― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:23 (nineteen years ago) link
We have now officially punctured the flimsy battlements of rational thought and are now skipping willy-nilly through the wilderness of insanity.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:26 (nineteen years ago) link
― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:29 (nineteen years ago) link
(Nothing wrong with that. It's just... well... English Kate should be able to explain more the whole connection between slashfic and that peculiar sort of fanhood that, well, uh, never mind.)
Also, no one ever talks about Toni Collette's fantastic Liza-in-Cabaret-as-Angie-Bowie tour de force.
DUDE! I keep on forgetting to give Toni Collette as not-Angie the props it deserves! She's one of the major reasons why I like that film as much as I do. She's, like, totally on fire. Burning the celluloid down.
I also liked Bale's "MOM! DAD! That's MEE!" yelp.
Awwwww, one of the scenes that makes you like Arthur more and more as the movie progresses.
I am still annoyed a full version of the fake 80s corp rock song by Shudder to Think, "People Rocking People," has not surfaced. (You can hear it playing at a couple of points in the 1984 sequences, as in the start of the bar scene.)
Heh. Why am I not surprised that you would easily be able to name that song, Ned? Anyway, I had no idea that was the (a.) artist behind the song and (b.) the name of the song itself. Wow. That was a good approximation of soulless '80s AOR, wasn't it? Very convincing.
― The Spirit of Sam Endicott (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:30 (nineteen years ago) link
But you are good and not evil, so the other Robinsons referred to must be the evil ones.
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:31 (nineteen years ago) link
David Bowie >>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>> the Black Crowes
(i.e. I agree with Ferlin Huxley et. al.)
― The Spirit of Sam Endicott (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:31 (nineteen years ago) link
One and a half listenable songs ('Queen Bitch' and the duet w/ Mick Jagger) - but he was cool in Labyrinth.
― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:44 (nineteen years ago) link
― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― kingfish maximum overdrunk (Kingfish), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:45 (nineteen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:50 (nineteen years ago) link
― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:51 (nineteen years ago) link
― jed_ (jed), Friday, 22 April 2005 01:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ken L (Ken L), Friday, 22 April 2005 02:15 (nineteen years ago) link
Yet you're completely fine with the Black Crowes? FETCH HITHER A STRAIGHT-JACKET!
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 April 2005 02:17 (nineteen years ago) link
― David R. (popshots75`), Friday, 22 April 2005 03:23 (nineteen years ago) link
KATE DUDSON. For starters.
― Vic in Alderaan (Vic), Friday, 22 April 2005 04:11 (nineteen years ago) link
Philip Seymour Hoffman, and if you ask me, he overplayed his hand in that role.
― Alex in NYC (vassifer), Friday, 22 April 2005 04:19 (nineteen years ago) link
― happy fun ball (kenan), Friday, 22 April 2005 04:52 (nineteen years ago) link
― Lapdog Shoesnog (kate), Friday, 22 April 2005 09:54 (nineteen years ago) link
― roxymuzak (roxymuzak), Friday, 22 April 2005 10:40 (nineteen years ago) link
― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 17:04 (nineteen years ago) link
glam is classic. david bowie is classic. iggy pop is classic. "citizen kane" is classic. despite all these things, "velvet goldmine" is a dud.
― J.D. (Justyn Dillingham), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:31 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:36 (nineteen years ago) link
People who hate it seem to be responding to the director (hey, I can't stand any of Crowe's other movies) or the culture's response or even just looking for something 180 degrees from what Crowe wanted to show.
― milozauckerman (miloaukerman), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:55 (nineteen years ago) link
― M. White (Miguelito), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:56 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 21:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 21:58 (nineteen years ago) link
― M. White (Miguelito), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Shakey Mo Collier, Friday, 22 April 2005 22:00 (nineteen years ago) link
― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:04 (nineteen years ago) link
― Ned Raggett (Ned), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:12 (nineteen years ago) link
― Failin Huxley (noodle vague), Friday, 22 April 2005 22:14 (nineteen years ago) link
Holy shit! I need to hear that song again to hear this for myself. Uh, but first, where did I put my VG soundtrack? *laughs* Oh wait, I think I know where it is. Anyway, this thread could very well cause me to dig up my VG soundtrack and stop (temporarily) with the classic New Wave stuff I'm massively into right now. OH! And it's pretty cool seeing most of Radiohead SUCCESSFULLY do glam; if I had been a rational-thinking individual, this should've given me an impetus to check out the band's musical output. But, hey, "Creep" was one of my favorite songs of the year it came out in and that wasn't enough to... uh, excuse me, I think I'm going to kick my own ass now. ;)
Really, though, I think I was most intrigued by the fact that the movie afforded me the first chance I'd ever had to hear the original Cockney Rebel version of "(Come Up And See Me) Make Me Smile". The only version I'd heard of that song was the Duran cover and these were still pre-file sharing days for me, so when I heard the original in the closing credits for the very first time, my heart skipped multiple beats and I almost sucked the air out of the auditorium. Verdict at the time, though, was that I was kinda disappointed by how mellow it was, though now I'm totally equally in love with both versions.
― Goodbye Indian Summer (Dee the Lurker), Friday, 22 April 2005 23:05 (nineteen years ago) link
― edd s hurt (ddduncan), Saturday, 23 April 2005 14:42 (nineteen years ago) link
holy shit almost famous is the probably the worst movie i've ever seen in my life
― J0rdan S., Sunday, 8 June 2008 07:21 (fifteen years ago) link
this actually gets more inexplicable by the scene
― J0rdan S., Sunday, 8 June 2008 07:22 (fifteen years ago) link
oh lol here is the sister randomly in the same airport ^_^
― J0rdan S., Sunday, 8 June 2008 07:23 (fifteen years ago) link
i'm bewildered by the anti-grandmother stance of blount's first post
― J.D., Sunday, 8 June 2008 07:35 (fifteen years ago) link
ned's first post on this was so right, no more needs to be said.
― Maria, Sunday, 8 June 2008 12:23 (fifteen years ago) link
almost famous is the big chill of my generation (people who were teens in the first half of the 70s)
― m coleman, Sunday, 8 June 2008 12:33 (fifteen years ago) link
in other words -- sentimental and mawkish exercise in nostalgia. but hey, i liked it so shoot me now.
― m coleman, Sunday, 8 June 2008 12:36 (fifteen years ago) link
i liked it
― Surmounter, Sunday, 8 June 2008 12:39 (fifteen years ago) link
almost famous' only saving grace is that it introduced me to Zooey Deschanel.
― will, Sunday, 8 June 2008 15:12 (fifteen years ago) link
actually, it might have been Mumford that did that (underrated flick btw) but I think AF is where I fell in love.
The rest of it is a steaming pile though.
― will, Sunday, 8 June 2008 15:14 (fifteen years ago) link
which is kinda funny cause Mumford and the Big Chill both written & directed by Kasdan
― will, Sunday, 8 June 2008 15:34 (fifteen years ago) link
hahaha
Almost Famous had some great moments and solid acting (especially on the part of Crudup) but I remember being disappointed that it had such a cliche Hollywood ending (Everyone is saved and it all works out thanks to the power of Rock 'n' Roll).
Its mistakes aside, it is miles better than Velvet Goldmine. As much as I like Bowie, Roxy, etc more than early 1970s blues rock VG is the crappier film. The Bowie character is unlikeable, the Iggy Pop character somewhat interesting (but he sadly gets less time than Bowie) and the Bale character is left to be too mysterious for his own good.
Also, it's incredibly pretentious (The Oscar Wilde connection/Gay ring scenes FTL) and, ironically, manages to outdo Cameron Crowe in the hero worship department. As much as Crowe gets hammered for being a wistful and self-congratulating baby boomer he at least showed some distance and had some criticism for certain parts of the "rock and roll life" (though he sort of undoes all the criticism with the aforementioned Hollywood happy ending). Haynes' movie just reminded me why I couldn't stand more than fifteen minutes of I'm Not There: it's flat-out idolatrous towards its subject matter, and ends up providing little insight because of it.
I'd think you'd have to be of the mindset that the VG-inspiring period, culture and archetypes are infinitely more interesting than the ones found in Almost Famous to excuse all the nostalgia and bedroom-poster worship that goes on in VG and then have all sorts of unbalanced hate for AF for going on a nostalgia trip.
― Cunga, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 06:30 (fifteen years ago) link
The 'surprise' end of VG, that the loungey singer right at the start of the film was the 'missing' whassisname, um, I thought it so obvious that it was a given for the audience...
― Mark G, Tuesday, 24 June 2008 08:16 (fifteen years ago) link
Almost Famous is amazing! I thought it would inspire me to write a great article, but instead it inspired me to quit my job!
I don't know what I would think of it had i not related to the film so well...I'm very similar to Fugit's character (granted, I have yet to write for Rolling Stone or Creem).
― Tape Store, Wednesday, 16 July 2008 22:38 (fifteen years ago) link
John Simon articulated my own feelings about Almost Famous better than I did earlier regarding the cop-out tone of the movie:
"William's big dilemma is whether to tell the truth about the tour and alienate the band, or write a puff piece, and have Rolling Stone reject it. The youth opts for the former, but is forgiven by the band, whose reputation soars because of the article; Crowe makes the opposite choice with his movie and, whatever success it may reap, loses me."
"Some films are just good enough for you to have wished them a bit better. They are a little too sentimental, soft, and mildly dishonest to be much more than a slightly melancholy missed opportunity."
― Cunga, Sunday, 16 August 2009 08:27 (fourteen years ago) link
holy shit almost famous is the probably the worst movie i've ever seen in my life ― J0rdan S.
vs.
Almost Famous is amazing! I thought it would inspire me to write a great article, but instead it inspired me to quit my job! ― Tape Store
I just watched this last night, so I searched to see how ILX viewed it.
If I had taken this movie at all seriously, as a heartfelt statement about youth and coming of age, or as an homage to an era of music I felt deeply about, or as an ode to the value of music journalism, I probably would have been as disgusted as Jordan. I suppose, if I were young enough, there's an outside chance I might have been as inspired as Tape Store. As it was, I merely enjoyed it because it was affectionate and shallow and cartoony and it made me laugh out loud five or six times. It entertained me for two hours and I'll have forgotten all about it in two weeks.
― A is for (Aimless), Saturday, 3 June 2017 19:32 (six years ago) link