The reviews say enough to make me put my head down in sadness, worried about it being a terrible movie.
But WHY is it a terrible movie? More details, if possible please.
What was the story about (As BEST as you can) like, Emmm and Blue, Orri and that other guy--the characters? Connections? A plot? Any plot?
Anything?
Even if there's spoilers! I must know! Plllleeease.
Check out M. Dotstrange's videos on Youtube. His most recent video had him posting reviews and the like. I cannot tell you why this movie hasn't worked out only by what others say.
"That's BTO! There the Alternative to CCR! They sang TCB!" ~ Homer Simpson.
Damn damn damn.
YouTube isn't working!!! Why, God? WHY?????
Stupid computer. I want to kick it.
If you need to know as I have wondered, People are saying that the film does not make sense. Dialogue lacks heavily in the film, and many say M. Dot Strange's idea of visual explanation is nothing more than a mess of footage ranging from Anime visuals and video game scenes. One reviewer said that if this is the future of film, as M. Dot Strange put it when he showed it at Sundance, I will "Not be going to many more movies in my future."
A problem though, is the age description of the people viewing the movie is not explained well enough. If people would list their age, it might make some sense and lead to how people dislike the film. M Dot's Said on Youtube (Sorry it's not working for you, btw.) that younger audiences will like it, because it will probably be a part of their future, while the older crowd will be here for so long, and many do not have the capacity, or time, or even attention span or youthful mind as many do of how this movie style, Str8nime, will work, or if any are curious how it works.
"That's BTO! There the Alternative to CCR! They sang TCB!" ~ Homer Simpson.
Well, here's a shameless plug for my capsule review on Film Freak Central:
http://www.filmfreakcentral.net/sundance/sd2007capsules.htm#strange
i know its weird to say that i walked out 15 mins in but u have to c the movie to understand
shareI have seen the complete movie, and it rocks. Thinking that just 1 guy made all that is crazy. Saying there's no story is bogus. You just don't understand the story. His story is told by the visuals. If you didn't grow up with computers and aren't the gamertype then you'll likely won't get most of it. Scenes might seem random to some but they actually have a message. If you're really into the internet/gaming/anime culture, then this movie is for you.
This wasn't a movie that belonged in Sundance. Seeing that it got a standing ovation from the whole audience at Resfest Brazil makes that perfectly clear.
OK. Maybe you're right.
Explain it to us then. What is M Dot Strange trying to say and why is he using video game graphics to say it.
That's just it. If you're asking yourself why he's using game graphics than this movie is not for you. This movie is for people that say why not? Obviously Mdot is a fan of games and 8bit in particular. Like me, many people grew up with gaming and really dig that style.
I do not suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
And the problem is that the only reason you seem to dig that style is because you grew up with it.
If you get my meaning.
Your love for the film seems to be based in a very shallow form of nostalgia.
Wow, that's one of the most callous remarks I've ever heard.
The love doesn't stem from the nostalgia, but the effective use of something good, something that makes him (us) happy, and since the use of it is in such a well-done manner, there is no reason not to like it and not to pre-evaluate a love for what seems to be a pretty great thing.
I don't dig that style just because I grew up with it. I dig that style because I simply love it. I love gaming, I love anime. And the movie isn't just 8bit, it's 3d modelling and stop motion too. And it isn't just the graphics I like, it's also the way the story is told and how images are shown which is very similar to how stories are told in games and in anime. Don't try to depict my opinion as being shallow simply because you don't understand it.
For people who have doubts whether they'll like this movie, watch these 2 clips where Mdot shows and explains scenes from the movie. If you don't get any of it than this movie is most likely not for you.
http://youtube.com/watch?v=_lS82BCVREE
http://youtube.com/watch?v=PG491v2gfeU
I do not suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
Okay, help me understand where you are coming from. What is it that you like about anime and 8-bit graphics? Saying you "dig the style because you love" doesn't say much of anything. It's a tautology.
I despised the movie. I thought it was one of the worst that I have ever seen. What I hated about the 8-bit graphics is that they're simultaneously kitschy and anaesthetic. When Strange stages a battle between the forces of good and evil it feels like he's satirizing the whole idea of "good and evil". At the same time, he is utilizing the inexpressiveness of the limited 8-bit technology so that he never has to expose himself as valuing human emotion to any extent.
Particularly after familiarizing myself with his Youtube rants, I'm convinced that Strange is a callow immature filmmaker that does not yet have anything he wants to say. We Are The Strange is all protective attitude. Incomprehensible so that Strange can easily deflect criticism, silly so Strange can keep from ever admitting his lack of aesthetic or ethical values (so does Strange believe that video games socialize boys into a destructive male role and objectify women, or not), and inexpressive so Strange can avoid exposing his humanity thereby making him vulnerable.
Anime, for someone like me, what's not to love about it. Graphics are superb and the stories are usually very original and out of the box, at least for western standards. It's hard for me to express my exact thoughts on all this cause english isn't my first language, however I feel that in anime(and in games too) they have their own way of showing things/emotions/actions and of telling the story. Very different from normal movies. And 8 bit, you're right that it is a limited technology. But that only makes it cooler in my opinion if you're able to create something beautiful with it. The beauty for me lies in it's simplicity and in this case in the innovative way it's been used. I can actually give an example, the first thing that came to mind were the clouds in his movie: http://wearethestrange.com/images/watsgallery/tower1.jpg They looked amazing in my opinion.
Obviously I don't feel 8 bit is anaesthetic or inexpressive just because 8 bit graphics and music is a limited way of digital expression. That's like saying solo piano music is inexpressive compared to orchestra music. Just because something is less rich in detail and complexity doesn't say it can't get the right emotions across, I believe the opposite even.
And well, your personal remarks on Mdot.. I think you're taking his rants waaay too seriously. If anything he's expressing that it's possible to pursue your dreams.
I do not suffer from insanity, I enjoy every minute of it.
its a piece of art.
shareits a piece of *beep*
sharei knew that was coming
shareThis movie is nuts. N V T S nuts. My favorite of the year.
shareVirtually anything is better than We are the Strange; but I would certainly recommend Grindhouse, Ratatouille, Zodiac, The Darjeeling Limited/(Hotel Chevalier), The Assassination of Jesse James by the Coward Robert Ford, or if it gets distributed Chapter 27-- instead.
Call me conventional, but We Are the Strange can't be kicked enough. It's a con job. It's insincere crap by a filmmaker that has not yet developed a real perspective toward the world.
But it is fun to watch. Thank god the filmmaker hasn't developed a real perspective of the world, then the movie would be like everything else.
shareI actually liked it. I posted a review on here saying the movie is better than any other talking independent film. I liked it that for a movie that looks so different visually, it doesn't have to go into a lot of "George Lucas-esque dialog" to tell a story. The movie isn't the greatest thing I've seen, but for the first time director, it's not bad at all.
You have to have understanding that this movie is like Transformers going up against Pan's Labyrinth in the box office (Never did), but if it happened that way, it wouldn't have mattered if Pan had the best reviews for winner of amazing awards, everyone wants to go see Optimus Prime fight the Decepticons instead.
We Are The Strange is not like any other film, it's not Transformers, Michael Bay couldn't have made it, Steven Spielberg couldn't have made it, Hayao Miyazaki couldn't even made it. It's different in an independent way, and it's different in a storytelling way. Even if the plot has been done before, the art style alone makes worth watching.
Nicolas Cage in a bear suit. Enough Said.
I hope English isn't your first language solidgameboy. But saying the movie is better than any other "talking independent film" means that you think it's better than Clerks, which you listed as one of your favorite movies. Stand by that?
Yes, it's novel and yes nobody has done it before. But that doesn't make it good. Yes, it's particularly novel in that Strange doesn't have anything in particular that he wants to say. That is not a good thing. If it's art there ought to be some kind of organizing intelligence to it. Even if the organizing intelligence is that there is no organizing intelligence (like Warhol?). Strange has clearly come up with a style of animation first and never came up with an idea to justify using it.
How does Strange feel about video games? How does he feel about women? How does he feel about violence? These are fundamental questions that I should have some kind of answer to when I watch the film.
I watched it with an open mind. I watched it as a work of art. And I watched it expecting something possibly non-linear. It's a failure.
I cannot believe I forgot about "Clerks", it's so good, I forget how independent it actually is. So, you got me on that one. However, I gave Clerks a 10 where Strange was a 9. Clerks had more depth to it, and it's interpretation is well known. Strange is a kind of movie that's open to all kinds of interpretation.
The movie speaks to me as a film about being an outcast. For a long time in my life, I felt like Blue and Emmm, Grade School was the HIM to me. No one would be my friend, we all have felt like that before somewhere down the road.
I am aware there are other films in the indie circuit that are about the same kind of thing (At the moment, "Welcome to the Dollhouse" is the only thing that comes to mind), but this one just had a interesting feel to it, if not the animation style, then the understanding that some people just feel different and sometimes, when the world wants to kick you down (Based on your looks or your ways of thinking or who you are) A friend is kind of the thing to make you feel like you belong. That's my interpretation.
But, you stated that this movie was a failure to you, and your reasoning is appropriate (It's a heck of a lot better than, "It Sucked. End of Story") and I'll respect it.
You did not like it, and you back your reasoning very well. As for how he feels about women, games and violence, he's only using those mediums as a part of the story, not necessarily to have a response to them.
If you saw the Sundance Special features when M Dot was discussing the movie, Blue was based off a girl he actually knew who was treated by her boyfriend the exact same way as HIM was to Blue. If she was quiet, she was fine, otherwise she was ugly to this guy. As for Video games, I think he just wanted a strange visual style to accompany the strange movie. The movie though, isn't considerably violent.
Nicolas Cage in a bear suit. Enough Said.