300 The Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou

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ben d banana · #301 Post by **ben d banana** » Sun May 29, 2005 4:15 pm

So, anyone else seen the Nestea ad?

Michael Strangeways · #302 Post by **Michael Strangeways** » Mon May 30, 2005 5:12 pm

Wes Anderson is such a great filmmaker. He has that rare ability to combine laugh out loud comedic scenes with scenes of real human emotion and despair, and it doesn't seem faked or forced. My favorite 'funny' moment in Life Aquatic is Zissou commenting on his wife, "You'll have to excuse my wife; she's a rich bitch....she was raised by maids." And the sad moment, of course, is the end, the death, the funereal and the 2nd film festival, lightened by the triumphant walk back to the boat, (an homage to Buckaroo Banzai?)....And the other great thing about Anderson, is he gets compassionate performances out of actors I don't normally admire, or even like...Owen Wilson, Gwyneth Paltrow and Ben Stiller are actually watchable AND likeable in Anderson's movies....my misty eyed moment in Tenebaums is when Stiller finally admits, 'I've had a rough year'....The critics and the Oscars have finally noticed Alexander Payne; I'm hoping, (just to insure he gets the funding to make his films) that Anderson gets the necessary acclaim and hopefully suffiecent box office to maintain a long fruitful career....

javelin · #303 Post by **javelin** » Mon May 30, 2005 8:35 pm

ben d banana wrote:So, anyone else seen the Nestea ad?

What nestea ad?

ben d banana · #304 Post by **ben d banana** » Mon May 30, 2005 8:50 pm

javelin wrote:
ben d banana wrote:So, anyone else seen the Nestea ad?

What nestea ad?

Yeah, I've been surprised by the deafening silence on this topic. Hell, I waited a week before posting anything as I figured folks would be all over it (I seriously doubt it's Canadian only).

Since I couldn't find a link before... the gist is a group of people in matching outfits conducting a ridiculous experiment (although in the desert instead of at sea cuz it's Nestea and they want to make you drink) accompanied by a little synth track clearly under the influence of Mothersbaugh's Life Aquatic score. The "inspiration" could not be more obvious.

hammock · #305 Post by **hammock** » Tue May 31, 2005 3:25 am

I saw that one but did not get it until I read your post Banana Bender. It's funny, now I can't watch it without thinking about the movie. Thanks for cutting it out for us people missing the obvious!

AZAI · #306 Post by **AZAI** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 9:55 am

Can somebody inform me about the differences in artwork?
I love the cartoon style cover that you see on criterionco, but e-stores all show the ugly sub-criterion-standard !!!!2-disc special edition!!!!! cover....Is this the only one available?

lord_clyde · #307 Post by **lord_clyde** » Sun Jun 05, 2005 10:08 am

Can somebody inform me about the differences in artwork?
I love the cartoon style cover that you see on criterionco, but e-stores all show the ugly sub-criterion-standard !!!!2-disc special edition!!!!! cover....Is this the only one available?

That is a slip cover, the wonderful 'cartoon' cover is the real cover. Buy without worry my friend.

Godot · #308 Post by **Godot** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 1:42 am

I haven't seen this release yet (waiting for the DDD sale), but reading this review (by jefferson-3, which I've exerpted) on IMDB really raises my anticipation:

"The Life Aquatic is very original, its old school filmaking where the director isn't afraid to introduce things the cinema hasn't seen before. The director also ops to make this movie rated R which is fantastic a lot of other directors would make this movie for a family viewing and child viewing audience, they would cut out the violence, some of the scenes would get cut out or shortened, there wouldn't be cursing using F*** and there wouldn't be female nudity. But this movie has it all. You wonder why movies of the 70's and 80's are so remembered and that movies of the 2000's aren't. Its an adult related movie with the profanity and nudity, its realistic and original in that sense. I love the fact that Cate Blanchete goes through the entire movie saying f*** or that the woman on the boat walks around always topless its awesome viewing pleasures and in this movie original."

My favorite part: movies of the '70's-'80's are remembered because of the voluminous nudity and profanity. Alrighty then.

Michael · #309 Post by **Michael** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 5:02 am

My favorite part: movies of the '70's-'80's are remembered because of the voluminous nudity and profanity. Alrighty then.

Hmmm. I've seen The Life Aquatic at least ten times and I hate to spoil the party - it's hardly profane and the nudity is easily unnoticeable (at least for me). Yeah, the "script girl" walks about topless but we only see her maybe 3 or 4 times (very quick) and she mostly seems to be in the distance or background and I can't even recall what her boobs look like. And now the cursing...the F word is uttered numerous times...none too emphasized or memorable except for one time and that's when Cate Blanchett says it fully - the whole F word - for the first time. That's about it. Being raised on the '70s and '80s cinema, I wouldn't call The Life Aquatic's nudity and profanity "voluminous". The film feels more PG-13 than R. But don't let this steer you away from watching The Life Aquatic. It's simply magnifico!

Andre Jurieu · #310 Post by **Andre Jurieu** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 10:11 am

Godot wrote:... but reading this review (by jefferson-3, which I've exerpted) on IMDB really raises my anticipation

My sarcasm detector is off the charts.

Michael wrote:I can't even recall what her boobs look like.

Yeah, but granted jefferson's previous pieces as a reviewer, I'm betting, as a heterosexual male he might have more of a photographic memory when it comes to this sort of thing. He certainly knows his Julie Wagner and Sharon Stone.

Michael · #311 Post by **Michael** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:36 pm

Yeah, but granted jefferson's previous pieces as a reviewer, I'm betting, as a heterosexual male he might have more of a photographic memory when it comes to this sort of thing.

Are you for real? That doesn't have anything to do with sexuality. I remember tons of yummy boobs from films, such as Wild at Heart to name one. What I'm trying to say is that the script girls boobs are mostly in the distance, hardly close-up. There is not much to look at. They are sun-tanned so well that they blend in with the rest of her body. I would say that Godot has a better chance with Bad Education despite its heavy gay tone. It's perfectly R, NC-17, whatever and takes the similar risky path as many '70s and '80s films. Fake or not but the tranny's boobs in Bad Education are utterly memorable and voluminous even though they are shown partially comparing to the script girls boobs shown fully but too far away in The Life Aquatic. I've read and heard numerous times that straight guys find Gael Garcia Bernal's Zahara sexy and to me, that alone captures the spirit of the especially '70s cinema with perfect success.

Andre Jurieu · #312 Post by **Andre Jurieu** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:47 pm

It's a joke. Godot's not actually looking for films with nudity and profanity and I'm making fun of jefferson's reviewing system that's based on an obsession with Sharon Stone's boobs (it would be great if all of us had access to that thread). I don't doubt your recall abilities when it comes to breasts, Michael - I'm certain your memory of various mammary is flawless.

Michael · #313 Post by **Michael** » Tue Jun 14, 2005 12:50 pm

Oh okay! I didn't get it as a joke. Now I feel stupid. I bet Godot is gonna have a good laugh. Blame it on my broken coffeemaker. Apologies, apologies!

Martha · #314 Post by **Martha** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 8:05 am

All the advertising ranting is now here.

Narshty · #315 Post by **Narshty** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 3:44 pm

Well, after two stone-faced cinema trips, I have to say The Life Aquatic works vastly better on TV than the big screen, which is odd for a film so crammed with visual detail and in love with the scope frame. The film's sense of humour is crafted on such a miniature scale, it gets lost amongst all the oomph of a big screen presentation - indeed, it seems virtually contemptuous of having to be there in the first place. Similarly, the action sequences seemed faintly obnoxious at the cinema - on DVD, they're harmlessly daft and all the more enjoyable for it. Despite the lavishness of the production, it's actually a very small movie, best appreciated quietly in private.

It's still far from the film The Royal Tenenbaums was - I have not the faintest idea what Seu Jorge's Bowie songs are meant to serve, the elliptical over-editing of certain sequences is still extremely irritating, and some of the dialogue is just plain crap - but it's not the crock of shite I originally thought.

(Looking through the deleted scenes, I was amazed that Anderson cut out the best gag in the film, the "Klaus on Fire" moment. Why did those sublime 10 seconds have to be sacrificed?)

Ives · #316 Post by **Ives** » Sun Jul 03, 2005 11:49 pm

The film definitely needs to be seen several times.

Narshty · #317 Post by **Narshty** » Mon Jul 04, 2005 12:58 pm

Well, I'm not so sure that's a good thing. My opinion on the film has softened from "irritating suck-a-thon" to "fairly amusing" - still not enough to make me really want to keep the DVD. I'd still recommend it, but cautiously.

Michael · #318 Post by **Michael** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 10:27 am

http://www.urbanhonking.com/milk/archiv ... _thei.html

Napoleon · #319 Post by **Napoleon** » Fri Dec 02, 2005 12:58 pm

http://www.thelifeaquatic.org/shop.html

I'm surprised that official/decent stuff is not yet widely available. Not that I'm the market for any.

Joe Buck · #320 Post by **Joe Buck** » Mon Dec 12, 2005 2:33 pm

I thought the film was just okay in the theater, bought the DVD and have watched it 3 times, each time liking it more than the last. I know feel the movie is a minor masterpiece. There are some really funny moments within it that don't seem to be funny the first couple of times. It definitely grows on you. I did not like the Tenenbaums, but then again, I only saw it once. Perhaps that too deserves another try.

Aquatic is brilliant.

Narshty · #321 Post by **Narshty** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 9:11 am

The best review of The Life Aquatic I've ever seen, from Rae K on Amazon:

What a huge step backwards for W. Anderson, who seems all too happy to cast big names and dress them up in silly outfits and have them do nothing all movie.

Mr Pixies · #322 Post by **Mr Pixies** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:29 pm

I agree, but it's not a step backward.

ianungstad · #323 Post by **ianungstad** » Sat Dec 17, 2005 5:56 pm

I actually quite enjoyed the Life Aquatic with Steve Zissou....maybe it's not as good as Rushmore or Royal Tennenbaums but it's hardly a weak film. It's always such a delight to spend a few hours exploring the zany world of Wes Anderson. Definitly glad to see the 2 disc criterion.

skuhn8 · #324 Post by **skuhn8** » Tue May 09, 2006 9:22 am

rockedbottom wrote:Could've been a great film but for 2 words : Bill Murray.

not that simple, not by a long way. Wes had a great idea for a film with many little great ideas to build it with. But it just didn't gel. It felt like he got hit with writer's block during the revision process, came upon a deadline and just said "fuck it, let's shoot it and see if it comes together" and it didn't. Having watched the film four times I fail to see how Murray was a blemish in any way. In fact, I think it was a great cast, Another wonderful soundtrack, some lovely scenes, but just came out a match without the sulfur.

Joe Buck · #325 Post by **Joe Buck** » Wed May 10, 2006 8:10 pm

Well, I for one thought the movie was superb. It gets better with each repeated viewing. Lots of subtle humor.