tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post6225097845866288071..comments2024-02-06T16:17:25.826+00:00Comments on THE GRØNMARK BLOG: Intolerance, McCabe and Mrs. Miller, The Big Lebowski, The Conversation - four classic films I just don't "get"Scott Gronmarkhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15118026157459333174noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-89330268949206068632018-01-05T19:05:44.750+00:002018-01-05T19:05:44.750+00:00"What do you reckon to that 'Conversation..."What do you reckon to that 'Conversation' picture, then?"<br />"Load of old bollocks."<br /><br />I'm delighted to learn that I'm not alone in my scepticism. I must also admit that I never really understood all the fuss about "Apocalypse Now". Some good scenes, certainly, but I couldn't take it seriously once Marlon Brando's vast bald head loomed out of the darkness and he started mumbling complete tosh. Although Apocalypse Now made a profit, poor old Coppola seemed to go into terminal artistic decline around the time of his greatest artistic triumph, The Godfather Part II. Presumably, "success so huge and wholly farcical" proved too much for him - terrible shame. Scott Gronmarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118026157459333174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-91247942098112207132018-01-05T18:45:13.352+00:002018-01-05T18:45:13.352+00:00The only thing that disappointed me about the deep...The only thing that disappointed me about the deeply wonderful "O Brother Where Art Thou?" was that Ralph Stanley's haunting "Oh Death" is meant to be sung by the film's main baddie, whose voice bears no relation to Ralph Stanley's. Apart from that, it's a feelgood masterpiece. The good thing about the Coens is that, unlike directors who tend to go rapidly into a terminal decline after a sustained period of success (as happened to Billy Wilder), they have their ups and downs, so one always lives in the hope that the next one will be brilliant - and it often is.Scott Gronmarkhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15118026157459333174noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-89631947845595748062017-12-29T20:29:16.596+00:002017-12-29T20:29:16.596+00:00There are loads of learned essays about The Conver...There are loads of learned essays about The Conversation and how Caul’s “exteriority” owing to his non-participative surveillant life leads to his inability to connect with people and his failure to prevent the murder once he enters the participative world. <br /><br />It’s all a load of bollocks really. In the end, the whole film revolves around the phrase “he’d kill us if he had the chance”. As the film’s editor has admitted, they changed the recording of the phrase at the end of the film to emphasise the words “us” and “he” in a way that they were not when first heard in the film. Ironic that Coppola manipulated sound in a way that negates the values he ascribes to the sound expert of a lead figure in his own film. In short, it is a massive con on the viewer and once seen, no one can return to it without suspending that sense of being taken for a mug.ex-KCSnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2215553202978284468.post-52343798532684884892017-12-29T12:42:37.894+00:002017-12-29T12:42:37.894+00:00I gave my full attention to "The Hudsucker Pr...I gave my full attention to "The Hudsucker Proxy" for at least 20 minutes. 20 minutes of my life wasted; as a fan of the Coen brothers I am sorry for that. I am with you in the choice of your favourite three, and could watch the Soggy Bottom Boys any time with great enjoyment.Helennoreply@blogger.com