The New York Film Festival is done.
How was it?
The press screenings were fun, the public screenings were special. It was a good time.
On the other hand the selection of films was largely disappointing. I saw 36 films and I liked a quarter. The rest were head scratchers that either were dreadful or just didn't belong at the festival.
The problems with this years selections are amplification of problems the festival has been experiencing for the last few years.
The first problem is the fact as the festival has become even more of a catch all festival staying more firmly focused on the winners from Cannes, Berlin and other big European festivals. Unless it's one of the programmer's favorites, say Hong Sang-soo, there are no surprises. By the time films arrive they have been discussed and dissected. Additionally because the festival just wants the big name films it isn't daring. The most daring film was EMILIA PEREZ which would not have ended up here had it not won because the festival is so painfully staid now. If you've been following the festival the last few years you'll have the films largely set by June.
The other problem are the programmers. Dennis Lim saying openly last year that they will only run films that are winners or from name or known quantities explains why the festival has stagnated. There is no open mindedness as to what is really the state of film, there is simply the following of the group think that is being set a continent away. I could name two dozen films and filmmakers that are shaking the pillars of heaven and who are truly charting the way for cinema, but they aren't in the big festivals across the pond. As a result the festival is doubling down and going deeper into the art house. The result is it feels like it's dying because it is cutting out all of the great up and coming filmmakers who are revitalizing cinema in new and unexpected ways.
From my viewpoint there wasn't anything special this year. Okay yes the Criterion Closet was a big deal but outside of that there wasn't anything that was unexpected. Even the multiple protests were dull, and rote.
And while the festival has lots of potential Oscar contenders in the mix, the vast majority of the films screening this year are going to disappear within year or two, assuming they ever get any sort of run outside of the artier art houses. Sure the Netflix films and a couple of others will have legs, but this year, the majority of the films are not really going to get out that far of the gate before they vanish. This is the first year where where you know most films are going to die.
What a sad state of affairs.
Personally I think the programmers need to go. They need to go back to the way things were 10 or 12 years ago when you truly didn't know what was going to happen - even when you did.
Actually the most surprising thing of the whole festival was that at the screening I went to of THE BRUTALIST only 2 people applauded and everyone quietly filed out. People always go nuts for the films, whether they deserve it or not. One of the big films of the fest, the one everyone wanted to see was a film no one wanted to talk about at the end other than as a source of disappointment sums up my feeling for this year's festival.
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I really dislike THE BRUTALIST... and apparently people weren't thrilled with that. After I tweeted that the I the second half was bad and that the film wasn't good several people told me I needed to see it again, or that I didn't understand or something. I was told that I had to read on the film...
...no, no I don't. Films have to stand on their own. Everything should be in the film. That isn't the case with THE BRUTALIST which is one of many reasons why it's a failure.
The reason I am mentioning this is that I had people tell me that the film was important because writers who shall remain nameless had said that the film was one of the best. They went on to say that they aren't that sure of their own thoughts on the film, but that they are going back, at the insistence of the unnamed writers, to see where they got it wrong.
BULLSHIT.
If you didn't like the film you didn't like the film. Your opinion is just as valid as the people telling you to see it again. And honestly since I know the writers guiding them, I think they are better off not listening to the voices saying to waste another four hours.
Forgive me, but outside of facts, no one who writes on film know anything about what's good or bad for anyone else. All we can do is make suggestions. The only reason you think we know anything is because we talk louder and nonstop. Because we drone on you think we know stuff we don't.
The truth is everyone's opinion is valid and everyone's is their own. Just because someone is published doesn't mean they know good for bad.
If you don't like something, or if you like something, that's your opinion and that is what makes it right on target. Its the right one for you- don't let anyone tell you otherwise.
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I went to New York Comic Con today.
Not sure I need to go again.
The formerly low key Sunday was insane. It was so crowded we missed sections of the con. Got briefly into artists alley, which seemed smaller than in past years.
We went to the gaming area hoping to do some shopping for my niece, but everything for sale gaming wise was folded into the rest of the con. This was different than previous year where the game stuff was with the game tables.
The stuff for sale was largely all the same. Vendors had multiple locations across the sales floor.
There was no real panels of interest. Additionally there was a a sense that going to the panels wasn't necessary with so much coverage coming out via social media.
We left early and we went to a Pokemon pop-up location a couple of blocks away. It was for a new set of cards coming in November. The popup involved a mirror maze, giant cards for photo ops and a way to look at all the cards on a computer.
What shocked us was that they were handing out goodie bags which we thought was going to be a pack of cards.-it wasn't it was two sets of cards and battle decks. My niece was shocked since they were giving away stuff that will sell for about 40 bucks retail-just for showing up. My niece was thrilled because she now has three sets.
Honestly I'm not a fan but the half hour there was cool.
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