Megalopolis- First. before I say anything about the film, i want to say that this film has really good audio description. the description treats Megalopolis like it isn’t an insane fever dream, and avoids pointing out all of the absurdist things Francis Ford Coppola does. It must have been hard to describe this without acknowledging all the hilarity, but you did it. Bravo. I also kinda want some rogue AD providers to go through a movie like this and create an alternate track that does let us know what’s going on, but also points out when things look ridiculous.
What can I say about this film that every critic hasn’t already said? Well, I wasn’t bored.In a year full of shitty films, Megalopolis wasn’t even in my bottom 25, because at least I was intrigued for a viewing. It is so weird, so spectacularly a failure, that you are sometimes mesmerized by it. Megalopolis has the ability to capture your soul, for none of the reasons Francis Ford Coppola intended. I think what he intended to be his final masterwork will eventually live on as one of the greatest good bad flicks to watch. We’re standing in the presence of the next The Room, where people will quote this, there will be screenings where people laugh at it, and dress up like the characters. this has all the potential in the world to be that film, because it is so idiotic. the cast is all over the place, from Shia LaBeouf to Jon Voight, and seemingly no one can be spared. Every actor tries their damndest with some of the most asinine dialog written for the screen. Shia’s character is so weird, that I appreciate his willingness to tackle it like he hasn’t been offered this role as some kind of punishment. Actually, everyone should wonder if they were offered this film as some karmatic punishment.
It’s the quivalent of knowing when to take the keys away from the patriarch of the family, because you know they can’t drive a car anymore. Somehow, one of the greatest directors that ever was, truly cannot see that he made a disaster. The sad thing is, he sold his vineyard and wine label to make this.
I don’t want to stop anyone from watching it. I think the brilliance it does have will be realized by more people taking the time to appreciate this nonsense, and then repurpose it for our viewing pleasure. Megalopolis: The Musical? yes please.
Rotten: Final grade: D+, Audio Description: B+
the Austin Powers Trilogy- i rewatched all three as part of the 25th anniversary of the one that mattered, The Spy Who Shagged Me. The audio description had some issues, at times across the series it hit the visual sight gags, but occasionally, it missed. I’m a fan of the franchise on the whole, but the second film is my favorite. I’m just glad we’ve all stopped quoting this thing. that’s what is truly… groovy.
Austin Powers: international Man of Mystery-
Fresh: Final Grade: A-, Audio Description: B+
Austin Powers: The Spy Who Shagged Me
Fresh: Final Grade: A+, Audio Description: B+
Austin Powers In Goldmember-
Fresh: Final Grade: B+, Audio Description: B+
My Name Is Alfred Hitchcock- I don’t know what to do with this film. I got a screener for this. It had no audio description. it is labeled as a documentary, or non-fiction, but it is entirely made up. The filmmaker studied Hitch and basically came up with the comments he thought the director would make about his films, hired an actor to do an impersonation of him, like it is Hitch commenting on his own works. I was really interested before I knew what this was. In film school, there was a class we all had to take that focused on the films of one of the great directors. the semester I took the course, it was Alfred Hitchcock. so, I spent an entire semester learning all about him, and all the reasons he was a great filmmaker, while exploring titles I hadn’t gotten to see yet. I didn’t walk out of that class with the audacity to make a film like this. In my video review, I didn’t know how to grade it really because I disagree with its classification. I think it’s fiction. However, if you’d like to be considered non-fiction… then I’d be even less inclined to recommend this. either way, it has no grade, because it has no audio description.
