David Zucker's Latest Masterpiece: An American Carol
10-06-08, 01:37 AM
#51
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I'm not going to lie, but I would actually see Zucker's 135 minute "Hats Off to the Klan" musical based off the premise and running time alone.
10-06-08, 08:17 AM
#52
DVD Talk Hero
Very happy to see this one bomb. As soon as I saw the trailer for this I took out my 3 Naked Gun movies and Top secret and a few days later took them and sold them at my local used DVD store. I couldn't bring myself to give up BASEketball since I love that movie (and I think Parker and Stone are the real creative forces behind that one.) but I wont own or support any other David Zucker film.
And what about this movie made it any worse than Zucker's previous few movies? At least it was making fun of somebody that should be made fun of (though the movie does look horrible, it looks no worse than Zucker's last slew of ventures (My Boss's Daughter, Scary Movie 3 and 4).
Last edited by RichC2; 10-06-08 at 08:19 AM.
10-06-08, 10:33 AM
#53
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The movie works best when it's wildly over the top (the terrorism-related gags, for instance) because that material was closest to the Airplane/Naked Gun type humor he's best at. The 'offensive' humor actually worked for me here, because it was surprising to see in a conservative movie. The preachy stuff failed miserably, though... it was all either way too earnest or way too simple and 'on-the-nose'. Too much blatant pandering. If Zucker had found a way to sell that part of his message with humor instead of drastically switching tone, he might have scored here.
I really wanted to see this as a double feature with Religulous. Unfortunately our theater didn't get that one.
I also had to crack up at the fact that this movie contains cameos by both Bill O'Reilly and a former gay porn star (Simon Rex).
I really wanted to see this as a double feature with Religulous. Unfortunately our theater didn't get that one.
I also had to crack up at the fact that this movie contains cameos by both Bill O'Reilly and a former gay porn star (Simon Rex).
10-06-08, 10:41 AM
#54
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<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfNluQ888g4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfNluQ888g4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Simon Rex, greatest character actor of our time? Possibly.
10-06-08, 04:53 PM
#55
DVD Talk Hero
Airplane > Baseketball.
And what about this movie made it any worse than Zucker's previous few movies? At least it was making fun of somebody that should be made fun of (though the movie does look horrible, it looks no worse than Zucker's last slew of ventures (My Boss's Daughter, Scary Movie 3 and 4).
And what about this movie made it any worse than Zucker's previous few movies? At least it was making fun of somebody that should be made fun of (though the movie does look horrible, it looks no worse than Zucker's last slew of ventures (My Boss's Daughter, Scary Movie 3 and 4).
Blazing Saddle and Young Frankenstein > Robin Hood Men in Tights and Dracula Dead and Loving It
10-07-08, 10:58 AM
#59
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It's nothing against Ron I'm sure, more of an anti-fisting clause.
10-07-08, 01:43 PM
#62
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I like how the makers of this movie and their wonderful persecution complex act like these issues are on purpose and unique to their movie. Has anyone gone to the movie latey? This happens all the time, to all movies.
10-07-08, 02:46 PM
#63
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Pretty great (and fair) review of the flick here:
"The behind the scenes struggle to get An American Carol made has been widely reported, due to the fact that none of the major studios wanted to produce the film, and it ultimately had to be made on the personal dime of the filmmakers. Maybe they thought they were pursuing a noble cause, but this narrow-minded and heavy handed film misses the target completely. It's not enough just to scream your point at us, you have to actually have a real point in the first place. If your point in the end is "if you don't agree with us, you're wrong", then you probably shouldn't be charging people $6 or more to hear it."
http://www.stomptokyo.com/reelopinions/
"The behind the scenes struggle to get An American Carol made has been widely reported, due to the fact that none of the major studios wanted to produce the film, and it ultimately had to be made on the personal dime of the filmmakers. Maybe they thought they were pursuing a noble cause, but this narrow-minded and heavy handed film misses the target completely. It's not enough just to scream your point at us, you have to actually have a real point in the first place. If your point in the end is "if you don't agree with us, you're wrong", then you probably shouldn't be charging people $6 or more to hear it."
http://www.stomptokyo.com/reelopinions/
10-07-08, 04:23 PM
#64
DVD Talk Hero
Anyone have it cached?
10-07-08, 04:25 PM
#65
DVD Talk Hero
10-07-08, 05:38 PM
#66
Pretty great (and fair) review of the flick here:
"The behind the scenes struggle to get An American Carol made has been widely reported, due to the fact that none of the major studios wanted to produce the film, and it ultimately had to be made on the personal dime of the filmmakers. Maybe they thought they were pursuing a noble cause, but this narrow-minded and heavy handed film misses the target completely. It's not enough just to scream your point at us, you have to actually have a real point in the first place. If your point in the end is "if you don't agree with us, you're wrong", then you probably shouldn't be charging people $6 or more to hear it."
http://www.stomptokyo.com/reelopinions/
"The behind the scenes struggle to get An American Carol made has been widely reported, due to the fact that none of the major studios wanted to produce the film, and it ultimately had to be made on the personal dime of the filmmakers. Maybe they thought they were pursuing a noble cause, but this narrow-minded and heavy handed film misses the target completely. It's not enough just to scream your point at us, you have to actually have a real point in the first place. If your point in the end is "if you don't agree with us, you're wrong", then you probably shouldn't be charging people $6 or more to hear it."
http://www.stomptokyo.com/reelopinions/
10-07-08, 10:53 PM
#68
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Fixed.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfNluQ888g4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfNluQ888g4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Simon Rex, greatest character actor of our time? Possibly.
<object width="425" height="344"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfNluQ888g4&hl=en&fs=1"></param><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true"></param><embed src="http://www.youtube.com/v/xfNluQ888g4&hl=en&fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash" allowfullscreen="true" width="425" height="344"></embed></object>
Simon Rex, greatest character actor of our time? Possibly.
Simon Rex was only is Three great Movies......Young,Hard and solo 2 and 3 and Hot Sessions!
10-08-08, 04:54 AM
#69
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There's a part of me that thinks this is a way to drum up publicity from otherwise ignorant viewers and attract attention to the website, but I don't think they're that smart.
There's a part of me that thinks this is a way to drum up publicity from otherwise ignorant viewers and attract attention to the website, but I don't think they're that smart.
10-09-08, 02:56 AM
#70
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http://www.villagevoice.com/2008-10-...merican-carol/
Funny, but brief interview.
David Zucker sounds like one of my professors in college, i.e. a wash-up has-been.
Funny, but brief interview.
Village Voice: A lot of Michael Moore's image is built upon populism. Your movie suggests the opposite: Michael Malone hates country music and NASCAR and looks down on people who aren't on the East Coast.
David Zucker: I mean, he's gone and said that Americans are the dumbest people on the planet. We're pretty much taking these people at their word. I don't know Michael Moore. The thing about the country music, for example, is from a real quote.
VS: In his book Downsize This!, he encourages people to listen to country music as the voice of America . . .
DZ: Well, there must be different quotes.
VS: Do you actually believe Moore or liberals in general would try to ban July 4th?
DZ: Absolutely not. I'm sure never in his wildest dreams would Michael Moore try to ban July 4th. Having him do that is an obvious exaggeration, a way of moving the film through three acts. It's just Screenwriting 101.
David Zucker: I mean, he's gone and said that Americans are the dumbest people on the planet. We're pretty much taking these people at their word. I don't know Michael Moore. The thing about the country music, for example, is from a real quote.
VS: In his book Downsize This!, he encourages people to listen to country music as the voice of America . . .
DZ: Well, there must be different quotes.
VS: Do you actually believe Moore or liberals in general would try to ban July 4th?
DZ: Absolutely not. I'm sure never in his wildest dreams would Michael Moore try to ban July 4th. Having him do that is an obvious exaggeration, a way of moving the film through three acts. It's just Screenwriting 101.
10-09-08, 10:57 AM
#72
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Moore is 100% correct in his estimation of country music and NASCAR. Both piss me off so another thumbs up to Moore by way of Zucker. Thanks Zucker another reason to like moore who is a talented filmmaker.
10-09-08, 12:06 PM
#73
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I don't think you understood the quote. It says that Moore never said he hated those specific items, it was just an assumption by Zucker and his crew.
10-14-08, 10:44 PM
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i just saw this movie. Based on how Leslie Nielson looked in the film, I would say I need to update my entries on thedeadpool.com. And props to the film makers, as it seems they have the phone numbers to some of the best hollywood pimps in the world. I mean, they hit the perfect trifecta of bottom feeder cameos this time: John Voight, Paris Hilton, and muthafuckin GARY COLEMAN!!! Surely these three have never been in a movie together. It must be a sign of the impending Apocalypse. 20 years ago, a Zucker film drew at least some halfway decent B-listers for the odd cameo, like Weird Al Yankovic and Dr. Joyce Brothers. This movie just shows how low someone can sink into mediocrity. But Gary Coleman? The producers must have felt sorry for the little guy, as he is bankrupt, and starving, so this movie would at least give him money to pay the rent and eat, for at least a few weeks. Sadly, tho, there was only 2 other people in the theater besides me, and they walked out halfway through the movie. I did find the Kennedy clone to be a rather impressive makeup job. The rest is just a shameful mess. This crapfest should have just gone straight to DVD.
Last edited by E. Honda; 10-14-08 at 10:48 PM.
10-16-08, 03:26 AM
#75
DVD Talk Hero
Reason magazine offers an interesting assessment of why this movie doesn't work:
It doesn’t put it in league with the great liberal comedy. There’s a reason for that, as TV critics point out every time a conservative comedy or skit fails. Political comedy mocks authority. Conservative comedy in the Age of Bush venerates authority. The “heavies” that corrupt Malone and (temporarily) ruin the lives of his conservative extended family are powerless, silly activists. Malone simply gets slapped around a bit and decides the establishment was right. If you transported Zucker back to 1978 and pitched him Animal House, he’d direct Niedermeyer: Man of Iron.