Why is Gus Van Sant still allowed to make movies???

[echo_bravo]

I just got done watching Paranoid Park.

Why did I watch it? Probably because I am a bit of a masochist. I knew it was gonna be the same self indulgent, tedious bullshit that I have come to expect from Van Sant but I didnt think it was gonna be this bad.

Seriously if you want to cure your insomina like me go watch anyone of Elephant, Gerry, Paranoid Park or Last Days.

Dont even get me started on him remaking Psycho. Thats a whole other rant right there.

But back to Paranoid Park. There was a scene in it where the skateboarder is going into detail about what sandwich he ordered at Subway. I shit you not. This takes the cake as being tedious bullshit.

Now just when I want to give up on Van Sant...he goes and casts Josh Brolin in his next film. Of course, Brolin being one of my new favorite actors, I have to see ANY film he is in. Plus, Sean Penn plays a gay guy in it which should be a real hoot.

Maybe JUST maybe now that Gus is done with his "Death trilogy" or whatever the fuck he described it as, he just might make a watchable film again.

I will give him props on Good WIll Hunting though (although that was all Damon right there).

[The Postmaster General]

He's got a free pass from me based on Drugstore Cowboy. The dude has talent, but he's seem to of chosen some experimentation. I couldn't get into Last Days, and haven't seen the rest of his long meandering shot trilogy, but he's cool by me. I'd rather him keep making films than a lot of other people.

[Monotreme]

You have to hand it to him for still being able to explore and experiment after directing mainstream stuff like Good Will Hunting and Finding Forrester. Some of the experiments worked (Elephant was phenomenal); some failed (Gerry and Last Days were tedious). He's an uneven but always interesting director. And Milk looks interesting. I give him credit.

[Cosimo]

Drugstore Cowboy is brilliant

Last Days was pretty good i think. I would hate to c some rubbish walk the lineesque biopic on Kurt. I did despise Paranoid Park but parts of Gerry were ok also

[Cronos]

The only films of his that I've seen that I actually liked were Elephant and Good Will Hunting, everything else was just soso or complete crap... one of them being on the list of worst films I've ever seen.

[Monotreme]

one of them being on the list of worst films I've ever seen.

Let me guess... Gerry?

[Cronos]

Let me guess... Gerry?
Psycho.

[The Postmaster General]

Cronos, have you seen Drugstore Cowboy or To Die For?

[Lazy Boy]

His "experimental" films are what make him so good, IMO -- Gerry ranks up there with one of the best Bela Tarr-not-Bella Tarr films he's done in recent memory (or it could be a lot like Antonioni). But, I think his crutch/reliance on non-actors is sort of lessening his work, between Paranoid Park and Elephant, it's awkward to watch pubescent teens gawking into the camera as it goes by or stutter over banal lines. I see why he chooses them -- some sort of ephereal beauty -- but it has been the weakest part of his movies.

Check out My Own Private Idaho. Best Van Sant film with River Phoenix's best performance on celluloid, ever.

[Cronos]

Cronos, have you seen Drugstore Cowboy or To Die For?
I've seen To Die For which falls into the soso pile, haven't seen Drugstore Cowboy, I'm rather tempted to check it out though.

[The Postmaster General]

I think if you liked To Die For, you'd like Drugstore Cowboy quite a bit more. It's a pretty interesting take on junkie culture. I enjoy it quite a bit more than Requiem for a Dream, though you can't really compare the two. IMO, Drugstore Cowboy had a lot more to say and Requiem was more of a voyage/descent, and I'm a bigger fan of the former type of movie. It's one of those drug movies where you don't have to be into drugs to dig because, IMO, it shows a side you wouldn't necessarily expect, if you know what I'm saying.

I don't want to oversell it or anything, because it is a low-key movie. So, try to go into it relaxed. It's definitely more straight forward and faster paced than his later work. Not that this always makes a better film (2001 vs Armageddon, for example...) but it's just a stark contrast in terms of tone and mood.

[Jon Lyrik]

The problem with his experimental films is that they aren't really that daring anyway.

[echo_bravo]

Hey Bubba, I'll give Drugstore Cowboy a shot. I got to admit that I have never even heard of the film until now so I'll go rent it this week.

[Cop No. 633]

I have a like-hate relationship with Gus Van Sant. His best work to me is never that great to me, but his films are interesting. But his worst films to me are god awful boring experiments where I can see what his intention was making them, but it still doesn't save them from being non engaging terrible films (mostly his post Good Will Hunting flicks).

The last thing I saw by him was a short in Paris Je T'Aime. He easily had the worst short in the whole film. The script was terribly obvious and gimmicky even for a short. Of course, it had to be a gay love story, but that doesn't bother me at all... it was just wasn't well made.

I think I'll skip out on Paranoid Park. I think his best work is behind him already.

[KiKrusher99]

Many years ago, my grandparents would enjoy lovely catfish dinners with his parents. That being said, I love his work, especially his polarizing "death" trilogy.

[bigred760]

Then stop watching movies made by Gus van Sant.

I love Good Will Hunting and I thought Elephant was a well made movie. Other than his cameo in Jay & Silent Bob Strike Back, don't know much about what he's doing.

[NathanRomano]

I wanted to see Paranoid Park

[the saw is family]

couldn't disagree more. my own private idaho is a great film too. i really enjoyed his death trilogy. thought all three were effective examples of minimalist cinema something that i enjoy and don't find tedious at all. i can understand how people didn't like them though. i think he's one of the better american independent directors working right now. the only film of his that i really didn't like was finding forrester, the psycho remake wasn't very good but it was interesting as more of a cinematic curiosity.

[APzombie]

I fucking love Gus Van Sant. From Drugstore Cowboy to My Own Private Idaho to Elephant to Paranoid Park the mans a fucking genius and i'll defend his wonderful vision to the death.

[Cronos]

Watched Drugstore Cowboy a couple of days ago and really enjoyed it, much better than some of the other stuff I've seen from Van Sant, very interesting plot and set of characters and well acted too. So now there's three film's of his that I like.

I'll have to have a look for My Own Private Idaho.

[The Postmaster General]

Did anyone see Even Cowgirls Get The Blues?

[thedudeman69]

Van Sant is a love him or hate him director. I personally liked Gerry, Elephant, Good Will Hunting, and My Own Private Idaho. I mean, they were really good films, but Last Days was just really horrendous.

[KcMsterpce]

Honestly, the most simple answer is that he's established himself on past work.

Whether or not you like his stuff NOW, none of it is on a make-or-break budget, if ya-know-whadda-mean.

He can keep making $4 million movies, because they'll most likely make their money back at SOME point. If not, well... no big loss.

[APzombie]

Did anyone see Even Cowgirls Get The Blues?

Yea, it's actually my least favorite film from Van Sant but it is still a pretty interesting journey.

[echo_bravo]

I just cant understand how anyone can like his "Death" trilogy (Elephant, Last Days, Paranoid Park).

Can some explain the appeal of these films to me please?

It was like watching paint dry.

[Cronos]

I've seen Cowgirls and absolutely hated it, forced myself to sit through it till the end in the hope that it might get even slightly better but it didn't... that one's in the complete crap pile :p

[Raoul Duke]

I just cant understand how anyone can like his "Death" trilogy (Elephant, Last Days, Paranoid Park).

Can some explain the appeal of these films to me please?

It was like watching paint dry.

I tried to watch Last Days and was pretty sure I couldn't stand it. Haven't seen Paranoid Park.

I did, however, like Elephant. Now, this is not something I will pop in every now and then..In fact, I have no real desire to watch it any time soon, if ever. As an audience we're just dropped into a few students' lives for a little while. They're regular people and don't do anything particularly cool, which makes it realistic and easily identifiable. I think the movie accomplished its mission in showing an unbiased, realistic, brief, sort of fly on the wall depiction of a high school shooting. There are hints dropped here and there as to the boys' reasons for killing, but doesn't point a finger at one area. I liked that, because who can honestly say their reasons. It's any number of things, just waiting to boil over.

I also liked some of the long shots giving a feeling for how damn big this school is. How long it takes to get anywheres, making it even worse if anything violent were to happen, help is so far away. And I just appreciate long tracking shots in general, as they require a lot of hard work and set up. Not to mention the slow motion moments that were done in camera, which is really tough and rare to see nowadays.

But really this is just a movie that is definitely not for everyone. It's obviously experimental and knows that in the way it goes about the story..Some people just don't like that kind of stuff...I think I like Van Sant's more mainstream stuff like Good Will and Drugstore. Still need to see To Die For and Gerry, though.

[cloneofkelso]

i really enjoyed elephant havent seen anything else

[thedudeman69]

I just cant understand how anyone can like his "Death" trilogy (Elephant, Last Days, Paranoid Park).

Can some explain the appeal of these films to me please?

It was like watching paint dry.



Well, I always thought all of those films showed people doing everyday normal things, but Sant used the opportunity to experiment with shots, filters, staging, using non actors, and stuff that you wouldn't see in a Mainstream movie. I thought they were all brilliantly done, but Last Days was incredibly boring, and weak. I understand if you find the films boring, you have to have extreme patience to watch the movies.

[corran horn]

I'm a little ashamed to admit, but MILK will be the first GVS film I've ever seen. This is mostly b/c of the subject matter. I will make it a point to check out Good Will Hunting and Drugstore Cowboy though. Personally, I think MILK just might be his best work. I've seen pictures of Sean Penn as Harvey Milk and Emile Hirsch as Cleve Jones (sporting a big afro) and they were pretty spot-on. I'm most curious about Josh Brolin as Dan White.

[InHopelandish]

What I liked about 'Last Days' was the de-glamorization of... well Kobain's last days...

its so easy to glamorize "martyrdom"... into something bigger than it is... its so easy to go a hollywood route and 'dramatisize' it... when in reality... kobain probably just fucked around in the woods and ate some mac and cheese, you know?

there's nothing particularly exciting or hollywood about a school shooting... its just... well unorganized, frightening... and sometimes even, dare i say, boring violence...

its experimentation... and gus van sant should be applauded for still experimenting with how to tell a story... not critisized...

i love filmmakers who try different things... even though I personally didnt like 'Gerry'... I applaud the experimenation...

and hell yeah to the people reccomending 'my own private idaho'... river pheonix... that was one talented futhermucker...

[Cottonmouth]

Why don't you start a petition?


;)

[The Heart Collector]

Gus Van Sant's last 4 films have all been great, and more worthy of analysis than any Best Picture winner of this decade except No Country For Old Men.

[silentasylum]

yeah I have to agree that guy's movies suck.

[Superplasmatron]

i loved him till he did gerry, his last great film everything since has been well shot crap.
Finding Forrester is surprisingly over looked
my own private Idaho
drugstore cowboy
to die for
are all great films

[paul calf]

i did like a lot of his eary work but he does seam to have dissapeared up his own arse lately with the movies he has been making.
i still have hope he will redeam himself eventually though as someone who made,good will hunting,drugstore cowboy and to die for,he has proved he has a talent for really good movies.

[MsPink]

Many of the movies people liked such as To Die For, Good Will Hunting, Finding Forrester - he didn't write the screenplay - he just directed them. I liked Drugstore Cowboy (which he did write), but Elephant (he wrote that also) was about as interesting as watching a pet rock.

[ldjbl]

same question about that uwe boll guy. read there's a petition going around asking him to stop and he said if 1 million people signed it he would consider it.

[SistaNormallove]

He's got an expensive pass from me not based on Drugstore Cowboy. The dude has no talent, but he's seem to of not chosen some experimentation. I could totally get into Last days, and have seen ther est of his long meandering shot trilogy, but he's not cool by me. I'd rather him not keep making films than a lot of other people.

[joeyatog]

I thought Paranoid Park was good, not great or anything. Probably wouldn't watch it again. I have never seen Elephant or Last Days so I can't compare.

[chasingbanky]

and more worthy of analysis than any Best Picture winner of this decade except No Country For Old Men.

Phew.. That was a close one.

[Jon Lyrik]

Paranoid Park was great. Elephant has some great bits but has some astonishingly stupid ones as well (the whole "homorage" subtext). Last Days I got, but was bored by it. Gerry, surprisingly, was very good. Finding Forrester was dull. Psycho was idiotic. Good Will Hunting was great. My Own Private Idaho, Drugstore Cowboy...great. Cowgirls...painful.

I wouldn't call him consistent, but he has talent.

[angelamia]

Gus Van Sant movies are really good if you fast forward through all the bullshit extended walking scenes. Though I have talked to someone who told me they liked all that. To each their own i guess. I haven't watched one of his movies straight through (actually maybe I watched Last Days), but I got the full story.