I loved Megalopolis (saw it three times! seriously!) and am quite irritated that our culture could not process it as anything other than meme fodder. Suffice it to say I'm disappointed in Mo here, who is usually insightful in his analysis, or at the very least interesting! But underneath the peepee-poopoo stuff (Megalopolis is a turd that tastes like piss!) he has the same boring take as everyone else, that's it's a risible vanity project that is only good for its camp value. OK Boomer! Joy Emoji! Etc.
You're not laughing *at* this movie, guys, you're laughing *with* it. Not everything that's hysterical about this movie is deliberately funny on Coppola's part, but... most of it is, IMO! The nincompoop villain named CLOD-io whose cousin is played by the main impressionist on late SNL is a bit of a giveaway there, I think. What are you *ironically* appreciating here? The CGI, I guess? But even then, so much of this movie is genuinely beautiful on a pure image level. That last hour in particular -- whew! (It helps to have the Koyaanisqatsi guy as your DOP.) Megalopolis is a lot of things, but "dumb" ain't one of 'em.
Very well done, Mo. Loved the beginning: "We have no problem seeing this as a dumb, bloated — if ambitious — idea.
Now imagine, instead of being a curly-haired, sixteen-year-old, morbidly obese Arab-American curmudgeon with no CV to back me up, I had the greatest cinematic streak in motion picture history . . . "
Brilliant, clear, and licenses your delightfully, self-consciously, inconsistent response to the movie. Keep up the good work!
"my desire to have the inevitable film adaptation play Stone Temple Pilots’ “Where the River Goes” in the closing credits." Oof. I feel seen. I have several STP songs that I planned to play at the end of MY screenplays.
Really enjoyed this essay. Some people need guardrails against their bad ideas. Megalopolis is FFC without guardrails and what we're seeing coming out of Washington is DJT without guardrails. I wish both were only movies.
I loved Megalopolis (saw it three times! seriously!) and am quite irritated that our culture could not process it as anything other than meme fodder. Suffice it to say I'm disappointed in Mo here, who is usually insightful in his analysis, or at the very least interesting! But underneath the peepee-poopoo stuff (Megalopolis is a turd that tastes like piss!) he has the same boring take as everyone else, that's it's a risible vanity project that is only good for its camp value. OK Boomer! Joy Emoji! Etc.
You're not laughing *at* this movie, guys, you're laughing *with* it. Not everything that's hysterical about this movie is deliberately funny on Coppola's part, but... most of it is, IMO! The nincompoop villain named CLOD-io whose cousin is played by the main impressionist on late SNL is a bit of a giveaway there, I think. What are you *ironically* appreciating here? The CGI, I guess? But even then, so much of this movie is genuinely beautiful on a pure image level. That last hour in particular -- whew! (It helps to have the Koyaanisqatsi guy as your DOP.) Megalopolis is a lot of things, but "dumb" ain't one of 'em.
Very well done, Mo. Loved the beginning: "We have no problem seeing this as a dumb, bloated — if ambitious — idea.
Now imagine, instead of being a curly-haired, sixteen-year-old, morbidly obese Arab-American curmudgeon with no CV to back me up, I had the greatest cinematic streak in motion picture history . . . "
Brilliant, clear, and licenses your delightfully, self-consciously, inconsistent response to the movie. Keep up the good work!
"my desire to have the inevitable film adaptation play Stone Temple Pilots’ “Where the River Goes” in the closing credits." Oof. I feel seen. I have several STP songs that I planned to play at the end of MY screenplays.
I defy anyone to watch megalopolis and claim it isn't *entertaining*. at one point I was laughing so much I thought I'd have to leave the auditorium
> Everyone knew it was a bomb, no?
This kind of line is a tell that you aren't (yet) a very good critic.
Love your work Mo!
Really enjoyed this essay. Some people need guardrails against their bad ideas. Megalopolis is FFC without guardrails and what we're seeing coming out of Washington is DJT without guardrails. I wish both were only movies.
Love this.