Everything, Everywhere, All At Once is Rediculous

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mso489

Lifer
Feb 21, 2013
41,210
60,433
I haven't seen it, and I don't know that I will. A friend who saw it, who is not excessively picky, didn't enjoy it. However the drama around the Asian actors getting a shot at the limelight was a huge boost to that community, so the awards were inspiring in that way. We couldn't trudge through the whole Oscars evening and moved to another channel to see a documentary and then back to the end of the Oscars.

Watching those pairs of previous winners and nominees plod out there with lame jokes and sad impervious faces, to peer into those envelopes is as pleasurable as a dental appointment. The TV ratings reflect the public's extreme lack of interest.

I will say, the title of the movie is extraordinarily good, both the idea and the musicality of saying it is unforgettable. Many movie titles, even of fine movies, are impossible to remember at all. I have to ask who was in it and a little of the plot to remember the titles at all. So the movie gets my Oscar for best movie title in two decades or more.

I attribute the generally awful titling of movies to the art form being a huge collaborative project with usually many corporate influences, so once something requiring deft inspiration, l like choosing a title comes around, the huge committee of stake holders suffers a collective stroke and chooses something impossibly numbingly unmemorable. This is really the longstanding failure of the film industry. Even the title "Citizen Kane" is only so-so. I can remember it, but it has no magic, though the film certainly does.
 
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Winnipeger

Lifer
Sep 9, 2022
1,288
9,667
Winnipeg
It was pretty good. I gave it about a 75%. It might have been the best movie that came out last year but that's not saying much. I prefer The Godfather Part 2. (I know! That's apples and oranges.) I'm definitely a codger.

It had a lot of bells and whistles and the story was ultimately about a mother and daughter trying to reconcile their broken relationship (among other themes.) I found it a bit tiresome to watch. It was good, but I wouldn't watch it again. YMMV.
 

LeafErikson

Lifer
Dec 7, 2021
1,856
15,798
Oregon
Bizarre, unsettling, or even upsetting fictional literature seems to be what is lauded by the critics of late so I’m not surprised to see that sentiment reflected in films as well. I recently picked up a collection of the 2022 O. Henry award winners (short stories exclusively). There were a few feel-good stories with tidy resolutions, but for the most part it was just story after story after story after story with the most morose themes you can imagine. That’s what the people want nowadays I guess. I haven’t watched what you’re referring to so I appoligize if my rant was irrelevant or out of context.
 

anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,391
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
I just don't understand the ultra-hype.

My wife was insistent that we watch it this weekend, and we found it on Prime. The general idea of multiverses is interesting for a sci-fi fan like myself, but everything comes at you so fast, and with nothing linking it together that it becomes a chore to watch.

I stopped it at this exact scene:

View attachment 211963

turned to my wife and said, that's enough of this for tonight.

For a film so lauded by critics and the general public, I've never felt so much like an old codger.

Has anyone else seen this and 'gotten' it? Am i missing something here?
funny how reviews with pipe tobaccos and movies are useful but you have to learn how to read them and the most useless part is the stars or numbers. For example I am curious about this movie and do want to watch it. I want to watch it because I know two things about it, not quite like other movies which for me is worth a shrugging give it a shot, but mainly because I know how teenie tiny the budget on it is. So even if it's not an enjoyable movie there is something to learn about film making. Also always think about the fact that critics are doing a job. A job that involves watching a ton of movies. They're going to be exicted about something that's not quite the same as every thing they've seen so far.
From what people are saying it sounds like a life action cartoon. Which already has me intrigued. I feel like they set out to make an anime but life action. The fact that they pulled it off at all is interesting and says there should be some interesting things done on a budget like this. Also waiting for the hype to die down. Hype ruins things for me. Don't tell me how great a movie or show is just tell me to watch it.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,391
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Bizarre, unsettling, or even upsetting fictional literature seems to be what is lauded by the critics of late so I’m not surprised to see that sentiment reflected in films as well. I recently picked up a collection of the 2022 O. Henry award winners (short stories exclusively). There were a few feel-good stories with tidy resolutions, but for the most part it was just story after story after story after story with the most morose themes you can imagine. That’s what the people want nowadays I guess. I haven’t watched what you’re referring to so I appoligize if my rant was irrelevant or out of context.
yeah funny how stories reflect the anxieties, wishes, and the issues people are dealing with in real life. Things feel up in the air for a lot of people of course they're going to want movies that aren't as clear cut. The happy ending of everything makes sense just doesn't track well for a lot of people. Which I find funny because that's just being realistic in my opinion.
 
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LeafErikson

Lifer
Dec 7, 2021
1,856
15,798
Oregon
yeah funny how stories reflect the anxieties, wishes, and the issues people are dealing with in real life.
This is exactly what my friend was saying when I was telling him about my thoughts on these short stories. A few of the stories revolved around the you know what too which was interesting. If I looked back across the winners of the O. Henry award across the decades I bet you I’d find other times where the overriding sentiment was more positive, and others where the sentiment was just as negative. As you said it’s just a snapshot of that moment in time.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,391
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
This is exactly what my friend was saying when I was telling him about my thoughts on these short stories. Quite a few of the stories revolved around the you know what too which was interesting. If I looked back across the winners of the O. Henry award across the decades I bet you I’d find other times where the overriding sentiment was more positive, and others where the sentiment was just as negative. As you said it’s just a snapshot of that moment in time.
It's funny too because it can also sometimes just go the other way. Things get grim and suddenly you get these stories say everything is o.k. and everything turns out perfect. Or in other words while the factor I mentioned is a constant influence it's not the only one. Lots of other things can effect what kind of stories people write and enjoy. I find personally sometimes it's funny to watch the things I used to love. Sometimes they're still great and I still love them, and sometimes I suddenly get sucked into a anti-nostalgia trip and think of course I liked that shit when I was younger and life was just as chaotic but I hadn't gotten my sea legs yet.
Another thing I've noticed a lot of people that are just consumers of entertainment are a lot more hip and informed about how it works. What the techniques are. In a way it's harder to fool them but easier to dazzle them too. Everyone is a critic. Hell pipe tobacco is like that. More pipe smokers know more then I like this blend or that blends too sweet or not sweet enough.
 
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LeafErikson

Lifer
Dec 7, 2021
1,856
15,798
Oregon
It's funny too because it can also sometimes just go the other way. Things get grim and suddenly you get these stories say everything is o.k. and everything turns out perfect. Or in other words while the factor I mentioned is a constant influence it's not the only one. Lots of other things can effect what kind of stories people write and enjoy. I find personally sometimes it's funny to watch the things I used to love. Sometimes they're still great and I still love them, and sometimes I suddenly get sucked into a anti-nostalgia trip and think of course I liked that shit when I was younger and life was just as chaotic but I hadn't gotten my sea legs yet.
Another thing I've noticed a lot of people that are just consumers of entertainment are a lot more hip and informed about how it works. What the techniques are. In a way it's harder to fool them but easier to dazzle them too. Everyone is a critic. Hell pipe tobacco is like that. More pipe smokers know more then I like this blend or that blends too sweet or not sweet enough.
Very insightful stuff. “It’s harder to fool them but easier to dazzle them too.” I couldn’t agree more.
 
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anotherbob

Lifer
Mar 30, 2019
15,675
29,391
45
In the semi-rural NorthEastern USA
Very insightful stuff. “It’s harder to fool them but easier to dazzle them too.” I couldn’t agree more.
I usually say the best stuff when I hit an impasse. The ole I see it but don't know how to say it good. But I have had conversations with college kids (who love talking with the janitors) which remind me of talking to film students not law students. It also reminds me of how sometimes it's easier to convince a really smart educated person of something totally impossible and ridiculous then some brain addled troglodyte. They're more used to thinking about things in a certain way. That way involves making arguments of a certain type. You can weave them a more impressive tale.
Side note I've been into more stuff from the 40-60s lately and one of my favorite things is how much more subtle certain things are and it's just because they couldn't show it. Either because they were not allowed or didn't have the technology to do it well. Like I was watching Alfred Hitchcock presents (great show) and there is an episode were some punks kill and rob a mafia leader (they call it a syndicate in the show) but they get caught at the end and instead of showing them get shot, the gangsters catch the punks and have them cornered. The punks ask what are you going to do? The gangsters say "what do you think" as the punks make an terrorized face. It fades out. That felt more chilling to me then if there would have been a bang bang (which they did earlier in the episode but I bet the censors where gave them a limit to the on screen deaths.)