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Megalopolis


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I just seen this per rocknroll41's suggestion in this thread. I'd forgot about this film getting released eventually, but knew little about it, except who was directing it. I think I'd heard some vague details about it a few years back. After reading the opening post I googled and it said sci-fi and thought that's interesting.

I have alot thoughts, but the first is that it's inspiring for anyone who's ever made a bad film. To think that Francis Ford Coppola the legendary director of The Godfather Trilogy, Apocalypse Now and a favorite of mine like Bram Stoker's Dracula could also make this film is quite something. The plot is nonsense, the editing terrible, the actors give career worst performances and the dialogue is some of the worst I've ever seen in a major film.

I went through a few different phases watching it. At the start I knew it was going bad, but after 10 or so minutes I found it humorously amusing and assumed it was intentionally bad. Then I checked my watch after what felt like the end of the 2nd 3rd and realized there was still an hour 1/2 to go. It becomes boring and I was suddenly hit by the realization that wasn't some artsy attempt that was intentionally bad. It was actually just a very, very bad film.

It's definitely not the worst ever film I've seen, but it's a strong contender for worst I've seen in a cinema.

Edited by AtariLegend
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17 hours ago, rocknroll41 said:

I just got back from seeing this new movie in theaters called megalopolis, and I think it’s the worst movie I’ve ever seen.

I never thought I’d have to look at Shia Lebough’s pubic hair, but here we are…

Is it not gonna be one of those "The Room" situations where word of mouth it's so bad you have to see it type thing? Just to see what's so crazy! 

To be fair, it's really divided some critics, some saying, indeed, worst movie in a long time (of stature and budget releases) and then some credible critics claiming it's daring and a saviour of the dying art of risk taking cinema....

Still, you gotta hand it to an old master like Coppola, he literally put his money where his mouth is and funding the majority of the film....not cheap at that...

He's made masterpieces.....what is this one actually about ? Why did he have it in his head for 40 years? 

The state of the our world and the fact we're seemingly on the cusp of an infection point, needing to rebuilt, the comparison with the last days of Rome before a new tomorrow...I guess that's what he's saying? 

Not seen it though....how do they do the live scene where Driver takes a question from a actor in the audience? That would be soo random if the projector dude just started shouting shit mid screening "I don't get paid enough to do this!"

Edited by colonizedmind
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9 minutes ago, colonizedmind said:

Isn't not gonna be one of those "The Room" situations where word of mouth it's so bad you have to see it type thing? Just to see what's so crazy! 

To be fair, it's really divided some critics, some saying, indeed, worst movie in a long time (of stature and budget releases) and then some credible critics claiming it's daring and a saviour of the dying art of risk taking cinema....

Still, you gotta hand it to an old master like Coppola, he literally put his money where his mouth is and funding the majority of the film....not cheap at that...

He's made masterpieces.....what is this one actually about ? Why did he have it in his head for 40 years? 

The state of the our world and the fact we're seemingly on the cusp of an infection point, needing to rebuilt, the comparison with the last days of Rome before a new tomorrow...I guess that's what he's saying? 

Not seen it though....how do they do the live scene where Driver takes a question from an actor in the audience? That would be soo random if the projector dude just started shouting shit mid screening "I don't get paid enough to do this!"

For my screening they just had a pre-recorded overdub of an off-screen reporter asking the question.

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14 minutes ago, rocknroll41 said:

For my screening they just had a pre-recorded overdub of an off-screen reporter asking the question.

Wow....guess that was jarring...

I'm sure it was an experience for you ....

Just back from watching the original Matrix in 4DX....

Was too young to have seen it in cinemas. Now that was an experience....4DX put me right in the movie too....like it should have been there from the beginning.

Still holds up, probably because it's been copied and meme'd soooo much, that it's the daddy standard bearer for all sci-fi action since 1999.... 

There were young people who literally were seeing for the first time at this screening and were totally blown away!! 

Imagine thinking up a concept and characters like that, then being able to execute things that, at the time, had never been done on screen before....

If anything, it told me that was a crossroads moment....The Matrix uses just as much practical effects as it does CGI....call it perfect harmony....

It proves something major - the laziness (save money too) to CGI everything, from action to big sets...has disconnected us because most smart humans can tells the syntheticness and takes you out of the moment....

The Matrix still felt real, in a unreal world....

Now in 2024, we have a total imbalance of CGI over practical (Romelus as said is a good (but rare) example of using some old skl!)  

Welcome to the (not) real world, I guess.....

Edited by colonizedmind
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Yeah I guess this movie is growing on me now, since I’ve had more time to think it over.

Updated top 10 for the year:

1.Dune: Part Two

2.Alien: Romulus

3.Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

4.Inside Out 2

5.Civil War

6.Young Woman and the Sea

7.Deadpool & Wolverine

8.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

9.Megalopolis (so bad that it’s good)

10.Drive-Away Dolls (so bad that it’s good)

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16 hours ago, rocknroll41 said:

Yeah I guess this movie is growing on me now, since I’ve had more time to think it over.

Updated top 10 for the year:

1.Dune: Part Two

2.Alien: Romulus

3.Furiosa: A Mad Max Saga

4.Inside Out 2

5.Civil War

6.Young Woman and the Sea

7.Deadpool & Wolverine

8.Kingdom of the Planet of the Apes

9.Megalopolis (so bad that it’s good)

10.Drive-Away Dolls (so bad that it’s good)

Hoping Gladiator 2 will burst your top 2!? 

Joker 2 seems like a big departure, hence the mixed reviews...

But I like that it's not just another generic comic series adaptation....

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I honestly don't think it's so bad, it's good territory. It'd have to be an hour shorter for that.

I read that were lots of improvisations in the script and it makes sense. Shia is all over the place saying dumb things that don't make sense and acting all wacky. Seems like that was his call and Coppola just didn't edit it out.

The scene which symbolizes it all for me, is the point where he gets up to give a speech to rally the poor and seems to just mumble something and then "power to the people" while they cheer. It wasn't supposed to be a joke, they seemingly just didn't have a waft of dialogue pre-wrote. Also the insight into Adam Driver's great design mind where his great idea is "what if what collects power, also stores it?".

You'd think after all the decades he wanted to make this, there'd be a finished script. This all explains why the director of The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now got told no.

Also the cgi in certain places is almost on par with this at points -

It's acting that rivals The Room, but without the entertainment factor.

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51 minutes ago, AtariLegend said:

I honestly don't think it's so bad, it's good territory. It'd have to be an hour shorter for that.

I read that were lots of improvisations in the script and it makes sense. Shia is all over the place saying dumb things that don't make sense and acting all wacky. Seems like that was his call and Coppola just didn't edit it out.

The scene which symbolizes it all for me, is the point where he gets up to give a speech to rally the poor and seems to just mumble something and then "power to the people" while they cheer. It wasn't supposed to be a joke, they seemingly just didn't have a waft of dialogue pre-wrote. Also the insight into Adam Driver's great design mind where his great idea is "what if what collects power, also stores it?".

You'd think after all the decades he wanted to make this, there'd be a finished script. This all explains why the director of The Godfather films and Apocalypse Now got told no.

Also the cgi in certain places is almost on par with this at points -

It's acting that rivals The Room, but without the entertainment factor.

Yeah I’m starting to have second thoughts again. I think I’m gonna take it off my Top 10 for the year again and put Kung Fu Panda 4 back.

Pretty crazy that a movie that took 45 years to write ended up having so much improv! I also agree that it’s too long.

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