Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE: Last Days

This is topic Last Days in forum Film Handlers' Movie Reviews at Film-Tech Forum ARCHIVE.

To visit this topic, use this URL:
https://ft-forum.com/ft/cgi-bin/ubb/ultimatebb.cgi?ubb=get_topic;f=4;t=000974

Posted by Paul Linfesty (Member # 214) on 08-21-2005, 01:44 PM:

If you haven't quite mastered the art of making Kraft's Macoroni and Cheese yet, this is the movie for you. A very long, detailed shot of the process as demonstrated by the lead character, who, if you believe the publicity, is supposed to be Kurt Cobain, and who, if you read the disclaimer at the end, is definitely not.

No matter, this movie is a rambling "expose" of a man's last few days on the planet. We see him wandering around with a shotgun for much of the movie, taking a leak in the river, etc. We see two other young men in the house (bandmates? houseguests?) who get it on with each other in one scene. We see a visit by two Mormon missionaries with one of the houseguests/bandmates, etc, with banal dialog. Then we see more rambling around until the end of the musician's life and the end of the film. What this movie means or is supposed to be about is up to someone elese. I haven't got a clue (just as odd, the film was being projected at full Academy).

Posted by Scott Norwood (Member # 30) on 08-21-2005, 03:58 PM:

I actually kind of liked it. It's not about the "story" so much as it is about the "mood," if that makes any sense.

Then again, I actually liked Van Sant's "Gerry," and I think I am the only one who did. Both films are nicely photographed and have some great scenes, even if the story is a bit lacking.

And, yes, it's supposed to be Academy (it was made for HBO television, as was "Elephant").

Posted by Steve Scott (Member # 630) on 08-27-2005, 02:33 PM:

It tries too hard to be trippy. but succeeds as a very personal look at a state of mind within fame. Again, this film tries, as many others have this summer, to push the vision of itself forward without any characters to really paraphrase the story. In essence though, the title gives the real story, and the audience is left with whatever their take on the events and relationships of the film's people happens to be.

Jaded and close were what I left with.

Landmark's Edina 4, auditorium 1. Even with academy trailers, though they were probably just flat through the academy lens? The analog sound mix seemed sort of front-surroundish, and the bulb had some focus discrepencies between the left and right sides of the image. I wonder how long the masking & waterfall curtains haven't been used there?