MovieChat Forums > What Is It? (2005) Discussion > The Emperor's New Clothes

The Emperor's New Clothes

posted 17 years ago by umischy
12 replies | jump to latest

I have seen the occasional comment that this movie was intended to be a spoof of art house films. Unfortunately, these posts are drowned out by the "lofty" discussion and dissection of the grandiose depths of the human psyche this film purportedly plumbs. Please stop kidding yourselves. I know you wasted $20 to see this retarded movie. I did too, but please stop trying to justify wasting your money by idealizing and intellectualizing a piece that amounts to a freshman film project. Maybe you want other people to be duped into blowing $20 on this self indulgent BS, but that's just mean spirited, so stop it.

If in fact this was intended as a spoof, congrats to Crispin. He has duped the vast majority of the art movie crowd and exposed them for the windbags they are.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] umischy 17 years ago

Oh come on. This movie is about as profoundly meta as Meta-Burn XTP. Please enroll in an introductory psychology or philosphy class at your local community college.

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] MrFreedom 17 years ago

...I enjoyed it. Saw it twice in fact, both times it came through New York.

[–] acetremendous 17 years ago

If you enjoy it as a spoof, that's cool. It's a multifaceted piece that can be appreciated in many ways.

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* "We may be stupid, but we're not clever!" *

[–] 17 years ago

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[–] umischy 17 years ago

I see what you did there. In a thread where I state that people are buying into a mob mentality; giving credence and overvaluing a pretentious regurgitation of basic psychological priciples you say that people who don't like Crispin's movie are sheep. A brilliant reversal!

Oh and by the way, multifaceted does not mean something is good. Lots of things are bad on many levels. This movie is a perfect example.

I don't mean to imply that people can't enjoy the movie. There are lots of enjoyable movies that are not going to force you to have profound insights on the nature of life. I just mean that people should really stop touting this as a masterpiece of philosophical art. It does a diservice to people who are trying to determine whether or not to see this movie.

[–] acetremendous 17 years ago

"Oh and by the way, multifaceted does not mean something is good. Lots of things are bad on many levels. This movie is a perfect example. "

OK, so you thought it was a spoof and that it was bad.

Lots of people think the same of Luis Bunuel's films. His friends had to smuggle the last copy of "L'Age D'or" out of France because the others were being destroyed. It is now recognized as an important film, but that was MANY decades in coming. Most critics at the time said things much like you are saying about "What Is It?". "It is stupid, meaningless, childish, poorly-made, just a joke...." etc.

Is this film as important as "L'Age D'or"? It will be many decades before anyone can say for sure. However, it is no accident that Glover was heavily influenced by Bunuel's techniques (and "L'Age D'or" in particular) when he made this. He is far more aware of the effect he is creating than you might think.

Does that mean he succeeded in making a genuinely important piece that will be viewed, enjoyed, and critiqued for years to come? Not necessarily, but it seems pretty clear from the breadth of opinions about "What Is It?" that it does succeed in one way - it is thought provoking.

To me that is a good thing, but maybe it's not to your taste.

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* "We may be stupid, but we're not clever!" *

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[–] MrFreedom 17 years ago

Didn't enjoy it as a spoof. I don't believe it to be a spoof of anything. If anything, it's more an homage, to cinematic transgression as a whole and to the filmmakers he draws inspiration from (Glover has made no secret of the role that Herzog's "Even Dwarves Started Small" played in developing this movie). Regardless of anyone's opinion of the film, it is difficult to argue that it doesn't come from a sincere place. These are obviously themes and images that burn in Mr. Glover's imagination.

It's a cinematic Rorschach test - in other words, there are no distinct answers as to what can be read into it. It's a film of almost pure stimulus. Whether or not that makes it a good film is anyone's call. But dismissing the film as a spoof and he himself as a charlatan is.. well, dismissive.

It's coming back to New York in November. It will be playing with the recently completed "It Is Fine. Everything Is Fine!" Can't wait.

[–] acetremendous 16 years ago

OOH I am jealous that you're going to see "It Is Fine!"

I'm living in TN so I don't think I'll be seeing him again anytime soon. :(

Is he doing Big Slide Show as well? If so, definitely see the Slide Show too.

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* "We may be stupid, but we're not clever!" *