to be zero at the time but it happened.
There are still good actors around but few become icons. During his prime he was getting people into cinema seats like nobody’s business. It wasn’t Shakespeare by any stretch but he made movies fun. These type of leads are very rare and I can’t see them happening again, or at least for a very long time.
I don’t think there’s as much money to be made here as they think.
The last time we saw Macaulay Culkin playing the role of Kevin McCallister in an actual movie, it was in 1992’s Home Alone 2: Lost in New York. After two decades, that could change, and we might finally be getting a Home Alone sequel fans deserve.
What am I missing? ![]()
(I assume it is 2026…or is that now up for debate too?)
But it does. Maybe not IMDB, but Letterboxd is where a majority of people now go to get information and reviews about movies. It is one of the places public perception is being created.
This is why Netflix, A24, and others are circling to buy it.
Good collection of cast and crew but have remakes, let alone a second one ever worked?
Moreover, THE THOMAS CROWN AFFAIR is very much an example of style over substance - there’s almost nothing there outside the basic pitch, a woman detective trying to catch a master thief. It’s not even cat-and-mouse, since both immediately know their opponent and the film runs only on their chemistry. Everything in the original - costumes and props, editing, song - would be worthless without the sexual tension between McQueen and Dunaway.
Don’t try to repeat 1968.
It seems, even regardless of the remake status, that this is a greatest hits compilation of many successful films, and it looks great (minus some CGI looking locations) and has new go to villain Kenneth Branagh (will he also have a Russian accent again?).
Michael B. Jordan has presence and charisma, and his CREED III directing was extremely good.
But I don’t see him disappear into any role. He is now a star and does that thing very well.
Maybe that will be enough.
Like trying to make The Odyssey into a movie.
Shooting the film in Boston was an advantage – we were far away from Hollywood and there was no one to bother us.
I’m always asked about the chess scene. What I remember is the way the scene is described in the screenplay. Something like: “He looks at her. She looks at him. They look at the chess table. He smiles and looks at her and says, ‘Do you play?’ and she says, ‘Try me’.” Trustman then describes what ensues simply as “chess with sex”. So we spent two or three days shooting “chess with sex”. There was no dialogue and the scene was largely improvised. I was able to talk to the actors from behind the camera on close-ups because the shots were so tight they were never in them together. The scene works well because it combines Wexler’s playful photography, Michel Legrand’s sensual music and Ashby’s inspired editing.
The full article (below) is great:
Hate the voice over, but today we have to get explained everything, right?
Another one of the great McQueen movies that works so perfectly (like Getaway) because of the chemistry between the lead actors. I really like the Brosnan version too exactly because of the same reason. You can really see how much fun Brosnan had with the movie…
The problem is the lack of television today…we around 50 got our film education from the re-runs on television (I think I saw the same 6 Elvis movies every year from 80 to 85 in the summer holidays
). Which 10 year old boy today would watch something like Knights of the Round Table, Rio Bravo or Ben-Hur when he can watch the latest Resident Evil on his smartphone?