CARNAGE - The Movie - repulsive, terrible- Page 2

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 11:12am

To be fair, b12b, most everyone was predicting Titanic to fail. I remember there was much talk about the delays (it was originally slated for Summer 1997) and how it was "the most expensive movie ever made" and it probably wouldn't recoup.

Well, he (and other critic friends) had already seen the movie, weeks before it opened. I can't believe after seeing it, they would think it would fail. Because of them and other advance negative buzz, I saw the movie at the Chinese Theatre on opening day, first screening, and I went in with low expectations.

I came out of the theatre and told my friend who came with me, "This is going to be the biggest smash since Gone With the Wind." I knew it. With no box office receipts in yet and no word of mouth. I went back to see it the next day. Same reaction.

No, I don't have "crystal balls," but don't know how anybody could imagine that movie flopping AFTER they had seen it. But hey, that's just me.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 11:23am

I knew after seeing Titanic opening day that it would be a big fat hit. I just didn't like it very much. I had just seen the musical a couple of months before and I was quickly turned off by the fictional love story that dominated the film and got more ridiculous with each passing minute. The special effects were great (for the most part) and the music was beautiful, but I could never get past that awful screenplay that made The Poseidon Adventure seem like an erudite analysis of the human spirit.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 12:58pm

Yes, there's definitely a difference between personal taste and knowing (understanding or predicting) that a film is going to do well. Those aren't the same thing at all.

For example, I saw "There's Something About Mary" on opening day, too. I knew it was going to be a big, fat hit even though I didn't care for it at all.

Have I ever been wrong? Sure! Usually when my feelings about a film are so strong that I can't see the good (or the bad) about them as far as mass appeal.

I, however, am a HUGE Titanic fan. I think the film is holding up extremely well, and I would place it in my all-time Top 10. On the other hand, I think the musical is one of the worst ever to win a Tony for Best Musical. It was like watching paint dry.

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 1:04pm

Ha! And I loved the musical. I found it utterly captivating and moving. It contains what I consider to be one of the greatest scores of the last 30 years.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 1:39pm

And there we have it, ladies and gentlemen! To each his own, sir.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 1:50pm

Despite having minor quibbles about them, I love them BOTH!

So f0ck y'all!

<3 <3 <3

Now, can we get someone who hates both?

Then we'll have a complete set!

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 1:58pm

I'm here...I'm here...

Ugh to both. I mean...the first 15 minutes of the musical are glorious. And then it becomes utterly silly. My friend and I had front row tickets from TKTS. I wanted to go buy water wings and scuba masks at intermission and see how far into Act 2 we could get before being asked to leave.

And watching Leo and Kate have a spitting contest? Hateful.

BUT...I guess I'm glad TITANIC won Best Musical, as all the other musicals that year were kinda dreadful. I will never be over, though, L.A. CONFIDENTIAL losing the Oscar.

[themysteriousgrowl]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:00pm

We did it!

Matt, bestie, Robbie, and growl -- put 'em on the next election returns!

[Mister Matt]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:00pm

You liked L.A. Confidential?

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:09pm

L.A. Confidential is one of my all-time favorite films. Probably number 5 in my Top 10 after All That Jazz, All About Eve, Auntie Mame and Maurice.

Maybe it's number 6...after Silence of the Lambs.

No. No. Number 5.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:17pm

I love L.A. Confidential. I think it's a brilliant film. The only head-scratcher for me is Kim Basinger's Oscar win. She was very good. The men were all better. And she takes home the gold. Gloria Stuart was robbed!!!! (I aways hate it when people do that, but I couldn't resist the chance to stamp my foot like Veruca Salt).

Do I think L.A. Confidential deserved the Best Pic award over Titanic? Hell no.

EDIT: By the way, I love being part of a box set. But only if we come with a certificate of authenticity.

Updated On: 9/4/13 at 02:17 PM

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:19pm

Never got all the fuss over L.A. CONFIDENTIAL -- one of the most extravagantly overpraised non-Eastwood films I've yet seen. Entirely adequate, well done, well acted and entirely forgettable.

It is as overrated as the same director's WONDER BOYS is underrated.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:20pm

... and I couldn't STAND Wonder Boys.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:22pm

I dug WONDER BOYS -- the only Michael Douglas performance I willingly watch.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:22pm

I think neither Gloria Stuart nor Kim Bassinger deserved the Oscar. Poor, poor Julianne Moore.

I also love WONDER BOYS and Hanson's IN HER SHOES. But L.A. CONFIDENTIAL makes me weak. I can't even explain why...it's just always done it for me.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:24pm

Julianne Moore needs to win for something soon.

It sure as hell ain't gonna be Carrie.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:26pm

She was criminally, obscenely robbed for THE HOURS.

As I'm afraid I keep saying.

And as I'll keep saying.

[SonofRobbieJ]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:29pm

Oh God. THE HOURS. The movie that made me want to follow Kidman into the river with stones in my pocket.

[Roscoe]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 2:31pm

Not a happy film, but Moore was magnificent.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 6:33pm

I knew after seeing Titanic opening day that it would be a big fat hit. I just didn't like it very much.

Amen, Matt. Here's the entire plot of the film (I'm using actor's initials):

KW: I'm unhappy; my fiancé is a jerk.
LD: Let's run away together.
KW: Okay.

They run away, only to realize they are on a ship and there is no place to run. So KW returns to her family and crummy fiancé.

(Repeat above a time or two)

Finally, ship sinks, which I admit is a pretty cool 20 minutes or so. And KW and LD end up in the water and STILL there's no place to run. LD escapes the only way possible in this dramatic world: he dies. Good for him!

Old lady throws necklace in the sea.

:rolleyes:

That best12bars saw this and knew it would be a monster hit is a tribute to his commercial insight. (I mean this last remark; no sarcasm intended.)

ETA: I've now read the entire thread and I see best12 actually LIKES the movie as well. I won't pretend to understand this, but I always respect his opinion.


Updated On: 9/4/13 at 06:33 PM

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 7:08pm

Well, we disagree again. Because as annoying as your response was I thought Titanic was artistically successful as well. Just a few other people felt so, too. I think the script and story are excellent. I love many of the lines that, in few words, express insight into the characters, how they feel about themselves, each other, and their various situations. It's painted in broad strokes with (thankfully!) an economy of words. And I love every passionate, fine-tuned minute of it. It resonates with me as few movies ever have.

And it makes the crappy superficial dialogue from Carnage sound like an indulgent, boorish, endless college skit gone wrong.

I also love that halfway through Titanic, I was so caught up in what was going to happen, that I almost forgot the ship was going to sink. That's how "swept away" I was. I remember wondering what was going to happen when they got to New York, when I realized they're about to hit the iceberg and most of them are going to die. When it occurred to me, I understood just how powerful and compelling this fictional story with a realistic backdrop was. And the final 45 minutes of the film are haunting.

It manages to be a period romance and an action film of the highest order with the pacing that few period films or action films can match. And thank god it wasn't a "documentary" with only a realistic recounting of the sinking. Because we have the HIstory Channel and PBS and the Discovery Channel for that.

Oh, and without getting harsh here, there have been several movies mentioned in this thread and others that people have said they absolutely love, that I can't abide. Boring, excessive, and trite. Horrible, horrible choices, IMO. So before you challenge me again (and again) on this? Here's my auto-response in advance: I completely, entirely, and wholly disagree with you.

But no disrespect meant, by any means.

Smiley, winky face.

[ray-andallthatjazz86]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 7:27pm

I watched CARNAGE with my boyfriend and a friend. After the film was done, my boyfriend and I were in shock at how bad it was; our friend's response was "what? I could watch the whole thing all over again." That's when I realized my friend and I would probably never see a movie together again. I'm all about opinions and whatnot, I just find it hard that anyone would find any value in CARNAGE, it's just so so so so bad.
And I'd watch TITANIC over a lot of movies any day. Kate Winslet is pretty glorious in it, and I do find it very romantic, even if the dialogue is not great. I can tell you the dialogue is a million time betters than the awful AVATAR dialogue.

[best12bars]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 7:35pm

"Avatar" was a big, dumb movie. Really big and really dumb. I loved everything technical about it and absolutely nothing else.

[Borstalboy]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 7:36pm

I think GOD OF CARNAGE spoke to the French more because there is such a huge populace of bourgeoisie. I thought it a very fine boulevard comedy.

Haven't seen the movie.

[GavestonPS]

Posted: 9/4/13 at 8:58pm

best12bars, I don't know what I did that annoyed you so. In fact, I go out of my way again and again to assert (truthfully) how much I respect your opinions and posts--even when I disagree.

In this case, I disagree and tried to do so with a little humor. I'm sorry, but I find "running away" from one's life while trapped on a boat a tad silly.

But speaking of documentaries, the one thing I thought was truly brilliant was using the prologue, including computer animation, to explain how the ship was damaged and sank. So when the events actually occurred in the climax, Cameron didn't have to give characters long expository speeches to explain what was happening. We knew.

FWIW, I agree 100% about AVATAR.

And back on topic, if I had to choose between rewatching TITANIC or CARNAGE, I'd go with running away on the boat.

Updated On: 9/4/13 at 08:58 PM