"D" for Vendetta
Nick Schager, the world's best film critic, has a scathing review of "V for Vendetta".
He's previously slammed Napoleon Dynamite (mean-spirited and clearly not written by people who were ever nerds themselves) and The Passion of the Christ (the premier anti-Semitic fairy tale, now gorier than ever).
Oh, and if you don't read his blog, you're a piece of shit and I cannot be friends with you.
Damn! I should hire you to be my publicist.
Thanks :)
Posted by: Nicardo Autobahn on April 4, 2006 1:51 PM | permalinkYou bastard!
"* his body language, sans dance moves, bear an uncanny resemblance to my friend/frequent blog commenter O'dell"
But it's funny that, nearly two years later, I'm just now seeing the comment.
But to deflect focus of my Dynamiteness, some people at school call him Dr. Dynamite:
http://www.tarleton.edu/~sigmaxi/images/Zuelke&Rathburn_web.jpg
Posted by: Od-ll on April 4, 2006 2:01 PM | permalinkHa. You should invite that dude to play tetherball with you after class.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on April 4, 2006 2:09 PM | permalinkFor the record...I disagree with your friends review. While I never read the graphic novel, I think as a stand-alone flick it was great. Very exciting, funny, thought-provoking. Plus you allllmost see Natalie Portman naked. I would give it a B+ in my humble opinion.
Posted by: Elyssa on April 4, 2006 3:50 PM | permalinkBah, I think that he's taking the film too seriously. Take it as a comic book fantasy and it's just fine. What did Nick have to say about Spider-Man, X-Men or Batman Begins? Same genre.
"I enjoyed Spider-Man, and I know I’m the only person in the country who really liked The Hulk" -- http://www.nickschager.com/nsfp/2004/04/prepare_for_pun.html
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on April 4, 2006 7:38 PM | permalinkWhile I haven't seen V for Vendetta (though I have heard high praise for it from those who have) -- I have to say that Napoleon Dynamite review is ridiculous. It completely misses the point. I really think the movie is giving us all the chance to laugh at ourselves, in the way it exagerates the embarrassing aspects of adolescent life (everyone has the awful relative who embarrasses them in front of a friend, everyone says something dumb to a girl they were interested in, etc -- but hopefully not to the comedic extent of ND). Clearly the reviewer is taking himself too seriously, as the movie is harmless and just pushes the view that you should be yourself and not give a damn about what others think.
Posted by: Jay on April 4, 2006 8:26 PM | permalinkHey, I liked Hulk, too. I thought -I- was the only one :D
2D "flat" death for the win!
Posted by: Steve Meister on April 4, 2006 9:37 PM | permalinkNah man ... they weren't laughing *with* ND; they were laughing *at* him. It was a seriously mean-spirited film.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on April 4, 2006 9:42 PM | permalinkOk. Well I think we saw different movies then. Also, have you only seen ND once? The first time I saw it, I wasn't a huge fan (although I didn't actively hate it), but the 2nd time I think I understood better what they were going for. I'd encourage you to watch it again if you haven't.
If Napoleon is really there for us to laugh at *him*, then why is every character in the movie an exageration of real-life stereotypes? Even the "popular" kids in the movie are over-the-top, which is why I think it's just meant for us to laugh along with them at how ridiculous high school can be.
Besides, in the review you linked to, it says that the movie wants us to be like bullies/cheerleaders laughing at the nerds, and you added that the movie writers must never have been nerds. Well, myself and my friends who liked the movie -- none of us, at all, were the "cool" kids in high school. So I really don't think that's who the movie was appealing to. Honestly, why would the cool kids even want to waste 2 hours thinking about people like Napoleon? Again, I really think you're taking yourself too seriously.
Posted by: Jay on April 5, 2006 9:55 AM | permalinkJay:
I think we're getting confused here -- I didn't write the review, though I agree with most of it.
"Honestly, why would the cool kids even want to waste 2 hours thinking about people like Napoleon?"
Wow, you really weren't a geek if you don't think that "cool" kids find it endlessly amusing to get laughs at the expense of nerds who don't fit in.
Posted by: Joe Grossberg on April 5, 2006 10:25 AM | permalinkI know you didn't write the review -- I tried to distinguish when I was commenting on what the reviewer said ("Besides, in the review you linked to...") and what you said. But, as you said, you agreed with most of what he said, which was why I commented.
Eh, I think "cool kids" find that endlessly amusing when a target is provided right in front of them. It's a matter of convenience. I don't think they'd say "oh let me go to this movie so I can have something to make fun of." Maybe I'm wrong though.
Posted by: Jay on April 5, 2006 12:40 PM | permalinki loved the movie V for vendetta, though i must say i didn't like the end where [SPOILER REDACTED]. NOOOOO
No more comments! Either someone has violated Godwin's Law, I'm tired of the discussion or, most likely, the ten-week window has closed. You can, however, contact me through email.