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spatchOh so hey in case you were sitting around "I wonder what Spatch is planning to do on Saturday afternoon," well, here's what: the 1:30 showing of HEAVEN'S GATE at the Brattle.
Come on along. Oh, sure. I know what you're thinking. "One of the biggest flops in cinematic history? A nearly four-hour albatross of a western that nearly bankrupted United Artists and killed Michael Cimino's career?"
And to you I say HELL YES. We're all fascinated with failure. It's intriguing. There's always so many questions: how does it fail? Why did it fail? At what point did people know it was going to fail? And is it really that bad? Without actually seeing the piece in question, all we have are second-hand anecdotes. And they just don't cut it. I admit, I've never seen Heaven's Gate. Never found it on video, and while it may be on DVD, I don't know, and besides I don't do Netflix anymore anyway. (And the chance to see it at the Brattle is, of course, all the impetus I need.) So off I go.
I've seen ISHTAR. It was pretty rank. I've seen half of GIGLI. It was really bad. I've seen WATERWORLD. Wasn't so bad. Just had a bad reputation. But I've neverbeen to me seen HEAVEN'S GATE. And now at the ripe old age of Logan, I think it's time to give it a shot.
I may need drinks and/or sustenance afterwards. If you don't want to join me for the film, at least stop by Harvard Square around 6 or so and we can find a place to eat.
Come on along. Oh, sure. I know what you're thinking. "One of the biggest flops in cinematic history? A nearly four-hour albatross of a western that nearly bankrupted United Artists and killed Michael Cimino's career?"
And to you I say HELL YES. We're all fascinated with failure. It's intriguing. There's always so many questions: how does it fail? Why did it fail? At what point did people know it was going to fail? And is it really that bad? Without actually seeing the piece in question, all we have are second-hand anecdotes. And they just don't cut it. I admit, I've never seen Heaven's Gate. Never found it on video, and while it may be on DVD, I don't know, and besides I don't do Netflix anymore anyway. (And the chance to see it at the Brattle is, of course, all the impetus I need.) So off I go.
I've seen ISHTAR. It was pretty rank. I've seen half of GIGLI. It was really bad. I've seen WATERWORLD. Wasn't so bad. Just had a bad reputation. But I've never
I may need drinks and/or sustenance afterwards. If you don't want to join me for the film, at least stop by Harvard Square around 6 or so and we can find a place to eat.
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Date: 2005-04-08 06:30 pm (UTC)"Where Heaven's Gate fails as a film, it sometimes works as a symbolic pageant, and while that may not be enough to redeem it entirely, it certainly rescues it from charges of artistic disaster."