True Detective is pretty fascinating. The first season was such a blockbuster for so many reasons, and it became a genuine water cooler show. That lead to season 2 being one of the most hyped seasons in quite sometime. And it was a critical BOMB. It was nearly a series killer. The fact that there was an eventual third season starring a multiple Oscar winner barely went noticed. All of that is to say there is actually much to dissect once you get past the noise and perception of the show.
It’s funny to think about how weird and stupid this show sounded before it ever aired. Noah Hawley seems pretty dumb. He writes bad novels. He made a movie nobody liked or cared about. He writes his dialogue like he’s an essayist but he has nothing to say. At least nothing notable or interesting. But he somehow has made some fun seasons of television shows. Whatever else, it’s probably where he should concentrate his time.
X-Men is one of the most important films for me personally. It was the beginning of me recognizing differences in quality and style in the movies.
I may have not been able to express it at the time, but part of the 11-year-old me understood that it was better watching Ian McKellen and Patrick Stewart in this movie than whatever shlock they were putting out for kids. Something about the pacing, color choices, and general tone that I on some level understood to be more advanced.
X-Men was the first DVD I ever owned. It was baby Michael’s first movie. And after all these years, I stand by it as a quality film. I feel no need to separate my personally history with the film and pretend like that has not shaped my appreciation of it. Instead, I embrace that. The X-Men and X-Men were a big part of my childhood, and they have been an even bigger part of exploring what I like and appreciate about movies ever since. The films have perhaps been even more important for helping me understand what I do NOT like about movies. The X-Men films are, if nothing else, hit or miss. Anyway, here are my five big takeaways from rewatching the film in honor of the website’s podcast series finale.
To grow up in the early-to-mid 2000s and to care at all about watching movies meant to be very aware of Donnie Darko. It was a film that had such a hold on so many budding cinephiles much in the way that Quentin Tarantino and Kevin Smith had on so, so many of us. I was too cool for Donnie Darko though and felt as though “I saw through it.”
And so I ignored Richard Kelly films for almost two decades. I was vaguely aware of Southland Tales‘ troubled released. Something about the Cannes debut going badly, it eventually being reclaimed, etc. It is a story we have heard so much before that my teenaged indifference to Donnie Darko caused me to not care too much about the specifics of Southland Tales opinions, and I never even heard of The Box until recently.
The opportunity in 2023 to see Richard Kelly speak (at a screening of The Box) though seemed like an occasion to finally give Kelly’s films an honest appraisal as an adult.
I am delighted to report back that I have such a deep fondness for them. The key to Kelly’s films are their sincerity. You watch these films, and their high concepts are never approached at a safe distance. Kelly goes all in and asks the audience to trust him that it will be worth it. There is no ironic detachment. You get the sense watching these films that total emotional investment will be rewarded. It is a feeling that has been all-to-missing in too many big films in recent years.
Jonathan Glazer has only made a handful of films (so far), which proves the world is not a just place. Glazer has many strengths and one of them is his ability to examine how one’s past can feel like a ghost coming to kill you. It is an idea I found interesting in each of his films.
After establishing himself as one of the most interesting writers in Hollywood, Charlie Kaufman finally started to step behind the camera fifteen years ago and is now one of the best writer/directors. Here is how I rank his directed efforts so far. Continue reading Ranking the Charlie Kaufman Films
There is not much that needs to be said about Tarantino. He has been one of the best doing it for almost my entire life.
Still Need to Watch: Too Late Blues, A Child is Waiting, Love Streams, Big Trouble
John Cassavetes was one of the very best and fascinating artists of the second half of the twentieth century. His work should be studied by everyone.
Still Need to Watch: Braindead, Meet the Feebles, Bad Taste
Peter Jackson is a real interesting case. He’s clearly brilliant on some level, but he also has missed big several times. He will always have a special place in my heart because of The Lord of the Rings films though if nothing else. Continue reading Ranking the Peter Jackson Films
The Reel World 