Comments on: Von Trier’s Box Office Buzz http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/ Where Cinema is more than just $100 Million productions Sat, 11 Feb 2012 16:49:55 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: rot http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36400 rot Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:24:16 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36400 is this coming out in Toronto? I've regained what little courage I got. is this coming out in Toronto? I’ve regained what little courage I got.

]]> By: Laura Desiree http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36397 Laura Desiree Tue, 27 Oct 2009 18:02:57 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36397 For a film that is a hundred odd minutes that plays as just "eerie" until the violence 65 minutes in I just didn't find it all that horrific. Sad, cruel, lustful, anxious, meditative, yes, but it certainly defies the horror mold. Von Trier had his actors watch Liliana Cavani's 'The Night Porter' to prepare for their roles, and I really thought the sexual appetite and bodily need for pleasure drew a slew of similarities between the films. I found more horror in their constant power struggle, both become either master or slave to one another. The rotten imagery of nature, the disemboweling fox, the still-born deer, the dead or dying animals -- all brought me right back to the decomposing rabbit dinner plate in Repulsion. Psychological Thriller, it's missing some elements of mystery to really deserve this. But Dafoe attempting to uncover his wife's fears in a series of investigative talks, making the pyramid, collecting the hints of evidence in her stories... even until she brings the autopsy report to HIS attention, that document is INCREDIBLY mysterious... There's a definite unease throughout the entire film and a grievous tension lacquered over every frame...if it is a horror film then it is a blunt and vengeful horror accrued; the lump sum of a series of horrific events. It is the cold knot of dread which pervades as the characters redeem the psychic consequences of what they have allowed to happen. And the dirt and leaves and acorns of their rural retreat, the forest creatures, all exact acute, biblical reprisal. They are prisoners of their grief, and the impossibility of escape is what leads to their/her insanity. I'll settle for psychological horror. For a film that is a hundred odd minutes that plays as just “eerie” until the violence 65 minutes in I just didn’t find it all that horrific. Sad, cruel, lustful, anxious, meditative, yes, but it certainly defies the horror mold.

Von Trier had his actors watch Liliana Cavani’s ‘The Night Porter’ to prepare for their roles, and I really thought the sexual appetite and bodily need for pleasure drew a slew of similarities between the films.
I found more horror in their constant power struggle, both become either master or slave to one another.

The rotten imagery of nature, the disemboweling fox, the still-born deer, the dead or dying animals — all brought me right back to the decomposing rabbit dinner plate in Repulsion.

Psychological Thriller, it’s missing some elements of mystery to really deserve this. But Dafoe attempting to uncover his wife’s fears in a series of investigative talks, making the pyramid, collecting the hints of evidence in her stories… even until she brings the autopsy report to HIS attention, that document is INCREDIBLY mysterious…

There’s a definite unease throughout the entire film and a grievous tension lacquered over every frame…if it is a horror film then it is a blunt and vengeful horror accrued; the lump sum of a series of horrific events. It is the cold knot of dread which pervades as the characters redeem the psychic consequences of what they have allowed to happen. And the dirt and leaves and acorns of their rural retreat, the forest creatures, all exact acute, biblical reprisal. They are prisoners of their grief, and the impossibility of escape is what leads to their/her insanity.

I’ll settle for psychological horror.

]]> By: Andrew James http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36385 Andrew James Tue, 27 Oct 2009 14:28:15 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36385 I DO think it is definitely a horror film, but you're right Laura; it's psychological horror. Yeah there're a couple of splattery moments but for the most part this movie hinges on its ability to give the audience some psychological trauma - mostly stemming from Gainsbourg's awesome performance, but also fantastic visual and aural cues. Those fucking acorns still haunt my nightly senses! I DO think it is definitely a horror film, but you’re right Laura; it’s psychological horror. Yeah there’re a couple of splattery moments but for the most part this movie hinges on its ability to give the audience some psychological trauma – mostly stemming from Gainsbourg’s awesome performance, but also fantastic visual and aural cues. Those fucking acorns still haunt my nightly senses!

]]> By: Kurt http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36384 Kurt Tue, 27 Oct 2009 11:42:44 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36384 Matt, for the record... Fizz = Good Fizzle = Bad. Matt, for the record…

Fizz = Good
Fizzle = Bad.

]]> By: Laura Desiree http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36383 Laura Desiree Tue, 27 Oct 2009 05:06:21 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36383 "If anyone thinks $12.5 is a bad per screen then they badly overestimated Von Trier’s box office pull." -Hey, I agree. It's been a hot ticket in NYC ever since the midnight show, selling out everyday. I would in no way call that "bad". I guess it's a horror film in the way Polanski's Repulsion is a horror flick. "an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting", but even Repulsion is written up more often as a Drama-Thriller or Psychological Thriller than a horror film. The horror being in the mind of the protagonist. Plays like more of a Psychological Thriller to me, with some haunting chills and splashes of gore. Excellent film about a fraying relationship after such a tragedy. “If anyone thinks $12.5 is a bad per screen then they badly overestimated Von Trier’s box office pull.”

-Hey, I agree. It’s been a hot ticket in NYC ever since the midnight show, selling out everyday. I would in no way call that “bad”.

I guess it’s a horror film in the way Polanski’s Repulsion is a horror flick. “an overwhelming and painful feeling caused by something frightfully shocking, terrifying, or revolting”, but even Repulsion is written up more often as a Drama-Thriller or Psychological Thriller than a horror film.

The horror being in the mind of the protagonist. Plays like more of a Psychological Thriller to me, with some haunting chills and splashes of gore. Excellent film about a fraying relationship after such a tragedy.

]]> By: Matt Gamble http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36379 Matt Gamble Tue, 27 Oct 2009 02:30:00 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36379 <b>The movie expresses the basic fears of all women:</b> <b>However…Horror flick? I don’t think so.</b> I'm still trying to figure out how both of these statements could be true. If anyone thinks $12.5 is a bad per screen then they badly overestimated Von Trier's box office pull. The movie expresses the basic fears of all women:

However…Horror flick? I don’t think so.

I’m still trying to figure out how both of these statements could be true.

If anyone thinks $12.5 is a bad per screen then they badly overestimated Von Trier’s box office pull.

]]> By: Laura Desiree http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36377 Laura Desiree Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:53:50 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36377 it was tiny! I was left to sit dead center in the front. They have some larger screening rooms, we were just stuck with the small one. I caught Breillat's 'The Last Mistress' there last year in a much larger space. Glad you covered the review! I've been reading too many reviews on this flick. I just wanted to keep my opinion damn short and sweet. I really enjoyed it, I was pleasantly surprised! It had the same effect on my that Jesper Ganslandt's 'The Ape' did at the TIFF this year- haunting and deeply emotional. all around Gorgeous looking film (Antichrist). it was tiny! I was left to sit dead center in the front. They have some larger screening rooms, we were just stuck with the small one. I caught Breillat’s ‘The Last Mistress’ there last year in a much larger space.
Glad you covered the review! I’ve been reading too many reviews on this flick. I just wanted to keep my opinion damn short and sweet. I really enjoyed it, I was pleasantly surprised! It had the same effect on my that Jesper Ganslandt’s ‘The Ape’ did at the TIFF this year- haunting and deeply emotional.

all around Gorgeous looking film (Antichrist).

]]> By: Kurt Halfyard http://www.rowthree.com/2009/10/26/von-triers-box-office-fizz/#comment-36375 Kurt Halfyard Tue, 27 Oct 2009 01:37:08 +0000 http://www.rowthree.com/?p=20287#comment-36375 Wait, the IFC Center is only 50 something seats? That seems awful small! Wait, the IFC Center is only 50 something seats? That seems awful small!

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