The Monkees

I go to a film school where everyone loves this man and his movies. Also most of the people I know love his movies. I don't understand what the big deal is. I personally don't like ANY of his movies. I just finished watching The Life Aquatic, it had it's moments but overall was pretty crapified.

So what's up?

Hendrik

...well... some people's gold is some other people's crapola...

. . . . . .

Nesbit

I think it's because he's a unique film maker in the comedy genre which has the least original voices... It's hit and miss with me. I didn't enjoy Rushmore at all, love the Royal Tennenbaums <sp>, and have yet to see Life Aquatic or Bottle Rocket.

PopcornTreeCt

I love The Royal Tenenbaums and Bottle Rocket but I don't think too highly of Wes Anderson. He has yet to make an accessible audience friendly film.

jarofclay73

I don't think Wes Anderson has to make a wide appealing film, unless he really needs the money. He seems to be successful the way he makes movies right now.

His style is definitely an acquired taste. If anything, I admire him for being courageous to be different. I bought "The Royal Tenenbaums" and I don't love it yet don't hate it.

Michael Corvin

I don't get the draw either. His movies are decent, nothing spectacular. He is definitely a director for film snobs.

Mr. Salty

Yeah, what we need is another director who makes mainstream popcorn flicks. If only Wes Anderson was more like Michael Bay!

PopcornTreeCt

I was thinking along the lines of Steven Spielberg or even at least a Quentin Tarantino who can make movies people of all walks of life can enjoy. Of course on this board mainstream means crap so I'm in the minority.

Elldubtoo

Quentin Tarantino makes movies that people of all walks of life like?

Yeah, I can't wait to see Reservoir Dogs with my grandma.

PopcornTreeCt

No, but you could probably watch Pulp Fiction with your grandma. The point is that Tarantino can make movies for everyone, which is something Wes has yet to do.

Tafellappen

Woah, your grandma must be cool if she's down with Pulp Fiction. Also, I don't think Tarantino is making kid-friendly films.

Elldubtoo

So I can watch Pulp Fiction with my grandma and not The Royal Tenenbaums or The Life Aquatic?

Awesome, thanks for the tip!

Kumar J

He was in Japan promoting the movies.A bit down to earth type of guy.

DVD Josh

I personally think that Bottle Rocket is his only good movie. Rushmore's first half is very very good, but the second half is crap. I thought TRT and TLA were unholy garbage. But that's just me. I like poop and fart jokes.

PopcornTreeCt

I would say yes. If your grandma is interested in watching the most original movie of the 90s. I'm sure your grandma will easily see why Pulp Fiction is universally loved why still trying to figure what happened in Royal Tenenbaums.

FinkPish

I like Wes Anderson for the exact reason that he isn't completely accessible; that he has a unique vision that isn't for everyone. And I'm not saying that to be snobbish or superior; I just enjoy the fact that he does things differently than what most other directors would do with the same material. I also like his sense of humor and irony, which makes me want to see more of his stuff. I like the fact that he writes his own stuff, so everything you see on the screen is fully his own, and not something that a studio decided on.

Elldubtoo

Original? yes.

More audience friendly than the Royal Tenenbaums? Fuck no.


I don't know why you brought originality into this discussion, we were discussing whether or not Wes Anderson's films are more accessible and audience friendly than QT's movies.

Tafellappen

NatrlBornThrllr

[rant]

The term "snob" is thrown around way too frequently on these forums. The guy makes comedic films. If they cater to the sense of humor of a given viewer, that makes him a snob? Christ, people, movies are movies. To call somebody a snob because they don't mind reading subtitles, or because they have an appreciation for a certain type of humor is just plain silly.

That said, I have no problem admitting that I'm a snob when it comes to film. I pride myself on the fact that I've seen films that most of my friends have never heard of, gone on to expose them to said films, and finally bask in the fact that they enjoyed (some of) those movies as much as I do. I scoff at those who refuse to watch 75% of the available movies solely because they "don't like to read subtitles." I look down my nose at people who have never heard of some of the most acclaimed directors of all time, solely because they're from another decade/region of the world.

Yeah, I'm a film snob, and I've got no problem admitting that. This should further back the statement I'm trying to make: don't be so quick to throw around that term. To say, "you're a snob because you find dry wit to be appealing" is idiotic.

People here need to learn how to articulate a dislike for a certain branch of cinema without resorting to the use of cliched, ridiculously overused phrases that simply don't fit the context of the discussion. If we were talking about a person who condescends to those that don't like Wes Anderson's films, somebody that says, "you don't think it's funny because you don't get it," then yeah, it'd be appropriate to call them a snob. However, to say that a certain type of comedy/direction/whatever is made for snobs, that's just...meh, nevermind.

[/rant]

-JP

island007

That about sums it up.

I'll take a Bay, Spielberg, and/or Tarantino film over an Anderson film.

The exception is Bottle Rocket. Wes gets fot that one.

jfoobar

Oddly enough, Bottle Rocket is the WA film that I have enjoyed least thus far. In my eyes, he has gotten so much better at his craft since then.

Cygnet74

imo, i think his films have grown more controlled and more cynical. bottle rocket had a simplicity, a freedom and a balance between real and surreal that i've always admired moreso than in his other films.

jfoobar

I would agree with that, but for me he hit his tonal stride with TRT. BR had the subtle underpinnings of what Wes would become, but I guess I found it too whimsical. In places, however, it does succeed in being side-splittingly funny.

Chris777

, glad to know not everybody is obsessed with the guy.

Jay G.

Yes, because everyone who likes his movies must be "obsessed with the guy."

I've never got the point behind these "What's the deal with....." threads. It's like the thread starters are so insecure in their own opinions that they need to confirm that other people don't like a movie/director/actor as well. None of the explainations by the defenders ever seem to satisfy them, not like one can really be rationalized into liking something anyway.

That said, at least some of the dislikers here have more thought out reasons for not liking his films than saying they're "crapified."