Nightmare Alley (2021)

All non-Nolan related film, tv, and streaming discussions.
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GDT is decidedly unremarkable as a filmmaker and am on record for saying so for many years. Shape of Water is probably his best and it didn't even make my top 10 of 2017. Almost all of his movies are enjoyable, but they mostly look like TV movies.


-Vader

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Shape’s budget was 20 mill. He elevated the shit out of that. CP’s production design alone disqualifies it as a “TV movie”.

His intense passion, incredible knowledge and love for cinema comes across in his movies, that alone makes him more interesting than David O. which is all I said to begin with. He’s coming off best picture and director, it’s a no brainer for Cooper to work with him (which is what started this whole convo) who’s filmography is lacking in A list directors for someone of his status. Also, Leo wanted to work with him and it just didn’t work out, that says a lot as well.

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If passion and knowledge of cinema was what made great filmmakers, film academics would rule Hollywood. I enjoy the majority of GDT's work, but nobody's going to convince me his movies have much going on in them.

And yes, with the exception of Shape of Water (as I say, his best) his movies are embarrassingly flatly photographed. For being such a connoisseur, it makes his sins worse, not better. He of all people should know better.


-Vader

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I think El Laberinto Del Fauno is still his best work. Visually also his most pleasing film imo. I think Del Toro comes across as this massive film fan, of which he's definitely not unique in as a filmmaker, but that doesn't elevate his films as much. I can see that he's got a specific vision and at times maybe even distinct but it doesn't go much further than that. I agree with Vader182 in that regard.

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Maybe Shape is the movie he found his cinematic sensibility, would not be surprised for that style to completely carry over to this project.

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Del Toro has been doing Del Toro for the past 20 years. I don't think he ''found'' himself recently. He's doing whatever he wants to do and I hope he continues to do so j

And I think the production design & cinematography is gorgeous everytime.

His script are most of time the big problem for me. Predictability, weak third acts and cliched villains are a big problem for him. I just don't think he's a really strong writer.

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I have nothing but love for pre Crimson Peak del Toro. Hold him miles above the overrated hack that is O.

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Now Where Was I ? wrote:
June 16th, 2019, 3:08 pm
Del Toro has been doing Del Toro for the past 20 years. I don't think he ''found'' himself recently. He's doing whatever he wants to do and I hope he continues to do so j

And I think the production design & cinematography is gorgeous everytime.

His script are most of time the big problem for me. Predictability, weak third acts and cliched villains are a big problem for him. I just don't think he's a really strong writer.
The way Vader talks about GDT is the way he used to talk about Rian Johnson but now he stans him because he does Star Wars. I think we just need GDT to do a Star Wars movie for Vader to acknowledge he is great. ;)

Virgo, I’m quite surprised you don’t like Shape. It seems like your cup of tea.

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I know you're joking, but I will always have a long list of grievances with TLJ. Most of which I've expressed here. It's an unbelievably messy movie on a plot level, and Johnson is caught up in the concept of scenes rather than executing the scenes themselves. Thus why the throne room can be a terrific sequence yet the actual action is rather poor. Or how Crait can be emotionally and visually tantalizing yet fail to work as an actual battle sequence.

GDT has a different problem. He creates deliberately "simple" fairy-tale like good/evil narratives with cartoonish production design and flat classic Hollywood shot-on-a-studio-lot cinematography. His enthusiasm for his subjects is infectious, and I rather enjoy both Hellboys, Blade II, Crimson Peake, Shape and especially Pacific Rim, but these problems hold him back from being a terrific filmmaker.

point being, I'm honestly glad this might free up Leo to work with better filmmakers.


-Vader

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Vader182 wrote:
June 16th, 2019, 3:23 pm

point being, I'm honestly glad this might free up Leo to work with better filmmakers.

-Vader
Like Inarritu?

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