<![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain - Defamer Comments]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain - Defamer Comments]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> The matrix was flippin' great.
V for Vendetta was AWESOME...
YES, the films they make ARE for the mushroom crowds...

but...

the Waichowschkisizichickyicki brothers are every losers heroes.

"gee, I smoke endless amounts of pot and read endless amounts of comic books and drink 44 oz big gulps of mtn. dew and consume mass quantities of cheese puffs..and jerk off to animae babes because i'm a fuckin' social retard... but hey, lets write a movie..."

what if my one idea, my ONE premise that was STOLEN from some obscure Japanese comic could be re-written and stolen so I can get a movie deal!!!

sweet! then I could try EVERY DRUG I'VE EVER WANTED TO... and become a howard hughes RECLUSE ( are you listening Q.T.? ) and SHAVE MY ENTIRE BODY!!! and i still get to smoke pot and read comic books and play my video games and jerk off to animae babes! SWEET!!!!

StevieRayHalen

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Brock: It's possible to be a "one movie wonder". M. Night Shyamalan started bombing after his third film Signs. They just run out of good ideas is all.

kylo4

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Pay_Me_Or_Pay_Me_No_Attention: way to totally invalidate any opinion you're capable of. Sophia Stewart is CRAZY. she also tried suing cameron for Terminator in the SAME LAWSUIT. Furthermore, the structure of the story was clearly in place in the making the first movie.

I feel very, very sorry for people who didn't get the matrix sequels.

Movie of the year. unfortunately, it's unpopular to market a children's movie with the tagline "eat a bunch of mushrooms and come see this, technohippies!"

I can't wait to see it a third time.

StratfordX

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Although they don't really resemble them, the W Brothers give off a strong vibe like the two gay roommate D&D fanboys on 'The Sarah Silverman Program.'

gwendolyn

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> It's like being hit by a flying 20-ton jelly bean. "Baked ass?" Not even half-baked. When I see a kid's movie like this, I thank Jebus I had my tubes tied.
As for Eyes Wide Shut, as David Thomson put it: everyone wants to see this movie, until they do.

regisgoat

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> I kind of like the air of (semi-) mystery around these guys. Especially in this day and age. There's something wrong about Scorsese being on MySpace.

Shemp Baldwin

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> So when are these guys gonna team up with Alex Garland, arguably the grand master of "aloof" and "arrogant" (and consequently depressingly empty) screenwriting? That would give Danny Boyle a chance to make a GOOD movie maybe sometime in the next decade or so.

punctuator

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Am I the only one who, upon having seen the teasers and trailers, has absolutely no desire whatsoever to see this film?

This from someone who used to run home from school each day to be able to catch the last 20 minutes of the cartoon.

cinerama

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @pumpkinsoup: Thanks!

STV

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a kid's movie?

Well, shit.

raincoaster

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> gross. just gross.

gwiliandre

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Juancho: Oh! Do you want to join my Manohla Dargis Hate Club? Membership rolls are quite extensive.

I do think that reviews are largely unnecessary nowadays - a large portion of the frequent moviegoer audience is already well aware of the film via TV ads, Interweb buzz, EW exclusives, Access Hollywood, etc. Reviews are just the last, unpredictable element in a long marketing chain.

Sleepyhead

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @extracrispy: I was merely responding to Benovite's 4th point that it's getting good/decent reviews. Sur ethis could change in the future but that's neither here nor there.

sicksteanein

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> href="#c5577886">extracrispy: Hmmm. My 5-year-old son is dying to see this but I will add this film is definitely being marketed to young kids if the last Scholastic bookfair at his school was any indication. The licensed books, posters, etc. ran 50/50 between Speed Racer merchandise and Hannah Montana. How it's also being marketed to teens and adult fanboys, I have no idea. I wouldn't suggest going to a mantinee showing, though so as to avoid all the kiddies.

Nice writing, STV. Keep it up.

pumpkinsoup

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Sleepyhead: No problem, I'm a highbrow kind of guy myself. It's just that intellectual snobbery for the sake of showing off really turns me off. When a critic like Greil Marcus or Jonathan Rosenbaum gets going, I turn the page.

When I was in college, I did an internship for an independent movie theater chain in Cleveland. I was constantly amazed at how one local review could make or break whether a film might do well in our town, let alone how reviews affected box office nationally. But there are still people out there who will see or not see a film based solely on what the New York Times has to say about it, which is a little scary.

Juancho

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Safe to say The Wachowski Bros. are the only two people, anywhere not happy about Robert Downey, Jr.'s triumph in Iron Man?

PaisleyPajamas

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Benovite:
7. Millions of Godforsaken noisy hyper kids need to go to the movies, and parents will take them to / drop them off at just about damn anything.

Sleepyhead

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Juancho: I'm sort of a snobbity highbrow writer type, so take my opinion with varying degrees of salt, but I saw it and it's baked ass.

Sleepyhead

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> It's getting good reviews in some of the alt-weeklies that I've read. J. Hoberman didn't like it, but I hardly ever agree with him anyway.

Juancho

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @The Cooler: You don't need to look at the credits. But it's better when seen in context with the themes of his other films.

@Macloserboy: Wow. Good argument. I'm moved (bowels speaking).

Mel Gibstein

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @sicksteanein: You must be a member of The Glass Half Empty Society.

Benovite

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @sicksteanein: I believe there's an embargo until Thursday. So it might be premature to start citing review aggregaters.

extracrispy

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @sicksteanein: I would go see "Mario Kart: The Movie", but that's just me...

Mark Graham

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> The Wachowski Bros. have a cult following (my cousin is a member) that will last long despite their media-shyness. I agree that they can't be compared to Kubrick - they lack a signature style on-screen and could you imagine the Matrix movies being studied and admired three decades from now?

Cam/ron

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Benovite: Hold the phones. Where is this getting good reviews?

Metacritic has a 38 score.
RT has it at 35%.

And even the fresh reviews have quotes like:

"You might admire it as a Warholian blur of pop art, gawp and gasp at its Hot Wheels-for-real dynamism, or get a headache."

"Reminds me of Mario Kart."

"... The Wachowskis have created a blast of pure pop family fun; Speed Racer's a bright, bold visual spectacle designed for kids."

Not exactly enticing.

sicksteanein

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> I see a few reasons for this being a success in the range of $50-60 mil opening weekend:

1) It's the Wachamacallem Brothers. They have a following.

2) Iron Man has set it off in a big way and I think people are in the mood to go back to the theater to see big movies. Speed Racer is definitely one of them.

3) The Speed Racer cartoon is well known.

4) It's getting good/decent reviews.

5) It looks fun and it's aimed at a broad demographic IMO. Kids, teens, adults can all get down with this.

6) No one cares whether the Wachamacallem Brothers do publicity or are ever seen for that matter, and I think a large part of their audience likes it that way.

Benovite

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> While I know it's been "disproven" I still believe they stole the first Matrix script from Sophia Stewart, or whomever.

It's the only explanation that rationalizes the disparity between how great the first one is, and how shitty the other two turned out.

Oh man; what I wouldn't give to hear Kubrick's read on Tommy "Wrestler" Cruise, now that we know what we know..

Pay_Me_Or_Pay_Me_No_Attention

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Joel is giving these guys the life and levity that Troy Duffy wanted from Harvey, but was too stupid to maintain.

If I was the brothers, I'd have fresh cut flowers and chocolate chip muffins on Silver's desk every morning.

StylusPictures

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @wolfsunfire: Yeah, I've seen that commerical too. Once. All the other, not a trace of one of the most recognizable aspects. And isn't Matthew Fox on one of the hottest TV shows on the planet? No mention of him and obviously his face is hidden.

But I think it will be fine. Doesn't every new blockbuster knock the previous week's blockbuster out of number one? The real problem here is Cameron Diaz and Ashton Kutcher pulling a female audience that most likely saw Iron Man last week.

Macloserboy

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @brechtgirl:

indeed, BOUND is an underrated gem. with extra points for Jennifer Tilly

i wonder what a Quentin Tarantino SPEED RACER would be like

Al_Pastor

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Rey: No, I thought it was Mrs Chokesondik from SouthPark.

TurdBlossom

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @TurdBlossom: Yes, still. Technically.

This is a kids movie. Remember that. It doesn't need beat Iron Man this weekend. It needs to open well and have legs. As with most films, the real profit is going to be worldwide.

Juancho

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> maybe they just dont like the press. and at least they're taking chances with their movies and doing something strange and exciting-- even if they stumble once in a while, i'd prefer they continue to push genre and style limits instead of just phoning in standard blockbuster crap. at least their crap can still offer audience members a unique experience.

DSTRYA

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Sorry guys, I like their movies. Matrix knocked my socks off and I enjoyed V greatly. Everything I've seen about Speed Racer looks amazing and I don't care if the Wachowskis want to promote it or not. So far my only question is whether to see it on Friday after work or Saturday.

It will probably come in second, behind Iron Man, but I see no stigma to that. Coming in second to a great movie should be praised, not looked at as a failure.

@Macloserboy: BTW I remember one of the trailers having the music from the Speed Racer intro. It was updated and modernized, because the original sucked balls, but it was recognizable.

wolfsunfire

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> I've read four reviews of Speed Racer so far, all liked it(and all not just the look, but emotion as well). So i'm definitely going to have to give it a shot.

I like the idea of directors not being too public. Good for them. Although, one turned into a chick, so maybe that was the studio/publicists idea.

Big box office or not, Speed Racer looks like nothing but fun times at the theatre.

MayhemintheHood

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> It's very sad to think people who just RAPE the anime universe and pretend they invented it all are given any respect or privileges.
They are not directors in my book and produced nothing original at all really.
Having said that, the only admiration for them I have is they are pushing boundries in terms of anime effects in real life films.
But then only because Silver gives them the time of day.
Ever seen the film SOCIETY?
I can see Silver and them in full orgy sucking each other's juices.
At least have the vision to hire some damn decent writers for god's sake. It's about emotion in the end not effects.
I can't believe people are comparing these nutjobs to KUBRICK. That is herecy.








flexiverse

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @STV: Gotcha. The kids pitch for this movie has always confused me. Maybe that unclear audience is what ultimately may doom it.

Personally, I'd be more excited for it if was rated R and full of trannies.

extracrispy

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Maybe they're concentrating on their new post-production studio in Chicago.
I live a mile away & it's taking forever to finish this thing, some parts still have plywood covering the doors & windows. The signs make no mention of what it's going to be, but have green building designations on it.
[www.suntimes.com]

Greasy Thumb Guzik

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> The Wachowskis have somehow managed to turn themselves into a brand, despite doing not a single thing in the public eye in 10 years. As they continue to refuse to do a single thing to acknowledge their fans, they will lose that brand identity. And as they continue to make terrible movies, they will lose all their audience.

Speed Racer is a shiny mess. Iron Man will clobber it.

tell Dolly Parton again

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @extracrispy: I see what you're saying. It is very kid-friendly, but it's not a "kids movie" the way, say, Beverly Hills Chihuahua is a kids movie. There's a level of sophistication in their approach that demands public reckoning, and that discussion starts in the press. Or if they wanted to do it themselves and control the whole thing online, that could work. Their silence is not enough support for a film -- their film -- that doesn't sell itself. At least not at these prices.

STV

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> I don't care what any director or producer has to say about any film. It's the song, not the singers.

Who gives a crap? They're all so phony anyways...if they were truthful, it might be more interesting: "well, I came up with the idea for this scene when I was in Malibu doing blow with some lesbian dwarf strippers..."

Speed Racer will probably be a stinker on its own merits.

matta_p

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> I disagree. I don't think most people really care if directors hawk a film or not. They see a trailer and decide whether they will see the movie or not.

Speed Racer and Iron Man are the only two movies I plan on seeing this summer. Batman has been done to death. I have no interest in the Hulk. Indiana Jones is 20 years too late. Wall-e might get seen on video. I'm not even sure what the rest of the movies coming out are.

Then again, I thought Hudson Hawk was a great movie, so what do I know.

Dillenger69

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> If I were making a movie from a cartoon I would want to, at the very least, begin with a good cartoon. Is that an oxymoron? Maybe not.
Cashing in on Boomer Nostalgia is easy money when it works. Unfortunately for the Wachowskis Speed Racer does not look like it's going to work.


MilesFromNowhere

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @extracrispy: The thesis I get is "Everyone is saying that this movie is going to bomb but the directors can actually help that from happening so they should."

sicksteanein

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @TurdBlossom: Whatever, Turd. Gotta problem with that?

Rey

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> This is well written. But I find a major flaw in your argument. You're suggesting that Speed Racer is doomed to fail because its directors won't publicize it. Yet, Warners is pitching this as a family film... so wouldn't it be better for business to keep a possible tranny as far from it as possible?

extracrispy

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Wait. That's a GUY?

TurdBlossom

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> This piece is great. I'm still suprised by everyone's predicitions that Speed Racer is going to tank, though. I've always been under the impression that it had a budget somewhere around 100 million (not huge, for a huge summer movie), and even if it's no Iron Man in the U.S. , it has insane international appeal.

JudgeFudge

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Kubrick is a hit or a miss with me. EWS was a big miss.

The Wachowskis are fine. V was awesome and I don't expect to have to see the directors/producers/writers schilling their work. They can be as reclusive as they like and it's not going to affect my wanting to see their movies. I don't understand the hate unless you're a fanboy of Speed Racer (which excuses your hate because from what I understand, it'd *never* have lived up to your expectations).

What I'd like to see next is an original idea by those two.

Shumina

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> No me gusta.

pureblarney

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Scenario: Pretty boy sub-par actor in a special effects-driven summer "cross-your-fingers" blockbuster that looks rather flat from the previews besides potentially breathtaking visuals.

Movie: Keanu ("Whoa") Reeves as Neo in the original Matrix. Which knocked everybody's socks off.

BrockBrockman

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Nice work, STV.

The only thing I can think of to add is that if I had a film, let alone a big-budget major release, I would do every single interview and red carpet I could to talk about it. That's living the dream, man.

Juancho

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Mel Gibstein: He was a weird recluse and Eyes Wide Shut remains the same failure it was when it was release. At best time will allow it to be seen as the comedy it was originally intended to be.

But no one really gives a shit if the director promotes a film or not. The biggest problem with this promotion is THEY DON'T USE THE FUCKING SPEED RACER THEME SONG! You're mining memories and you're not using, the easiest, biggest trigger you have. Sigh. Morons.

Macloserboy

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Mel Gibstein: If it's a great film, shouldn't you be able to tell that without looking at the credits? Or without watching 12 other great movies?

@GoodEmployee: You're exactly right. If you need press action to open your movie, then hire someone bigger than Emile Hirsch. (Plus, your movie probably stinks.)

The Cooler

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Speed Racer is going to get stomped so bad the Wachowski's grandchildren (if any) will be feeling the pain.
I hope that the stomping giant Iron Downey Robot will spare Christina Ricci, however.
Have her oiled and brought to my tent.

William Mize

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> In life's rich pageant I think it's refreshing that these guys shun media attention.

Let'em do their thing I say.

Benovite

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Mel Gibstein: I agree, and I said as much in the piece. At least up to the part about EWS, which I still can't decide on 10 years after seeing it.

STV

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @Brock: Bound was good. I figure the success of the Matrix went to their heads.

brechtgirl

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Christ, that bottom picture. They look just like very Matrix superfan I've ever met.

cardboardbelt

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> All comments/perspectives aside, I felt like I was reading a magazine article. Well done.

CourageousCoward

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> I still don't understand how the Matrix was so good and everything else so terrible. Just a fluke, I guess ...

Brock

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> @GoodEmployee: agreed - no one cares about them and Speed Racer looks doomed to fail to Iron Man's 2nd big weekend.

ComicDork

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> The Wachowskis should not EVER be mentioned in the same breath as Kubrick. If you look around, you'll see he did quite a few interviews and was not the "weird recluse" people made him out to be. And it's time Eyes Wide Shut get its due. Anyone who followed his work knows it's a great film.

Mel Gibstein

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> This post is bullshit. Nobody gives a fuck about these guys. Wait, amend that. Nobody outside of LA gives a shit.

Even if they were in every paper giving the full court press, their boring movies is the problem, not their reclusive natures.

GoodEmployee

]]> <![CDATA[The Wachowskis Still in Hiding as 'Speed Racer' Circles the Drain]]> Vlad hypothesizes and I concur:
The Wachowskis are the guys who you bring in to do the awesome action sequence.

Otherwise, they can't handle plot or dialog for shit.

mitchel_stevens

]]>