View Poll Results: Don't Look Up

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  • Yay

    4 33.33%
  • Nay

    8 66.67%
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Thread: Don't Look Up (Adam McKay)

  1. #1

    Don't Look Up (Adam McKay)

    Last Seen:
    Pantheon, S2 (C. Silverstein, 2023) ☆
    Pantheon, S1 (C. Silverstein, 2022)
    Bring Me the Head of Alfredo Garc?a (S. Peckinpah, 1974)
    Crouching Tiger, Hidden, Dragon (A. Lee, 2000)
    Henry: Portrait of a Serial Killer (J. McNaughton, 1986) ☆
    Blowup (M. Antonioni, 1966) ☆
    Io capitano (M. Garrone, 2023) ☆
    Raging Bull (M. Scorsese, 1980)
    Network (S. Lumet, 1976) ☆
    Sideways (A. Payne, 2004) ☆

    First time ☆

  2. #2
    Sunrise, Sunset Wryan's Avatar
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    There's just not enough here. It's first draft/first takes nearly across the board. This is an unfinished cut right? Only explanation. The shaggy archness of the whole thing almost kills the only truly good scene: the dinner at the end--the actors alone save it, bringing otherwise unearned poignancy. If someone described the plot and character beats, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a deft satire. The execution fails it tho, and lets the actors down besides. Very few laughs for me. Scant poison on these barbs.
    Last edited by Wryan; 12-26-2021 at 10:45 PM.
    "How is education supposed to make me feel smarter? Besides, every time I learn something new, it pushes some old stuff out of my brain. Remember when I took that home wine-making course and forgot how to drive?"

    --Homer

  3. #3
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
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    I'm not over the Moon about it, but I was entertained! Apparently people are saying its a narrative on climate change? I disagree...I think you could inject any topic the government handles, and its a mockery of the ineptitude of government. Some of it is so ridiculous (particularly Jonah Hill) that I want to say some characters approach Idiocracy levels of hilariously stupid funny, but OTOH we saw [he who shall not be named] administration in actual existence.

    As it was rolling, it became clear that it was gonna be all about the ending (for me). At ah...it did not disappoint.

    Edit: Its in the trailer so not spoiling...as someone who only in last two years has been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, they way its portrayed here by Leo hit me in feels. I was worried it would actually trigger my anxiety but it didn't. I felt sympathy.
    Last edited by Skitch; 12-30-2021 at 07:43 PM.

  4. #4
    Administrator Ezee E's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Skitch (view post)
    I'm not over the Moon about it, but I was entertained! Apparently people are saying its a narrative on climate change? I disagree...I think you could inject any topic the government handles, and its a mockery of the ineptitude of government. Some of it is so ridiculous (particularly Jonah Hill) that I want to say some characters approach Idiocracy levels of hilariously stupid funny, but OTOH we saw [he who shall not be named] administration in actual existence.

    As it was rolling, it became clear that it was gonna be all about the ending (for me). At ah...it did not disappoint.

    Edit: Its in the trailer so not spoiling...as someone who only in last two years has been struggling with anxiety and panic attacks, they way its portrayed here by Leo hit me in feels. I was worried it would actually trigger my anxiety but it didn't. I felt sympathy.
    Fully agree.

    Barbarian - ***
    Bones and All - ***
    Tar - **


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  5. #5
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    I find this McKay's best of his three prestige films, because it feels like a proper (angry) film rather an angry pop-up textbook (although I did have a false early "uh-oh" moment with the film pausing to have a cheap-looking pointer on Rob Morgan's job), even if it still falls short of actually cohering into good. But actual characters with actual forward narrative mark this above his previous two, with space for performances to breathe and some effective moments scattered throughout (the dinner scene). Still, I watched Anchorman for the first time earlier in 2021, and I wonder how getting into prestige filmmaking can rob McKay of his previous directorial skill in crafting films with a half-way decent cinematic eye. Where has that film's sense of actual compositions, non-shoddy editing, and pacing momentum gone? 6/10
    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

  6. #6
    Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby > The Big Short > Vice > The Other Guys > Don't Look Up > Step Brothers >>>>> Anchorman
    Last 10 Movies Seen
    (90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)

    Run
    (2020) 64
    The Whistlers
    (2019
    ) 55
    Pawn (2020) 62
    Matilda (1996) 37
    The Town that Dreaded Sundown
    (1976) 61
    Moby Dick (2011) 50

    Soul
    (2020) 64

    Heroic Duo
    (2003) 55
    A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
    As Tears Go By (1988) 65

    Stuff at Letterboxd
    Listening Habits at LastFM

  7. #7
    collecting tapes Skitch's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting transmogrifier (view post)
    Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby > The Big Short > Vice > The Other Guys > Don't Look Up > Step Brothers >>>>> Anchorman
    We're doin' it? Lets do it!


    C+
    Anchorman
    Don't Look Up

    D+
    The Other Guys
    Anchorman 2

    F
    Step Brothers
    Talladega Nights

  8. #8
    Quote Quoting Skitch (view post)
    We're doin' it? Lets do it!
    F
    Talladega Nights
    Don't you put that evil on me, Ricky Bobby!
    Last 10 Movies Seen
    (90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)

    Run
    (2020) 64
    The Whistlers
    (2019
    ) 55
    Pawn (2020) 62
    Matilda (1996) 37
    The Town that Dreaded Sundown
    (1976) 61
    Moby Dick (2011) 50

    Soul
    (2020) 64

    Heroic Duo
    (2003) 55
    A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
    As Tears Go By (1988) 65

    Stuff at Letterboxd
    Listening Habits at LastFM

  9. #9
    Replacing Luck Since 1984 Dukefrukem's Avatar
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    Quote Quoting Wryan (view post)
    There's just not enough here. It's first draft/first takes nearly across the board. This is an unfinished cut right? Only explanation. The shaggy archness of the whole thing almost kills the only truly good scene: the dinner at the end--the actors alone save it, bringing otherwise unearned poignancy. If someone described the plot and character beats, you'd be forgiven for thinking it's a deft satire. The execution fails it tho, and lets the actors down besides. Very few laughs for me. Scant poison on these barbs.
    I would argue there's two good scenes. The opening and the ending. The middle checks boxes.
    Twitch / Youtube / Film Diary

    Quote Quoting D_Davis (view post)
    Uwe Boll movies > all Marvel U movies
    Quote Quoting TGM (view post)
    I work in grocery. I have not gotten sick. My fellow employees have not gotten sick. If the virus were even remotely as contagious as its being presented as, why haven’t entire store staffs who come into contact with hundreds of people per day, thousands per week, all falling ill in mass nationwide?

  10. #10
    Replacing Luck Since 1984 Dukefrukem's Avatar
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    The Big Short ★★★★½

    Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy ★★★½
    Step Brothers ★★★½
    Don’t Look Up ★★★

    Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby ★★
    Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues ★½
    The Other Guys ★

    Vice TBD
    Twitch / Youtube / Film Diary

    Quote Quoting D_Davis (view post)
    Uwe Boll movies > all Marvel U movies
    Quote Quoting TGM (view post)
    I work in grocery. I have not gotten sick. My fellow employees have not gotten sick. If the virus were even remotely as contagious as its being presented as, why haven’t entire store staffs who come into contact with hundreds of people per day, thousands per week, all falling ill in mass nationwide?

  11. #11
    Screenwriter Lazlo's Avatar
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    Great:

    1. The Big Short
    2. Step Brothers
    3. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
    4. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby

    Okay:
    5. Vice
    6. The Other Guys

    Bad:
    7. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues
    8. Don't Look Up
    last four:
    black widow - 8
    zero dark thirty - 9
    the muse - 7
    freaky - 7

    now reading:
    lonesome dove - larry mcmurtry

    Letterboxd
    The Harrison Marathon - A Podcast About Harrison Ford

  12. #12
    Evil mind, evil sword. Ivan Drago's Avatar
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    Nov 2007
    Posts
    6,995
    Great:

    1. Anchorman: The Legend of Ron Burgundy
    2. Talladega Nights: The Ballad of Ricky Bobby
    3. The Big Short

    Okay, but disappointing:

    4. Vice
    5. Don't Look Up

    Urgh:

    6. Step Brothers
    7. Anchorman 2: The Legend Continues

    Haven't seen The Other Guys.
    Last Five Films I've Seen (Out of 5)

    The Boy, The Mole, The Fox and the Horse (Mackesy, 2022) 4.5
    Puss In Boots: The Last Wish (Crawford, 2022) 4
    Confess, Fletch (Mottola, 2022) 3.5
    M3GAN (Johnstone, 2023) 3.5
    Turning Red (Shi, 2022) 4.5
    Tokyo Story (Ozu, 1953) 5

    615 Film
    Letterboxd

  13. #13
    A Platypus Grouchy's Avatar
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    The cast carries this as proudly as they can, and they are all very funny and gifted actors, but come on... This is not Dr. Strangelove or Network but it really seems to think it is. It's just one joke stretched very thin across two and a half hours of loud preaching to the choir. I don't hate it but I'll forget about it soon enough.

  14. #14
    Adam McKay responds to criticism of his response to Don't Look Up criticism:

    My sweaty fever dream of a situation would be Joe Manchin sitting down with his family, thinking, “Let’s watch this, it’s supposed to be a comedy, my kids like Leonardo DiCaprio, my grandkids like Ariana Grande.” And then that ending comes. My dream would be that for one second, Joe Manchin feels it in his bones. For even a second!

  15. #15
    Guttenbergian Pop Trash's Avatar
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    Was Adam McKay created in a lab by the GOP to be the apotheosis of an irritating Hollywood limousine liberal? "If the right people just watch my movie we can stop climate change! Or covid! Or anything really! Just watch my movie. The future of the world depends on it!"
    Ratings on a 1-10 scale for your pleasure:

    Top Gun: Maverick - 8
    Top Gun - 7
    McCabe & Mrs. Miller - 8
    Crimes of the Future - 8
    Videodrome - 9
    Valley Girl - 8
    Summer of '42 - 7
    In the Line of Fire - 8
    Passenger 57 - 7
    Everything Everywhere All at Once - 6



  16. #16
    McKay has his heart in the right place. His cuts and camera set ups? Not so much.
    Last 10 Movies Seen
    (90+ = canonical, 80-89 = brilliant, 70-79 = strongly recommended, 60-69 = good, 50-59 = mixed, 40-49 = below average with some good points, 30-39 = poor, 20-29 = bad, 10-19 = terrible, 0-9 = soul-crushingly inept in every way)

    Run
    (2020) 64
    The Whistlers
    (2019
    ) 55
    Pawn (2020) 62
    Matilda (1996) 37
    The Town that Dreaded Sundown
    (1976) 61
    Moby Dick (2011) 50

    Soul
    (2020) 64

    Heroic Duo
    (2003) 55
    A Moment of Romance (1990) 61
    As Tears Go By (1988) 65

    Stuff at Letterboxd
    Listening Habits at LastFM

  17. #17
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    Good news for you both (he isn’t directing this one tho)

    Midnight Run (1988) - 9
    The Smiling Lieutenant (1931) - 8.5
    The Adventures of Robinhood (1938) - 8
    Sisters (1973) - 6.5
    Shin Godzilla (2016) - 7.5

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