Comments on: TFT 94 – Capitalism / Zombieland

By: ‘I’m up to my Neck in being an American, whether I like it or not’ « god is not elsewhere / some conversation about movies, art, politics and spirituality with gareth higgins

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 05:04:19 +0000

[...] Wallace Shawn – you know, Wallace Shawn, man of wit and letters, agreeable suppers with theatre directors, and potentially poisoned cups of mead, has some things to say about life. Haymarket Books have gathered his elegant essays in a book which turns out to be one of the wisest and most pleasurable I’ve read in a while. He riffs on topics as varied and inextricably connected as the relationship between artists and the corporations who fund so many of us, the dependability of sex and our inability to talk about it, and what he considers the detachment from morality that occurs when you stop noticing the connection between imperialism and you. You can hear his inimitable voice as you read, and, for myself at least, might rather wish you were discussing this with him in a cafe, just like he does with Michael Moore in ‘Capitalism: A Love Story’. [...]

By: The Film Talk » ‘I’m Up to My Neck in Being an American, whether I Like it or Not’

Wed, 14 Oct 2009 22:50:03 +0000

By: John Muth

John Muth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:43:39 +0000

I personally don't feel like you have a reason to feel bad – other than the thing about directly saying that after Gareth saying he liked the movie. But, I think that he called you out on it, and that should be that. :)

(But, I am happy you're going to give it another look, I just hope you don't wind up feeling like you've wasted your money on a movie you don't really care for.)

By: Jett Loe

Jett Loe — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:29:07 +0000

i still feel bad about 'bucket of pissgate' – on TFT 95 am going to have to do a 'Zombieland Reconsidered' segment.

By: John Muth

John Muth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 10:26:21 +0000

It's interesting in seeing the different viewpoints people come at for movies. The description you gave for Zombieland, and then the movie you recommended – FIDO – would actually be the two that I would put together. FIDO is a cool, high-concept film, not done particularly well; the funny moments are presented in a way that makes you think “that's funny” but just don't click. And it looks extremely cheaply made, even considering the period decor.

But, one man's good time is another's bucket of piss, or so they say. :)

By: John Muth

John Muth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:43:39 +0000

(But, I am happy you're going to give it another look, I just hope you don't wind up feeling like you've wasted your money on a movie you don't really care for.)

By: Jett Loe

Jett Loe — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:29:07 +0000

i still feel bad about 'bucket of pissgate' – on TFT 95 am going to have to do a 'Zombieland Reconsidered' segment.

By: John Muth

John Muth — Wed, 07 Oct 2009 03:26:21 +0000

But, one man's good time is another's bucket of piss, or so they say. :)

By: bookscout

bookscout — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 17:16:01 +0000

I saw Zombieland and there is nothing here that wasn't done better in the Dawn of the Dead remake or Shaun of the Dead. I smirked, I thought “that's funny” but I didn't laugh – it just isn't very funny. Hell, the videogame Left 4 Dead is more interesting. If you want to see an interesting zombie movie, see the forgotten gem Fido.
The main problem? It's called Zombieland and they go to an urban center with 4+ million bodies and there are maybe a total of 50 people on the screen at once – no scope at all and serious disrespect for the audience. Thing just reeks of cheapness – the graphics and slo-mo are cute, but mainly serve to keep actors from getting scale for speaking roles.

By: Jett Loe

Jett Loe — Tue, 06 Oct 2009 16:51:09 +0000

I wonder if he'd refuse to see himself.