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The 100% Totally Official "Would I Like This Movie?" Thread

post #1 of 44
7/21/10 at 12:37am
Thread Starter 
Here's the deal, Samson. You state your case, state the movie title, and the good folks on the CHUD.com message boards do their best to tell you whether or not you would enjoy the movie in question. They may also make fun of you, but I assure you, it's only because they are, in fact, better than you.

So here goes.

WOULD I LIKE...Lost Highway?

I realize that David Lynch is a supremely talented director. I'd have to be a fool not to. Blue Velvet is one of my all-time favorite movies, Twin Peaks one of my all-time favorite shows. Elephant Man is an astounding work of art.

But, even though I can recognize the vast talent and vision behind them, I'm not a fan of his more esoteric work. Eraserhead I like alright, Mulholland Dr. certain scenes get me but overall I'm not a fan, Wild At Heart I literally hated. Basically, I love the surreality of individual scenes but the confusing overall structure of these films always lose me.

I have a chance to see Lost Highway on the big screen, to be followed by a discussion moderated by the AV Club's own Scott Tobias (as it relates to his New Cult Canon column). I understand that, like Mulholland Drive, it's one of Lynch's stranger films, so my question to you is this: Are the images of the film (as seen on The Big Screen) powerful enough to override my aversion to confusing narratives?

The bigger question here is probably "Is this movie important enough that, even if I won't 'like' it, I should see it on the big screen anyway?"

And of course, feel free to consult the CHUD Hivemind on movies that you also aren't sure about.
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post #2 of 44
7/21/10 at 12:51am
If we were just talking about a rental/Netflix I'd say skip it. I think I have a similar relationship with Lynch as you do (except that I liked WILD AT HEART). MULHOLLAND DR is the film I'd most compare LOST HIGHWAY to. LH is my least favorite of his films I've seen (which are most). I'd guess you won't like it.

Buuuut... the context in which you'd be watching it sounds fun. Were I in your place, I'd see it. I don't think you'll like, and I don't think it's a film that is important for you to see, but I can't imagine you'll regret seeing it. It's still Lynch.

EDIT: this is a fun thread. Don't have my own submission just yet, but I like that this will be floating out there now.
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post #3 of 44
7/21/10 at 12:53am
Thread Starter 
I'd see it eventually either way, I basically didn't want to waste the twenty bucks if it'd be a bad experience.

Does Lost Highway have "interpretations" like Mulholland Dr., or is it less of a puzzle movie and more of a surreal experience?
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post #4 of 44
7/21/10 at 12:58am
Quote:
Originally Posted by MightyWorm View Post
If we were just talking about a rental/Netflix I'd say skip it. I think I have a similar relationship with Lynch as you do (except that I liked WILD AT HEART). MULHOLLAND DR is the film I'd most compare LOST HIGHWAY to. LH is my least favorite of his films I've seen (which are most). I'd guess you won't like it.

Buuuut... the context in which you'd be watching it sounds fun. Were I in your place, I'd see it. I don't think you'll like, and I don't think it's a film that is important for you to see, but I can't imagine you'll regret seeing it. It's still Lynch.

EDIT: this is a fun thread. Don't have my own submission just yet, but I like that this will be floating out there now.
Lynch on the big screen is the way to go. Watching it on home video (while still effective) doesn't come close to the effect of watching his shit in a theater. I've lost myself completely during two of his films (Mullholland Drive and Inland Empire). The later literally left me shaking in the theater.

Lost Highway is not his best work, but it's worth seeing and it's interesting. Especially the more criticism you read about it and the more you understand Lynch's intent.

That said, would you like it? Well, it's nothing like Wild at Heart (nothing in Lynch's filmography is, thankfully). But it's no Blue Velvet either. It is, as you say, esoteric. It's closer in spirit to Mullholland Drive then anything else, but it's not quite as good.

My vote is to see it, even if I can't say with confidence that you would like it.

ETA: As to your last question, Patrick: The first time I watched the film, I didn't really care for it. But then I read Lynch give an interview where he confessed it was his response to the OJ Simpson murder case. Keep that in mind and you'll find a lot there to interpret.
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post #5 of 44
7/21/10 at 1:00am
That might be better answered by bigger Lynchians. I'm sure there are plenty of interpretations, as it is incredibly weird, but I personally have not heard the film discussed anywhere near as much as MUH DR. I wasn't able to get into the film because it seemed like weirdness for its own sake.
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post #6 of 44
7/21/10 at 1:01am
Thread Starter 
Yeah, the theater thing was something else I was wondering, since every film of his I've seen has been on DVD. I'm gonna go ahead and get the tickets.
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post #7 of 44
7/21/10 at 1:02am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Parker View Post
it was his response to the OJ Simpson murder case. Keep that in mind and you'll find a lot there to interpret.
That kinda makes me want to rewatch it now. Dammit.
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post #8 of 44
7/21/10 at 1:20am
I'd say if you weren't a fan of Mulholland Dr. you probably won't be much of a fan of Lost Highway. I bet you don't regret seeing Mulholland Dr. though, do you?

That's the thing here. I'm not the biggest fan of Lost Highway but I'm glad I saw it. It's interesting and in no way feels like a waste of time or money. As a film lover, check it out. You know what you're getting yourself into so if you're interested enough to consider it and make this thread there is absolutely no reason to avoid it.
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post #9 of 44
7/21/10 at 2:44am
Your full enjoyment of Lost Highway begins and ends with one question:

Do you like Balthazar Getty? Seriously. This factor impacted my enjoyment of LH in a significant way.
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post #10 of 44
7/21/10 at 4:03am
Pull the trigger, see it.

I can't say you'll love it, and like others said it's more in line with MD than anything else he's done, but to your query re: does it have a larger interpretation--yes, very much so. The OJ thing is pretty spot on, and there are scenes in it that make it totally worthwhile (for the record, I'm a huge Lynch fan and love everything he's done save Dune, and I think the entire film is fantastic, though MD is better). But on the big screen, and with that presentation, I can't imagine it wouldn't be worth it.

My own query:

How is the Mamet scripted remake of The Postman Always Rings Twice. I've always heard its not that good, but not necessarily from people I trust. I'm a giant Mamet fan though, and I;d like to hear from other Mamet fans what they think of it (I'll see it eventually regardless, but its one of those movies that's just been sitting on my queue forever, and that I keep putting off).

Also, a more recent one: Godspeed. Religious thriller that sounds cool, but that I haven't heard anything about. The reviews on Netflix aren't very positive, but I don't really trust those anyway. Unlike the one listed above, I don't want to waste time on this if its an all out piece of shit, so--anyone see it? Any good?
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post #11 of 44
7/21/10 at 5:56am
Go and see the fucking movie, Patrick. Lost Highway is in my all time top 5 films EVA. It's worth taking the risk; if you don't like it, fine, I'll fucking re-imburse you the cost of your ticket if you hated it,. but if you dig it, you just had a one of a kind cinema experience.
Highway is no where near as esoteric as some people seem to think it is; it's a movie that essentially runs on "Dream Logic" as opposed to a straightforward narrative. It's a beatiful, awesome film that has some of the most wonderfully atmospheric moments one can find in cinema.
Also: Patricia Arquette naked. I'm not even that big of a fan and I was impressed.
Don't miss out on this.
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post #12 of 44
7/21/10 at 7:47am
Quote:
Originally Posted by James Woods' Career View Post
Your full enjoyment of Lost Highway begins and ends with one question:

Do you like Balthazar Getty? Seriously. This factor impacted my enjoyment of LH in a significant way.
After watching Lost Highway, read David Foster Wallace's Premiere article about David Lynch on the set of Lost Highway. It doesn't paint Getty in a kind light at all.
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post #13 of 44
7/21/10 at 11:32pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Walker View Post
After watching Lost Highway, read David Foster Wallace's Premiere article about David Lynch on the set of Lost Highway. It doesn't paint Getty in a kind light at all.
Hell yes. The pertinent portion:

Quote:
Originally Posted by David Foster Wallace
Balthazar Getty, about whom the less said the better, probably, except maybe to say that he looks sort of like Tom Hanks and John Cusack and Charlie Sheen all smunched together and then emptied of some ineffable but vital essence. He's not particularly tall, but he looks tall in Lost Highway's footage because he has extremely poor posture and Lynch has for some reason instructed him to exaggerate the poor posture. As a Hot Young Male Actor, Balthazar Getty is to Leonardo DiCaprio roughly what a Ford Escort is to a Lexus. His breakthrough role was as Ralph in the latest Lord of the Flies, in which he was bland and essenceless but not terrible. He was miscast and misdirected as a homeless kid in Where the Day Takes You (like how does a homeless kid manage to have fresh mousse in his hair every day?), and surprisingly good in White Squall.

To be frank, it's almost impossible for me to separate predictions about how good Balthazar Getty's going to be in Lost Highway from my impressions of him as a human being around the set, which latter impressions were so uniformly negative that it's probably better not to say too much about it. For just one thing, he'd annoy the hell out of everybody between takes by running around trying to borrow everybody's cellular phone for an 'emergency.' For another thing, he was a heavy smoker but never had his own cigarettes and was always bumming cigarettes from crewpeople who you could tell were making about I percent of what he was making on the movie. I admit I eavesdropped an some of his cellular-phone conversations, and in one of them he said to somebody 'But what did she say about me?' three times in a row. I admit none of these are exactly capital offenses, but they added up.

Okay, fuck it: The single most annoying thing about Balthazar Getty was that whenever Lynch was around, Getty would be very unctuous and over-respectful and ass-kissy, but when Lynch wasn't around Getty would make fun of him and do an imitation of his distinctive speaking voice that wasn't a very good imitation but struck me as being disrespectful and mean.
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post #14 of 44
7/22/10 at 12:07am
Man...fuck Belthazar Getty.
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post #15 of 44
7/22/10 at 1:11am
See it. If only because you've never seen Lynch in the big house.

It's not one of my personal favorites-- I think he more or less remade it with Mulholland Dr., swapping male leads for female. But in its favor, it has super-creepy Robert Blake, Richard Pryor in his final appearance, Robert Loggia absolutely killing in a road-rage scene, and nude Patricia Arquette.

Nude dancing Patricia Arquette.
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post #16 of 44
7/22/10 at 1:31am
Patrick, as a man who appreciates Lynch more than I like him, I'd say Lost Highway falls somewhere below Wild at Heart on my personal enjoyment level, if that means anything to you. It is pretty insanely weird though, so it's really hard to tell what other people will think of it, even if you know them personally.
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post #17 of 44
7/22/10 at 1:48am
Yeah, thanks for the article from Premier. Read it earlier. Always hated Getty since I came upon that wretched Sol Goode(seriously?). Then I saw LH and hated him even more. Lynch would've been better off bringing in one of the Twin Peaks kids.
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post #18 of 44
7/22/10 at 2:29am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Hammerhead View Post
See it. If only because you've never seen Lynch in the big house.

It's not one of my personal favorites-- I think he more or less remade it with Mulholland Dr., swapping male leads for female. But in its favor, it has super-creepy Robert Blake, Richard Pryor in his final appearance, Robert Loggia absolutely killing in a road-rage scene, and nude Patricia Arquette.

Nude dancing Patricia Arquette.
Oh yeah, this movie is a must thanks to Blake alone. One of the most terrifying characters and performances in the history of film, and that's not hyperbole.
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post #19 of 44
7/22/10 at 8:12am
Patrick, this movie features Bill Pullman, Marilyn Manson, Robert Blake and Richard Pryor. How can you not want to see it?
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post #20 of 44
7/22/10 at 8:29am
I have Seven pounds sat on my DVD shelf that I got cheap from a car boot sale, is it worth my time?

Not sure about serious Will Smith, liked the Pursuit of Happyness and thought parts of Ali were ok but it needed serious trimming.
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post #21 of 44
7/22/10 at 10:52am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Z.Vasquez View Post
Oh yeah, this movie is a must thanks to Blake alone. One of the most terrifying characters and performances in the history of film, and that's not hyperbole.
It's hard for me to watch his performance since he's been arrested for murder for killing his wife. The combination with what the movie is about and the character he plays is just so fucking weird.
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post #22 of 44
7/22/10 at 10:52am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Savage View Post
I have Seven pounds sat on my DVD shelf that I got cheap from a car boot sale, is it worth my time?

Not sure about serious Will Smith, liked the Pursuit of Happyness and thought parts of Ali were ok but it needed serious trimming.
I have not seen it, but have heard it has a hilarious ending *SPOILERS* involving jellyfish *SPOILERS*. That's always something.
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post #23 of 44
7/26/10 at 6:06am
I'd say see it, at least for the experience of seeing it on the big screen. That said, Lost Highway is the weakest of his 'mindfuck' films, but it's still a worthy contribution to his oeuvre.

On a smaller note, I love Wild at Heart. It's one of the funniest films I've ever seen. Strangely enough, If I could ebolish one film from his catalogue, it would be The Elephant Man.
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post #24 of 44
7/26/10 at 11:08am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Savage View Post
I have Seven pounds sat on my DVD shelf that I got cheap from a car boot sale, is it worth my time?

Not sure about serious Will Smith, liked the Pursuit of Happyness and thought parts of Ali were ok but it needed serious trimming.


If you loved (rather than merely liked) Pursuit of Happyness, or indicated you were much more enamored with serious Will Smith, I'd say sure, but it isn't really anything that has to be seen beyond not turning the channel should it come on cable and you didn't have anything else to do. Sort of spoiler: The most interesting moment of it for me was when Rosario Dawson face plants onto the ground in front of her house. Just a brutal shot of her face smashing flat against the ground.
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post #25 of 44
7/26/10 at 2:38pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Savage View Post
I have Seven pounds sat on my DVD shelf that I got cheap from a car boot sale, is it worth my time?

Not sure about serious Will Smith, liked the Pursuit of Happyness and thought parts of Ali were ok but it needed serious trimming.
Nope, not worth your time. A movie for Smith completists only, really, as it's dull, meandering and nonsensical and Smith's performance nerver really rises above 'decent'. Just google the spoiler for the ending for a laugh, but don't waste two hours on this.
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post #26 of 44
7/29/10 at 2:47pm
Thread Starter 
You guys were 100% right. Didn't like the movie, but seeing Lynch on the big screen was a revelation. The theater turned the volume up way louder than normal and part where Robert Blake was chasing the guy with the movie camera was nearly deafening. Still not a fan of the film, but I was surprised that I didn't find it AS confusing as Mulholland Dr. Maybe it's because I saw Mulholland Dr. when I was a youngin'.

As far as the New Cult Canon hosting went, it was okay, but fielding questions for a movie as ambiguous as this leaves pretty much every answer as "Well, yeah, maybe."
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post #27 of 44
8/17/10 at 6:27pm
Thread Starter 
New entry!

Would I like...Stargate?

The TV series always looked like the worst kind of dreck that Sci-Fi channel is known for, but I was always curious about the original film. I like James Spader and Kurt Russell a lot, the visuals seem interesting, and I always had a liking for Emmerich's Independence Day. That said, I have no real idea of the tone or the story (besides the general premise of the Stargate) and haven't heard any real opinions on it either way.

So tell me kids, would I like Stargate?
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post #28 of 44
8/17/10 at 6:40pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll View Post
That said, I have no real idea of the tone or the story (besides the general premise of the Stargate) and haven't heard any real opinions on it either way.
Have you seen/liked ATLANTIS or AVATAR?

Late to the partyt... As for the LOST HIGHWAY entry, I loved MULHOLLAND DRIVE but hated BLUE VELVET, so I guess we're opposites on the Lynch-o-meter.
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post #29 of 44
8/17/10 at 6:43pm
Thread Starter 
I'm not sure what Atlantis movie you're referring to (or if you're referring to the Stargate series) but I suppose it doesn't matter, because I don't believe I've seen any of them (not even the Disney animated one). I also have not seen Avatar, and have no plans to any time soon.
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post #30 of 44
8/17/10 at 7:18pm
As I remember Stargate (hazily), it comes down to, do you like characterization or sci-fi tropes and trappings? Is the latter enough for Emmerich versions of the former? I.e., why do you like ID4? Have you seen the Crying Game? Are you interested in how Hollywood tried to accommodate Jaye Davidson?

I remember liking the visuals and idea but thinking the movie itself was pretty arbitrary. I remember being less disappointed with it than Independence Day.
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post #31 of 44
8/17/10 at 7:39pm
Stargate's not that far off something like A Princess of Mars, actually. Marginally less stupid than your typical Emmerich, and Russell's great. Most of the cast has the appropriately cheesy vibe down, and it never drags (at times it's like an Army of Darkness that doesn't get quite how silly it really is, but wouldn't be offended if you told it so). I thought it was a blast.

I have to admit that, after that initial viewing, I haven't seen more than a few minutes of it here and there on home video, so I don't know how it would play without the involvement that the big-screen experience brings. FWIW, it's one of those films my wife loves to put on in the background while she's sewing or something.

From what little I've seen of the various TV series spinoffs, there's very little resemblance.
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post #32 of 44
8/17/10 at 7:43pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll View Post
I'm not sure what Atlantis movie you're referring to (or if you're referring to the Stargate series) but I suppose it doesn't matter, because I don't believe I've seen any of them (not even the Disney animated one). I also have not seen Avatar, and have no plans to any time soon.
I meant the Disney one.

My point, is they're very similar. And if you liked those, well...
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post #33 of 44
8/17/10 at 7:47pm
FWIW, I thought that the Disney Atlantis was kinda fun, and that's not a bad comparison. For me, though, Stargate doesn't feel much like Avatar: it lacks Cameron's pomposity and heavy-handedness: Stargate is faster, lighter, funnier.
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post #34 of 44
8/17/10 at 11:42pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Jeb View Post
FWIW, I thought that the Disney Atlantis was kinda fun, and that's not a bad comparison. For me, though, Stargate doesn't feel much like Avatar: it lacks Cameron's pomposity and heavy-handedness: Stargate is faster, lighter, funnier.
Good call on the tones. I was mainly referring to the oh-so-similar plots.
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post #35 of 44
8/17/10 at 11:45pm
Thread Starter 
If it's light fast and funny, I'll be all for it.
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post #36 of 44
8/17/10 at 11:49pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll View Post
If it's light fast and funny, I'll be all for it.
I have to be honest Pat I found it neither personally. I thought it had a fun pulpy scifi premise, the first half hour was a pretty great build up, they step through the gate and we get...

Sand. Over an hour of basically sand. Ugh.

God I hate Stargate. What a waste of a half decent idea.
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post #37 of 44
8/18/10 at 12:36am
STARGATE: It has some great ideas or premises, and Russell's pretty good as an emotionally wounded badass, but it is littered with typical Emmerich stupidity and hoary movie cliches. The score is pure fucking gold, though, and IMNSHO helps elevate the story.

The CGI - which was groundbreaking back in the day - does not hold up very well - but it's also very brief.

I'd say see it - there's a lot of fun to be had, and it has a rollicking, adventurous tone, but be ready for some treacle and corny dialogue and plotting.
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post #38 of 44
10/27/10 at 10:44pm
Would I enjoy OOS 117: LOST IN RENO?

The trailer is delightful (IMHO). I've seen the trailer on a few DVDs I've rented in the past few months. Now that it's on netflix instant in wondering if I should check it out. Does the movie live up to it's advertising?

PS Sorry for being brief; I'm on my iPod
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post #39 of 44
10/27/10 at 10:57pm
Have you seen the first OSS 117? Because if you have and enjoy it, you're pretty sure to enjoy its sequel.
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post #40 of 44
10/27/10 at 11:00pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_Cellophane View Post
Have you seen the first OSS 117? Because if you have and enjoy it, you're pretty sure to enjoy its sequel.
I was not even aware that OSS117:LIR was a sequel. The trailer did not make that clear
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post #41 of 44
10/27/10 at 11:03pm
Yeah, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is the first, followed by Lost in Rio. They're enjoyable and light send-ups of a Connery-esque super-spy. If that sounds appealing to you, I don't think they'll disappoint on that level. I don't know how much humor is lost in translation from French to English, though.
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post #42 of 44
10/27/10 at 11:09pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr_Cellophane View Post
Yeah, OSS 117: Cairo, Nest of Spies is the first, followed by Lost in Rio. They're enjoyable and light send-ups of a Connery-esque super-spy. If that sounds appealing to you, I don't think they'll disappoint on that level. I don't know how much humor is lost in translation from French to English, though.
This is good info to have, thanks Mr C. Since what you describe does sound enjoyable to me, I am going to try and see if the first film is on NETFLIX INSTANT. If it is I'll check it out
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post #43 of 44
10/27/10 at 11:11pm
It is.
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post #44 of 44
10/29/10 at 12:49am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Ken Savage View Post
I have Seven pounds sat on my DVD shelf that I got cheap from a car boot sale, is it worth my time?

Not sure about serious Will Smith, liked the Pursuit of Happyness and thought parts of Ali were ok but it needed serious trimming.

Seven Pounds is one of those movies that wants to seduce you... And it almost works. Because the setup is engaging. But then there comes a moment where you ask it: Please don't go where I think you're going. And that's exactly where it goes.

But if it's sitting on your shelf anyway, you may as well see it.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Patrick Ripoll View Post
New entry!

Would I like...Stargate?
I haven't seen it in a few years.

But I loved it at the time because it was just such a great riff on both Star Wars and Indiana Jones. I thought it was like getting the long-awaited prequels and Indiana Jones 4 in one movie and I loved it for that.

Then we got the real prequels and the real Indiana Jones 4.

Now, I share in the consensus that the prequels are garbage. But I liked Indy 4.

Even though I haven't seen it in a few years, I'm still pretty sure Stargate is still better than both.

I don't really know what you're expecting. But, despite what Rain Dog said, I think it's a very hard movie to hate. It means too well. And it doesn't really rub your face in that either.
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