review wanted: Ghost World
 

anyone seem any reviews for the DVD yet? it streets in 2 weeks so you'd think there'd be a review out there by now..

I would say rent it first. It's a teen girl coming of age flick and quite a mean/sarcastic one at that. But alas it is a one trick pony and runs out of gas quickly. All the insight of the first half hour is repeated to the end over and over. Steve Buscemi has an interesting role but the film is quite a bore w/ a very unbelievable ending. It does have a very nice anamorphic transfer and great audio. I saw the academy screener and I can't imagine ever wanting to sit through this film again.

This was my favorite film of 2001. It might not be for everyone though. It doesn't have a single explosion or shoot out. :D

Best film of 2001. If you liked Welcome To The Dollhouse or Happiness you'll like this. By the way, the new Todd Solondz film "Storytelling" is opening this weekend. Is anybody going to see it?

The review sounds good but it's not likely that my little town will land this film. I think I just got lucky with Ghost World....

I disagree that it has an 'unbelievable' ending.

Overall what a great film! The only problem I had with it was that it starts out really funny and witty as the two girls rank on everything, but once they kind of split the movie loses its touch a bit. Buscemi is great though and I still enjoyed it but it starts out way better than it ends.

I happen to think this is already a candidate for one of the best films of the decade, but alas, it's a highly personal viewing experience and you either take to it or you don't. Here's our somewhat confessional review if you're interested--includes DVD details.

Bill C
filmfreakcentral.net

this movie is really great if you are looking for something different. it's no american pie teen type movie. it has some dark humor, sarcasm, and weird characters and is character driven.

the dvd itself doesn't have many extras. i wish they added a commentary track. the transfer and audio are good though.

I loved it.

My review of the DVD can be found at:
http://www.slushfactory.com/hollywoo.../012402-gw.php

Our extensive interview with the creator of GHOST WORLD (and co-screenwriter) can be found at:
http://www.slushfactory.com/features...502-clowes.php

Best,
Brian

While I enjoyed the movie, I guess I wasn't the only one to feel the movie was a bit disjointed. Some thoughts I had while watching the movie. What happened to the girls relationship? It changed focus fairly quickly. Why even have Josh? Last 10 minutes felt to compressed.

After seeing it my brother who has read Ghost World' and is a fan of the Daniel Clowes world, asked me about it. I told him my problems with the movie and he was telling me that the comic actually concentrates more on the girls and Josh. C'mon Josh was in her journal in the movie. Seymour is not in the book and is more of an amalgamation which includes Josh. He also said the wheelchair guy in the coffee shop is from 8 ball.

So while it was an enjoyable indie movie I don't think it deserves quite the high accolades it's been getting. I enjoyed Welcome to the Dollhouse and Happiness more IMHO.

Right now my favorite indie movies are Lawn Dogs and Swallowtail Butterfly.

Why are we comparing two Todd Solondz films with a Terry Zwigoff film?

If you don't like any movie with Steve Buscemi, something must be wrong with you.

Yes, that was pretty much the whole point, wasn't it? These girls' lives are changing seemingly from out of nowhere, and they don't know what to do about it or how they are supposed to feel.

It's that moment when adolescence is starting to give way to adulthood and the world is changing. I'd think this would be a fairly universal truth.

Yes that was the point. I just felt it happened suddenly and without much afterthought to such an important relationship.
Felt the same way in the dealing of Josh and the end. Just my opinion.

I went from adolescence to disabled adulthood in about 24 hours. My life changed in an instant but the important relationships changed in a blur and not in an instant.

'nuff said

In the book Rebecca runs off with Josh and leaves Enid by herself. He has a larger role in the book.

The whole point of this movie is that these characters lives are too complicated to be changed in the matter of 90 minutes to 2 hours. But they do change...and for the better. They learn to break out of their comfort zones and are forced to grow as human beings. While the movie presents only a snapshot of their lives, it is a rather meaningful snapshot, and the ending of the movie is the most beautifully done ending I have ever seen. In fact, it totally ruins any movie I have seen since that has neat, tidy happy little endings that always come together at the right minute.

I think this movie is more meaningful if you've had an Enid in your life. If you haven't had an Enid in your life, if you want neat, tidy, happy endings for all the characters in the movie and you want to stop thinking about the movie once the credits start rolling, then by all means avoid this movie and save us with your bad reviews on it. But if you've had an Enid in your life and you've encountered somebody in the past who inflicted a change in your life or if you had a friendship that just drifted apart for reasons you are unable to place your finger on, and you want to see a movie that provokes you to think beyond it's time frame, then this is the movie for you. And it is a damn fine movie, and is consistenly great thru out. It starts out strong and it ends strong.

I loved this movie, but I also loved Rushmore and The Royal Tenebaums.

Ghost World joins a list of movies which people seem to really like, or really hate. It definately isn't a happy-ending-popcorn-flick, and I think that's why some people don't like it. (Ghost World, Rushmore, Royal Tenebaums, and Election are films I can name off the top of my head that leave a lot of people feeling depressed, but I love them.)

In private conversation Terry Zwigoff told me that he added the Seymour character--the geeky record collector--so he would not have to succumb to the studio's desire to release a girlish movie soundtrack with Smashing Pumpkins and the like; instead, he was able to add the kind of music he likes...

By emphasizing the Seymour character he had to deflate Josh's role in the film...

I think the Zwigoff version works better as a film because of the music... the opening sequence is a gas!

He also told me that he prepared over 50 deleted scenes for the DVD but they were left out because Thora Birch's father wanted more money had they been included...

That's Ghost World on a cracker, good stranger. Beautifully put.

Bill C
filmfreakcentral.net

I think there needs to be a more rigid separation between the film and the source material that it is based on. The film needs to take on a life of its own. It should be more than just an illustration of the comic book (which was already illustrated).

A good director (and Terry Zwigoff is a very good director) brings his own ideas and biases and preferences to the material, and makes his own story out of it. If you want the story from the original comic, read it again. The movie is its own thing, and it's great.

I think the comic book and the movie stand on their own in different ways. While the story in the movie may not follow the comic book exclusively, Daniel Clowes did help write the screen play, so he did have a say in it. Both the comic and movie are incredible in their own ways, and I don't think either one should be held with more esteem than the other.

Now, I will continue to wonder how different we would view the movie if we could see those 50 deleted scenes Zwigoff didn't get to include on the DVD?

I watched Ghost World last night for the first time and absolutely loved it. Movies like this don't come around too often and when they do, they are worth cherishing. Someone else in this thread mentioned the ending as being one of the greatest in recent memory. I totally agree! It was one of the best endings I have seen in quite some time. :up:

All right, this chump is now my new Arch Enemy.