Me And Orson Welles

I love Welles, but that trailer did not make me want to go see the movie.

Yea, I've read that too, clevername. That's why I do think this will be a good movie.

And also why I'm so baffled at the trailer. I guess they're going his teen female (and gay male) demographic.

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Why is my post not showing up? That's peculiar. Well, here it is again:

I really loved this film.

It was mainly Ebert's quote that made me want to see it. It sounded a bit hyperbolic, but I figured there had to be something there for him to make a statement like that.

I certainly see where he is coming from. I loved every second. Christian McKay is wonderful as Orson. Beyond wonderful. The production design is perfectly evocative. The film looked beautiful. I loved listening to the underscoring and trying to pinpoint the various songs.

Efron is fine. It's a role where things happen around him more than anything else. He has very little agency, thus while he is the lead the movie is much more about the whole surrounding him.

By the time we got to see the production of JULIUS CAESAR that the film centers around, I was in love with this film. I'll be seeing it at least once more in theaters.

All in all, I feel safe saying I highly recommend it. Reminded me of the many, many reasons why I love theatre. And it made me want to rent a lot of Welles films. I am ashamed to say that the only one I have seen is CITIZEN KANE.

Also, the trailer does not do the film justice. McKay as Welles is the pulse of the film (He would have to be, or else the film would be a failure. It's Orson Welles!) But the trailer did not convey that at all.

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Updated On: 12/13/09 at 04:35 PM

Touch of Evil is indeed amazing. I also really like his Othello (Macbeth, however, is another story) and The Trial under his direction as well. The Lady of Shanghai and Dr. Arkadin also had their moments. Only film I haven't seen is The Stranger.

I think the film's trailer was simply to get people into the seats because of Zac Efron. Nobody knows Christian McKay, as legendary of a figure he plays, Efron is more en vogue. Plus it is not like Linklater can get fans of Welles to come on in marketing his own filmography when his most well-known works are Dazed & Confused and School of Rock. Good movies but not likely to get people to buy he can do a film about Orson Welles and the theater.

nmartin: Thanks for the suggestions! I'll put those at the top of my list.

strummergirl: I agree. I don't fault the distributors/studios for that trailer, hoping to get people in the seats. But I felt those on the board should know that the trailer surely doesn't capture what I think many would love about the film.

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Wow- I envy anyone who hasn't seen Touch of Evil- you get to see it for the first time! I wish I could do that (again).

The scenes with Welles and Dietrich go beyond everything else in the movie.