C/D -- Charlie Kaufman

See, for the last 20 mins I was all I GET IT AWREADY.

The first 20 mins of the Barris movie are astonishing -- big ups to Rockwell and Clooney -- then it just sorta flops around.

Adaptation really merits repeated viewing, too. crazy brilliant.

BJM revolves around a really interesting idea. Its Metaness is secondary.
I have a problem with this statement, because while it may revolve around a really interesting idea, once you see or hear that idea it's like OK, that's cool, now what? And there's nothing there. A movie has to be better than its synopsis (or gimmick) for me to care.

Eternal Sunshine is as meta and formalist as either of the other ones, but that nakedly emo bullshit core gives me a reason to want to see it again.

I personally love his first two films for daring to be so meta and formal in an age of formulaic blockbusters

It's no stretch for any screenwriter or director with half a brain to be meta. Gimme a formulaic blockbuster any day: at least the stars are prettier.

new project: Steve Carell as a screenwriter, Jack Black as his film blogger nemesis.

http://www.awardsdaily.com/2011/10/about-that-new-charlie-kaufman-screenplay-frank-or-francis/

to HBO, with Keener.

http://blogs.indiewire.com/theplaylist/charlie-kaufman-to-write-direct-hbo-series-starring-catherine-keener-20120521#

Okay, yeah, I'm 100% on board with that.

^well, what happened with this?

New TV pilot:

http://www.deadline.com/2014/01/john-hawkes-michael-cera-to-star-in-charlie-kaufmans-fx-comedy-pilot/

Okay, yeah, I'm at least 92% on board with that.

lol

http://www.clickhole.com/article/cinephiles-rejoice-here-are-9-screenshots-movie-ad-3714

maybe more appropriate for a spike jonze thread though

Anyone read his novel?

“ B. Rosenberger Rosenberg, neurotic and underappreciated film critic (failed academic, filmmaker, paramour, shoe salesman who sleeps in a sock drawer)”

Pass.

No but it is being aggressively advertised to me on various platforms

Is there any talk around here about his new movie on Netflix?

I’m only about 2/3 through and had to take a break. But holy shit. It’s kind of incredible.

curious even though i hated anomalisa

same on both counts

Anyone read his novel?

I did. It’s ridiculous and annoying and brilliant and beautiful. I missed it when it was done.

I really disliked Anomalisa too fwiw.

This kinda became a different thing in the last 1/3 or so and I’m not sure how a feel about the turn, but the first chunk of this is pretty incredible. Don’t think I’ve felt or thought this many things simultaneously moment to moment in a film. Really masterful.

Total sucker for Kaufman and can't wait to see this. Somebody start a I'm Thinking of Ending Things thread!

Watched last night. I was pretty stoned, which helped, I think, but I'm not sure I was convinced by what he does at the end.

Yep, same. But I already want to watch this again, and that says something considering how bleak and uncomfortable it is.

Really loved it

Found this completely insufferable. Think the Variety review is if anything not harsh enough https://variety.com/2020/film/reviews/im-thinking-of-ending-things-review-charlie-kaufman-jessie-buckley-jesse-plemons-1234748508/

That’s an incredibly facile and surface read of the movie. Like there are so many other things happening beneath the surface that aren’t acknowledged at all.

“a bad-news “Twilight Zone” episode that isn’t telling difficult truths; it’s just a Debbie Downer dud”

c’mon

“In the sheep pen, a couple of lambs have died and are frozen solid, which inspires Jake to tell a lovely story about pigs who got eaten alive by maggots. I think it’s supposed to be a metaphor. (Life is like a pig eaten by maggots — you never know what you’re gonna get!)”

I’m interested to read some actual thoughtful swipes at this, but that Gleiberman review is terrible.

Real dunce shit

Like if you see this as a “bummer town sad sack movie about the impossibility of romantic relationships... and then it gets SURREAL” were you watching this shit over the top of your phone? There is a world of things about communication and relating, internal lives against external, hidden histories, shame and reckoning with the past, this play with the audience over sympathies and feelings about characters, the humiliation and horror of aging, the drifting away and changes of loved ones aging, relating to the world and creating yourself through the ideas of others, peace and solace found in fantasy. To say nothing of the fact that this couple might be some fusion of a grander self or maybe some fragment of the janitor’s psyche or whatever.

Just a ton of shit to chew on that that stupid review doesn’t even care to acknowledge. It’s hardly subtext for Christ’s sake.

Also, it’s legitimately laugh out loud funny at points.

Sounds like he wants CK minus the cynicism and navel-gazery which leaves...

He thought Anomalisa was great though. Easily the worst thing he’s done and knocked my appreciation for him down a few notches. This was a solid correction.