Jim Jarmusch is overrated!

[ellen_datlow]

I just watched BROKEN FLOWERS and hated it. Once upon a time I thought Jim Jarmusch made some interesting movies. But I realize that I've found more of his movies annoying and pretentious than not. I did like GHOST DOG and STRANGER THAN PARADISE and kind of liked NIGHT TRAIN AND DEAD MAN. But absolutely despised NIGHT ON EARTH. I hadn't been aware that BROKEN FLOWERS was by Jarmusch. If I had, I wouldn't have rented it.

However, I cleansed my palate with DAMN YANKEES starring Tab Hunter (who I always though cute if limited as an actor), Ray Walston, and the great Gwen Verdon. Watching her dance, and sing "Whatever Lola Wants" made me want to cheer.  Before I went to Japan I watched BYE BYE BIRDIE with Ann Margaret, Bobby Rydell (ick), Dick Van Dyke, and Janet Leigh. Also, Jessie Pearson, playing the Elvis like heart throb. Fun.
I enjoy the old musical movies despite their (usually) dated depictions of women.

Comments

[squirrel-monkey.livejournal.com]

Yeah, Broken Flowers is Jarmusch being embarrassing. I liked Mystery Train and Stranger Than Paradise most (if only for Screamin' Jay Hawkins), and Dead Man and Down By Law were at the very least interesting. Ghost Dog was disappointing for mostly personal reasons, and I wanted to really like it. But Bill Murray is a bad actor and intensely irritating, which compounded all the other issues in Broken Flowers. I won't even mention Coffee and Cigarettes. Gah.

[ellen-datlow.livejournal.com]

I liked Murray a lot in Lost in Translation but he doesn't have much range. Part of what I couldn't get my head around is the lack of charisma and sexiness for a supposed "Don Juan"--his deep depressiveness throughout the entire film just turned me off from the first scene. Maybe he was a bit livelier tweny years earlier but you couldn't prove it by the depiction of his latter days.