Taika Waititi

Fush and chups

i loved waititi's reverend character and the eulogy he gave at the funeral, it was so loony but also recognisable.

I loved Hunt For The Wilderpeople much more than the (slightly drab) WWDITS, just earlier watched "Boy" and it was definitely more in the zone of the former. The main kid wasn't on a par with the HFTWP kid, but the director had a bigger role, as the dad, and pretty much stole the show I'd say. Anyrate, if you liked HFTWP you'd surely like Boy. It's all the same deadpan delivery, but I just prefer it coming from "real" families than vampires. Realism isn't the point in any of them, it's all stylised, but Boy has some proper emotional depth if you ever had a father who wasn't a father, also there is some dust in the air of this room.
I did see Eagle vs. Shark some years ago, I recall liking it but don't recall enough to vouch for it at this point.

that would match my review of EvS

Shame he's already been sucked into the Marvel universe, because there is really no room for his voice in Thor, I don't think. Or maybe I will be proven wrong (again).

― Josh in Chicago, Sunday, 16 October 2016

most pleasant surprise in all the thor material released so far is how foregrounded his voice is, i think

not just in the thor-and-darryl housemate bonus stuff but in the trailers too - 'he's a friend from work!', thor's insistence to banner that he won the fight with the hulk, thor butthurt with hulk about how they're actually both like fire... the content and the line readings all definitely seem of a piece with shadows and wilderpeople imo

saw (and loved) wilderpeople last night

it reminded me a bit of vincent ward's 1984 NZ film vigil -- certainly set in a similar landscape, though a very different tone

http://www.nzfilm.co.nz/sites/nzfc/files/styles/film-promotional-image/public/images/films/promotional-images/Vigil%20copy.JPG?itok=4aMgccPk

(lol this was the only mention of vigil i could find on ilx: Movies with rain scenes )

Top of the lake also had some similar settings

tonally....quite different

I've seen this movie three times and it gets better and sadder and funnier and I've decided NZ is just Ireland but sunnier afaict

vigil makes it look like wales but rainier iirc

Principality Rainier n'est pas

wilderpeople is great - really liked seeing the angry cop show up as jeff goldblum’s sidekick in thor!

she's not a cop! she gets lectured about this at the end by the cop she travels round with

cophood is a state of mind man

Just remembered 'Hunt For The Wilderpeople'. Such a lovely amazing film. It deserves to become a cult classic

Saw that with my wife and daughter a few weeks ago. It was a pleasant surprise. We had put it on after the kids fell asleep because "it's another comedy by the guy who did that vampire movie." Then it turned out to be not the same kind of thing at all! But I guess we lucked out on a family-friendly romp, because my kid woke up about 10 minutes into it (she was in the middle of a bout of flu or something), and watched the whole thing with us.

Waititi was talking about the What We Do In Shadows sequel ('We're Wolves') again recently. Can't tell whether it's just vaporware or not. While I would welcome more horror-comedy from these guys, that title is so good it almost feels like it should just exist on its own, ,like a Chinese Democracy of supernatural mockumentaries .

What We Do in the Shadows is so absolutely hilarious. Every single episode.

oh shit, thanks for the rec. i love the movie and had no idea they were making a series.

This is the second spin-off series btw (despite the thread title Taika is not significantly involved)

He directed at least two of the 10 episodes and acted in one, so there is that.

yah but not developing or writing or producing

How involved were you in the brainstorming? Did you leave it entirely to Jemaine?

Waititi: I left it to Jemaine and I'd just read drafts and if I had any notes, I'd give suggestions, like character things or location things. When it got to directing the pilot, then I came in. I finished Thor, Thor had come out, then I think I just had a couple of months and then got onto the pilot. The job of making that film was so intense and so involved. I wouldn't have been able to do it. I wasn't able to do anything. The idea was I would secretly write other films while I was doing it, but I just couldn't.

Regardless, it feels very much like the film. Well worth it!

Yeah agreed the whole thing is v consistent

It’s very good and exactly like the movie. The cast is almost as good as the original one which is quite a performance ! Matt Berry is particularly fun. And the series format suits the concept better imo since I loved the movie but it struggled to keep the pace/level over the full length.

Witches/semen routine in the final ep slayed me.

Pretty sure Taika wasn't involved in Wellington Paranormal at all, it was Jemaine and Jackie van Beek.

Plus some additions actually improve on the movie: Guillermo, the female vampire(s), the energy vampire ... The guest stars have been great, too, esp. Berry. I love how all the vampires are neurotic and dorky and weird and traditional and set in their ways but also prone to just hilarious crass outbursts:

“I cannot even speak the name of the vampire that organized that monstrosity.”

"I don’t give a fuck! His name was Mike.”

“Fucking Mike!

Eheh yes Guillermo. Or Gizmo as Berry called him at some point !

I also love how they call Colin Robinson Colinrobinson, all as one word.

Okay so

From "Visionistical" director, Teeka Wachichi, here's a "teezer traylor", for my anti-hate satire, #JojoRabbit, in theaters October 18. @rebelwilson @alfieeallen #ThomasinMcKenzie #RomanGriffinDavis @stephenmerchant #samrockwell #scarlettjohansson @jojorabbitmovie #visionistical pic.twitter.com/8o8X8cyJTD

— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) July 23, 2019

<3

learning that Taika Waititi is Jewish as well as Maori was one of the best moments of my life and also explains his uncommon handsomeness

The film follows a lonely young German boy who concocts an imaginary friend who just so happens to be Adolf Hitler to cope with the bullying from his peers. But things take an interesting turn when he strikes up a real friendship with a very real girl who challenges his beliefs.

yessssssssssssss

Watched the shadow movie and series. Both so funny. The episode where they hit the bars with the baron was amazing. Shots shots shots!

the werewolf rumble is a one-shot gag but amazing windup and probably the biggest laugh in the series

ENBB if you enjoyed both it's probably worth checking out Hunt for the Wilderpeople

looks great

That looks brilliant.

Hunt for the wilder people was such an unexpected pleasure. It did not turn out to be the movie I thought it was. Bother he series and the movie of what we do in the shadows are fantastic too.

Prompted by my seeking the absolutely joyous hunt for the wilderpeople today and for not the first time being reminded that this guy has a knack of making films that actually deliver far and beyond what I expect when I see the trailer.

Joyous, I said

― the kids are alt right (darraghmac), Sunday, 16 October 2016 17:57 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink

if ppl are still sleeping on this movie 30 months after this known-quantity-grouch used "joyous" twice thats an awful mark against them imo

Agreed, we also found it delightful

Hunt for the Wilderpeople so good, Top 5 last year for me

i couldn't stand this, it was so insufferably twee and indie i had to turn it off after about 10 minutes.

― Bein' Sean Bean (LocalGarda), Monday, 27 March 2017 16:02 (two years ago) bookmarkflaglink

I like how LG here plays the role of the Sam Neill character and the film stands in for the kid - unfortunately he fails to go on the journey which would redeem both of them.

hee hee

Rogermex - yes. I’m still laughing at “we’re werepeople not swearpeople.”

One of my coworkers is from NZ and said wilderpeople is great. Will watch.

learning that Taika Waititi is Jewish as well as Maori was one of the best moments of my life and also explains his uncommon handsomeness

― president of deluded fruitcakes anonymous (silby), Tuesday, July 23, 2019 12:36 PM (yesterday) bookmark flag link

Yes! I love him.

its almost as if we shpuldnt be offended that some kiwis opinion is worth more than ours

Oh you know that’s not what I meant. Also, lol:

anyway watch it before fri week or im not talkin to u

Lol will do.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tL4McUzXfFI

I don't know, there are so many things about that that make me want to be on board, but at the same time I would be lying if I said watching that didn't make me a little sick to my stomach.

One huge thing in its favor is recognizing Thomasin McKenzie as the star of Leave No Trace. She was so good in that.

Jojo Rabbit is a good movie

good to hear. it looks great. some reviews were a bit 'meh'. seeing it thursday when it opens here.

otm, never stop making nazis ridiculous

It's true -- Nazism needs ridiculing, who knew.

You say this like the events of the past three years haven't happened.

― totally unnecessary bewbz of exploitation (DJP), Monday, January 6, 2020 12:26 PM (eighteen minutes ago) bookmarkflaglink

yeah i thought this was really good, it's about the present. everyone is in vague 40's period voice, except waititi's imaginary friend who speaks like a snide internet anon

fwiw I found ScarJo's "they did what they could" (in ref to the ppl strung up in the square) and her later direct advice to "do what you can" to be really moving

This gets a lot of points for effort, but I don't think Waititi quite pulls it off. He is not menacing enough when Hitler gets mad, and while I love the stylized scenes like the one at the swimming pool, he is just not quite a strong enough stylist to really make it pop. Wes Anderson could have created something amazing out of this. On the flipside, it's a better story than the one in Grand Budapest Hotel.

Happy Birthday to my reason for living, @chrishemsworth. There's no one like you. pic.twitter.com/AvKJIjojlJ

— Taika Waititi (@TaikaWaititi) August 12, 2020

Comments are pretty funny, plus they get you to this meta punchline:

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/EfMVokSUYAIT8Cl?format=jpg&name=medium

Working on a movie version of The Incal now. I wonder if Dune being a decent success helped it along.

Jesus now that is unfilmable surely

i was gonna say, that seems a right fool's errand

So, there's a new pirate show coming to HBO, there's a new Thor movie coming to theatres, but apparently Taika filmed, and then recast, and then reshot a bunch of, a movie about the American-Samoa soccer team that has been sitting around for months/years? Starring the mostly MIA Michael Fassbender?

Psyched for the pirate show, Rhys Darby is a delight

Anybody watched this pirate show thing yet? Our Flag Means Death.
NOt sure how successful I found that first episode but not sure how much of this show is him. Beyond him directing that first episode. & appearing in a role later.
But doesn't seem to be as good as Reservation Dogs, though may compare with the quieter bits of What We Do In The Shadows or something.
Felt a bit underwhelmed by that first one but have grabbed the rest of the season so will see if it gets any more immediate. Though maybe I'm just not connecting to the feel. Not sure how well I feel about Pathos as a comedy trope.

I liked it a lot. Definitely gets better as it goes along.

Not saying it's up there with the best of those other shows, but I like everyone involved and it's totally worth sticking with imo.

Also ended up going back to People of Earth, the sitcom by the guy who's actually behind this one (David Jenkins) and found it similarly enjoyable.

Coincidentally just finished watching this - worth sticking with imo, it doesn’t really get into a groove until the third episode or so. It’s surprisingly more character-driven than expected, but the whole cast in general is pretty charming and lovable.

Also while the show bills itself as a pirate comedy, it’s prob a lot more accurate (though slightly spoiler-y) to describe it as a pirate rom-com :)

Enjoyed 2nd episode more than the 1st anyway. Couple of heavy laughs already.
So will go onto rest.

I just finished the season of this, and it was delightful! I will say, the fact that they handle homosexual love without any comment/flinching, just as a completely normal thing, was very refreshing.

Didn't now the guy who did this did People of Earth - liked that too.

It took me a while to finish this as I never felt super compelled to watch the next episode (not a bad thing), but I would also call it delightful. As a long look at the dynamics of masculinity, it deserves at least 10% of the attention Ted Lasso gets.

I haven't seen his earliest films, so this was the most Waititi I've seen on screen (I guess WWDITS was the most previously?) and he was so great, plus I've loved Darby since Conchords, a treat to see them together so much. Lots of other actors were great too, and I really enjoyed the almost stage-life settings. Along with Severance, I count this as a show that benefited from covid filming restrictions to make something unique.

I will be said but not surprised if it doesn't get renewed, but if it does god I hope Lucius isn't actually dead, that was a surprisingly horrid act to nearly end on!

Yeah I really enjoyed the whole ensemble playing the crew. The guy playing Black Pete in particular was killing me with pretty much every line reading. I recognized him from playing various killers and ghouls in assorted crime things over the years, idk if hes done a lot of comedy before but I thought he was really funny.

I'm only about 5 episodes in. I've been watching it with my 10-year old son, which I've questioned a few times the appropriateness of, but he really digs pirates. I agree that the show is very well cast. I also thought Darby was one of the best things about Conchords, and he's hilarious in this.

Show inspired me to pick up the pirate history book Under the Black Flag, and I was delighted to learn that Stede Bonnet was a real figure (idk if its common knowledge but I certainly didnt know about it) and that a surprising number of the details large (his collaboration w/Blackbeard, the "Act of Grace" section) and small (wearing his dressing gown all the time, his onboard library, his crew all thinking Blackbeard was cooler than him) were drawn from history.

I cant find it now but there was a really funny quote in the book from someone who encountered him at sea talking about how he could be always seen on deck just strolling around in beautiful gowns reading a book & not really paying attention to the ship itself.

wow thanks for mentioning that, I had no idea!

Black Pete actor stood out to me too. Hell, I even didn't hate Fred Armisen in this, which is downright miraculous

Ewan Bremner was great in this! I mean he was just playing an insane pirate version of Spud but hey it worked for me.

I normally hate this kind of anachronistic humour, but I love this show.

I gave up most of the way through ep 1, I'll give it another chance.

it's a slow burner. obviously well made but still took me a while to like it.

jojo rabbit was on TV the other week and holey moley, what was he thinking?

God, yeah, absolutely could't stand that. If I hadn't been in the cinema with my mother, I think I would've left halfway through.

REally? I loved that film. Huh.

I get why people diss it but it was still enjoyable to watch, iirc.