[ghostfires]

Anyone else seen this and enjoyed it? I watched it with a group of people...and every person but myself hated it. I really liked it, and would like to watch it again alone so I don't have to hear "I don't get it," or "this is stupid" over and over.

I read something about how Hollywood is completely failing now (which I agree with), but they tried to tie in movies like Only God Forgives as the reason. Is that really it? I mean it only cost around six million to make...how could that really hurt Hollywood when they're making all these super hero movies that cost them hundreds of millions?

Plus this film was considered "ultra-violent." I guess I missed those parts in the movie...because the violence I saw was not very extreme.

Oh well...I really liked it, I'll be looking for a blu copy when it comes out and just might pick up the OST fairly soon.

[Dr.Funtime]

Haven't seen it yet, as it's been strictly limited to a handful of states. Hopefully, it'll get a wider release.
But, maybe not, since it all depends on how many positive reviews it gets, and judging by the majority of what the gelatinous tripe, 'criterion' snobs, and Disney moms had to say about it, who have all deemed it "ultra-violent" "too bizarre" "style over substance" "too weird"--valley girl voice cued up, blah blah blah, it'll probably be kicked to the curb soon.
Shame, because then what's left in theaters are Pixar cartoons, super hero movies, frat boy summer vacation fuck fest hangover comedies, and horror movies about some chick being possessed by the devil, yet, again. ::yawn::

Listening to the soundtrack right now. It's ace.

[ghostfires]

Exactly! That is exactly what I thought...Hollywood execs and critics want to blame the downfall of Hollywood on movies like this, but this is the only kind of film I'll pay to go see these days....there is no way I'm paying those assholes $12-15 a ticket to see yet another Avengers or Spider-Man movie, nor another Hangover or another possession film. I mean fucking hell...how many reinventions or sequels can they squeeze out of certain franchises these days?

The soundtrack is definitely great, and fits well in the film. I really enjoyed the movie...I was actually able to watch it on VOD through the Xbox at a friend's house.

[Dr.Funtime]

So long as there are people willing to dish out $$$ for Captain Crazy and the Thong Squad PART 4 in 3D!, films like Only God Forgives, MANIAC, etc.. basically anything that stands out from the herd that is unique, different, edgy and/or thought provoking will be pushed to the outskirts and condemned to the only ONE art house theater in the city (nothing wrong with art house theaters! jus' saying) for a few days (IF...they can get it) of showtime and then disappear.
You have the puritanical round table of the 'powers that be' in Hollywood that are the psycho religious rating group that dictate what SHOULD be shown and what SHOULDN'T, or at least, not to a wide audience. What SHOULD be rated "R", and what should be rated "PG-13". (BECAUSE...you know...somebody says, "what the fuck" or smokes a cigarette in a scene or maybe drinks a beer and it's immediately stated in the disclaimer: VULGAR LANGUAGE and COPIOUS AMOUNTS OF DRUG USE)
And of course, it's all about pumping out as much remakes, sequels and swill as much as possible because it seems like NOBODY is wanting to take on the daunting task of writing something that is actually worth while and original. And if it IS worthwhile and original, it's "ultra-violent", "too weird", "not enough dialogue" etc... the list goes on and on and ultimately discourages the director from ever wanting to make a more than decent effort of a film....unless he/she is a sadist and enjoys making movies for 6 millions dollars and doesn't mind that the movie has taken a giant shit in the box office because of poor distribution.
The people that write the reviews, like that doddering old cunt Rex Reed (the last of the dinosaurs) call the shots...somewhat. He lambasts movies like The Master, as one of, if not, the worst movie of all time, as well as Only God Forgives, while showering accolades on the flotsam and jetsam that floats out of the asshole of Hollywood. I know a lot of people that take stock in reviews, and I only know a few that don't. (which I'm one of 'em...I REALLY liked PT Anderson's The Master, while 90% of the populace wanted to hang the guy for)
Anyway, sorry to sound off into the ether of the internet. Just my 2 cents. For what's it worth.

I'm going to give it a few more weeks. If "Only God.." doesn't show up, then I'll be unfortunately reduced to the seedy underworld of bootlegs. I really want to support the director AND the theater for showing it, but if it's not-meant-to-be, then oh well.

[ghostfires]

I absolutely agree. I thought the Master was a really great film. How did the industry slip so quickly though...it wasn't that many years ago that really great movies like There Will Be Blood and No Country For Old Men actually hit mainstream hollywood, and received awards as well as big dollars at the theaters.

I'm sure most people have seen the comments George Lucas put out there a month or so ago about how they'll have to start charging $30-50 a ticket for these huge 3D super hero movies sometime soon to begin actually collecting back all the money they put into them. I don't really see that happening, but I do hope that if they raise ticket prices to $20-25 people just give up on going altogether. A theater experience isn't worth that much these days, compared to what you can have in your home for a reasonable price. I hope they do raise those prices, and one day hollywood completely shits itself and dies. Everyone has seen plenty of proof that great movies can be made without multi-million dollar computer systems, and you don't have to have the backing of those hollywood shit bags to get your film out to the people that want it.

[Oswarez]

Saw it on VOD and loved it. My friend is one of the producers of it and he's having a screening next monday which I'm going to go to, it will be nice to see it on the big screen. I wonder if Gosling is going to be there since he's here working on his new film.
MAYBE I GET TO MEET THE GOSH!

[fluppeco]

Apart from the violence. it's a film for peeps with an acquired taste for visual style, editing and film history. Normal people find this gimmicky. I can understand both points of view. I guess I stand somewhere in the middle on this one.

[ghostfires]

Some of the cinematography really reminded me of Stanley Kubrick at times. I'm not saying it is on the same level as a Kubrick film, but I could easily see it not being understood just like Kubrick's films weren't quite well understood.

[palmat]

Saw it last night and LOVED it. If you can blend greek tragedy, Michael Mann, David Lynch and karaoke and get away with it, I'm all for it. Sitting and waiting for the soundtrack to find its way to my mailbox...

[fishead]

Finally got around to this one last week... I totally agree with the Kubrick comment - some of the shots that creep down corridors are somewhere between The Shining and Lynch's Lost Highway.... and the color saturation is probably the most startling that I've seen since Suspiria.

I expect that a lot of people were thrown off by the reserved pace of the film - the premise is that of an action / revenge film, but Winding-Refn has turned out something far more reflective than the plot summary would suggest. I think that anyone who really enjoyed Valhalla Rising will find a lot to love in this one...

...and my initial reaction to the dedication to Jodorowsky was total shock... and then I started thinking about Santa Sangre and Oedipal complexes and suddenly it all started to make a wonderfully perverse amount of sense... so much so that I feel the need to watch it again whilst focusing on those details!

The soundtrack is incredible - even people I know who HATED the film were blown away by the score..

[ghostfires]

@fishead - great observations about the film! One of the best reviews I've read of it.

[fluppeco]

I think Winding-Refn is also involved in the docu "Jodorowsky's Dune", can't recall where I saw that.

[Garmonbozia]

Not that Hollywood doesn't have something to do with this, but the plain, simple fact is that we live in a world where the overwhelming majority of people have pedestrian taste at best. Those shit superhero, devil possession, whatever-the-fuck movies make more money than most people can even fathom. And the simple reason is that people pay money to go see them. Art-house films have and will always be outside of the mainstream scope because most humans don't like them. Get used to it. We're a stupid species that hates being challenged.

[Rob]

Finally saw this last night, and absolutely loved it. I think it's the most beautifully composed film I've seen since Beyond The Black Rainbow, and right now it's tied with Upstream Color for my film of the year.

[Dr.Funtime]

"Art-house films have and will always be outside of the mainstream scope because most humans don’t like them. Get used to it."

Oh ok, thank you sensei for clearing that up with your worldly advice. Funny, because I was merely stating my discontent with the current shift in the recent rating/distribution system that's taken over the past decade, NOT scratching my head wondering why this is all happening with this starry eyed boy wonder.
Not to long ago, movies like American Psycho, Eyes Wide Shut, Boogie Nights, etc... were shown in theaters. Now, in 2013, those movies would inevitably be isolated to some small, podunk film shack, showing along side some unbearably frenchy "art house" film, if at all.

I saw Only God Forgives about a month ago via bootleg copy. It doesn't even qualify as an art house film. With that being said, I loved the movie, thought it to be pensive and very rich in atmosphere. Every scene was carefully shot and the dialogue was deliberate, without any fluff to fill up the dead space. Only qualm with the movie was that it was too short.

"We’re a stupid species that hates being challenged."

really?

[jamie]

I seen 'Only God Forgives' In Belfast which was ok but the cinema wasn't that good. I then went to see the movie again a few weeks ago in Glasgow cine world ,had it booked then they cancelled it. They then put 'Insidious Chapter 2' on which to say the least absolutely annoyed me.
Have to wait on the Blu Ray release but picked up the Score which is superb.