tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post8826164942759932652..comments2024-03-14T04:07:39.792-07:00Comments on Earl Pomerantz: Just Thinking...: "Arguing The Other Side"Earl Pomerantzhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/16963705121297866334noreply@blogger.comBlogger4125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post-72714540052055552802013-12-16T07:36:31.734-08:002013-12-16T07:36:31.734-08:00I saw Mostel in the original Broadway production o...I saw Mostel in the original Broadway production of FIDDLER and have purposely avoided seeing the movie as a result. Mostel was an old ham, there's no doubt, and I can well believe that over time his performance would have become more exaggerated. But he had quite a respectable resume in movies, too - the original THE PRODUCERS, A FUNNY THING HAPPENED ON THE WAY TO THE FORUM - and I find it hard to believe he wouldn't, as experienced as he was, have known how to rein it in for the cameras. It's very sad to me that he wasn't given the chance.<br /><br />I agree with Mike's two questions. If you're judging the best comedy you don't dock a drama points for not being funny (although I'd argue that THE GOOD WIFE often still has better jokes and evokes louder laughter than almost all sitcoms without descending into schtick). I don't personally care for jazz, but I can certainly listen to it and see how skiilled, talented, professional, and brilliant the musicians are. I still shouldn't be asked to judge it in a competition because I find saxophone annoying. :)<br /><br />Say it this way: there's a lot of general agreement among film critics about the 100 greatest movies. 2001 and Citizen Kane appear on a lot of those lists, and I'd likely agree. But if I were heading off to a desert island and could only take ten movies, I probably wouldn't take any of those. I'd take the Marx Brothers and All That Jazz. The former is objective, the latter subjective. Once in a while the two meet on the same movie.<br /><br />wgWendy M. Grossmanhttp://www.pelicancrossing.netnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post-45290914753842148112013-12-13T17:07:25.547-08:002013-12-13T17:07:25.547-08:00Decompose your subjective assessment into:
1) What...Decompose your subjective assessment into:<br />1) What is the artist attempting to achieve?<br />2) How well is this objective achieved?<br />This allows an objective assessment of ambition and technique.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post-88869122610945585602013-12-13T13:04:15.350-08:002013-12-13T13:04:15.350-08:00I saw Zero when they did the revival of "Fidd...I saw Zero when they did the revival of "Fiddler" on Broadway. He was not in character at all. He was clowning from beginning to end, and doing shtick when the other actors were trying to perform. Way too broad for film. Topol may not have been the best choice, but he captured the emotion.<br /><br />I would be curious to know if you saw him in the original. Perhaps then he was more real.Candanoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7823625636675642409.post-53227565924702151462013-12-13T07:42:16.046-08:002013-12-13T07:42:16.046-08:00I note you're explicitly labelling the irony.I note you're explicitly labelling the irony.Mikehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06248182899977033579noreply@blogger.com