Project X (Nima Nourizadeh)

[eternity]

PROJECT X

Director: Nima Nourizadeh

imdb (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt1636826/)

http://collider.com/wp-content/uploads/project-x-poster1.jpg

[eternity]

What a clusterfuck. The first half hour of this movie is an excruciating Superbad-lite that despite its found-footage conceit, exists in a world that doesn't exist. With the exception of two of the three leads, every single person who goes to their high school looks like they popped out of an Urban Outfitters ad. The dialogue is unbelievable, the "humor," courtesy of little Brett Ratner, is excruciating, and like many other found-footage movies, it drags on.

Then the party happens, and even then, it isn't particularly interesting. They do get the details right: this is exactly what happens at an out-of-control house party, not so much a high school party but definitely a college party, which despite what the plot tells you (that most of the partygoers are 16-17 years old), they're clearly in their late teens and twenties, if only because of the barrage of "underage" teen nudity.

But this movie isn't all bad, in fact, I can't help but to have positive feelings for it (I still don't know if I'm a yay or a nay on this one). The last 30 minutes, when things get truly out of control; flamethrowers, swat teams, etc., is way better than advertised. The movie flips from a The Virginity Hit retread to a full blown action horror movie. I don't want to spoil anything, although with a movie this light on plot, I'm not sure if it would count, but things take a dramatic turn and it almost becomes a completely different movie. Instead of casually being filmed, the whole thing becomes shockingly well-directed, to the point where I was thinking that Nima Nourizadeh is actually an action director. The film is injected with edge-of-your-seat intensity that doesn't only look really expensive, but lifts the film into something that is one-of-a-kind.

People are going to do backflips over this thing, and I would not be surprised if it ends up being a Hangover-sized hit. It's not *good*, but...damn, it plays like gangbusters.

[Henry Gale]

I just put together that the director of this is the guy that made a bunch of big 2008-ish music videos for artists like Hot Chip, Santigold and Lily Allen. Those mostly specialized in colourfully loud, sometimes abstract art direction, so I have no idea what made him seem like the best choice for this. Even more interest that you think his biggest strength here is with the crazier action, Eternity.

Still the trailers and TV spots for this do very little for me (A dwarf in an oven! A dog in a bouncy castle! Fire! Riot police! Fat jokes!), so having it marketed as a Superbad-esque found footage movie produced by the director of Old School and The Hangover (as well as the co-writer of Scott Pilgrim) just makes me want to watch any of those again instead. The five minute party sequence from Chronicle probably does this better anyway.

[Boner M]

Gotta say, I'm pretty curious about this and might even opt for the preview I've been invited to over a repertory screening of Preminger's Angel Face on Monday... (former's free, latter isn't)

[eternity]

I just put together that the director of this is the guy that made a bunch of big 2008-ish music videos for artists like Hot Chip, Santigold and Lily Allen. Those mostly specialized in colourfully loud, sometimes abstract art direction, so I have no idea what made him seem like the best choice for this. Even more interest that you think his biggest strength here is with the crazier action, Eternity.

Still the trailers and TV spots for this do very little for me (A dwarf in an oven! A dog in a bouncy castle! Fire! Riot police! Fat jokes!), so having it marketed as a Superbad-esque found footage movie produced by the director of Old School and The Hangover (as well as the co-writer of Scott Pilgrim) just makes me want to watch any of those again instead. The five minute party sequence from Chronicle probably does this better anyway.
The only good scenes in the movie are those that seem to do without the found-footage gimmick and could easily double as music videos. There's an excellent tracking shot that seems like it comes from a much better, different movie in the second act. It's well shot, nicely paced, and quite interesting, while most of the film is none of these things.

[Boner M]

This was appalling. But kinda fun after the setup. Like a retarded version of Cold Water.

Ending is the worst shit ever though.

[eternity]

This was appalling. But kinda fun after the setup. Like a retarded version of Cold Water.

Ending is the worst shit ever though.
Basically.

[Boner M]

Seeing a few aging critics praise this in a transparent bid for hipness is kinda sad and creepy.

[Ezee E]

Examples?

[Boner M]

Examples?

Project X is an astounding, superlative movie about adolescence - a brutal, unapologetic comedy about the fantasy every high school kid carries around in his head about being popular and cool and beloved.


Project X, likewise, serves up the frat house/Spring Break/Snooki-and-Sitch-on-a-bender antics that many in the audience will have been staring at for years, and implies that it's breaking down bold new barriers of misbehavior. In the end, though, it ain't nothin' but a party.


This game-changing instant classic will doubtless inspire imitators, onscreen and in backyards everywhere, en route to redefining what a new generation expects of its mice-will-play movies.

This is the first and last time I quote Gleiberman.

[Ezee E]

Guess I should see the movie first, but Gleiberman's quote is just as you say. :lol:

[Boner M]

Seeing a few aging critics praise this in a transparent bid for hipness is kinda sad and creepy.
New winner:


The Oscars are swell, but once in a while a film comes along that is so courageous it deserves consideration for the Nobel Prize. An entire generation has been born and gone to college since the Beastie Boys defined that most basic of civil liberties: You've got to fight for your right to party.

[Pop Trash]

This sounds awful.

[Acapelli]

stolen from someone much more clever than i am, but is this movie basically:


skrillex is playing at my house (my house)
?

[Robby P]

I'm assuming (or at least hoping) that the quote from the NY Times guy is supposed to be facetious.

[eternity]

The reviews that praise/criticize the movie for how unreal it is are both missing the point. The movie's only strength is that it nails teen psychology and the atmosphere of high school parties. The "craziest party ever" stuff doesn't kick in until the very, very end.

Everything else about it is kind of terrible though. Every extra is a model and none of it is actually funny or entertaining until the very end, which is all they want anyone to remember anyway.

[Boner M]

My review, FWIW:

In the late 60s, the desperation of studio heads to reach out to the waning youth market was one of the key factors that resulted in the New Hollywood boom; the heyday of Scorsese, Bonnie & Clyde, Francis Ford Coppola, Easy Rider et al. In 2012, a similar impulse results in Project X, a celebration of dickhead culture so obnoxious that it can be usefully used as a litmus test to discern the Worst People Ever. It’s produced by party-cinema maestro Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Old School), written by various fratboy date-rapists, and directed by The Simpsons’ dog-with-attitude Poochie (the ‘kung fu hippy from gangster city’).

Sporting a meaningless title that serves as little more than a catchy marketing hook and the promise of T&A, the film as least has the decency to get the worst out of the way first. Adopting that annoying but economic found-footage gimmick (that the recent Chronicle so cleverly subverted), the film is nothing if not watchable in a braindead way, once the Superbad-via-vomitcam-without-funny setup is behind and the party – held by three nerds yearning for popularity – gets out of control. Granted, that’s likely because the chances of onscreen douchebag-death have increased.

You could tune out and enjoy the playlist, but the litany of “faggot”s that dominates the dialogue mostly drowns out the music. You could call Project X damaging, morally bankrupt, misogynistic, homophobic – but that’s precisely the indignant reaction it courts, daring one to lambast it at the risk of being labelled a killjoy or a prude. In many ways, the film’s a resounding success at what it sets out to achieve, and has a purity that’s almost trainwreck-fascinating. Nonetheless, it’s objectively a piece of shit.

[Winston*]

It’s produced by party-cinema maestro Todd Phillips (The Hangover, Old School), written by various fratboy date-rapists, and directed by The Simpsons’ dog-with-attitude Poochie (the ‘kung fu hippy from gangster city’).

Love it.

[Qrazy]

My god, watched most of this at the end of the night (4am) at some guy's house who prides himself on sleeping with peoples wives. Worst viewing experiencing in a loooong time.

[megladon8]

My god, watched most of this at the end of the night (4am) at some guy's house who prides himself on sleeping with peoples wives. Worst viewing experiencing in a loooong time.


That guy sounds like he needs a punch directly in his Adam's apple.

[Philip J. Fry]

It was eh...