Comments on: The Biggest, Ugliest Mess I’ve Ever Seen

By: Matt

Matt — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 08:07:51 +0000

I loved this film. I can’t actually tell you why to be honest. It reminded me of the indie film rubber. It defied the guidelines of drama and went straight from noir into schizophrenic nightmare. In so doing, it explored the breadth and depth of scene to scene vignettes. In many ways, the movie much like our own lives had no point. It simply was. And it was not without interesting, unique, and entertaining visuals and dialogues.

Don’t feel ripped because you didn’t get a story arch. Be glad you were liberated from the story arch and were given an opportunity to watch very talented people really explore their craft. And then… just enjoy it.

By: Joe Valdez

Joe Valdez — Sat, 24 Jan 2009 02:00:15 +0000

Rachel: I can apologize for Netflix, at least. If they’d given me a job in 2007 and got me working on their literature, I could have saved you 40 minutes of your life. Congratulations on becoming a mom; you should plenty of spare time now to comment on This Distracted Globe (yeah, right). Jim: I agree with you about Cheri Oteri. She is a terrific presence in this flick even as it circles the drain. Too bad she’s acting off Christopher Lambert and Jon Lovitz. That’s like Alison Kraus jamming with Milli Vanilli. Thanks for commenting! Aaron: Other than script, editing and soundtrack, the movie has a lot going for it. Uhhh. I don’t know what would be worse, watching it on a huge screen at the Arclight or enduring it on a PDR. Thanks for visiting and sharing your thoughts with the rest of the class. Amanda: Far be it from me to try to tell someone not to watch a movie. I'll leave that to the critics. What I do enjoy is writing about movies in such a way that when you do watch them, you’ll be a more informed filmgoer. Screening Southland Tales at film schools wouldn’t be a bad idea, actually. It’s an historic example of how off course a young filmmaker can go by smoking too much pot, surrounding yourself with sycophants and obliterating your audience with bullshit. Thanks for commenting! Jeff: Southland Tales has a lot in common with 1941 but beyond that, the major problem is that Steven Spielberg had directed two blockbusters and a critical hit before he tried to destroy L.A. And he had John Belushi. Kelly tries for same effect with Jon Lovitz and much less experience behind the camera. Thanks for commenting. Patricia: Yeah, I'd really have to think about it for a while before I could name a more disastrous 2nd effort from a promising filmmaker. Mallrats perhaps, but then you'd have to admit Kevin Smith was a promising filmmaker. I'm a fan of Heaven's Gate and if I may promote myself here, I hope you checked out the article I wrote on it Jan. 1. It's always good to see you comment here.

By: Pat Evans

Pat Evans — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 11:53:23 +0000

This must be one of the worst sophomore efforts ever from a promising filmmaker. One would have hoped for so much more after Donnie Darko and it looks as if Kelly may take the Cimino route (however I personally think that Heaven’s Gate is one of the most unfairly maligned films).

By: Jeff McM

Jeff McM — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 10:29:05 +0000

This is one of those movies that has so many scattered moments of brilliance, surrounded by a turgid morass of gunk. It’s kind of a shame that it ended up as such a mess, and I agree that the producers should have reined in Kelly, for his own good if nothing else.

By: AR

AR — Wed, 21 Jan 2009 19:03:35 +0000

I almost want to see this because it looks like a big glorious train wreck.

By: Aaron

Aaron — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 22:59:59 +0000

Joe: Been reading and enjoying the site for a while, always a pleasure.
Your opinion pretty much sums it all up here.
I had to watch the 140min cut in two shifts via my PDR. The issue is the script, editing, storyline and soundtrack are so messy and incoherent that the film just doesn’t hold one’s attention for more than an hour.
It never turned up in theaters in Australia, so cable TV or DVD were my only options in seeing it. Honestly the ability to stop and walk away for an hour was possibly the only reason I saw the film until it’s ending. That as well as being a little bored during the holiday break and hopelessly waiting in vain for the film to pay off. Which it doesn’t; only presenting a tired grandfather paradox that was used in an episode of Stargate in 1998…
It was funny seeing it pop up here as I saw it for the first time only a few weeks ago.

By: Moviezzz

Moviezzz — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 14:49:59 +0000

I was prepared to like this film, yet could barely make it through it. I think I had to hit the FF button through much of it. Unwatchable is the best word.

Although I did like Cheri Oteri in it. That is all I remember about the film.

By: Rachel

Rachel — Tue, 20 Jan 2009 04:06:15 +0000

I certainly share your opinion, Joe. Any film that flaunts Bai Ling automatically loses its credibility, though there was already none to spare here.

On another personal viewing note, my experience watching this was even worse, because I rented it from Netflix, which said the movie was only 100 minutes long (or an hour and forty minutes) but when I sat down to watch it, the stupid thing ended being 140 minutes long, sucking that much more of my life away.