Your review really puts the film into perspective. It sounds like something right up my alley. Looking forward to seeing it myself. There seem to be a lot of ideas being explored here which have been bubbling up over the past few decades. I think it could spur a lot of discussions.
wow, you've put a lot of thought & honestly into this wonderful review. you make me look forward to it even more. thank you. looking forward to watching my favorite actor, Adam Driver, in it as well.
Thank you very much! Adam Driver is also one of my favorite actors working today. Unlike some other young actors, he seems to be really good at choosing movies, since it seems like he chooses based on the director rather than the part. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground, thank you for your review. I liked the first two "Godfather" movies and "Apocalypse Now" movies, but it would have been this movie and the look of it that might have helped him get into my list of favorite directors, but it didn't help him. I didn't like the movie, but I agree with you that this was "an adult Pop-up book" and I really might watch it one more time after hearing your review to think about what you said in, regards to, whether there is something redeemable for it. 25 FAVORITE DIRECTORS OF MOVIES As a child I loved "Star Wars" and hated "E.T." so I guess I learned something making this list. I called a series of movies as one placement on the list of good movies for a director. 1st place Terry Gilliam has 8; 6 on my favorites list 1) The Man who Killed Don Quixote (2017) #36 2) 12 Monkeys (1995) #59 3) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) #155 4) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) #180 5) Time Bandits (1981) #260 6) Tideland (2006) #262 7) The Brother's Grimm (2005) 😎 Brazil (1985) 2nd place Guy Ritchie has 6; 4 on my favorites list 1) Aladdin (2019) #40 2) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) #47 3) The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) #158 4) Sherlock Holmnes: A Game of Shadows (2011) #213 - SERIES 5) The Covenant (2023) 6) King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017) 3rd place Robert Zemeckis has 10; only 2 on my favorites list 1) Back to the Future (1985) #23 - SERIES 2) Forrest Gump (1994) #44 3) Cast Away (2000) 4) Pinocchio (2022) 5) The Polar Express (2004) 6) Allied (2016) 7) Contact (1997) 😎 Romancing the Stone (1984) 9) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988) 10) Welcome to Marwen (2018) 4th place John Hughes has 10; 5 on my favorites list 1) The Breakfast Club (1985) #49 2) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) #86 SERIES 3) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) #135 4) Weird Science (1985) #189 5) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) #284 6) Pretty in Pink (1986) 7) Some Kind of Wonderful (1987) 😎 Sixteen Candles (1984) 9) Home Alone (1990) 10) She’s Having a Baby (1988) 5th place Satoshi Kon directed 4 anime movies; all favorites 1) Paprika (2006) #33 2) Perfect Blue (1999) #63 3) Tokyo Godfathers (2004) #95 4) Millennium Actress (2003) #102 6th place Mel Gibson has 5 and all on my favorites list 1) The Passion of the Christ (2004) #29 2) Braveheart (1995) #161 3) Apocalypto (2006) #179 4) The Man Without a Face (1993) #207 5) Hacksaw Ridge (2016) #270 7th place James Cameron has 5 and all 5 on my favorites list 1) True Lies (1994) #99 2) Avatar (2009) #122 3) Aliens (1986) #128 - SERIES 4) The Terminator (1984) #210 - SERIES 5) Titanic (1997) #290 8th place Steven Spielberg has 17; 6 on my favorites list 1) Schindler's List (1993) #28 2) Amistad (1997) #77 3) Saving Private Ryan (1998) #273 4) Catch Me If You Can (2002) #281 5) Lincoln (2012) #346 6) Jurassic Park (1993) #363 - SERIES 7) The Fabelmans (2022) 😎 Munich (2005) 9) E.T. (1982) 10) Bridge of Spies (2015) 11) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Indiana Jones SERIES 12) Jaws (1975) - SERIES 13) War Horse (2011) 14) A.I. (2001) 15) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977) 16) Hook (1991) 17) The BFG (2016) 9th place Alfred Hitchcock has 5; 3 on my favorites list 1) Notorious (1946) #27 2) To Catch a Thief (1955) #76 3) Psycho (1960) #215 4) Rear Window (1954) 5) North by Northwest (1959) 10th place Christopher Nolan has 9; 5 on my favorites list 1) Man of Steel (2013) #126 2) Inception (2010) #139 3) Dunkirk (2017) #168 4) Oppenheimer (2023) #275 5) Memento (2000) #348 6) The Dark Knight (2008) - SERIES 7) The Following (1998) 😎 The Prestige (2006) 9) Insomnia (2002) 11th place Bill Condon has 5; only 2 on my favorites list 1) Beauty and the Beast (2017) #12 2) The Greatest Showman (2017) #98 3) Mr. Holmes (2015) 4) The Good Liar (2019) 5) Kinsey (2004) 12th place Richard Donner has 7; 3 on my favorites list 1) Superman II (1980) #42 - SERIES 2) Lethal Weapon (1987) #133 - SERIES 3) The Toy (1982) #151 4) The Goonies (1985) 5) Scrooged (1988) 6) Radio Flyer (1992) 7) Timeline (2003) 😎 Ladyhawke (1985) 13th place Matthew Vaughn has 5; 4 on my favorites list 1) X-men: First Class (2011) #93 - SERIES 2) Kick-ass (2010) #162 - SERIES 3) Stardust (2007) #166 4) Kingsman: the Secret Service (2014) #236 - SERIES 5) Argylie (2024) 14th place Martin Scorsese has 9; 3 on my list of favorites 1) Silence (2016) #10 2) Goodfellas (1990) #320 3) Taxi Driver (1976) #345 4) The Irishman (2019) 5) Killers of the Flower Moon (2023) 6) The Wolf of Wall Street (2013) 7) Hugo (2011) 😎 The Aviator (2004) 9) Casino (1995) 15th place John Landis has 9; 3 on my favorites list 1) An American Werewolf in London (1981) #65 2) Blues Brothers (1980) #97 3) Coming to America (1988) #327 4) Trading Places (1983) 5) The Three Amigos (1986) 6) Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983) 7) Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) - SERIES 😎 Spies Like Us (1985) 9) Animal House (1978) 16th place Andrew Adamson has 2 and both on my favorites list 1) Narnia: the Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005) #5 - SERIES 2) Shrek (2001) #142 - SERIES 17th place Arthur Hiller has 3 and all 3 on my favorites list 1) Man of La Mancha (1972) #2 2) Silver Streak (1976) #221 3) See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) #360 18th place Ridley Scott has 11; 4 on my favorites list 1) Alien (1979) #73 - SERIES 2) Legend (1985) #119 - director's cut only 3) Napoleon (2023) #266 4) Blade Runner (1982) #308 5) The Last Duel (2021) 6) House of Gucci (2021) 7) Robin Hood (2010) 😎 Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014) 9) The Martian (2015) 10) Hannibal (2001) - SERIES 11) Black Hawk Down (2001) 19th place Harold Ramis has 3; 2 on my favorites list 1) Caddyshack (1980) #82 - SERIES 2) National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) #96 - SERIES 3) Groundhod Day (1993) 20th place Simon Curtis has 6; 4 on my favorites list 1) Goodbye, Christopher Robin (2017) #13 2) Woman in Gold (2015) #296 3) Downton Abbey (2022) #353 4) The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019) #357 5) The Chaperone (2018) 6) My Week with Marilyn (2011) 21st place Gore Verbinski has 5; 3 on my favorites list 1) Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) #52 - SERIES 2) A Cure for Wellness (2017) #193 3) Mouse Hunt (1997) #322 4) The Mexican (2001) 5) The Lone Ranger (2013) 22nd place Guillermo Del Toro has 2 and both on my favorites list 1) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) - #31 Spanish with English caption 2) The Shape of Water (2017) #211 23rd place Roland Emmerich has 7; 2 on my favorites list 1) Midway (2019) #32 2) Anonymous (2011) #258 3) Independence Day (1996) 4) The Patriot (2000) 5) Godzilla (1998) - SERIES 6) Stargate (1994) 7) 2012 (2009) 24th place Tom Tykwer has 4; 3 on my favorites list 1) Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (2000) #51 2) Cloud Atlas (2012) #288 3) Heaven (2002) #333 4) The International (2009) 25th place Ivan Reitman has 4; 2 on my favorites list 1) Ghostbusters (1984) #43 - SERIES 2) Twins (1988) #283 3) Kindergarten Cop (1990) 4) Dave (1993)
@@ReligionOfSacrifice Wow, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide over here. You wrote a whole novel! I hope Coppola is giving me commission on your rewatch. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground, you got a top ten movie list or a favorite directors list? I wanna know where we might agree on something. TOP 50 FAVORITE MOVIES 1) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982) 2) Man of la Mancha (1972) 3) It's a Wonderful Life (1946) 4) The Prince who was a Thief (1951) 5) Narnia: the Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005) 6) Let the Right One In (2008) - Swedish with English caption 7) A Silent Voice (2016) - Japanese with English caption 8) My Rainy Days (2009) - Japanese with English caption 9) A Brilliant Young Mind (originally known as "X+Y") (2014) 10) Silence (2016) 11) Spiderman: No Way Home (2021) 12) Beauty and the Beast (2017) 13) Goodbye, Christopher Robin (2017) 14) The Man who Invented Christmas (2017) 15) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934) 16) Amen (2002) 17) Red (2010) 18) Fletch (1985) 19) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014) 20) Men In Black (1997) 21) Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back (1980) 22) Star Wars: a New Hope (1977) 23) Back to the Future (1985) 24) X-Men (2000) 25) Mannequin (1987) 26) Life is Beautiful (1998) 27) Notorious (1946) 28) Schindler's List (1993) 29) The Passion of the Christ (2004) - Aramaic with English caption 30) Interview with the Vampire (1994) 31) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) - Spanish with English caption 32) Midway (2019) 33) Paprika (2006) 34) Johnny English (2003) 35) Cinema Paradiso (1989) - Italian with English caption, shorter version, not extended version 36) The Man who Killed Don Quixote (2017) 37) Mulan (2020) 38) Measure of a Man (2018) 39) Come and See (1985) - Russian with English caption 40) Aladdin (2019) 41) Avengers: Infinity Wars (2018) 42) Superman II (1980) 43) Ghostbusters (1984) 44) Forrest Gump (1994) 45) Men In Black 2 (2002) 46) Fletch Lives (1989) 47) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) 48) My First Mister (2001) 49) The Breakfast Club (1985) 50) Harry Potter: the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004) 51) Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (2000) The Princess and the Warrior - German with English subtitle
@@ReligionOfSacrifice Top 10 Movies: The Godfather The Graduate A Hard Day's Night City Lights The Roaring Twenties The Ox-Bow Incident Taxi Driver Duck Soup Midnight in Paris La Dolce Vita
I've watched about twenty reviews of Megalopolis, and this is by far the finest. I think your point about Coppola being the age he is and wanting to make grandiose movies for himself alone is vitally important.
Whether it's in music, literature, or movies, it's interesting to see how an artist's work evolves as they get older and how their perspective changes. Thanks for watching and leaving the kind words. More reviews on the way, so it's a great time to subscribe. Tell your friends, enemies, strangers, and public officials!
Excellent review, and I’ve read a lot of them this weekend. The movie I saw was exactly the one you described, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will see it again and own it when it comes out. Glad to see that there is somebody else out there with a functioning brain giving this innovative movie it’s due. Kudos to you, sir !
May my brain continue to function and may I be blissfully unaware when it doesn't. Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave the kind words! More reviews/discussions are in the pipeline.
@@richardnosiglia3736 i saw the last half again on IMAX and picked up even more depth and liked it as an intriguing visual and philosophical experience. Thank goodness so different from the average movie fare.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! Joker 2 review will be out on Oct. 2nd. Press screenings for A Real Pain and A Complete Unknown are already locked down. So stay tuned!
This is a well thought out review and a lot different than pretty much every other review that I've seen so far. I haven't watched it yet and I had to stop almost halfway through just for minor spoilers but good job man. keep up the good work! I'll be watching the movie very soon.
I like to go into a movie knowing as little as possible too, so I understand. After you watch the movie, come back and leave your thoughts. Thanks for the kind words!
I was really surprised to find a review this well-informed and thought-out for this movie. The trolls are out in full force and out for blood, in some of the comments sections which is frankly upsetting. Thank you for being such a pleasant youtuber! You got yourself another subscriber, homie.
Thank you very much! Yeah, I don't really watch any movie TH-camrs, ironically, but I can only imagine that some of them don't cultivate the most thoughtful audience. I think most TH-cam critics started off just talking about big-budget genre movies, so their audience is primarily interested in those. While I also like many of those movies, they don't exactly train you to be open-minded in terms of story, structure, tone, and all of these other things a director can manipulate. I could be wrong, but that's my best guess. Thanks for watching, subscribing, and commenting! Seeing Joker 2 early next week, so I'll have something up for that probably next Wednesday.
I couldn't believe my luck when I saw that song was in the public domain now. I grabbed it like it was the last chicken sausage at the breakfast buffet. Welcome to the party. Your friends, family, and passing acquaintances are invited, too!
I agree with this review 100%...I just watched the movie and I was expecting a terrible mess like Babylon but was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie (did not check my phone one time) and enjoyed the visuals (which made it worth watching in the theaters). I really did not understand the criticism of the movie as being disjointed and/or fragmented...were there are a lot of weird scenes...absolutely but it was very David Lynchesque and many of them were either drug/dream/memory scenes, which are distorted in a person's memories/mind. The storyline was pretty straight forward in my view and the themes were pretty obvious (at time a little too obvious) but I didn't feel anything was out of place or unnecessary. It was Shakespearean in tone but it was mixed with Alice in Wonderland/David Lynch. Also reminded me of a mid 1990s film entitled Hudsucker Proxy about an idealistic creator going up against the realities of industry and the world. I also felt that a lot of reviewers were caught up in the film being made by Coppola and costing $120 million to make...I feel like if this was made by a young unknown director with a $50 million budget...people would be a lot open to the film and likely praising the director with being bold and innovative. Finally, I like the point you make about Coppola wanting to pushing the limits of filmmaking...especially with the whole live person 4th wall breaking. A lot of directors and filmmakers are complaining/perplexed about why people aren't going to the theaters anymore...well because the the media of movie is not unique to theaters anymore. So you have to bring them something that they cannot experience at home. Whether this movie succeeds in doing that...I don't know but it is commendable for Coppola to try something different.
Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! Yeah, the movie's subversive in its dialogue, editing, and visuals, but in terms of the actual storyline, it's very old-fashioned, like a sword-and-sandal movie from the '50s (hence the stone title cards) or Giant (like I say in the review). It's pretty straightforward and there's not much to miss. I also appreciate Coppola playing around with the form. As Ebert said about Fellini, "he can certainly make a bad film but cannot quite make a boring one."
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave some kind words! If you like what you see and hear, consider a little subscription? Yes, yes? More reviews/discussions on the way.
agree, this is the most balanced and well articulated review. I hope it will find its audience once it's on streaming. Mad respect for Coppola, he really did roll a great movie joint.
Let me begin by saying I am a huge fan of Mr. Francis Ford Coppola. I honestly believe that in the top ten greatest motion pictures ever made, Mr. Coppola has three. The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now. Personally, I believe The Godfather and The Godfather Part II to be tied at number 1. Having said that, I also believe that Mr. Coppola hasn't made a truly great film since the 70s. Rumble Fish was a very good film, Dracula was good, The Cotton Club Encore was good and Tetro was the closest he came to greatness in the latter part of his career. Even before the 70s, The Rain People was very good, but not a great film for Mr. Coppola. So that brings me to the topic of Megalopolis. A film 45 years in the making. Before it was filmed, when the cast was announced and it was confirmed to be going into production, I made a prediction to myself that this would be the first great film by Francis since the 70s. In my scoring system, a great film begins at 91/100, a great great film is 94 though 96, a masterpiece is 97 and above, and of course, a 100 is a perfect masterpiece film. Coppola has three perfect 100 masterpieces by my estimation. So, my thoughts leading up to Megalopolis was I thought Francis would have a chance to hit that 91 mark, but probably nothing higher. Then Cannes came around and the reviews were anything but flattering. So, I thought either A), Francis is way past his best and created a really bad film or B), which I was hoping and leaning towards, that critics these days mostly know NOT what the hell they are talking about. Most critics these days are afraid to voice a real opinion. There is a lot of WOKE garbage and anything out of the norm is immediately going to be panned. So I saw Megalopolis tonight with high hopes, but relatively low expectations. I was, honestly, sincerely and TOTALLY blown away. I shit you not. I give Megalopolis a perfect 100 score! The film I saw is one of the top 30 or so greatest motion pictures ever and a real cinematic achievement. The story was great! The acting was marvelous in a kind of 1989 Batman sort of way. The cinematography was beautiful and psychedelic. The closest thing I could find to a criticism was maybe it doesn't possess that one, iconic line that will be repeated forever, but so what?! A lot of films are iconic, but not great. As far as I'm concerned, this film is perfection and I am so happy for Francis Ford Coppola. He sold a large piece of his winery, he took a real chance on himself and it paid off. Yeah, he may not make his budget back and a lot of people are shitting on the film, but I believe he is happy with it and I know for certain that I couldn't be more pleased with it. Much like how the main character, Cesar Catalina, successfully created the city of Megalopolis, Mr. Coppola created this masterpiece film Megalopolis. Way to go, Francis! Congratulations! Thank you, sir for your contribution to this great art form that we all love. You are one of the absolute greatest filmmakers to ever live.
I agree with much of your assessment of Coppola's filmography. I think all of the '70s stuff was amazing (and I'm including 69's The Rain People), but I'm not a fan of much after that (not even Rumble Fish or Dracula), until he made Tetro, which I think is almost up there with the '70s stuff. And I'm with you in that I give virtually no credence to film criticism these days. My interest in seeing a movie is based solely on the talent involved. If I ever run into Mr. Coppola in southeast Texas, I'll let him know your kind words. Thanks for leaving a comment!
After multiple viewings, I stand by my score of 100 and I absolutely love the film. I can't get enough of it. The only part of my opinion that's changed is the part where I said this was a top 30 all-time great film. That is a bit high. I will say a top 100 film for sure, and that's in the entire history of cinema, in any language.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment! Bury yourself alive in the Feature Underground for more reviews and discussions coming soon.
Its exactly what i expected ..a daring unusual weird and strange movie outside the sell out Hollywood formula and system ... and it got me intruiged and involved
@@FeatureUnderground in the 70s hollywood financially supported upcoming directors who had complete creative control of their project...now hollywood directors are just tools of the studio bankers and their safe investment plans
Your review was very good. A completely different take than most of the other reviews. I'll have to see it for myself. You seemed to give Coppola a lot of grace. I wonder if your review would've been the same if a different director made this exact film
I think that's a fair question. I do believe that when a director has proven themselves with as many great movies as Coppola has, he is deserving of the benefit of the doubt. If this was the first movie by an up-and-coming director, I think the only difference would've been that I wouldn't have made seeing it a priority. I think I would have had largely the same thoughts and would have definitely been curious to see where this person's career goes. That said, I don't think an up-and-comer would've made this movie. As I say in the review, I think it's distinctly the work of an aging creative. Thanks for watching and leaving the thought experiment in the comments!
Thank you this great review and discussion. I’ve been waiting for this film for a long time and once even gave up on the thought of it ever happening. Now that it’s out I can personally say I really enjoyed it and it was worth all the wait. I agree with basically everything you said even the dislikes. Hit the nail on the head with the fact that it’s very difficult to sell to an audience. No one was really prepared for this movie once it started, even those who know Coppola’s complete filmography were caught off guard which is kind of amazing. It reminded me most of One from the heart, a film I like very much but one people had trouble accepting at the time. If Francis had a true style or signature I think it would lie in these films plus stuff like Rumble Fish and Tetro. It felt full circle to me finally watching this. The Outsiders was my favourite movie as a kid. Seeing the Godfather at 16 on a school night was a truly a life changing experience. I’ll never forget staying up til 2 or 3 in the morning in awe of what I experienced. Kickstarted me as a movie fan. So grateful I got the chance to see a Coppola picture in theatres! As for legacy only test of course is time. As an older legendary director I don’t think it will end up like a late Ford or Fellini. As Tarantino said “I don’t wanna make Billy Wilder’s Buddy Buddy or Cheyanne Autumn!” It will surely be much more discussed than that. However as much as I appreciated Megalopolis for its message, audacity and wild splendor it didn’t reach the emotional and sublime heights of say Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life or Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron. Those are my best examples of late cinematic masterworks in my opinion. I’d also put The Irishman and Twin Peaks The Return (tv) there too. All in all I do agree that it is his most personal film. Once it ended you could just feel it. So grateful he could make it and that we all could see it. Look forward to how well it works on a second viewing.
We're very much on the same page. In fact, I had almost the same experience watching The Godfather, except I was a little younger at 13. Believe it or not, I only wanted to watch it because I'd played the video game (yes, I played The Godfather video game before watching the movie). My dad hadn't seen it in a while, so he rented it from Netflix, which had just started mailing movies. Watching it did the same thing to me as it did to you: completely kicked down the doors in my head to what a movie could be and elevated my interest in movies to a new height, and I'm still chasing that initial high. It remains my favorite movie. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground no problem! I just watched your killers of the flower moon review 👍. I look forward seeing more reviews whether it’s for old or new movies. As for 2024 I’m really excited to see Anora and The Brutalist! I hope Clint Eastwoods new movie is good too lol.
@@Yeshi23 Also very much looking forward to both of those (just watched Vox Lux and was surprised how great it was). Eastwood, like Coppola, has built up enough goodwill for me that I'll see whatever he does, though Gran Torino is the last of his movies that I enjoyed. When he dies, it's really going to drive home the loss of a very particular--and very awesome--generation of filmmaking.
Excellent review. I fell in love several times during the film, even when I was like "wtf?"... I cried at the end. Not many films do that to me. Loved it.
Enjoyed your ruminations. My son and I are seeing this next week. I'm glad he likes to try adventurous films. I've been watching serious and classic films from Hollywood and the international realm since the 1970s when I was a teenager. Looking forward to your second assessment.
Getting your film feet wet in the 1970s must have been a crazy--and extremely enjoyable--time. My dad would take me to the movies almost every Sunday morning and it's one of my favorite memories, so that'll be fun for your son for sure. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@FeatureUnderground I put the web address to your video on Twitter but I don't know if anyone can see it because I think Elon has me shadow banned right now.
Thanks for the subscription, liberated bath toy! I'll earn it. Tell your friends, write bathroom scrawl, graffiti a freight train, pull up the channel on every computer at your public library. This is a grassroots operation!
Best review I have come across. This is the way I saw the movie though didn’t understand everyone’s role exactly. Two days later I’m still thinking about it. I plan to see it again.
Thank you very much for watching and leaving the kind words. I'm editing my review of Joker: Folie a Deux right now, so subscribe for more reviews like this one!
@@FeatureUnderground ok I’ll subscribe but not really interested in the new Joker movie. Megalopolis was optimistic and triggered inquisitiveness. I like that impact. Please do reviews of Godfather I and II. Why is first one the best movie for you?
@@ginger22ly I might do a review of Godfather I and II, although I'm not sure what else there is to say that hasn't been said. I'd have to think of a different way to discuss it. I'll be thinking about it.
@@FeatureUnderground you were pretty refreshing about your breakdown of Megalopolis. I saw the last hour again on IMAX. I was more pleased second time. I picked up more dialogue and symbolism and realized that (spoilers) It was pretty autobiographical of FFC - I had heard interviews about that yesterday. The name Francis was attached to two individuals. Ceasar’s psychological trauma came into relief and I understood the symbolism of the satellite falling. I paid more attention to the press conference after satellite falling although the 9/11 stuff is confusing me now. I forgot that Julia had quoted Marcus Aurelius and Plutarch was mentioned. I still haven’t understood why Caesar wore black mostly throughout. Megalon seems to have a connection to love and connection. We need to think about our evolution- shadows of homo sapien evolution on buildings. I don’t understand all the criticism of this movie the more I see it.
Your review is so on point! It's true, this movie is not a drama and if you watch (or review) it as one you won't think it works that well ("poor" character development for example). It just operates so differently and I'm glad that I came back to this video after watching Megalopolis a couple of days ago, because that central point seems to be completely lost in the discussion. I also was very mixed about the visuals, there were some really high highs and some really low lows. I will never forget some of these brilliant images tho, like the scene where he drives at night and the statues crumble or the short dream sequence where a hand in a cloud grabs the moon to remove it from the sky. Coppola is just so good at creating unique images that fascinate the viewer and transport that old cinema magic which is the reason why most of us fell in love with film in the first place. Also, if you decide to review some older movies soon, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Rumble Fish (1983). One of the best looking films ever shot imo.
I haven't watched every interview he's done for the movie, but I wish someone would ask him about some of the poor visuals in the movie--the overly digital-looking ones. Like you say, it's in such contrast with other scenes in the movie, that I don't understand how it happens. And thanks for the kind words! When reviewing a movie--or just watching one--I always try to adapt to the movie, rather than cram the movie through my own idea of what a movie is. I don't mean to sound disparaging, but I do think a lot of critics under the age of--I don't know--50, have a limited perspective of what a movie can be, having grown up on Spielberg, franchise filmmaking, and a dozen or so movies pre-'77. So when something tonally odd comes along, it doesn't look like a movie to them, so their gut reaction is that it's terrible.
Feature Underground: come for the video, stay for the comments section. Thanks for watching and leaving your thoughts! All opinions are welcome here, unless you like mayonnaise.
great review among many who attack the film as if it were the worst ever made, your point of view instead perceives that meaning that many have missed but it is always like this when art is pure
Thank you very much! I don't think any movie should be "attacked." Attacking something is a very mob-mentality thing to do. Maybe it's better to attack something if you want attention or views. But attacking isn't interesting. I think it's much more interesting to give something the benefit of the doubt and try to explore it from every angle. It's more interesting for me to do, at least, and--I hope--also for the viewer to watch.
I saw the film today. A matinee, in ABQ, New Mexico, six people including myself. It was an “abstract” modern art cinema presentation. The only other person who could attempt this story would be David Lynch but he is a Surrealist filmmaker. FFC is not a Surrealist but is a visual stylist supported by very complex ideas;the world of the film is familiar enough but futuristic at the same time. Your review was thoughtful and comprehensive; your take on the film as being a storybook Fable is the best description I’ve heard. Grace Hightower did a good job too. It’s interesting how some TH-cam film reviewer have no imagination. Each person who sees this film is not right and they are not wrong, it is just their POV, based on their own life experiences. I will give the film a second viewing.
I don't want to judge other TH-cam reviewers, since I've not watched their stuff, but for anyone who has a standard media diet, an imagination doesn't exactly come naturally from that. And I think you're right--there's no right or wrong. Right and wrong are boring. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. If you like my critical cadence, feel free to subscribe for more reviews in the very near future.
@@FeatureUnderground youtubers earn money by views...its a business model to trash movies down to the ground...also since youtbe suddenly the whole world seems to be a movie critic 😅
@@Ionisus Yeah, negativity sells. It's just intellectual junk food. As much as I would like to make money from TH-cam so I can quit my job, I'm not going to degrade myself in pursuit of that. I used to write for Film Threat, but I started doing video reviews since I spend most of my writing time on writing fiction. Doing videos lets me flex a different muscle.
The movie feels in time like 1991 Wim Wenders Until the end of the World Directors cut first edition , is not bad or good is regular , art movie is not for everyone
I would agree that Megalopolis is an art movie not for everyone, but it also has a little bit of that '50s big-budget event film energy, which is an interesting pairing. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
First I want to thank you for this excellent breakdown of this unique film! Though I was glad to see this in IMAX, I admit I knew very little about the premise other than it was a sort of “What if” New York was a modern Rome. We were both very frustrated and confused by this film and I found myself wanting it to be over less than halfway through. Now that I have a much better understanding of what it is, I can appreciate the form it took to express these ideas. I do think I would enjoy it more on a second viewing but I can wait for a home format release. It seems that Coppola is not shooting for immediate, popular acclaim but rather something which he hopes a few will understand now and will be more widely appreciated with context. I hope he is right because I would hate to see something on this scale to be relegated to the ranks of the likes of “The Room” or “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”! I didn’t know there was a version of this film where a live actor interacts with Driver’s character in a scene. I think that would have made it over the top pretentious for us. That works for Amusement Parks, not movies. I will still say I would have appreciated a shorter “artistic vision”.
Since Coppola does have a history of recutting his movies, you might be in luck if you're hoping for a shorter version of Megalopolis. That would definitely spur interest in a future Blu-Ray release. Thanks for watching and leaving your thoughts/kind words!
Terrific review, I plan to see it. Thank you sharing you thoughts on the film. I appreciate what can be done with film, from "Tales of Hoffman" to "One From the Heart". I do like traditional films as well. Thanks again, you have a new subscriber.
Thank you very much for watching and leaving a comment! That's the great thing about movies: there's room for a little bit of everything. A lot of room for a lot of everything, actually.
If you hate it and don't have Coppola's phone number, I give you full permission to come back here and yell at me instead. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Saw the film last night. 100% agree with your take. Coppola is drawing from all sorts of ideas and art forms and delivering a very inspiring message. Best film this year.
With how demanding the movie is in terms of ideas and playing with traditional form, one might say Coppola is the FromSoft of directors. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Y'know this makes me want to see it now. The other review I saw of painted it as bad but this review seemed a lot more insightful. We don't get many films these days that take on surrealism with sincerity, it's often treated as a gimmick and not an integral part of the work itself. If that makes sense.
It makes perfect sense. Thanks for watching! My favorite time to go to the movies used to be Tuesday morning, since it was usually empty and I could put my feet up on the seats in front of me. Sounds like that'll be the case if you go see Megalopolis. Many more reviews on the way, so stay tuned! Got invites to the Nosferatu and Anora screenings just today.
Thank you very much for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed my thoughts. If you haven't already, I formally invite you to subscribe. I've also just released a review of Joker 2, although the ideas in that movie weren't quite interesting as Megalopolis. But I think I found some interesting things to talk about.
Spoilers The movie was dreamlike and theatrical. I enjoyed the different style. It requires more intuition than analysis to enjoy it. I realized at one point that it’s not worth getting hung up on plot but rather to absorb the patterns and explore along with the movie. I still didn’t figure out what each character represented in this parable in modern day or what certain elements of the plot signify but did want to keep turning these questions in my mind. Some of the style reminded me of Hitchcock and Welles’ dreamlike scenes. I didn’t know what to make of Ceasar wearing black so much and Julia wearing colors. Or what did Ceasar’s Hamlet speech mean? Or why did he take drugs? Of course I still don’t get what megalon is but thought of it as Hitchcock’s mcguffins. I don’t understand the end scene. The movie may have woken me up to more easily spotting the various players in our society as the day after I saw the movie I saw tons of Google AI ads posted in public transit station. Gonna try to see it on IMAX again today.
"I really was caught off-guard by the movies tone." I stayed ON my guard as there were, in fact, so many tones to choose from! We suspend our disbelief (ahem) for every film we watch in the hope or expectation, that a uniformity of style within a credible world the director reveals is seen and felt. Many films fail this basic initial premise. Be it a confused script committee, studio pressure or a low budget. I went to see this as any movie from this man would certainly be more interesting than most film artists. But when actors appear to be in different films with such different styles, one can only disengage and see it as a self-indulgence. Or, his critical faculties were not fully on point! Which pains me, as I love this guy! He talks always lovingly about cinema. And yes, Driver's character was a Coppola proxy. There are some great, original visuals but as humans we look to them on screen to find meaning, sympathy & relatability. We then trust and then follow the story's arc. With these characters, alas, there was too much conflict in the message, be it emotionally or stylistically and the way the actors projected. But like you said, I will revisit this someday, as it still carries his name.. Thanks Hunter.
Your reasoning is very sound. One idea I disagree with is the idea that he's an old man whose mental faculties have left him and he's driving on the wrong side of the road--cinematically, of course. Based on the interviews I've watched, he seems very lucid to me. I know you weren't planting your flag in that position, but I've seen it bandied about. I sincerely hope you subscribe, if you're not already, and continue leaving comments. It's nice to see one so thought-out and cogently written.
@@FeatureUnderground I said "critical faculties" or the ability to edit, throw away, or re-work unsound ideas. Nothing to do with age or dementia! I know, two countries divided by a single language 'n all. Hey, it's his party, his money, But as receivers, we're still part of the creative process. Filmakers concieve & create but we receive.
That's a shame. They only just built a good IMAX near me--and by near, I mean 30 miles away--and it was where this press screening was, thankfully. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground Ya, well thank you for giving a thoughtful review. It is truly amazing how many YTers have made scathing reviews of this film never having even see it, much less exerted any effort to appreciate it for what it is. It's like they're all quoting the same cliff notes and denouncing the film in principle for not adhering to the braindead formula of a Marvel film. As for the IMAX thing, there are some theories that Regal expects Megalopolis to bomb, so they're only dedicating IMAX theaters in large cities. I don't know the reason, but if Megalopolis is worth a second viewing, I'll probably drive to Portland and catch it there in true IMAX.
@@EleaticStranger Ironically, I don't watch any film critics on TH-cam, basically for the reason you just said. Most of the film criticism on TH-cam comes from the bid-budget genre movie angle, and everything else is seen through that lens. If you're going to see it again, I'd say it's worth the drive to a real IMAX. Make a day out of it in the city so it doesn't feel like you're just driving back and forth.
Thank you very much! I'm seeing Joker 2 on Tuesday, so I'll hopefully be able to get out a review on Wednesday. If you go back through the channel, the Napoleon review is the most popular but I also recommend the review of the 4K re-release of The Conversation as a good companion piece to this one. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Don't hurt me, but I haven't seen Holy Motors. I have seen Carax's Annette, though. As crazy as it might sound, I actually think Annette is more grounded than Megalopolis is. The closest comparison I can make is maybe Metropolis--it just now occurring to me that the title of the movies may be similar on purpose--because Megalopolis has that heightened, theatrical tone of a silent movie, before realism started making its way through films. It also shares that movie's fantastical world and the theme of how to take a society forward.
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave the kind words! I'm seeing Joker 2 tonight and will try to get the video out tomorrow as soon as I can. Be sure to subscribe, so you don't miss it, and spread the word of the Underground!
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! I don't watch or read any reviews before doing mine, just to avoid anything possibly influencing my own thoughts. In fact, the only time I read reviews all the way through is if I go back to Ebert's.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! Subscribe for more brain cells and tell your friends if they want some cells, they know where they can get them.
I would have to see it again but I felt like Coppola took 60 years of observations and collaged them without much reflection. I also think his improvisational approach to performance distorted the tone and intent of the film to the point of incoherence. I enjoyed the film in IMAX but I had to shut my brain off mid-way to let it wash over me because the incongruity and lack of continuity made it paralyzingly unclear.
I think that's a fair read. My first impression is also that there's just too many ideas with not enough exploration of them. I wouldn't say I turned my brain off mid-way, but I was definitely turning the tuning knob to try and find whatever deep-space frequency the movie was on. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Coppola sold his vineyard for 500 million. Financed the 140 million for the film. Gave the distribution rights away for zero profits. Real artists finance their visions.
If you've got the cash, that's the way to do it. If anyone would like to sell their vineyard to finance my visions, I'll be right here. Thanks for the comment!
@@FeatureUnderground I think that’s the reason so many “risky” films are not being made because studios are being run by accountants not directors or producers. Watch Coppola’s interviews about this film and how the studio was trying to stop him while filming the Godfather. William Friedkin had the same problems with studio executives and many other directors.
@@rancosteel Yeah, the struggle between the artist and the businessman is a tale as old as time, but the artist benefits greatly from having the infrastructure of the studio system to market/release their movie. Hundreds of years ago, there was a tradition of a patron of the arts, who would use their wealth to finance the pursuits of artists. It would be nice if that tradition came back. I said this in a reply to a comment on my Alien review, but in the late '60s and early '70s--which is my favorite time for movies--the business executives felt like they had no clue what the public wanted, so they were far more willing to work with creative radicals like Scorsese, Coppola, Peter Fonda, Polanski, etc. These days, the executives feel like they do know what people want, then hire obedient directors to fulfill their visions.
@@FeatureUnderground Yes, that happened in the music industry too. Back in the 80’s especially the studios were being run by fat cigar smoking men who would through a 100k at a band they liked discovered by a scout.
I was surprised at how funny it was. I think the marketing really did a disservice, because it took me--and, it seemed, the audience I was with--quite a while to recalibrate our brains to what we were watching. Thanks for leaving not one comment, but two!
Liked the movie but disagree with the philosophy. The hero being for progress here is no problem, it's just that for me Francis Ford Coppola did not address sufficiently the shortcomings of any kind of utopian thinking i.e. he did not have a solid cautionary note in the movie about a Promethean hubris of indefinite progress. Or maybe I miss that?
I'm glad you brought this up, because it's a thought that crossed my mind too. I think Coppola's belief is that innovation is the path forward, and the tip of the spear is each generation's tiny percentage of geniuses. Then the rest of us ride their coattails like a magic carpet into the glorious future. Since that's basically where we are now, in the most glorious time to ever live, I largely agree with this sentiment, while also being highly skeptical of utopianism. I don't think Coppola's "prime innovator" is pushing for indefinite progress, but, rather, iconoclastic solutions to problems. For example, an iconoclastic solution to a problem might involve returning to a way of doing things from the past. Another thought is that Coppola's deification of the genius and progress is packaged with the old "shoot for moon, land among the stars" idea. So it's not about reaching a utopia--which is a foolish notion--but getting as close as possible and always striving to be better by inches. [SPOILER] This is why the ending has the "progressive" and "regressive"--bad terms with too much modern baggage, but you know what I mean--hold hands into the future, because there's a lot of merit to tradition and there are ancient babies Coppola doesn't want to throw out with the bathwater. So I think you're right: the movie doesn't address the pitfalls of utopianism, but I also don't think utopianism is exactly what it's selling. Thanks for watching, leaving a comment, and making me think!
Whilst I believe we watched 2 very different movies…I appreciate that you noted that this is like a bedtime story because I dozed off for a big chunk of the movie as it was shocking boring (and honestly) sad. Not sad cos of the storyline but more so due to how this “movie” is now part of Coppola’s filmography. Bloated, pompous and crass are words I would use to describe my viewing experience. Again I appreciate your review and your interpretation as I know film is subjective and moreover it provided me with something to think about.
I think G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the worst movie I've ever seen in my 30 years on earth, but I'm optimistic it can be surpassed. Thanks for the comment!
Dismissing convention is itself a convention. Story structure goes back to the Greeks. And comparing America to Rome ... hardly original. This is cynicism on steroids.
Well, I don't think it's as simple as dismissing convention, but the way in which you do it. For example, making a gumbo using marbles instead of sausage would be unconventional, but hardly effective. I think Megalopolis being unconventional in the many ways it is was thoughtfully done for a purpose, which is worth exploring. Upon repeated viewings, it's possible I'll find those purposes never really manifest or are just uninspired. But as of right now, the movie just left me curious, which is a thing I like to be. Ancient Rome is baked into the DNA of America, so I don't think Coppola was trying to be clever with the comparison, but was simply attracted to the aesthetic of splicing the two together. That's my read anyway. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
You need to give things a try. One could argue that most things are hardly original now. That concept has actually been around since America itself. Welcome to history!! You are in fact cynicism on steroids. Not the movie. Go home. Have a drink.
@@JCDenton95 Ad hominem attacks don't do your case much good. I give lots of things a try. A self-indulgent mess of a movie that's full of itself isn't one of them. Damien Chazell's "Babylon" was another over-stuffed, over-long, self-indulgent mess ... and also cynical. Director's are allowed to make mistakes. They aren't perfect. And with all the clips and comments all over the internet, I feel like I've already sat through "Megalopolis." And if the two films I mentioned aren't self-indulgent, what would qualify? In less than a month, this will all be forgotten, and this wannabe masterpiece will most likely tank and be replaced. Life and the movies moves on.
Whilst I believe we watched 2 very different movies…I appreciate that you noted that this is like a bedtime story because I dozed off for a big chunk of the movie as it was shocking boring (and honestly) sad. Not sad cos of the storyline but more so due to how this “movie” is now part of Coppola’s filmography. Bloated, pompous and crass are words I would use to describe my viewing experience. Again I appreciate your review and your interpretation as I know film is subjective and moreover it provided me with something to think about.
Your review really puts the film into perspective. It sounds like something right up my alley. Looking forward to seeing it myself. There seem to be a lot of ideas being explored here which have been bubbling up over the past few decades. I think it could spur a lot of discussions.
I just wish Coppola explored the ideas a little more, rather than merely presenting them. But under-explored ideas are better than no ideas.
wow, you've put a lot of thought & honestly into this wonderful review. you make me look forward to it even more. thank you. looking forward to watching my favorite actor, Adam Driver, in it as well.
Thank you very much! Adam Driver is also one of my favorite actors working today. Unlike some other young actors, he seems to be really good at choosing movies, since it seems like he chooses based on the director rather than the part. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground, thank you for your review. I liked the first two "Godfather" movies and "Apocalypse Now" movies, but it would have been this movie and the look of it that might have helped him get into my list of favorite directors, but it didn't help him. I didn't like the movie, but I agree with you that this was "an adult Pop-up book" and I really might watch it one more time after hearing your review to think about what you said in, regards to, whether there is something redeemable for it.
25 FAVORITE DIRECTORS OF MOVIES
As a child I loved "Star Wars" and hated "E.T." so I guess I learned something making this list. I called a series of movies as one placement on the list of good movies for a director.
1st place Terry Gilliam
has 8; 6 on my favorites list
1) The Man who Killed Don Quixote (2017) #36
2) 12 Monkeys (1995) #59
3) Monty Python and the Holy Grail (1975) #155
4) The Adventures of Baron Munchausen (1988) #180
5) Time Bandits (1981) #260
6) Tideland (2006) #262
7) The Brother's Grimm (2005)
😎 Brazil (1985)
2nd place Guy Ritchie
has 6; 4 on my favorites list
1) Aladdin (2019) #40
2) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015) #47
3) The Ministry of Ungentlemanly Warfare (2024) #158
4) Sherlock Holmnes: A Game of Shadows (2011) #213 - SERIES
5) The Covenant (2023)
6) King Arthur: Legend of the Sword (2017)
3rd place Robert Zemeckis
has 10; only 2 on my favorites list
1) Back to the Future (1985) #23 - SERIES
2) Forrest Gump (1994) #44
3) Cast Away (2000)
4) Pinocchio (2022)
5) The Polar Express (2004)
6) Allied (2016)
7) Contact (1997)
😎 Romancing the Stone (1984)
9) Who Framed Roger Rabbit (1988)
10) Welcome to Marwen (2018)
4th place John Hughes
has 10; 5 on my favorites list
1) The Breakfast Club (1985) #49
2) National Lampoon's Christmas Vacation (1989) #86 SERIES
3) Ferris Bueller’s Day Off (1986) #135
4) Weird Science (1985) #189
5) Planes, Trains, and Automobiles (1987) #284
6) Pretty in Pink (1986)
7) Some Kind of Wonderful (1987)
😎 Sixteen Candles (1984)
9) Home Alone (1990)
10) She’s Having a Baby (1988)
5th place Satoshi Kon
directed 4 anime movies; all favorites
1) Paprika (2006) #33
2) Perfect Blue (1999) #63
3) Tokyo Godfathers (2004) #95
4) Millennium Actress (2003) #102
6th place Mel Gibson
has 5 and all on my favorites list
1) The Passion of the Christ (2004) #29
2) Braveheart (1995) #161
3) Apocalypto (2006) #179
4) The Man Without a Face (1993) #207
5) Hacksaw Ridge (2016) #270
7th place James Cameron
has 5 and all 5 on my favorites list
1) True Lies (1994) #99
2) Avatar (2009) #122
3) Aliens (1986) #128 - SERIES
4) The Terminator (1984) #210 - SERIES
5) Titanic (1997) #290
8th place Steven Spielberg
has 17; 6 on my favorites list
1) Schindler's List (1993) #28
2) Amistad (1997) #77
3) Saving Private Ryan (1998) #273
4) Catch Me If You Can (2002) #281
5) Lincoln (2012) #346
6) Jurassic Park (1993) #363 - SERIES
7) The Fabelmans (2022)
😎 Munich (2005)
9) E.T. (1982)
10) Bridge of Spies (2015)
11) Raiders of the Lost Ark (1981) - Indiana Jones SERIES
12) Jaws (1975) - SERIES
13) War Horse (2011)
14) A.I. (2001)
15) Close Encounters of the Third Kind (1977)
16) Hook (1991)
17) The BFG (2016)
9th place Alfred Hitchcock
has 5; 3 on my favorites list
1) Notorious (1946) #27
2) To Catch a Thief (1955) #76
3) Psycho (1960) #215
4) Rear Window (1954)
5) North by Northwest (1959)
10th place Christopher Nolan
has 9; 5 on my favorites list
1) Man of Steel (2013) #126
2) Inception (2010) #139
3) Dunkirk (2017) #168
4) Oppenheimer (2023) #275
5) Memento (2000) #348
6) The Dark Knight (2008) - SERIES
7) The Following (1998)
😎 The Prestige (2006)
9) Insomnia (2002)
11th place Bill Condon
has 5; only 2 on my favorites list
1) Beauty and the Beast (2017) #12
2) The Greatest Showman (2017) #98
3) Mr. Holmes (2015)
4) The Good Liar (2019)
5) Kinsey (2004)
12th place Richard Donner
has 7; 3 on my favorites list
1) Superman II (1980) #42 - SERIES
2) Lethal Weapon (1987) #133 - SERIES
3) The Toy (1982) #151
4) The Goonies (1985)
5) Scrooged (1988)
6) Radio Flyer (1992)
7) Timeline (2003)
😎 Ladyhawke (1985)
13th place Matthew Vaughn
has 5; 4 on my favorites list
1) X-men: First Class (2011) #93 - SERIES
2) Kick-ass (2010) #162 - SERIES
3) Stardust (2007) #166
4) Kingsman: the Secret Service (2014) #236 - SERIES
5) Argylie (2024)
14th place Martin Scorsese
has 9; 3 on my list of favorites
1) Silence (2016) #10
2) Goodfellas (1990) #320
3) Taxi Driver (1976) #345
4) The Irishman (2019)
5) Killers of the Flower Moon (2023)
6) The Wolf of Wall Street (2013)
7) Hugo (2011)
😎 The Aviator (2004)
9) Casino (1995)
15th place John Landis
has 9; 3 on my favorites list
1) An American Werewolf in London (1981) #65
2) Blues Brothers (1980) #97
3) Coming to America (1988) #327
4) Trading Places (1983)
5) The Three Amigos (1986)
6) Twilight Zone: The Movie (1983)
7) Beverly Hills Cop III (1994) - SERIES
😎 Spies Like Us (1985)
9) Animal House (1978)
16th place Andrew Adamson
has 2 and both on my favorites list
1) Narnia: the Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005) #5 - SERIES
2) Shrek (2001) #142 - SERIES
17th place Arthur Hiller
has 3 and all 3 on my favorites list
1) Man of La Mancha (1972) #2
2) Silver Streak (1976) #221
3) See No Evil, Hear No Evil (1989) #360
18th place Ridley Scott
has 11; 4 on my favorites list
1) Alien (1979) #73 - SERIES
2) Legend (1985) #119 - director's cut only
3) Napoleon (2023) #266
4) Blade Runner (1982) #308
5) The Last Duel (2021)
6) House of Gucci (2021)
7) Robin Hood (2010)
😎 Exodus: Gods and Kings (2014)
9) The Martian (2015)
10) Hannibal (2001) - SERIES
11) Black Hawk Down (2001)
19th place Harold Ramis
has 3; 2 on my favorites list
1) Caddyshack (1980) #82 - SERIES
2) National Lampoon's Vacation (1983) #96 - SERIES
3) Groundhod Day (1993)
20th place Simon Curtis
has 6; 4 on my favorites list
1) Goodbye, Christopher Robin (2017) #13
2) Woman in Gold (2015) #296
3) Downton Abbey (2022) #353
4) The Art of Racing in the Rain (2019) #357
5) The Chaperone (2018)
6) My Week with Marilyn (2011)
21st place Gore Verbinski
has 5; 3 on my favorites list
1) Pirates of the Caribbean: Curse of the Black Pearl (2003) #52 - SERIES
2) A Cure for Wellness (2017) #193
3) Mouse Hunt (1997) #322
4) The Mexican (2001)
5) The Lone Ranger (2013)
22nd place Guillermo Del Toro
has 2 and both on my favorites list
1) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) - #31 Spanish with English caption
2) The Shape of Water (2017) #211
23rd place Roland Emmerich
has 7; 2 on my favorites list
1) Midway (2019) #32
2) Anonymous (2011) #258
3) Independence Day (1996)
4) The Patriot (2000)
5) Godzilla (1998) - SERIES
6) Stargate (1994)
7) 2012 (2009)
24th place Tom Tykwer
has 4; 3 on my favorites list
1) Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (2000) #51
2) Cloud Atlas (2012) #288
3) Heaven (2002) #333
4) The International (2009)
25th place Ivan Reitman
has 4; 2 on my favorites list
1) Ghostbusters (1984) #43 - SERIES
2) Twins (1988) #283
3) Kindergarten Cop (1990)
4) Dave (1993)
@@ReligionOfSacrifice Wow, Leonard Maltin's Movie Guide over here. You wrote a whole novel! I hope Coppola is giving me commission on your rewatch. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground, you got a top ten movie list or a favorite directors list? I wanna know where we might agree on something.
TOP 50 FAVORITE MOVIES
1) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1982)
2) Man of la Mancha (1972)
3) It's a Wonderful Life (1946)
4) The Prince who was a Thief (1951)
5) Narnia: the Lion, the witch, and the wardrobe (2005)
6) Let the Right One In (2008) - Swedish with English caption
7) A Silent Voice (2016) - Japanese with English caption
8) My Rainy Days (2009) - Japanese with English caption
9) A Brilliant Young Mind (originally known as "X+Y") (2014)
10) Silence (2016)
11) Spiderman: No Way Home (2021)
12) Beauty and the Beast (2017)
13) Goodbye, Christopher Robin (2017)
14) The Man who Invented Christmas (2017)
15) The Scarlet Pimpernel (1934)
16) Amen (2002)
17) Red (2010)
18) Fletch (1985)
19) Guardians of the Galaxy (2014)
20) Men In Black (1997)
21) Star Wars: the Empire Strikes Back (1980)
22) Star Wars: a New Hope (1977)
23) Back to the Future (1985)
24) X-Men (2000)
25) Mannequin (1987)
26) Life is Beautiful (1998)
27) Notorious (1946)
28) Schindler's List (1993)
29) The Passion of the Christ (2004) - Aramaic with English caption
30) Interview with the Vampire (1994)
31) Pan’s Labyrinth (2006) - Spanish with English caption
32) Midway (2019)
33) Paprika (2006)
34) Johnny English (2003)
35) Cinema Paradiso (1989) - Italian with English caption, shorter version, not extended version
36) The Man who Killed Don Quixote (2017)
37) Mulan (2020)
38) Measure of a Man (2018)
39) Come and See (1985) - Russian with English caption
40) Aladdin (2019)
41) Avengers: Infinity Wars (2018)
42) Superman II (1980)
43) Ghostbusters (1984)
44) Forrest Gump (1994)
45) Men In Black 2 (2002)
46) Fletch Lives (1989)
47) The Man from U.N.C.L.E. (2015)
48) My First Mister (2001)
49) The Breakfast Club (1985)
50) Harry Potter: the Prisoner of Azkaban (2004)
51) Der Krieger und die Kaiserin (2000) The Princess and the Warrior - German with English subtitle
@@ReligionOfSacrifice Top 10 Movies:
The Godfather
The Graduate
A Hard Day's Night
City Lights
The Roaring Twenties
The Ox-Bow Incident
Taxi Driver
Duck Soup
Midnight in Paris
La Dolce Vita
I've watched about twenty reviews of Megalopolis, and this is by far the finest. I think your point about Coppola being the age he is and wanting to make grandiose movies for himself alone is vitally important.
Whether it's in music, literature, or movies, it's interesting to see how an artist's work evolves as they get older and how their perspective changes.
Thanks for watching and leaving the kind words. More reviews on the way, so it's a great time to subscribe. Tell your friends, enemies, strangers, and public officials!
Excellent review, and I’ve read a lot of them this weekend. The movie I saw was exactly the one you described, and I thoroughly enjoyed it, and will see it again and own it when it comes out. Glad to see that there is somebody else out there with a functioning brain giving this innovative movie it’s due. Kudos to you, sir !
May my brain continue to function and may I be blissfully unaware when it doesn't. Thank you for watching and taking the time to leave the kind words! More reviews/discussions are in the pipeline.
@@richardnosiglia3736 i saw the last half again on IMAX and picked up even more depth and liked it as an intriguing visual and philosophical experience. Thank goodness so different from the average movie fare.
I like your analysis. The best of the ones I've seen so far.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! Joker 2 review will be out on Oct. 2nd. Press screenings for A Real Pain and A Complete Unknown are already locked down. So stay tuned!
This is a well thought out review and a lot different than pretty much every other review that I've seen so far. I haven't watched it yet and I had to stop almost halfway through just for minor spoilers but good job man. keep up the good work! I'll be watching the movie very soon.
I like to go into a movie knowing as little as possible too, so I understand. After you watch the movie, come back and leave your thoughts. Thanks for the kind words!
I was really surprised to find a review this well-informed and thought-out for this movie. The trolls are out in full force and out for blood, in some of the comments sections which is frankly upsetting. Thank you for being such a pleasant youtuber! You got yourself another subscriber, homie.
Thank you very much! Yeah, I don't really watch any movie TH-camrs, ironically, but I can only imagine that some of them don't cultivate the most thoughtful audience. I think most TH-cam critics started off just talking about big-budget genre movies, so their audience is primarily interested in those. While I also like many of those movies, they don't exactly train you to be open-minded in terms of story, structure, tone, and all of these other things a director can manipulate. I could be wrong, but that's my best guess. Thanks for watching, subscribing, and commenting! Seeing Joker 2 early next week, so I'll have something up for that probably next Wednesday.
Brilliant! SO glad I saw this before seeing the movie this afternoon. Thanks!
No no no, thank you, Joe! I'm so glad you watched my video and left a comment. Come back after you see it and leave your thoughts.
I liked you, since the start because of The King of Jazz intro, new subscriber!
I couldn't believe my luck when I saw that song was in the public domain now. I grabbed it like it was the last chicken sausage at the breakfast buffet. Welcome to the party. Your friends, family, and passing acquaintances are invited, too!
I agree with this review 100%...I just watched the movie and I was expecting a terrible mess like Babylon but was pleasantly surprised at how much I enjoyed the movie (did not check my phone one time) and enjoyed the visuals (which made it worth watching in the theaters). I really did not understand the criticism of the movie as being disjointed and/or fragmented...were there are a lot of weird scenes...absolutely but it was very David Lynchesque and many of them were either drug/dream/memory scenes, which are distorted in a person's memories/mind. The storyline was pretty straight forward in my view and the themes were pretty obvious (at time a little too obvious) but I didn't feel anything was out of place or unnecessary. It was Shakespearean in tone but it was mixed with Alice in Wonderland/David Lynch. Also reminded me of a mid 1990s film entitled Hudsucker Proxy about an idealistic creator going up against the realities of industry and the world.
I also felt that a lot of reviewers were caught up in the film being made by Coppola and costing $120 million to make...I feel like if this was made by a young unknown director with a $50 million budget...people would be a lot open to the film and likely praising the director with being bold and innovative.
Finally, I like the point you make about Coppola wanting to pushing the limits of filmmaking...especially with the whole live person 4th wall breaking. A lot of directors and filmmakers are complaining/perplexed about why people aren't going to the theaters anymore...well because the the media of movie is not unique to theaters anymore. So you have to bring them something that they cannot experience at home. Whether this movie succeeds in doing that...I don't know but it is commendable for Coppola to try something different.
Thank you for watching and leaving a comment! Yeah, the movie's subversive in its dialogue, editing, and visuals, but in terms of the actual storyline, it's very old-fashioned, like a sword-and-sandal movie from the '50s (hence the stone title cards) or Giant (like I say in the review). It's pretty straightforward and there's not much to miss.
I also appreciate Coppola playing around with the form. As Ebert said about Fellini, "he can certainly make a bad film but cannot quite make a boring one."
This is the best review of Megalopolis I've heard. Most reviewers completely missed the point of the film. Nice job!
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave some kind words! If you like what you see and hear, consider a little subscription? Yes, yes? More reviews/discussions on the way.
agree, this is the most balanced and well articulated review. I hope it will find its audience once it's on streaming. Mad respect for Coppola, he really did roll a great movie joint.
The point that all the characters are parts of him and this humanity is brilliant.
you explained the movie very well. I saw it tonite and definitely enjoyed it once I realized it had that storybook satire feel.
Glad you enjoyed it and my review. And thanks for leaving a comment!
Heck, at last someone who understands. You should have many more followers for your insights
Hey, even Jesus only started out with 12. Tell your friends! Thanks for watching and leaving the kind words!
Let me begin by saying I am a huge fan of Mr. Francis Ford Coppola. I honestly believe that in the top ten greatest motion pictures ever made, Mr. Coppola has three. The Godfather, The Godfather Part II and Apocalypse Now. Personally, I believe The Godfather and The Godfather Part II to be tied at number 1.
Having said that, I also believe that Mr. Coppola hasn't made a truly great film since the 70s. Rumble Fish was a very good film, Dracula was good, The Cotton Club Encore was good and Tetro was the closest he came to greatness in the latter part of his career.
Even before the 70s, The Rain People was very good, but not a great film for Mr. Coppola. So that brings me to the topic of Megalopolis. A film 45 years in the making. Before it was filmed, when the cast was announced and it was confirmed to be going into production, I made a prediction to myself that this would be the first great film by Francis since the 70s.
In my scoring system, a great film begins at 91/100, a great great film is 94 though 96, a masterpiece is 97 and above, and of course, a 100 is a perfect masterpiece film. Coppola has three perfect 100 masterpieces by my estimation.
So, my thoughts leading up to Megalopolis was I thought Francis would have a chance to hit that 91 mark, but probably nothing higher. Then Cannes came around and the reviews were anything but flattering. So, I thought either A), Francis is way past his best and created a really bad film or B), which I was hoping and leaning towards, that critics these days mostly know NOT what the hell they are talking about. Most critics these days are afraid to voice a real opinion. There is a lot of WOKE garbage and anything out of the norm is immediately going to be panned.
So I saw Megalopolis tonight with high hopes, but relatively low expectations. I was, honestly, sincerely and TOTALLY blown away. I shit you not. I give Megalopolis a perfect 100 score! The film I saw is one of the top 30 or so greatest motion pictures ever and a real cinematic achievement. The story was great! The acting was marvelous in a kind of 1989 Batman sort of way. The cinematography was beautiful and psychedelic. The closest thing I could find to a criticism was maybe it doesn't possess that one, iconic line that will be repeated forever, but so what?! A lot of films are iconic, but not great.
As far as I'm concerned, this film is perfection and I am so happy for Francis Ford Coppola. He sold a large piece of his winery, he took a real chance on himself and it paid off. Yeah, he may not make his budget back and a lot of people are shitting on the film, but I believe he is happy with it and I know for certain that I couldn't be more pleased with it.
Much like how the main character, Cesar Catalina, successfully created the city of Megalopolis, Mr. Coppola created this masterpiece film Megalopolis. Way to go, Francis! Congratulations! Thank you, sir for your contribution to this great art form that we all love. You are one of the absolute greatest filmmakers to ever live.
I agree with much of your assessment of Coppola's filmography. I think all of the '70s stuff was amazing (and I'm including 69's The Rain People), but I'm not a fan of much after that (not even Rumble Fish or Dracula), until he made Tetro, which I think is almost up there with the '70s stuff. And I'm with you in that I give virtually no credence to film criticism these days. My interest in seeing a movie is based solely on the talent involved.
If I ever run into Mr. Coppola in southeast Texas, I'll let him know your kind words. Thanks for leaving a comment!
This describes some of my feelings about the movie.
After multiple viewings, I stand by my score of 100 and I absolutely love the film. I can't get enough of it. The only part of my opinion that's changed is the part where I said this was a top 30 all-time great film. That is a bit high. I will say a top 100 film for sure, and that's in the entire history of cinema, in any language.
This is a fantastic review, very thoughtful. Thank you
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave a comment! Bury yourself alive in the Feature Underground for more reviews and discussions coming soon.
Its exactly what i expected ..a daring unusual weird and strange movie outside the sell out Hollywood formula and system ... and it got me intruiged and involved
If only more directors had highly successful wineries they could sell to fund their own movies. Thanks for the comment!
@@FeatureUnderground in the 70s hollywood financially supported upcoming directors who had complete creative control of their project...now hollywood directors are just tools of the studio bankers and their safe investment plans
People are blind thinking it was good 😂
@@FeatureUnderground
His building his legacy. Better than leaving the money to others.
Your review was very good. A completely different take than most of the other reviews. I'll have to see it for myself. You seemed to give Coppola a lot of grace. I wonder if your review would've been the same if a different director made this exact film
I think that's a fair question. I do believe that when a director has proven themselves with as many great movies as Coppola has, he is deserving of the benefit of the doubt.
If this was the first movie by an up-and-coming director, I think the only difference would've been that I wouldn't have made seeing it a priority. I think I would have had largely the same thoughts and would have definitely been curious to see where this person's career goes. That said, I don't think an up-and-comer would've made this movie. As I say in the review, I think it's distinctly the work of an aging creative.
Thanks for watching and leaving the thought experiment in the comments!
Thank you this great review and discussion. I’ve been waiting for this film for a long time and once even gave up on the thought of it ever happening. Now that it’s out I can personally say I really enjoyed it and it was worth all the wait.
I agree with basically everything you said even the dislikes. Hit the nail on the head with the fact that it’s very difficult to sell to an audience. No one was really prepared for this movie once it started, even those who know Coppola’s complete filmography were caught off guard which is kind of amazing. It reminded me most of One from the heart, a film I like very much but one people had trouble accepting at the time. If Francis had a true style or signature I think it would lie in these films plus stuff like Rumble Fish and Tetro.
It felt full circle to me finally watching this. The Outsiders was my favourite movie as a kid. Seeing the Godfather at 16 on a school night was a truly a life changing experience. I’ll never forget staying up til 2 or 3 in the morning in awe of what I experienced. Kickstarted me as a movie fan. So grateful I got the chance to see a Coppola picture in theatres!
As for legacy only test of course is time. As an older legendary director I don’t think it will end up like a late Ford or Fellini. As Tarantino said “I don’t wanna make Billy Wilder’s Buddy Buddy or Cheyanne Autumn!” It will surely be much more discussed than that.
However as much as I appreciated Megalopolis for its message, audacity and wild splendor it didn’t reach the emotional and sublime heights of say Terrence Malick’s A Hidden Life or Miyazaki’s The Boy and the Heron. Those are my best examples of late cinematic masterworks in my opinion. I’d also put The Irishman and Twin Peaks The Return (tv) there too.
All in all I do agree that it is his most personal film. Once it ended you could just feel it. So grateful he could make it and that we all could see it. Look forward to how well it works on a second viewing.
We're very much on the same page. In fact, I had almost the same experience watching The Godfather, except I was a little younger at 13. Believe it or not, I only wanted to watch it because I'd played the video game (yes, I played The Godfather video game before watching the movie). My dad hadn't seen it in a while, so he rented it from Netflix, which had just started mailing movies. Watching it did the same thing to me as it did to you: completely kicked down the doors in my head to what a movie could be and elevated my interest in movies to a new height, and I'm still chasing that initial high. It remains my favorite movie.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground no problem! I just watched your killers of the flower moon review 👍. I look forward seeing more reviews whether it’s for old or new movies. As for 2024 I’m really excited to see Anora and The Brutalist! I hope Clint Eastwoods new movie is good too lol.
@@Yeshi23 Also very much looking forward to both of those (just watched Vox Lux and was surprised how great it was). Eastwood, like Coppola, has built up enough goodwill for me that I'll see whatever he does, though Gran Torino is the last of his movies that I enjoyed. When he dies, it's really going to drive home the loss of a very particular--and very awesome--generation of filmmaking.
@@Yeshi23 it meant even more to me on second viewing because I was able to discern more of the dialogue and some more of the symbolism,
Excellent review. I fell in love several times during the film, even when I was like "wtf?"... I cried at the end. Not many films do that to me. Loved it.
I'm looking forward to rewatching it when it gets sent to me for awards season. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Enjoyed your ruminations. My son and I are seeing this next week. I'm glad he likes to try adventurous films. I've been watching serious and classic films from Hollywood and the international realm since the 1970s when I was a teenager. Looking forward to your second assessment.
Getting your film feet wet in the 1970s must have been a crazy--and extremely enjoyable--time. My dad would take me to the movies almost every Sunday morning and it's one of my favorite memories, so that'll be fun for your son for sure. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
when I saw it I got it. but I also understood why it could never be bigger. amazing film
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Best review yet. Thank you.
No, thank you for watching and leaving a comment. Tell your friends about the Feature Underground! More reviews rolling out soon.
@FeatureUnderground I put the web address to your video on Twitter but I don't know if anyone can see it because I think Elon has me shadow banned right now.
Best review ever! Totally agree with you. Ty. Subbed
Thanks for the subscription, liberated bath toy! I'll earn it. Tell your friends, write bathroom scrawl, graffiti a freight train, pull up the channel on every computer at your public library. This is a grassroots operation!
Best review I have come across. This is the way I saw the movie though didn’t understand everyone’s role exactly. Two days later I’m still thinking about it. I plan to see it again.
Thank you very much for watching and leaving the kind words. I'm editing my review of Joker: Folie a Deux right now, so subscribe for more reviews like this one!
@@FeatureUnderground ok I’ll subscribe but not really interested in the new Joker movie. Megalopolis was optimistic and triggered inquisitiveness. I like that impact.
Please do reviews of Godfather I and II. Why is first one the best movie for you?
@@ginger22ly I might do a review of Godfather I and II, although I'm not sure what else there is to say that hasn't been said. I'd have to think of a different way to discuss it. I'll be thinking about it.
@@FeatureUnderground you were pretty refreshing about your breakdown of Megalopolis.
I saw the last hour again on IMAX. I was more pleased second time. I picked up more dialogue and symbolism and realized that
(spoilers)
It was pretty autobiographical of FFC - I had heard interviews about that yesterday. The name Francis was attached to two individuals. Ceasar’s psychological trauma came into relief and I understood the symbolism of the satellite falling. I paid more attention to the press conference after satellite falling although the 9/11 stuff is confusing me now. I forgot that Julia had quoted Marcus Aurelius and Plutarch was mentioned. I still haven’t understood why Caesar wore black mostly throughout. Megalon seems to have a connection to love and connection. We need to think about our evolution- shadows of homo sapien evolution on buildings.
I don’t understand all the criticism of this movie the more I see it.
Your review is so on point! It's true, this movie is not a drama and if you watch (or review) it as one you won't think it works that well ("poor" character development for example). It just operates so differently and I'm glad that I came back to this video after watching Megalopolis a couple of days ago, because that central point seems to be completely lost in the discussion.
I also was very mixed about the visuals, there were some really high highs and some really low lows. I will never forget some of these brilliant images tho, like the scene where he drives at night and the statues crumble or the short dream sequence where a hand in a cloud grabs the moon to remove it from the sky. Coppola is just so good at creating unique images that fascinate the viewer and transport that old cinema magic which is the reason why most of us fell in love with film in the first place.
Also, if you decide to review some older movies soon, I'd love to hear your thoughts on Rumble Fish (1983). One of the best looking films ever shot imo.
I haven't watched every interview he's done for the movie, but I wish someone would ask him about some of the poor visuals in the movie--the overly digital-looking ones. Like you say, it's in such contrast with other scenes in the movie, that I don't understand how it happens. And thanks for the kind words! When reviewing a movie--or just watching one--I always try to adapt to the movie, rather than cram the movie through my own idea of what a movie is. I don't mean to sound disparaging, but I do think a lot of critics under the age of--I don't know--50, have a limited perspective of what a movie can be, having grown up on Spielberg, franchise filmmaking, and a dozen or so movies pre-'77. So when something tonally odd comes along, it doesn't look like a movie to them, so their gut reaction is that it's terrible.
I enjoyed it and cried at the end. It is really worth watching. It is not what you would expect from Coppola.
Thanks for the comment! I hope the tears were from the movie and not because someone dropped something heavy on your head.
Good review and you're very funny in the comments lol. Unfortunately i hated the movie, but it's nice to hear a different perspective
Feature Underground: come for the video, stay for the comments section. Thanks for watching and leaving your thoughts! All opinions are welcome here, unless you like mayonnaise.
Great, thoughtful take.
Thank you, sir! And thank you for leaving watching and leaving a comment. More thoughtful takes to come--in theory, at least.
great review
among many who attack the film as if it were the worst ever made, your point of view instead perceives that meaning that many have missed but it is always like this when art is pure
Thank you very much! I don't think any movie should be "attacked." Attacking something is a very mob-mentality thing to do. Maybe it's better to attack something if you want attention or views. But attacking isn't interesting. I think it's much more interesting to give something the benefit of the doubt and try to explore it from every angle. It's more interesting for me to do, at least, and--I hope--also for the viewer to watch.
I saw the film today. A matinee, in ABQ, New Mexico, six people including myself. It was an “abstract” modern art cinema presentation. The only other person who could attempt this story would be David Lynch but he is a Surrealist filmmaker. FFC is not a Surrealist but is a visual stylist supported by very complex ideas;the world of the film is familiar enough but futuristic at the same time.
Your review was thoughtful and comprehensive; your take on the film as being a storybook Fable is the best description I’ve heard. Grace Hightower did a good job too.
It’s interesting how some TH-cam film reviewer have no imagination.
Each person who sees this film is not right and they are not wrong, it is just their POV, based on their own life experiences.
I will give the film a second viewing.
I don't want to judge other TH-cam reviewers, since I've not watched their stuff, but for anyone who has a standard media diet, an imagination doesn't exactly come naturally from that. And I think you're right--there's no right or wrong. Right and wrong are boring. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment. If you like my critical cadence, feel free to subscribe for more reviews in the very near future.
@@FeatureUnderground youtubers earn money by views...its a business model to trash movies down to the ground...also since youtbe suddenly the whole world seems to be a movie critic 😅
@@Ionisus Yeah, negativity sells. It's just intellectual junk food. As much as I would like to make money from TH-cam so I can quit my job, I'm not going to degrade myself in pursuit of that. I used to write for Film Threat, but I started doing video reviews since I spend most of my writing time on writing fiction. Doing videos lets me flex a different muscle.
The movie feels in time like 1991 Wim Wenders Until the end of the World Directors cut first edition , is not bad or good is regular , art movie is not for everyone
I would agree that Megalopolis is an art movie not for everyone, but it also has a little bit of that '50s big-budget event film energy, which is an interesting pairing. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
First I want to thank you for this excellent breakdown of this unique film! Though I was glad to see this in IMAX, I admit I knew very little about the premise other than it was a sort of “What if” New York was a modern Rome. We were both very frustrated and confused by this film and I found myself wanting it to be over less than halfway through. Now that I have a much better understanding of what it is, I can appreciate the form it took to express these ideas. I do think I would enjoy it more on a second viewing but I can wait for a home format release. It seems that Coppola is not shooting for immediate, popular acclaim but rather something which he hopes a few will understand now and will be more widely appreciated with context. I hope he is right because I would hate to see something on this scale to be relegated to the ranks of the likes of “The Room” or “The Rocky Horror Picture Show”! I didn’t know there was a version of this film where a live actor interacts with Driver’s character in a scene. I think that would have made it over the top pretentious for us. That works for Amusement Parks, not movies. I will still say I would have appreciated a shorter “artistic vision”.
Since Coppola does have a history of recutting his movies, you might be in luck if you're hoping for a shorter version of Megalopolis. That would definitely spur interest in a future Blu-Ray release. Thanks for watching and leaving your thoughts/kind words!
Terrific review, I plan to see it. Thank you sharing you thoughts on the film. I appreciate what can be done with film, from "Tales of Hoffman" to "One From the Heart". I do like traditional films as well. Thanks again, you have a new subscriber.
Thank you very much for watching and leaving a comment! That's the great thing about movies: there's room for a little bit of everything. A lot of room for a lot of everything, actually.
I saw the money 2 nights ago and really enjoyed it. I will see it again.
Thank you for your review
And thank you for watching and leaving a comment.
You've convinced me to give it a try.
If you hate it and don't have Coppola's phone number, I give you full permission to come back here and yell at me instead. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Saw the film last night. 100% agree with your take. Coppola is drawing from all sorts of ideas and art forms and delivering a very inspiring message. Best film this year.
With how demanding the movie is in terms of ideas and playing with traditional form, one might say Coppola is the FromSoft of directors. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
Y'know this makes me want to see it now. The other review I saw of painted it as bad but this review seemed a lot more insightful. We don't get many films these days that take on surrealism with sincerity, it's often treated as a gimmick and not an integral part of the work itself. If that makes sense.
It makes perfect sense. Thanks for watching! My favorite time to go to the movies used to be Tuesday morning, since it was usually empty and I could put my feet up on the seats in front of me. Sounds like that'll be the case if you go see Megalopolis. Many more reviews on the way, so stay tuned! Got invites to the Nosferatu and Anora screenings just today.
Commenting to boost. Haven't finished listeng to you but I almost lost my mind with people completely missing the archetypes he presented.
Thank you very much for watching and commenting! Glad you enjoyed my thoughts. If you haven't already, I formally invite you to subscribe. I've also just released a review of Joker 2, although the ideas in that movie weren't quite interesting as Megalopolis. But I think I found some interesting things to talk about.
Spoilers
The movie was dreamlike and theatrical. I enjoyed the different style. It requires more intuition than analysis to enjoy it. I realized at one point that it’s not worth getting hung up on plot but rather to absorb the patterns and explore along with the movie. I still didn’t figure out what each character represented in this parable in modern day or what certain elements of the plot signify but did want to keep turning these questions in my mind.
Some of the style reminded me of Hitchcock and Welles’ dreamlike scenes.
I didn’t know what to make of Ceasar wearing black so much and Julia wearing colors. Or what did Ceasar’s Hamlet speech mean? Or why did he take drugs? Of course I still don’t get what megalon is but thought of it as Hitchcock’s mcguffins.
I don’t understand the end scene.
The movie may have woken me up to more easily spotting the various players in our society as the day after I saw the movie I saw tons of Google AI ads posted in public transit station.
Gonna try to see it on IMAX again today.
"I really was caught off-guard by the movies tone." I stayed ON my guard as there were, in fact, so many tones to choose from! We suspend our disbelief (ahem) for every film we watch in the hope or expectation, that a uniformity of style within a credible world the director reveals is seen and felt. Many films fail this basic initial premise. Be it a confused script committee, studio pressure or a low budget. I went to see this as any movie from this man would certainly be more interesting than most film artists. But when actors appear to be in different films with such different styles, one can only disengage and see it as a self-indulgence. Or, his critical faculties were not fully on point! Which pains me, as I love this guy! He talks always lovingly about cinema. And yes, Driver's character was a Coppola proxy. There are some great, original visuals but as humans we look to them on screen to find meaning, sympathy & relatability. We then trust and then follow the story's arc. With these characters, alas, there was too much conflict in the message, be it emotionally or stylistically and the way the actors projected. But like you said, I will revisit this someday, as it still carries his name.. Thanks Hunter.
Your reasoning is very sound. One idea I disagree with is the idea that he's an old man whose mental faculties have left him and he's driving on the wrong side of the road--cinematically, of course. Based on the interviews I've watched, he seems very lucid to me. I know you weren't planting your flag in that position, but I've seen it bandied about.
I sincerely hope you subscribe, if you're not already, and continue leaving comments. It's nice to see one so thought-out and cogently written.
@@FeatureUnderground I said "critical faculties" or the ability to edit, throw away, or re-work unsound ideas. Nothing to do with age or dementia! I know, two countries divided by a single language 'n all. Hey, it's his party, his money, But as receivers, we're still part of the creative process. Filmakers concieve & create but we receive.
very much looking forward to seeing it. not sure why it's not playing in the imax theaters where i live.
That's a shame. They only just built a good IMAX near me--and by near, I mean 30 miles away--and it was where this press screening was, thankfully. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
@@FeatureUnderground Ya, well thank you for giving a thoughtful review. It is truly amazing how many YTers have made scathing reviews of this film never having even see it, much less exerted any effort to appreciate it for what it is. It's like they're all quoting the same cliff notes and denouncing the film in principle for not adhering to the braindead formula of a Marvel film. As for the IMAX thing, there are some theories that Regal expects Megalopolis to bomb, so they're only dedicating IMAX theaters in large cities. I don't know the reason, but if Megalopolis is worth a second viewing, I'll probably drive to Portland and catch it there in true IMAX.
@@EleaticStranger Ironically, I don't watch any film critics on TH-cam, basically for the reason you just said. Most of the film criticism on TH-cam comes from the bid-budget genre movie angle, and everything else is seen through that lens. If you're going to see it again, I'd say it's worth the drive to a real IMAX. Make a day out of it in the city so it doesn't feel like you're just driving back and forth.
Great review, will check out your channel.
Thank you very much! I'm seeing Joker 2 on Tuesday, so I'll hopefully be able to get out a review on Wednesday. If you go back through the channel, the Napoleon review is the most popular but I also recommend the review of the 4K re-release of The Conversation as a good companion piece to this one. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
I’m hyped. Fable and allegory are my jam.
David Lynch is my jam and Cecil B. DeMille is my peanut butter. Thanks for the comment!
Is this similar to Holy Motors?
Don't hurt me, but I haven't seen Holy Motors. I have seen Carax's Annette, though. As crazy as it might sound, I actually think Annette is more grounded than Megalopolis is. The closest comparison I can make is maybe Metropolis--it just now occurring to me that the title of the movies may be similar on purpose--because Megalopolis has that heightened, theatrical tone of a silent movie, before realism started making its way through films. It also shares that movie's fantastical world and the theme of how to take a society forward.
Agreed, overwhelming but a big movie. It was loud in style, subtle ages better. 👍🏼
I always prefer it when a movie plays hard to get. Draws you in, rather than comes to you. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
This was great
I liked the review and I really liked the movie :)
Thanks for watching and taking the time to leave the kind words! I'm seeing Joker 2 tonight and will try to get the video out tomorrow as soon as I can. Be sure to subscribe, so you don't miss it, and spread the word of the Underground!
This was an interesting review that didn’t just say the same talking points every other review seems to say.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! I don't watch or read any reviews before doing mine, just to avoid anything possibly influencing my own thoughts. In fact, the only time I read reviews all the way through is if I go back to Ebert's.
Is the most interesting film made in about 20 years
I absolutely agree that Welcome to Mooseport left an intellectual rift in its wake. I kid, I kid. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Finally someone with some brain cells!
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! Subscribe for more brain cells and tell your friends if they want some cells, they know where they can get them.
@@FeatureUnderground brain cells for all 🥳🥳🥳
Should have called it Disstopia,or Megeflopolis.
god bless bob dylan’s basement tapes
Amen. When I start to run out of ideas doing a review, I rub it and get new ones.
I would have to see it again but I felt like Coppola took 60 years of observations and collaged them without much reflection. I also think his improvisational approach to performance distorted the tone and intent of the film to the point of incoherence. I enjoyed the film in IMAX but I had to shut my brain off mid-way to let it wash over me because the incongruity and lack of continuity made it paralyzingly unclear.
I think that's a fair read. My first impression is also that there's just too many ideas with not enough exploration of them. I wouldn't say I turned my brain off mid-way, but I was definitely turning the tuning knob to try and find whatever deep-space frequency the movie was on. Thanks for leaving a comment!
Coppola sold his vineyard for 500 million. Financed the 140 million for the film. Gave the distribution rights away for zero profits. Real artists finance their visions.
If you've got the cash, that's the way to do it. If anyone would like to sell their vineyard to finance my visions, I'll be right here. Thanks for the comment!
@@FeatureUnderground I think that’s the reason so many “risky” films are not being made because studios are being run by accountants not directors or producers. Watch Coppola’s interviews about this film and how the studio was trying to stop him while filming the Godfather. William Friedkin had the same problems with studio executives and many other directors.
@@rancosteel Yeah, the struggle between the artist and the businessman is a tale as old as time, but the artist benefits greatly from having the infrastructure of the studio system to market/release their movie. Hundreds of years ago, there was a tradition of a patron of the arts, who would use their wealth to finance the pursuits of artists. It would be nice if that tradition came back.
I said this in a reply to a comment on my Alien review, but in the late '60s and early '70s--which is my favorite time for movies--the business executives felt like they had no clue what the public wanted, so they were far more willing to work with creative radicals like Scorsese, Coppola, Peter Fonda, Polanski, etc. These days, the executives feel like they do know what people want, then hire obedient directors to fulfill their visions.
@@FeatureUnderground Yes, that happened in the music industry too. Back in the 80’s especially the studios were being run by fat cigar smoking men who would through a 100k at a band they liked discovered by a scout.
It’s also farce. So funny
I was surprised at how funny it was. I think the marketing really did a disservice, because it took me--and, it seemed, the audience I was with--quite a while to recalibrate our brains to what we were watching. Thanks for leaving not one comment, but two!
Liked the movie but disagree with the philosophy. The hero being for progress here is no problem, it's just that for me Francis Ford Coppola did not address sufficiently the shortcomings of any kind of utopian thinking i.e. he did not have a solid cautionary note in the movie about a Promethean hubris of indefinite progress. Or maybe I miss that?
I'm glad you brought this up, because it's a thought that crossed my mind too. I think Coppola's belief is that innovation is the path forward, and the tip of the spear is each generation's tiny percentage of geniuses. Then the rest of us ride their coattails like a magic carpet into the glorious future. Since that's basically where we are now, in the most glorious time to ever live, I largely agree with this sentiment, while also being highly skeptical of utopianism. I don't think Coppola's "prime innovator" is pushing for indefinite progress, but, rather, iconoclastic solutions to problems. For example, an iconoclastic solution to a problem might involve returning to a way of doing things from the past.
Another thought is that Coppola's deification of the genius and progress is packaged with the old "shoot for moon, land among the stars" idea. So it's not about reaching a utopia--which is a foolish notion--but getting as close as possible and always striving to be better by inches. [SPOILER] This is why the ending has the "progressive" and "regressive"--bad terms with too much modern baggage, but you know what I mean--hold hands into the future, because there's a lot of merit to tradition and there are ancient babies Coppola doesn't want to throw out with the bathwater.
So I think you're right: the movie doesn't address the pitfalls of utopianism, but I also don't think utopianism is exactly what it's selling. Thanks for watching, leaving a comment, and making me think!
Like Nikola Tesla free energy for the world but they were going to loose money so they shut him down
Whilst I believe we watched 2 very different movies…I appreciate that you noted that this is like a bedtime story because I dozed off for a big chunk of the movie as it was shocking boring (and honestly) sad.
Not sad cos of the storyline but more so due to how this “movie” is now part of Coppola’s filmography. Bloated, pompous and crass are words I would use to describe my viewing experience.
Again I appreciate your review and your interpretation as I know film is subjective and moreover it provided me with something to think about.
Thanks for watching and leaving a comment! If you haven't already seen it, try watching Twixt and maybe that will improve Megalopolis by comparison.
@@FeatureUnderground thanks will check it out
Worst movie I've ever seen in my 39 years on the earth.
I think G.I. Joe: The Rise of Cobra is the worst movie I've ever seen in my 30 years on earth, but I'm optimistic it can be surpassed. Thanks for the comment!
I hope you enjoy the next transformers and fast and furious entries!! Begone, foul being! We need not your malodorous and ignorant utterance.
Boring, again.
Boring.
In my next review, I will be reviewing Joker 2 while juggling hamsters.
Dismissing convention is itself a convention. Story structure goes back to the Greeks. And comparing America to Rome ... hardly original. This is cynicism on steroids.
Well, I don't think it's as simple as dismissing convention, but the way in which you do it. For example, making a gumbo using marbles instead of sausage would be unconventional, but hardly effective. I think Megalopolis being unconventional in the many ways it is was thoughtfully done for a purpose, which is worth exploring. Upon repeated viewings, it's possible I'll find those purposes never really manifest or are just uninspired. But as of right now, the movie just left me curious, which is a thing I like to be.
Ancient Rome is baked into the DNA of America, so I don't think Coppola was trying to be clever with the comparison, but was simply attracted to the aesthetic of splicing the two together. That's my read anyway. Thanks for watching and leaving a comment!
You need to give things a try. One could argue that most things are hardly original now. That concept has actually been around since America itself. Welcome to history!! You are in fact cynicism on steroids. Not the movie. Go home. Have a drink.
@@JCDenton95 Ad hominem attacks don't do your case much good. I give lots of things a try. A self-indulgent mess of a movie that's full of itself isn't one of them. Damien Chazell's "Babylon" was another over-stuffed, over-long, self-indulgent mess ... and also cynical. Director's are allowed to make mistakes. They aren't perfect. And with all the clips and comments all over the internet, I feel like I've already sat through "Megalopolis." And if the two films I mentioned aren't self-indulgent, what would qualify? In less than a month, this will all be forgotten, and this wannabe masterpiece will most likely tank and be replaced. Life and the movies moves on.
Whilst I believe we watched 2 very different movies…I appreciate that you noted that this is like a bedtime story because I dozed off for a big chunk of the movie as it was shocking boring (and honestly) sad.
Not sad cos of the storyline but more so due to how this “movie” is now part of Coppola’s filmography. Bloated, pompous and crass are words I would use to describe my viewing experience.
Again I appreciate your review and your interpretation as I know film is subjective and moreover it provided me with something to think about.