The Wasson book isn’t nearly as good as his Bob Fosse bio or book on Chinatown.
Didn't read the Fosse book, but agree completely with the second half of that. It's been a real slog for me, with some point of interest now and again.
― clemenza, Wednesday, 24 January 2024 20:32 (four months ago) link
Looks like Megalopolis got screened the other week:
The project, which Coppola first began writing in 1983, cost a reported $120 million to make — funded in part by the sale of a significant portion of his wine empire (the 2021 deal was reportedly worth over $500 million). Clocking in at two hours and 15 minutes, the film follows the rebuilding of a metropolis after its accidental destruction, with two competing visions — one from an idealist architect (Adam Driver), the other from its pragmatist mayor (Giancarlo Esposito) — clashing in the process. References to ancient Rome — including Caesar haircuts on the men — abound.Coppola, 84, has said no decisions will be made regarding a festival bow until a distribution plan is put in place. But while there was no shortage of curious suitors there — in addition to Rothman and Sarandos, Warner Bros.’ Pam Abdy, Disney live-action boss David Greenbaum, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Paramount’s Marc Weinstock were all spotted — multiple sources inside the screening tell The Hollywood Reporter that Megalopolis will face a steep uphill battle to find a distribution partner. Says one distributor: “There is just no way to position this movie.”“Everyone is rooting for Francis and feels nostalgic,” adds another attendee. “But then there is the business side of things.”A third attendee noted “a conspicuous silence at the end of it,” but stopped short of writing off the film as a failed exercise. “Does it wobble, wander, go all over the place? Yes. But it’s really imaginative and does say something about our time. I think it’s going to be a small, specialized label [that picks it up].”
Coppola, 84, has said no decisions will be made regarding a festival bow until a distribution plan is put in place. But while there was no shortage of curious suitors there — in addition to Rothman and Sarandos, Warner Bros.’ Pam Abdy, Disney live-action boss David Greenbaum, Netflix’s Ted Sarandos and Paramount’s Marc Weinstock were all spotted — multiple sources inside the screening tell The Hollywood Reporter that Megalopolis will face a steep uphill battle to find a distribution partner. Says one distributor: “There is just no way to position this movie.”
“Everyone is rooting for Francis and feels nostalgic,” adds another attendee. “But then there is the business side of things.”
A third attendee noted “a conspicuous silence at the end of it,” but stopped short of writing off the film as a failed exercise. “Does it wobble, wander, go all over the place? Yes. But it’s really imaginative and does say something about our time. I think it’s going to be a small, specialized label [that picks it up].”
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 April 2024 01:36 (one month ago) link
(More at the link, including what sounds like a, how to put it, questionable scene involving Jon Voight.)
― Ned Raggett, Tuesday, 9 April 2024 01:38 (one month ago) link
Megalopolis scene
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZZL3U1j3K1c
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Saturday, 4 May 2024 19:16 (four weeks ago) link
Trying to make sense of the Megalopolis descriptions in Sam Wasson's book--which starts present-day--was a real chore. That clip is sort of interesting, I guess, but hard to gauge much unless characters are interacting--Coppola's masterpieces in the '70s had great performances top to bottom
― clemenza, Saturday, 4 May 2024 22:04 (four weeks ago) link
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RU1QyAYa60g
― an icon of a worried-looking, long-haired, bespectacled man (C. Grisso/McCain), Tuesday, 14 May 2024 15:09 (two weeks ago) link
Reading reports on Twitter, this sounds terrible
― default damager (lukas), Thursday, 16 May 2024 20:41 (two weeks ago) link
Midnight Cowboy reunion! (True: I momentarily wondered if Voight and Hoffman had ever done a film together and googled it.)
― clemenza, Thursday, 16 May 2024 21:01 (two weeks ago) link
good screen slate podcast with vadim rizov sharing impressionss: https://www.screenslate.com/articles/episode-38-megalopolis-vadim-rizov
― devvvine, Thursday, 16 May 2024 21:06 (two weeks ago) link
as someone who thought the teaser looked awful, i'm glad to have been right. though the people who have been annoying about this film will continue to be so.
― devvvine, Thursday, 16 May 2024 21:07 (two weeks ago) link
David Ehrlich and Bilge Ebiri both liked ithttps://www.indiewire.com/criticism/movies/megalopolis-review-francis-ford-coppola-1235005694/https://www.vulture.com/article/review-francis-ford-coppolas-megalopolis-is-totally-nuts.html
― jaymc, Thursday, 16 May 2024 21:37 (two weeks ago) link
i'm more interested in interesting failures than boring ones so this sounds like it might be along those lines.
― I? not I! He! He! HIM! (akm), Thursday, 16 May 2024 22:46 (two weeks ago) link
Two of my favorite film writers.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Thursday, 16 May 2024 23:42 (two weeks ago) link
surprising no one i predict i will love this
― ivy., Friday, 17 May 2024 00:49 (two weeks ago) link
I've read some really scathing reviews, but it does sound interesting
― Dan S, Friday, 17 May 2024 00:50 (two weeks ago) link
Those reviews are a big red flag for me. "Fever dream" turns up in both; "...the beautiful, woozy, unforgettable, financially dead-on-arrival One From the Heart." For some people, I guess; I thought most of it was embarrassing.
― clemenza, Friday, 17 May 2024 01:06 (two weeks ago) link
looks cool to me. though I liked Twixt so am naturally excited to see what the director can do with a bigger budget.
― willips brighton the quorners (geoffreyess), Friday, 17 May 2024 01:07 (two weeks ago) link
Speaking of One From the Heart, Driver's haircut resembles Frederic Forrest's cut from OFTH.
― jbn, Saturday, 18 May 2024 13:46 (two weeks ago) link
I didn't like One From the Heart but I have more patience in this MU-dominated world by expensive auteurist farragoes. I'll watch this gladly.
― the talented mr pimply (Alfred, Lord Sotosyn), Saturday, 18 May 2024 13:51 (two weeks ago) link
by=for
Crassus’ sociopathic court jester of a son, Clodio Pulcher (a palpably malevolent Shia LaBeouf)
glad the head start got coppola to this first
― difficult listening hour, Saturday, 18 May 2024 14:13 (two weeks ago) link
the people who have been annoying about this film will continue to be so
new board description, surely
― difficult listening hour, Saturday, 18 May 2024 14:15 (two weeks ago) link