SPEED RACER Discussion

[Kriegaffe]

Originally Posted by Tati

That's a walk in the park, I got it 2 weeks ago...

Yeah, a UK chewer in another thread said they still haven't got it (imdb says 4th of july for them). A shame. Hope you've seen it though

I just told my friend to go see Speed Racer and he said "Doesn't appeal" *sigh*

After reading this thread I'm gonna catch it a second time at the cinema.

[Nicholas]

Originally Posted by Kriegaffe

After reading this thread I'm gonna catch it a second time at the cinema.

If you're planning on catching it again, don't hesitate. I was planning on dragging some people along to see it but a week went by and it vanished from the theaters. This was almost a month ago and I'm still sad about it.

[Jeff M]

I wanted to chime in with my love for this flick as well, and echo some of the sentiments of the others here. I too saw this instead of Indy 4 on Memorial Day weekend, and am thrilled that I put off everyone's favorite archaeologist for two weeks.

There was no one else in the theater, which was disappointing. The main thing I was thinking when walking out of the theater was how much I would have been vibrating with excitement if I had seen this when I was a kid. It is the first movie in I don't know how long that filled me with even a *smidgen* of the same thrill that I felt the first time I saw Star Wars...or Raiders.

I was 8 years old when Star Wars came out, and it completely changed the way I looked at the world. It felt like I didn't breathe or blink for the whole running time. And while my reaction to Speed Racer wasn't *quite* on that level, it was an amazing experience to be sitting in a theater, thirty years after having my mind blown, and feel a little bit like that 8-year-old kid again.

My 8-year-old self's head would have exploded with joy. It was *awesome*, in the true 80's sense of the word. My only regret is that my son is only four, and really averse to on-screen violence. Even as tame as it was, he would have been freaking out. I'll give him a couple of years and keep my fingers crossed that this will be one of those flicks that comes back to Imax every once in a while. I miss the good old days when you could count on Star Wars' return to the big screen *every fricking summer*.

[mcnooj82]

Not that I'm trying to rain on your parade, but were you giddy even during the slower parts?

I've also harbored secret desires for this movie to be an annual IMAX thing. Way better than The Polar Express.

[Jeff M]

I wasn't exactly giddy during the slow parts. But during the slow parts it was like the adult part of my brain was trying to give my inner 8-year-old a lecture on film. You know, teach him how to observe movies for content, and dissect what it was seeing...and the little shit just ignored the old man rode out the slow parts like the long ride up to the top of the first drop on the roller coaster.

So maybe not giddy, but expectant. And expectant like a kid who might not be familiar with the particular roller coaster that they're riding *today*, but one that knows that the ride is going to be awesome.

I really want to see it again...but it's gone, dude. I bought my first DVD player when the Matrix was released, and I expect that the same thing will happen here. I've got the HDTV...but no compelling reason to drop four bills on a player. Yet.

[mcnooj82]

This is for your inner 8-year old.

[Ali]

If someone could turn this turn into an avatar, I promise to give a million internet dollars. Two million dollars!

[wadew1]

http://img242.imageshack.us/img242/8163/26940285kz9.jpg

[Ali]

Booyah!

Thanks, you sweet soul, you.

[mcnooj82]

And now... let's talk about the 2 million dollars.

[First Class 782]

[Tony Todd]And mercenaries get paid. I...want...my...FUCKING money![/Tony Todd]

[mcnooj82]

Originally Posted by First Class 782

[Tony Todd]And mercenaries get paid. I...want...my...FUCKING money![/Tony Todd]

"Thereisnofuckinmoney."

[Ali]

I was going to do a thing about internet dollars = pornography, but I think a picture of Ed Harris trumps it.

[Sam Strange]

I took my six year old to see this and it's still her favorite movie of the summer. The people who out-and-out hate it are out of their minds. Best part? John Goodman's cracking of skulls!

[mcnooj82]

The only benefit of this movie bombing was that the Blu-ray would come out sooner, but that doesn't seem to be the case.

D'oh...

[reggie-wanker]

"Speed Racer" set a record of sorts when it preemed in Japan on June 29 on the world's biggest screen.

Of course, this being SPEED RACER, torrential downpours were perfectly timed to fuck everything all up. Still, 20,000 people ain't a bad crowd. By SPEED RACER standards this ought to be considered a triumph. Maybe Japanese audiences will actually show up to this when it goes out wide there in July? One can hope, anyway.

[dynamotv]

So is this the biggest post release thread per capita to the film's grosses at the box office. Amazing that a flop has this many pages of comments. Not complaining but it bodes well for a cult following.

[mcnooj82]

I think that's mostly my fault. I've been keeping the thread alive here and there with nonsense.

[dynamotv]

Wasn't complaining at all. If the fact that this thread has stayed on the front page for so long convinced a few people to see the film who wouldn't have, then it's all good. With maybe the exception of "WALL-E", this is still the film to beat this summer. And it's been a very good summer so far.

[mcnooj82]

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/2008/may/speedracer.html

These people tell it like it is!

[Mr. Freeze]

Originally Posted by mcnooj82

http://www.landoverbaptist.org/2008/may/speedracer.html

These people tell it like it is!

HA HA HA, I love that his "review" tells more about what he read into the film.

"The most disgusting part of this film occurs in the second half, when it becomes clear that Speed longs to be “topped” (and I don’t mean in the race) by his chief rival, Racer-X, convincingly played by Matthew Fox."

Of course!

[mcnooj82]

Even though this is a parody site for fundamentalists, it's sad that I can actually see someone thinking this.

[reggie-wanker]

Originally Posted by mcnooj82

I think that's mostly my fault. I've been keeping the thread alive here and there with nonsense.

No, it's a matter of principle to keep the SPEED RACER thread rolling.

Underwhelming DVD and BD art has surfaced. The quantity and quality of the special features seem to be uncertain as well.

[mcnooj82]

Crappy. Maybe the Bros. are planning some kind of Matrix-ish Ultimate Boxset. But I doubt it...

Not surprised by the underwhelming DVD art. The theatrical art wasn't any great shakes either.

[Richard Dickson]

Is that a photo or a painting? It sure looks like Alex Ross.

[wadew1]

No they just combined a bunch of posters from the movie.

http://www.impawards.com/2008/speed_racer_ver2.html

[teledork]

Originally Posted by dynamotv

So is this the biggest post release thread per capita to the film's grosses at the box office. Amazing that a flop has this many pages of comments. Not complaining but it bodes well for a cult following.

except for, perhaps, the one for Zyzzyx Road? If you go by actual box office gross, you could calculate that all that one would need to be the highest percapita to gross thread would be three posts and a swedish miyagi threadbump.

[mcnooj82]

All things considered, I don't think that's too bad for the home video box cover. It's not great, but I like it a lot better than the theatrical art. And I RARELY say that.

[Nicholas]

I think a lot of people were turned off by the crazy-ass visuals and this cover won't do much to change any minds. It's just way too busy. However, it's nice to see Fox shown some love.

[mcnooj82]

Ironically, the basic story in the movie is so conventional that it balances out the crazy-ass visuals. Too bad the marketing didn't acknowledge that.

[reggie-wanker]

This mockup that I threw together in ten minutes is better than what they're using.

[mcnooj82]

Hahahaha. But that would spoil the film's transcendant moment!

[reggie-wanker]

Only if you've seen the film already. It's sufficiently abstract as to be non-identifiable to someone not familiar with the film - and it can't be considered a spoiler if the image is meaningless out of context. It's not like putting a close up of Dirk Diggler's cock on the (hypothetical) BOOGIE NIGHTS cover.

[dynamotv]

Nothing to really add. Just glad the SR thread is still rocking the first page. Glad to do my part.

[mcnooj82]

Originally Posted by reggie-wanker

It's not like putting a close up of Dirk Diggler's cock on the (hypothetical) BOOGIE NIGHTS cover.

I'd love to see someone edit together a montage of Boogie Nights set to Reboot. Use the scene with Whalberg and Julianne Moore and cut in footage and dialogue from throughout the film. Probably some stuff involving Whalberg's mother shouting at him and calling him stupid.

"You don't get into a Julianne Moore to be a porn star. You do it, because you're horny."

When the big moment in Reboot comes, so comes Whalberg. And probably the last shot of the film.

[NathanW]

You're a star, a shining star.

[Paul Allen]

In total agreement that this was a great flick that more people should have seen.

I don't know if this has already been linked here (kinda skim read the last 7 pages), but a certain Mr Rabin doesn't agree with it's future cult status.

http://www.avclub.com/content/featur..._case_file_111

I'm worried about seeing how future viewings fare on my piss-poor 14" TV.

[mcnooj82]

I still love watching my subpar CAM version on my tiny PC monitor. Sure it loses a lot of spectacle, but I still love the movie.

As to Mr. Rabin, who just thought the movie didn't work; to him, I say a cult movie doesn't need to 'work' in order to achieve cult status.

[Paul Allen]

Originally Posted by mcnooj82

I still love watching my subpar CAM version on my tiny PC monitor. Sure it loses a lot of spectacle, but I still love the movie.

Good to hear. Although if ever I needed an excuse to upgrade to a new telly...

[mcnooj82]

A comic artist seems to be unable to hold in his love for Speed Racer.

http://http://boltcity.com/?article=310

(scroll down just a little past the first paragraph)

I'm tied with the guy at 5 screenings of the movie!

EDIT: This author seems to be in a circle of other comic artists that absolutely loved the film. 6 reviews from other artists in their circle that blogged about their love for the movie and confusion as to why it was torn apart during release.

[Andrew Joe]

Mcnooj, slow down! The link's wonky.

I think between this, Wall•E and The Dark Knight I'll take the Blu-Ray dip this fall/winter, although according to different sources technical qualities vary.

[mcnooj82]

Strange... I clicked the link you reposted and it seemed to work fine.

That really sucks about the way the Blu-ray release is being handled for the movie. But we do get LA Confidential!!!

[Andrew Joe]

Saving the good stuff for the GO edition or something, but then again the Wachowski's are always stingy about interviews and such.

Doesn't stop me from wanting a 30 min. featurette on HEAD SWIPES though, and why is there only a game for the wii? They could've had a 360/PS3 title continue the visual insanity.

(Hooray L.A. Confidential)

[mcnooj82]

It would be cool if the Wachowski's did an Ultimate Edition with commentary by the critics who loathed the film just like they did with the Matrix boxset. But I really don't see that happening.

I would LOVE for a Speed Racer game to be made for the PS3/XBOX360 with the Burnout Paradise engine. God, that would be glorious.

[Andrew Joe]

With Xbox live support.

................

Fuck it's a shame this flopped, after it fizzled out I checked the numbers and wondered how it would've fared if the Wachowski's had just directed an actual anime using the show's style and their eyes. it'd be 98% the same and cost way, way less.

But then we wouldn't have gotten Matthew Fox's shit eating grin.
His $100+ million dollar shit eating grin.

[PMR]

Apparently, this didn't do all that great in Japan either when it opened there a few weeks back.
http://www.cinemanavi.co.jp/english/end2.html

And even then it only had two weeks to make money before the new Miyazaki film steamrolled in. Yikes!
http://www.cinemanavi.co.jp/english/weekend.html

[reggie-wanker]

Originally Posted by PMR

Apparently, this didn't do all that great in Japan either when it opened there a few weeks back.
http://www.cinemanavi.co.jp/english/end2.html

And even then it only had two weeks to make money before the new Miyazaki film steamrolled in. Yikes!
http://www.cinemanavi.co.jp/english/weekend.html

That Miyazaki film, in turn, is apparently struggling up against POKEMON 2008. What the fuck, Japan? Fronting on SPEED RACER and Hayao Miyazaki? Get off the crack.

[mcnooj82]

Ho ho ho, hee hee hee, ha ha ha. New dvdrip, lalala.

[mcnooj82]

[Tati]

Still not good enough. I want the HD.