MAD MAX: FURY ROAD (George Miller 2015)

[Chris Knipp]

I want to know what critics think. Critics or the best ones provide a world of intelligent discourse about contemporary films that we are free to listen to and participate in. But I read reviews, esp. in the trade journals, more for information than their "point." Critics rarely have a "point" nowadays. Pauline Kael had a point. I guess Jonathan Rosenbaum had one and still does though now he's not a day-to-day new movie reviewer he seems less visible. His website shows since his "retirement" he is still very active. Armond White has one but it's often just to hate everything! I also find British reviews and French ones extremely helpful for smarter wittier writing and a wider viewpoint. Americans often just don't "get" French films. I thought Americans weren't going to "get" the new UK Amy Winehouse doc, but apparently they are liking it after all. No bad reviews of it on Metacritic. I want to see it. Also recommend Liz Garbus' new Nina Simone doc.

[Johann]

It's an art to watch a film once and nail what you saw in a review. That is what separates the critic from the "buff", because once you write it, you can't really retract it. You must be conscious of what you saw and how you formulate your thoughts on what you saw. Sometimes it's harder than it looks. Sometimes you see a film and are loathe to type one word about it.
Sometimes you go overboard and end up off the mark (see my posts on Superman Returns. LOL). But if you can keep the fire in yer belly to keep on writing then all is good. I find it's best to say what you really think/feel, because if you don't you fall into the trap of being too cerebral and milquetoast- two qualities I loathe in people. I can be "scholarly" but I find it doesn't get my point across half the time. It's better to be a blunt-force objective writer, no?

[Johann]

I happen to believe Amy Winehouse was murdered. That's a controversial stand, but I believe it.
I've read more than once that Illuminati members propositioned her and she told them to fuck off.
Next thing you know, she's dead, a "predictable" death. Yeah, just as predictable as Princess Diana's, Heath Ledger's and Stanley Kubrick's.

[Chris Knipp]

You have a lot to say about reviews and review-writing but you hardly ever write a review; you should write more. I don't theorize, I just writ them. My reviews may be too "academic," but it is a primary function of reviews to inform viewers about what they will or have seen. My hat's off to those with fire in their belly, but I like the clever aperçcu, the witty observation, and I like to know who the dp's grandmother was.

[Johann]

I do too, but only for worthy films. Who cares about the DP for Howard the Duck? Right?

I should write more. I like it. cinemabon told me I should write a book on Kubrick. That's something to think about.

[Chris Knipp]

The dp for Howard the Duck was Richard H. Kline. I got that from the Variety review in five seconds. He would care, very much.

[Johann]

Maybe not. Can you google if he's proud of his work? Is he ashamed he got paid for that and gave it to audiences?

[Chris Knipp]

Look him up yourself. He's now 89. He is known for his work on Star Trek: The Motion Picture (1979), Soylent Green (1973) and Body Heat (1981). He was twice nominated for an Oscar. He has nothing to be ashamed of; not all a cinematographer works on is a masterpiece. I'd much rather have Ed Lachman's career though.

[Johann]

You're missing my point. He does have something to be ashamed of. It's called Howard the Duck.
Have you seen Howard the Duck?
Have you seen Soylent Green for that matter? It's made out of pee-pul!
Star Trek:TMP was great.

[Chris Knipp]

I would consider the writer and director responsible for a movie failure not the cinematographer. But I have not see it. I like Soylent Green, classic. Spoiler you!

[Johann]

Fair enough. But the DP has some responsibility, wouldn't he?
To give credit, George Lucas has done very good by children and yet he has also done some unforgivable things.
Jar-jar Binks' dialogue alone is enough to drive you nuts...
But guess what? I'm excited for the new Star Wars. And can also appreciate Howard the Duck on one level: how bad can a hollywood movie be? Howard is Exhibit A. What were they thinking? Howard the Duck is actually a cool comic book character! And look what they did to him! Fanboy Smash! lol

[Chris Knipp]

I can't talk about Howard the Duck because I avoided it. Maybe it looks different now or has a certain cap flavor.

Of course the dp is responsible for the quality of the cinematography, but not the writing. But look up Ed Lachman -- he is the dp on a lot of cool titles, including Desperately Seeking Susan, Ken Park, The Virgin Suicides, Erin Brokovitch, Far from Heaven, A Prairie Home Companion, I'm Not There, [parts of] Siedl's "Paradise" trilogy, and lately, Todd Haynes' Carol, which was one of the big critical hits at Cannes this year. And I mean cool, not just good movies, but hip, sophisticated titles it would be fun to be associated with. I became aware of Ed Lachman through occasionally talking to him at Lincoln Center festival screenings.

I guess by George Lucas what I'd find most congenial are THX1138 and American Graffiti. I remember going to the first Star Wars with my father and his falling asleep and my understanding. Now that one seems nostalgic. I don't understand the sequence of the Star Wars movies. I didn't follow them, till I went to Revenge of the Sith because I like Hayden Christensen. I was very bored.

I guess I don't understand the concept of not being able to "forgive" a filmmaker. Why do I have to "forgive" him? If he does something I don't like, can't I just let it go and ignore it?

[Chris Knipp]

Some great classic films have been renovated in digital 4K restorations that are having brief theatrical releases and will be available on video.

Carol Reed's THE THIRD MAN

Satyajit Tay's APU TRILOGY (which I've reviewed recently)

Alain Resnais' debut feature HIROSHIMA MON AMOUR

A cornerstone of the French New Wave, the first feature from Alain Resnais is one of the most influential films of all time. A French actress (Emmanuelle Riva) and a Japanese architect (Eiji Okada) engage in a brief, intense affair in postwar Hiroshima, their consuming mutual fascination impelling them to exorcise their own scarred memories of love and suffering. With an innovative flashback structure and an Academy Award–nominated screenplay by novelist Marguerite Duras, Hiroshima mon amour is a moody masterwork that delicately weaves past and present, personal pain and public anguish

The Third Man and Hiroshima Mon Amour were great favorites of mine when they came out. They are movies that can be watched over and over with pleasure. I had never seen the second part of the Apu Trilogy, Aparajito/The Unvanquished, until recently when the 4K restoration became available, and seeing it for the first time was a wonderful, deeply moving experience. I can't compare finally seeing the whole Apu Trilogy over a weekend to anything else. I learned more about filmmaking and about life in those few days than at any one time before.

[Johann]

In The People Vs. George Lucas a fan says that he'll buy anything with the Star wars logo on it. That's a contract!
he shouts. Fans feel their loyalty to the brand (and Star Wars is an unbreakable brand folks) should be rewarded with movies that resemble what they remember from their childhoods. Writer/Legend Neil Gaiman said it: "Fans are like: 'We like that. We Want One More of Those Please'". If you deviate from the original brilliance, it had better be because of new brilliance, and George Lucas had no new brilliance. He damaged his own creation. I heard that he had ideas for the new Star Wars film and Disney said something to the effect of "That's nice, but we're going in a different direction". So we'll see what cinema history gets made this Christmas. I'm looking forward to it. Some fans will never forgive George Lucas for the Star Wars prequels. Indeed, there is even a song out there called "George Lucas raped my childhood".


Cinematographers are just as important to me as the writer and director. That's the holy trinity there, for movies. Without all three firing on all cylinders or all in sympatico, then chances are the film will suffer. Kubrick did all three jobs, usually. Quality control demanded it. In fact he did almost every single job in the movie business better than most. Kubrick will never need forgiveness. He needs and gets exaltation. :)

[Johann]

Awesome to hear you had a marvelous Satyajit Ray experience. Wish I could see that trilogy like you did.