Comments on: Movies You Have Not Seen But You Should See (Because They Are Good) #13

By: ADM

ADM — Wed, 16 Jul 2008 16:24:01 +0000

I loved this movie too, but it’s more than a little like Sherlock Holmes the story is actually based on the Sherlock Homes story Scandal in Bohemia.

By: BlackBloc

BlackBloc — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 13:16:29 +0000

I saw that movie once and really liked it, then never found it again or even remembered the title. Thanks.

By: John;kadsjfolkadsjf

John;kadsjfolkadsjf — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 12:00:23 +0000

There’s a good discussion about how geniuses are portrayed in film in the opening of David Foster Wallace’s “Everything and More.” The thrust of which is that the popular media use the the high incidence of genius who suffer from mental illness (like in A Beautiful Mind) as opposite sides of the gift/curse coin because it fits into a very marketable narrative: Prometheus. The brave genius who journeys to the dark places of the mind to discover gifts we all benefit from but for which he alone pays.

The truth I think is closer to the high incidence of substance abuse to famous writers. There may be something about the lifestyle and personalities that make it more likely than the general population, but it’s the talent that outshines the condition (and brings it into the spotlight) not the condition that bolsters the talent.

Completely agree about Zero Effect. I still love the treatise about “Finding Things”

By: Dr Nic

Dr Nic — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:12:08 +0000

Finally! Someone else who a) saw it and b) didn’t mind it.

By: sean (connery)

sean (connery) — Tue, 15 Jul 2008 07:11:54 +0000

‘i have a gun and everything.’

incidentally, zero effect is one of the few movies filmed here in portland that’s actually worth watching. and actually set in portland. there’s a scene where someone (stiller?) is driving the wrong way on a major street in downtown that’s hilariously inaccurate.

not quite ‘we wanted the max train to run on the hawthorne bridge instead of the broadway bridge, so we trussed up two old accordian buses to look like a fake train and had tommy lee jones and benicio fight on it’ in the hunted ridiculous, but you get the idea.

By: Rob S.

Rob S. — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 19:14:00 +0000

Thanks for spotlighting this — it’s a longtime favorite of mine.

By: Skwid

Skwid — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 18:27:59 +0000

For the interested, this is available from Netflix as a “Watch it Now” streaming feature.

By: Burrowowl

Burrowowl — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 16:50:11 +0000

Wait, there are people that haven’t seen this?

By: Kyle W.

Kyle W. — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:45:45 +0000

Thank you Adam, for reminding me of those mediocre movies. Though I would like to see a well done comic in which the Power Cosmic is stolen.

MGK, I need to see more of these. Thanks for all of them.

By: Adam

Adam — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:35:07 +0000

I haven’t seen this, but my favorite “writing a genius well” is Enders Game. I loves me that book, largely due to that.

Lack of genius is something that I always find disappointing in Fantastic Four too. People always talk about Reed or Doom being super smart, but it is hard for people to write them that way without just having them invent some wacky machine. Having them actually solve problems or think things through…happens alot less. And not at all during the movies.

By: jeffwik

jeffwik — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 15:31:25 +0000

The director’s commentary by Jake Kasdan is a hoot, IIRC. When he recorded it apparently director commentary tracks were a very new thing and he seemed to think it would only be heard by erudite film scholars and by people who knew him personally. Variations on the theme “I had no idea what I was doing as a director and it’s a goddamn miracle that I didn’t ruin the awesome performances or my own fairly rocking script.”

By: Brad Reed

Brad Reed — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 14:10:33 +0000

An excellent movie. I remember it being oddly paced — it felt like the first movie by a very good talent, someone who had a great future but hadn’t quite gotten used to how movies usually work.

“Zero Effect” is satisfying in a number of ways, and it’ll stick with you. Most worthy of watching.

By: Matthew E

Matthew E — Mon, 14 Jul 2008 13:58:37 +0000

If ever there was a movie that cried out for a sequel or two, it’s Zero Effect.