tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post3696599918978776804..comments2024-03-28T16:52:10.619-04:00Comments on Radiator Heaven: David Cronenberg Blogathon: Naked LunchJ.D.http://www.blogger.com/profile/11823190634186509982noreply@blogger.comBlogger7125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post-46988945330699925582011-07-06T14:26:36.916-04:002011-07-06T14:26:36.916-04:00The Film Connoisseur:
Thanks for the compliments,...The Film Connoisseur:<br /><br />Thanks for the compliments, my friend!<br /><br />I still don't grasp everything in this film either. But every time I watch it I get something out of it that I didn't notice before, which is par for the course for a lot of Cronenberg films.<br /><br />Yeah, Ebert's comments made me laugh. Cronenberg didn't set out to make a romantic comedy! Geez...Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post-27819643142430989462010-10-22T19:20:41.672-04:002010-10-22T19:20:41.672-04:00Hey J.D.
You probably already know about this, b...Hey J.D. <br /><br />You probably already know about this, but as a friend I thought I would let you know about it. Thought of you. Seemed like it might be up your alley.<br /><br />http://trailers.apple.com/trailers/independent/williamsburroughsamanwithin/SFFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04256589316922398158noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post-70844966065697364492010-09-17T17:26:18.630-04:002010-09-17T17:26:18.630-04:00Awesome review! I saw it the same way you did, as ...Awesome review! I saw it the same way you did, as a film about a writer trying to escape his reality through the use of drugs to another world.<br /><br />Somethings I didnt fully grasp, but I just loved the weirdness of the whole film, like you mentioned, it reminds one of films like Eraserhead and Barton Fink. <br /><br />That comment that Roger Ebert said about the film not having any joy, I dont get it. Who the heck says that every film has to be a joyful event? There are films that are simply meant to bathe us in dispair and sadness, sometimes, this is just what we need, and can even make for a more profound film watching experience. <br /><br />After this review I can do nothing but re-watch it. I might attempt to review it, maybe this time I will grasp it even better! <br /><br />Awesome review!Franco Macabrohttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10994905312221715861noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post-53924279473826416512010-09-09T11:26:23.683-04:002010-09-09T11:26:23.683-04:00The Sci-Fi Fanatic:
Thank you for the detailed co...The Sci-Fi Fanatic:<br /><br />Thank you for the detailed comments! I hope you get a chance to see this film. I would be really interested to read your thoughts on it.<br /><br />I've been a fan of Peter Weller's ever since first seeing him in BUCKAROO BANZAI and he continues to pop up in interesting films. He has such an unusual acting style and the way he delivers dialogue, much like Jeff Goldblum in his own way.<br /><br />It was interesting to discover all the permutations of this film and some of the people who almost made it a reality - the Chuck Barris/Terry Southern incarnation still boggles my mind but I'm glad that Cronenberg ultimately did it.<br /><br />It's too bad that Ebert didn't think too highly of this film but I really loved J. Hoberman's review and I felt that he really understood what Cronenberg was trying to do.<br /><br />And good call on the theme of Cronenberg protagonists being unable to escape their fate. I hadn't thought of that but you're right! It does figure into many of the man's films and he even managed to dovetail it rather nicely with Burroughs' stuff.<br /><br /><br />le0pard13:<br /><br />Thanks for stopping by, my friend.<br /><br /><br />Steve Langton:<br /><br />Thanks! As much as I love VIDEODROME, NAKED LUNCH just edges it out. And yeah, it's weird how much BARTON FINK parallels NAKED LUNCH thematically. Very odd and that they both came out so close together as well!Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post-4665091343038155232010-09-08T15:15:11.515-04:002010-09-08T15:15:11.515-04:00Beaut of a review, JD. I've long felt this to ...Beaut of a review, JD. I've long felt this to be one of David Cronenberg's best works, just lingering below Dead Ringers in fact. Absolutely brilliant remark re Barton Fink. Can't think of many better double-bills.Steve Langtonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00759586159893673244noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post-15806003748334307342010-09-08T13:19:24.975-04:002010-09-08T13:19:24.975-04:00It's in my Netflix queue! Well done, J.D. Than...It's in my Netflix queue! Well done, J.D. Thanks for this.le0pard13https://www.blogger.com/profile/09421175808461787862noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5407391624985829089.post-5965500034354473842010-09-08T10:43:03.370-04:002010-09-08T10:43:03.370-04:00Well J.D. Outstanding and as complex as the film a...Well J.D. Outstanding and as complex as the film and works of Burroughs you describe so well.<br /><br />I was looking forward to your tribute to the film. I have yet to see it. It's on my list along with Spider. <br /><br />Your affection and grasp of the material is, as always, rock solid.<br /><br />The cast, in particular Weller and Scheider, has always had me intrigued about this one. Weller is perennially underrated, but always lifts material, which is one of the reasons I always wanted to see this film. Robocop, Leviathan and Screamers.... thank you Peter Weller.<br /><br />Given the complex development history of starts and stops you notate, I'm not sure it's possible to deliver a perfect film for Naked Lunch. It sounds so complex just hearing you write about it. Fascinating but complex. Still, Cronenberg's theme of transformation seemes perfectly suited to make Naked Lunch into its best incarnation under his direction.<br /><br />I always enjoy Ebert as a critic, but don't alway agree especially on films as intrictae as this one. Clearly you present a vast cross section of mixed opinions and feelings presented by critics regarding the film. Perhaps this is indeed a film experience one must see for themselves unlike the normally predictable fare presented in Hollywood.<br /><br />Your point regarding Bill's inability to "escape" is one of those classic Cronenberg elements we all love. Johnny Smith couldn't escape his fate. Jeff Goldblum's character in The Fly and Mortenson's in A History Of Violence could not alter the course of their fates. There is no escape.<br /><br />I look forward to seeing this film and perhaps it will be one of those films I appreciate as much as you did and still do. Cheers J.D.SFFhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04256589316922398158noreply@blogger.com