Radioactive blood
January 3, 2015 8:46 AM Subscribe
Nerdist talks to Sam Raimi about fruit, his career in retail sales, how he got started making movies, the links between comedy and horror, the Evil Dead TV show and of course why Spider-Man 3 was "awful".
Basically listening to this I want to be Sam Raimi when I grow up.
posted by Artw at 9:43 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 9:43 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I've been listening to the Nerdist podcast a lot lately, there are some great episodes. The recent Martin Short one is terrific, too.
posted by LooseFilter at 9:51 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by LooseFilter at 9:51 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Yeah, that movie was terrible. Over half of it was Mary Jane and Aunt Bea whining. But, Peeetterrrr! Like srsly, it was like the most Bechdel test fail.
posted by sexyrobot at 10:12 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by sexyrobot at 10:12 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I think '3' is better than the reboots.
As to Oz, directors have to start saying no when the studios say to shoot it all green screen. It's really not working that well. They have an airless, claustrophobic feeling.
Maybe young people don't feel that way, but I do.
posted by Trochanter at 10:17 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
As to Oz, directors have to start saying no when the studios say to shoot it all green screen. It's really not working that well. They have an airless, claustrophobic feeling.
Maybe young people don't feel that way, but I do.
posted by Trochanter at 10:17 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
He mentions that there's entire disciples within practical effects that have just disappeared because all the people who used to do them drifted away and haven't been replaced because there's no demand. Miniature shooting in particular.
posted by Artw at 10:21 AM on January 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
posted by Artw at 10:21 AM on January 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
It's a crime. I wasn't nuts about Box Trolls, but the sets were awesome.
posted by Trochanter at 10:23 AM on January 3, 2015
posted by Trochanter at 10:23 AM on January 3, 2015
'Army of Darkness' is one of the few films I can regularly re-watch and still experience the same joy as I did the first time I saw it. The US cut is a near-perfect film.
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 10:24 AM on January 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by Jessica Savitch's Coke Spoon at 10:24 AM on January 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
I haven't seen Spiderman 3 since I saw it in the theater so maybe I'm misremembering but I don't really understand the hate for it. It was a bit of a muddle with too many villains and no Alfred Molina but I can think of much worse superhero movies. I haven't subjected myself to the two new Amazing Spiderman films but they look horrible in the clips I have seen.
posted by octothorpe at 11:01 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by octothorpe at 11:01 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
The first is boring, the second marked the point where there were just so many superhero movies I could easily miss one.
posted by Artw at 11:11 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 11:11 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I think '3' is better than the reboots.
It is, but that's like comparing breaking a toe with breaking a rib.
posted by Foosnark at 11:12 AM on January 3, 2015 [6 favorites]
It is, but that's like comparing breaking a toe with breaking a rib.
posted by Foosnark at 11:12 AM on January 3, 2015 [6 favorites]
Oddly the "Dark Peter" bits where he goes all MRA at the jazz club are my favorite bits - despite being widely hated they seem pretty true to the spirit of the strip, of Raimi and the two previous films. Venom on the other hand just makes things very dull and confusing.
posted by Artw at 11:18 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by Artw at 11:18 AM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
(The origin of Sandman is the other bit where the film really works)
posted by Artw at 11:19 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 11:19 AM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I haven't seen Spiderman 3 since I saw it in the theater so maybe I'm misremembering but I don't really understand the hate for it.
It wasn't all that bad, but it was a massive disappointment compared to the second one. The hate probably comes from the comparison more than anything else.
posted by graphnerd at 12:09 PM on January 3, 2015
It wasn't all that bad, but it was a massive disappointment compared to the second one. The hate probably comes from the comparison more than anything else.
posted by graphnerd at 12:09 PM on January 3, 2015
By today's standards the plot probably isn't even that much of a jumbled incoherent mess, but movies that aren't overloaded with crap are another lost art.
posted by Artw at 12:27 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by Artw at 12:27 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
The same thing happened on with Raimi on Xena. You would have a run of really great, exciting, action-packed episodes, and then suddenly they would try to do a “humorous” episode. Not only would these episodes invariably suck, they would ruin the momentum of the whole season had built up to that point. And they would never learn their lesson; they kept trying to be funny and had no clue how bad they were at it.
posted by 1970s Antihero at 12:34 PM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by 1970s Antihero at 12:34 PM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
The one where he goes all emo and has a fringe and walks down the street pointing at girls like "hey baby" and there's a cool dance routine? That was AWESOME!
posted by alasdair at 12:58 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
posted by alasdair at 12:58 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Spiderman 3 was an awful, awful movie (the last straw for me was the not-at-all subtle shot of Spiderman flying past the American flag near the end, after which I actively wished for Spiderman to die and for the bad guys to win), but I don't remember ever thinking "I hate Sam Raimi." Poor bastard.
posted by chrominance at 1:28 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by chrominance at 1:28 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Keep going. Still not as bad as the reboots. Skateboardin' Spidey. 'Nuff Said.
posted by Trochanter at 1:29 PM on January 3, 2015
posted by Trochanter at 1:29 PM on January 3, 2015
Didn't they do the American flag thing in Spider-Man 1 also?
posted by michaelh at 1:30 PM on January 3, 2015
posted by michaelh at 1:30 PM on January 3, 2015
Yeah, I thought that was the best part of the movie. Was I not supposed to think that?
posted by ducky l'orange at 1:31 PM on January 3, 2015
posted by ducky l'orange at 1:31 PM on January 3, 2015
Nthing the love for "Dark Dork Peter". It seemed like Raimi was having fun. I particularly liked it when Peter took his jacket off and it blew Gwen Stacy's hair back.
posted by brundlefly at 1:41 PM on January 3, 2015
posted by brundlefly at 1:41 PM on January 3, 2015
Didn't really like 3. Never saw the two new ones, which surprises me, since I love me some Spidey.
But I've still never forgiven Marvel for the retcon divorce in the comics, either.
And, to be honest, I never liked Venom much as a character, anyway. I thought he ruined a really cool black & white outfit option.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:44 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
But I've still never forgiven Marvel for the retcon divorce in the comics, either.
And, to be honest, I never liked Venom much as a character, anyway. I thought he ruined a really cool black & white outfit option.
posted by scaryblackdeath at 1:44 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
'Army of Darkness' ... The US cut is a near-perfect film.
I couldn't agree more. I mean, I like the idea of Ash sleeping too long, but then we lose the S-mart ending and one of my favorite deliveries in the film; "Lady, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store".
The non-US version also opted for "I'm not that good" over "Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun." Which is just an astonishingly bad choice; it's easily one of the best lines in the movie (and of all time).
posted by quin at 1:49 PM on January 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
I couldn't agree more. I mean, I like the idea of Ash sleeping too long, but then we lose the S-mart ending and one of my favorite deliveries in the film; "Lady, I'm afraid I'm going to have to ask you to leave the store".
The non-US version also opted for "I'm not that good" over "Good? Bad? I'm the guy with the gun." Which is just an astonishingly bad choice; it's easily one of the best lines in the movie (and of all time).
posted by quin at 1:49 PM on January 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
I found 3 intolerable because of the terrible ways all the boys treated Mary Jane. I was hoping by the end that she'd hook up with Gwen because Gwen was the only person her age who was actually nice to her.
posted by bile and syntax at 2:11 PM on January 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
posted by bile and syntax at 2:11 PM on January 3, 2015 [5 favorites]
"I found 3 intolerable because of the terrible ways all the boys treated Mary Jane. "
This. Very much this.
Related: I can recall at one point when Emo-Parker backhands MJ and some guy in the back of our theatre yelled out-loud: "DISCIPLINE!" and the comedic timing of it caused most of the audience to laugh.
I also recall my girlfriend at the time turning to me and saying quietly: "Well that's great, an entire audience just laughed at a woman being hit." *sighs*
This last bit isn't entirely Sam Raimi's fault but it's just something I specifically recall from the movie and has forever been linked with S3. The women were basically there to be rescued.
posted by Fizz at 2:45 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
This. Very much this.
Related: I can recall at one point when Emo-Parker backhands MJ and some guy in the back of our theatre yelled out-loud: "DISCIPLINE!" and the comedic timing of it caused most of the audience to laugh.
I also recall my girlfriend at the time turning to me and saying quietly: "Well that's great, an entire audience just laughed at a woman being hit." *sighs*
This last bit isn't entirely Sam Raimi's fault but it's just something I specifically recall from the movie and has forever been linked with S3. The women were basically there to be rescued.
posted by Fizz at 2:45 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
It is, but that's like comparing breaking a toe with breaking a rib.
Take it from me, I'm a MeFite, I know snark, and that is particularly harsh.
Well done!
posted by Songdog at 3:18 PM on January 3, 2015
Take it from me, I'm a MeFite, I know snark, and that is particularly harsh.
Well done!
posted by Songdog at 3:18 PM on January 3, 2015
The women were basically there to be rescued.
I'm actually struggling to think of a superhero movie where this isn't the case. Avengers and maybe Captain America are the only ones that come readily to mind.
I love superhero movies, but this part? Not so much.
posted by quin at 3:47 PM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm actually struggling to think of a superhero movie where this isn't the case. Avengers and maybe Captain America are the only ones that come readily to mind.
I love superhero movies, but this part? Not so much.
posted by quin at 3:47 PM on January 3, 2015 [2 favorites]
I'm actually struggling to think of a superhero movie where this isn't the case.
The Incredibles (actually the guy needs to be rescued).
Big Hero Number Six.
posted by happyroach at 4:15 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Incredibles (actually the guy needs to be rescued).
Big Hero Number Six.
posted by happyroach at 4:15 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Incredibles (actually the guy needs to be rescued).
And the wife/mother was also not just a nag, but someone who had her own powers and problems to solve. While the film did reinforce the common hetero-normative nuclear family ideal, it was refreshing to see an intelligent female superhero.
posted by Fizz at 5:44 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
And the wife/mother was also not just a nag, but someone who had her own powers and problems to solve. While the film did reinforce the common hetero-normative nuclear family ideal, it was refreshing to see an intelligent female superhero.
posted by Fizz at 5:44 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm actually struggling to think of a superhero movie where this isn't the case.
Mystery Men, X2, and Avengers.
posted by bile and syntax at 6:21 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Mystery Men, X2, and Avengers.
posted by bile and syntax at 6:21 PM on January 3, 2015 [3 favorites]
Yep, I hadn't thought of Mystery Men or The Incredibles, and I should have, because I love both films. I'd argue against X2 though, if only because the first movie in the franchise was almost exclusively about a girl in need of rescue.
posted by quin at 9:01 PM on January 3, 2015
posted by quin at 9:01 PM on January 3, 2015
Iron Man 3 has some nice little moments of the damsel rescuing the hero as well. Captain America, definitely, and same for Winter Soldier, since in both cases, Bucky is really the damsel in distress.
posted by PussKillian at 9:22 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by PussKillian at 9:22 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
The Quick and the Dead was fun, funny, brutal at times and just plain awesome with a stellar cast. Much better than any Spiderman movie, imo.
Oh, and the woman wasn't there to be rescued.
So there, y'all have been told.
posted by ashbury at 9:33 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
Oh, and the woman wasn't there to be rescued.
So there, y'all have been told.
posted by ashbury at 9:33 PM on January 3, 2015 [1 favorite]
I'm so glad that there is someone else out there that loves The Quick and the Dead. It has one of my favorite showdown scenes of any Western. The one with Russell Crowe, where the bell tolls and he shoots, and then looks at his hand as if it betrayed him, it is just so fantastic. It was the first time I noticed him as an actor who could work the hell out of a scene. (and as I write this, for the very first time, I realize that Raimi just redid the hand with a mind of its own from Evil Dead 2, only much, much more subtle. That is fucking awesome.)
Also it has Lance Henriksen, who I am convinced is one of the best actors of a generation, who has mostly lived in great B movies, and sadly remains largely unknown. Which is a crime.
posted by quin at 10:01 PM on January 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
Also it has Lance Henriksen, who I am convinced is one of the best actors of a generation, who has mostly lived in great B movies, and sadly remains largely unknown. Which is a crime.
posted by quin at 10:01 PM on January 3, 2015 [4 favorites]
I just saw The Quick and the Dead the other day for the first time thanks to Netflix. Somehow I missed it when it came out despite already being an Evil Dead fan.
Such a one dimensional story turned into a great fun movie thanks to the all-star cast and the Raimi-isms. Also enjoyed reading the IMDB trivia that Raimi was having trouble with the ending, so sent it to the studio and Joss Whedon re-wrote the ending in an afternoon!
posted by p3t3 at 1:59 AM on January 4, 2015
Such a one dimensional story turned into a great fun movie thanks to the all-star cast and the Raimi-isms. Also enjoyed reading the IMDB trivia that Raimi was having trouble with the ending, so sent it to the studio and Joss Whedon re-wrote the ending in an afternoon!
posted by p3t3 at 1:59 AM on January 4, 2015
I'd argue against X2 though, if only because the first movie in the franchise was almost exclusively about a girl in need of rescue.
X-Men has some definite issues with that, though I do appreciate things about it. X2 is full of women kicking ass - Rogue, Storm, Jean, Mystique, and though she dies, Yuriko. Rogue is a bit of a tragic figure generally because of the nature of her power, but she's not in more need of rescue than the other teens. I'd say that people who need rescuing are: Nightcrawler, from Stryker; Magneto, from Stryker and the plastic prison; the mutant kids Stryker is holding at Alkali Lake; and Jason, Stryker's son. I'm not trying to exhonorate Bryan Singer generally and while I've enjoyed some of his movies I recognize that a lot of them have problems and especially because he tends to focus on white men (Xavier, Magneto, Wolverine) but X2 has a lot of badass ladies in it who would laugh at you if you suggested they needed to be rescued.
posted by bile and syntax at 8:02 AM on January 4, 2015
X-Men has some definite issues with that, though I do appreciate things about it. X2 is full of women kicking ass - Rogue, Storm, Jean, Mystique, and though she dies, Yuriko. Rogue is a bit of a tragic figure generally because of the nature of her power, but she's not in more need of rescue than the other teens. I'd say that people who need rescuing are: Nightcrawler, from Stryker; Magneto, from Stryker and the plastic prison; the mutant kids Stryker is holding at Alkali Lake; and Jason, Stryker's son. I'm not trying to exhonorate Bryan Singer generally and while I've enjoyed some of his movies I recognize that a lot of them have problems and especially because he tends to focus on white men (Xavier, Magneto, Wolverine) but X2 has a lot of badass ladies in it who would laugh at you if you suggested they needed to be rescued.
posted by bile and syntax at 8:02 AM on January 4, 2015
I Still Like ‘Spider-Man 3,’ Even If Sam Raimi Doesn’t
posted by Artw at 10:12 AM on January 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
posted by Artw at 10:12 AM on January 5, 2015 [2 favorites]
Just listened to this. Really interesting and he seems like such a nice guy.
posted by zutalors! at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
posted by zutalors! at 2:08 PM on January 6, 2015 [1 favorite]
More on 3. Haden Church was good, I thought. I don't hate Topher Grace. Franco has charm. Kirsten Dunst had a really nice reading of a particular line, I don't remember it exactly -- it was one of those, "I hope you find what you're looking for." type of lines. I thought the immigrant girl was sweet whatever her purpose was.
I thought parts of that movie were pretty heartfelt.
It was a mess, too, of course. I remember part of me wondering if it was Raimi saying screw this tent-pole shit, they'll never ask me to do another one of these.
posted by Trochanter at 3:30 PM on January 6, 2015
I thought parts of that movie were pretty heartfelt.
It was a mess, too, of course. I remember part of me wondering if it was Raimi saying screw this tent-pole shit, they'll never ask me to do another one of these.
posted by Trochanter at 3:30 PM on January 6, 2015
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posted by fairmettle at 9:37 AM on January 3, 2015 [4 favorites]