Comments on: Tyson (2009 Documentary)

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[...]Tyson (2009 Documentary) | The Life and Art of Vern[...]…

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By: Mr. Subtlety

Mr. Subtlety — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:26:55 +0000

Mr Majestyk — by the way, I definitely agree with you that I’d rather see someone who was consistently great than someone who had one great idea and then sort of flamed out. On the other hand, I think its hard to keep from saying the same thing over and over unless you grow a little as an artist, try new things, etc. Its a fine line to walk to seek to get better and keep from becoming complacent, while at the same time not reinventing yourself into something artificial to keep the public’s interest.

like my above post, I think this job is easier for directors than musicians. But still, look at guys like Billy Wilder, Arthur Penn, even the likes of Chaplin and Hitchcock. They built their reputations making a long series of fantastic films, covering a range of styles and material in each case. But by the end of their careers, they didn’t really have anywhere to go anymore. They sort of said all they could really say using the tools that they had at their disposal, and their last couples films range from decent to pointless.

My point is, I’ll always take sustained craftsmanship (Hitchcock) over a flash of genius (George Lucas). But even committed craftsmen have to adapt and work to keep their muse.

By: Josh

Josh — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:14:46 +0000

Vern, did you really not like 8 Diagrams? or were you just using Wu-Tang as a generic reference? I thought it was the best thing they’ve put out in awhile, especially Stick Me for My Riches and Rushing Elephants. Life Changes, the ODB tribute track at the end is pretty good too. I mean, shit, the whole album’s at least decent (with a few exceptions) and definitely has some great tracks.

By: Mr. Subtlety

Mr. Subtlety — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 19:13:08 +0000

In some ways, its kind of odd to compare movies/music in terms of their authors, because the way they’re produced and the way they’re consumed is so different. Directors do seem to age much better than musicians, or at least have longer professional lives a lot of the time. I think this may in part be due to the fact that movies are a huge-scale effort which involves the work of a ton of people, some of whom are far more visible than the director. Most serious musicians these days are writer-performers, so unless a director is a writer-director-star they’re much more a part of the product rather than the product itself (even directors like Cronenberg or Gilliam, who make a major imprint on any film they touch, have actors, cinematographers, composers, editors, and often writers to collaborate with. Hence, they’re never quite so indistinguishable from the product itself as musicians are.

Because music is also so much about the image and vision of a single person, it also hinges upon hipness, freshness, and creativity in a way we don’t really demand from movies in the same way, it seems to me. Hence, musicians have a much harder time making consistently great but also fairly similar albums and staying relevant than directors do.

By: BlackFrankWhite

BlackFrankWhite — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 01:20:16 +0000

James Toback is one of the most intelligent and brave directors out there. His movies are not pleasant or easy to watch because they deal with anti-heroes and they will always take you to the darkest places, not giving a fuck how you feel about it. Jim Brown’s best role was in Toback’s “Fingers” (which also starred Harvey Keitel). He also provided the brilliant script for “Bugsy”. Say what you say about “Black and White”, it’s no Huggis’ “Crush”. This guy should not be confused with the lame Mike Figgis. If you don’t take my word for it you can check out this conversation between Toback and Tarantino:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HElQrO-FBIM

Regarding rappers not aging well, I think it’s too soon to tell because Hip Hop is only 30 years old (first single “Rapper’s Delight” by Sugar Hill Gang in 1979) and shit can still happen. It’s true that most 80’s giants (Slick Rick, Rakim, Big Daddy Kane, KRS-1 and Ice Cube) are not doing too well these days. I hope Dr Dre will drop his long awaited masterpiece this year and change this sad picture. As for 90’s giants I think they are still fuckin with the muse big time: Jay Z’s “American Gangster” or Eminem’s “Relapse” (with almost 100% chronic beats by the good doctor) are two recent examples.

Regarding Southern Rap, I think it saved Hip Hop in the last decade. The east and west didn’t bring anything new to the table since forever. Lyrically I felt for a long time that, except from rare cases like Scarface or Devin the Dude, the south was inferior to east and the west. The last albums by T.I and Lil Wayne proved me wrong.

By: Andy C.

Andy C. — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:45:32 +0000

I think Cronenberg will be good and interesting until the end. The guy is just so smart and always makes what he wants to make. He’s a great artist.

By: Vern

Vern — Sun, 31 May 2009 23:14:05 +0000

Also I would say Scorsese and Cronenberg are in that club of directors still making great and challenging movies decades into their careers. Especially Cronenberg because his last couple have been a new approach for him and yet up there with his best work.

By: aaron w

aaron w — Sun, 31 May 2009 21:35:03 +0000

for me peter weir is that kind of director. from “picnic at hanging rock” to “dead poet society” to “master and commander” he’s always been a masterful, thoughtful and interesting director.