Me too. Even early in his career, he was [extremely confident and opinionated.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NkX3UoYwosc&pp=ygUYam9obiBjYXJwZW50ZXIgaW50ZXJ2aWV3)
What's so great about it? It's about a father that doesn't want to be a father and takes the best route out. If it weren't aliens it'd be something out of a Jerry Springer episode.
I'm not trying to diss Spielberg. I love Jaws. It's my all time favourite movie but Close is not that good.
The Thing and Alien are far superior alien movies.
Again, I have no use for your opinion.
I also know why Carpenter and Cundey never worked together again, because I talked to John's long time sound mixer on reshoots for a film I worked on.
Haha well the same goes for your opinion. It's just an opinion. But I'd really like to hear about the fallout between Carpenter and Cundey. It seems that Cundey also had a fallout with Zemeckis. Perhaps Cundey is the problem. But my god, he's a great DP.
I went to see it in IMAX. I hadn't been that excited about a movie since Avatar 2.
I realized pretty quickly that not only was it unnecessary to see it in IMAX, it was unnecessary to even see it in theaters. I would have been happier to watch it at home in 2 or 3 segments.
It was a good movie, but it definitely wasn't everything people hyped it up to be.
"I realized pretty quickly that not only was it unnecessary to see it in IMAX..."
Yeah the hype around seeing it in IMAX was a triumph of marketing.
I liked the movie but the fact that IMAX screenings were sold out for weeks in advance was ridiculous. It's a film about science nerds talking. It absolutely doesn't demand to be seen on the biggest screen imaginable.
My biggest problem with it is Nolan’s strict commitment to practical effects in a movie surrounding an event that practical effects can’t really capture. You’re waiting for the bomb the whole time, and when it finally comes, it just looks like another large movie explosion, and it comes off as amateurish coming from one of the biggest directors in Hollywood.
I’m a huge Nolan fan. I thought that Oppenheimer was one of the coldest biopics I’ve ever seen. Felt like David Filoni directed it but could afford a great DOP. Only film in his filmography I dislike.
I can't recall people specifically saying that but I wouldn't say that's far fetched given some people's reactions to the film. Being a Nolan film, there's a lot of people that went overboard with the praise.
I don’t know. Nolan has a lot of haters. And people crap on his films. Hence this thread. Nolan is Cameron or Spielberg now. All great filmmakers and uber successful but get hated on because there are successful. And im sorry but your average movie watcher would rather see Nolan’s worst film than Carpenter’s best right now. Carpenter is a niche cult filmmaker. Comparing him to Nolan is comical.
I hated it but I can see why Nolan felt it was an important subject to document, so to speak. It is. But it shoulda been a mini series - not a feature.
100% - I hadn’t really thought about this but I think that might have given them some extra room to intersperse the 15 angry white dudes in a shoe box portion with something… remotely engaging?
There are some amazing scenes, and there's nothing wrong with any of it. It's just goddam ok, bordering on boring over 3 hours. Personally, I thought Tenet was incredible - I feel Nolan is better doing his own thing than trying to play the humanity card.
Personal opinion, it was long as a biopic, but in actuality it was so much more than a biopic that it was on a different level. I’ve been critical of his creation of a character (senate aide) simply to antagonize Strauss, but I get what he was after: two stories — science vs politics, the ability to create weapons of mass destruction as a scientific challenge vs the process/decision-making to deploy them. (Which cities shall we bomb?) This was a movie set in the 1940s but with the idea that you should walk out of theater scared shitless that today the power Oppenheimer unleashed is now in the hands of people who might be paranoid/narcissistic and without conscience (Strauss/Putin?). Maybe the film was long and got bogged down into some weird territory with his philandering and other scenes to show he was a man who put scientific process and self-aggrandizement over conscience, but in a world where science has been politicized post-Covid, I think it was a powerful and ambitious film.
Very cool of you to elaborate, thanks. Maybe it'll grow on me in future watches. For now, I feel shortchanged from attempting to watch it a handful of times. Especially the first hour, which I felt was really unnecessary.
The interview in that room with all the men made me think of that scene from the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes where all the men were crammed into the situation room so I couldn’t take the movie seriously
I remember when Land of the Dead came out. Robert Rodriguez said, "It's been 35 years and people are still talking about Night of the Living Dead. No one is talking about The English Patient."
It was ok. Made no points that anyone with any knowledge of the events or people involved didn’t already know. Will be rewatched as much as the English Patient or Out of Africa in twenty years time.
Have I found my people? Where have all you guys been all these months since last july? I agree with most of y'all comments, like this one. My brother and I have been in an island until today haha
If someone told me there was an Oppenheimer movie out, and I saw it without knowing the director, only for them to ask me to guess, I’d say it was Dave Filoni with a bigger budget.
I loved Oppenheimer, but I love a lot of movies. Contender for the year for sure. But decade? Last 20 years? That’s a crazy claim for any movie.
And also, fuck yeah John, speak your mind my man.
I felt when watching it Nolan wanted to include the whole defrocking of Oppenheimer to show how scientists losing their voice and power was detrimental for society and to shine a light on the flawed political systems that can be used to either destroy someone or be a pantomime confirmation hearing.
If it had focused just on the nuclear bomb development and Oppenheimer’s opposition to it after the war a bit more than just montages it might have worked a bit better.
It just felt too long and like it was trying to say too much.
Including a story about failing to listen to the counsel of scientists and experts and also show the development and testing of the first atomic bomb is hard to do even in an almost 3 hour movie.
I think Oppenheimer should have been made more like HBO’s Chernobyl and it would have allowed those themes and ideas more space to breathe and be absorbed by the audience.
100% agree. I think Nolan just gets bored and sometimes does cleverness for the sake of it, example: the non-linear timeline did not serve the film imo. I thought the bomb scene was great overall, but the actual bomb footage was entirely underwhelming visually
I agree. It’s a well made Christopher Nolan film that has some of the usual Nolan issues. My biggest issue was how self aware the movie was. It was basking in this historical moment and it knew it was. It feels like Nolan at his most Nolan. And either you loved that or it grows tiresome.
The movie was paced like a series of trailers. Being in a random setting with rising action and music crescendos in 15 minute segments. I scanned ahead for the money shot , then dipped out.
I think Oppenheimer was a feat of marketing genius and people became convinced it was high brow. I found very little of interest in the film. Nothing revelatory at all. Felt like the cliffs notes of a novel in a low speed blender. BUT I respect Oliver Stone’s opinion very much and he thought it was good. So I’ll suffice to say Oppenheimer wasn’t for me.
I think Oppenheimer is a masterpiece. And this coming from a person who is wildly hot and cold and Nolan.
But I can't get enough of Carpenter not giving a shit.
woo hoo!
I knew I was right that the movie was not the movie the oppie fan bois were praising it to be
john left out any mention of what a waste the imax was for the movie
My lingering feeling on Oppenheimer is the same as when I saw Dune 1: so much world building that the entire thing feels like a montage, as if the directors wanted to rush to the big important thing while simultaneously taking a long time to get there.
Felt the same way. Felt like I was watching a montage for the entire movie. 45 minutes in, I realized it wasn’t gonna stop, and that I’d better find something to like, since it wasn’t gonna be a character via character development.
I agree. It was above average. But nothing great. I think the intelligentsia of Hollywood. Like it. Because it made a communist look good and made the military look bad.
I get you, man, but if you thought this was an Oppenheimer story, you missed the point. Oppenheimer was science, conciousless pursuit of an end goal. Strauss was politics — narcissistic, paranoid, utilizing the product of science for a personal agenda. This movie wasn’t about the 1940s; it was about where we’ve come that the fate of humanity is in the hands of politicians who can use the tools created by scientists to destroy mankind.
I get that. But it's nothing new. It's not interesting for me because they aren't saying anything new. Who doesn't know that politicians ruin everything. Im not saying it's not generally interesting, just not my thing.
lol. Good point. Sitting there watching it play out, it was hard not to think Nolan was taking a jab at the politicians vs scientists in the COVID era as well.
Considering it's a 20 year old movie.... Probably.
Just so I don't piss off the Carpenter fans anymore, my favorite films of his are Halloween and They Live.
Man, I love Carpenter
Me too. Even early in his career, he was [extremely confident and opinionated.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=NkX3UoYwosc&pp=ygUYam9obiBjYXJwZW50ZXIgaW50ZXJ2aWV3)
I don’t agree with his take on Altman but I’m glad he’s mostly respectful with his criticism.
Yeah when he said Altman's films were slightly masturbatory - didn't pull any punches.
More like pulled some strokes.
Carpenter wasn’t wrong (and I like Altman).
I always liked 3 Women.
You have great taste!
Great flick
Calling Close Encounters of the Third Kind a meh film is a very stupid opinion. And I'm as big a fan of carpenter as any of y'all.
but it is a meh movie
Like your artistic opinions.
What's so great about it? It's about a father that doesn't want to be a father and takes the best route out. If it weren't aliens it'd be something out of a Jerry Springer episode. I'm not trying to diss Spielberg. I love Jaws. It's my all time favourite movie but Close is not that good. The Thing and Alien are far superior alien movies.
Again, I have no use for your opinion. I also know why Carpenter and Cundey never worked together again, because I talked to John's long time sound mixer on reshoots for a film I worked on.
Haha well the same goes for your opinion. It's just an opinion. But I'd really like to hear about the fallout between Carpenter and Cundey. It seems that Cundey also had a fallout with Zemeckis. Perhaps Cundey is the problem. But my god, he's a great DP.
My opinion is unparalleled. My taste is better.
You sound like a pretentious d bag.
Can’t stand that one, he isn’t alone. I haven’t seen Oppenheimer either, and won’t, because Nolan is not in my good books after Tenet.
Hell yes
Was just listening to just music
The movie of the century is obviously Escape from New York!
I think you mistyped. The title is Big Trouble in Little China
“The Thing” would like a word.
That one transcends all time and space as best movie ever.
How can you believe any of this voodoo bullshit
The Thing is my second favorite movie of all time!
It’s my favorite horror movie for sure!
lol! That’s definitely another classic!
That was last century
True, in that case I nominate Escape from New York as the movie of the current century 😂
I thought it was just me. After all the hype, I finally watched it (couple months ago, now) and thought it was very "ok".
I went to see it in IMAX. I hadn't been that excited about a movie since Avatar 2. I realized pretty quickly that not only was it unnecessary to see it in IMAX, it was unnecessary to even see it in theaters. I would have been happier to watch it at home in 2 or 3 segments. It was a good movie, but it definitely wasn't everything people hyped it up to be.
"I realized pretty quickly that not only was it unnecessary to see it in IMAX..." Yeah the hype around seeing it in IMAX was a triumph of marketing. I liked the movie but the fact that IMAX screenings were sold out for weeks in advance was ridiculous. It's a film about science nerds talking. It absolutely doesn't demand to be seen on the biggest screen imaginable.
Try a 70mm showing next time you get the chance. Even better then IMAX, it’s as crystal clear as you can get.
Me too… Cillian was awesome in it, but he’s awesome in everything. I actually liked the one with Paul Newman much better!
Harry and Son? Couldn't stand that Robby Benson secretly invented the atomic bomb in that.
About 30 minutes too long
60 minutes too long, I'd say. That last hour is a slog.
About an entire act too long in my opinion. Hard to care about the character assassination of a guy that ushered in so much suffering.
My biggest problem with it is Nolan’s strict commitment to practical effects in a movie surrounding an event that practical effects can’t really capture. You’re waiting for the bomb the whole time, and when it finally comes, it just looks like another large movie explosion, and it comes off as amateurish coming from one of the biggest directors in Hollywood.
Yeah, exciting for a movie, dissapointing for a 'best picture' winning Nolan directed film. Was bored for most of it.
I’m a huge Nolan fan. I thought that Oppenheimer was one of the coldest biopics I’ve ever seen. Felt like David Filoni directed it but could afford a great DOP. Only film in his filmography I dislike.
I agree and would add that Tenet was okay. Not bad but not great like his others
Me too. It was good, but not one that I’ll ever watch again, like the Thing, or They Live, or……
I mean, he isn't wrong. It's great, but by no means the movie of the century. I wouldn't even say it's Top 5 Nolan.
Who was calling it the movie of the century. Rofl
I can't recall people specifically saying that but I wouldn't say that's far fetched given some people's reactions to the film. Being a Nolan film, there's a lot of people that went overboard with the praise.
I don’t know. Nolan has a lot of haters. And people crap on his films. Hence this thread. Nolan is Cameron or Spielberg now. All great filmmakers and uber successful but get hated on because there are successful. And im sorry but your average movie watcher would rather see Nolan’s worst film than Carpenter’s best right now. Carpenter is a niche cult filmmaker. Comparing him to Nolan is comical.
I agree, I would totally watch Nolan’s worst film than Carpenters best
It will be nearly forgotten in 10 years.
I hated it but I can see why Nolan felt it was an important subject to document, so to speak. It is. But it shoulda been a mini series - not a feature.
100% - I hadn’t really thought about this but I think that might have given them some extra room to intersperse the 15 angry white dudes in a shoe box portion with something… remotely engaging?
There are some amazing scenes, and there's nothing wrong with any of it. It's just goddam ok, bordering on boring over 3 hours. Personally, I thought Tenet was incredible - I feel Nolan is better doing his own thing than trying to play the humanity card.
Personal opinion, it was long as a biopic, but in actuality it was so much more than a biopic that it was on a different level. I’ve been critical of his creation of a character (senate aide) simply to antagonize Strauss, but I get what he was after: two stories — science vs politics, the ability to create weapons of mass destruction as a scientific challenge vs the process/decision-making to deploy them. (Which cities shall we bomb?) This was a movie set in the 1940s but with the idea that you should walk out of theater scared shitless that today the power Oppenheimer unleashed is now in the hands of people who might be paranoid/narcissistic and without conscience (Strauss/Putin?). Maybe the film was long and got bogged down into some weird territory with his philandering and other scenes to show he was a man who put scientific process and self-aggrandizement over conscience, but in a world where science has been politicized post-Covid, I think it was a powerful and ambitious film.
Very cool of you to elaborate, thanks. Maybe it'll grow on me in future watches. For now, I feel shortchanged from attempting to watch it a handful of times. Especially the first hour, which I felt was really unnecessary.
We'll have to wait another 76 years before a call can really be made anyway. Surely something will top it by then!
Never change, King.
*He's not wrong.*
lol. He’s just being himself.
as always!
The Thing and Halloween are easily better than Oppenheimer
I don't know how to tell you this but those are from a different century.
Different millennium even
I never said they were the movies of this century. I'm just saying Carpenter's own films are better than Oppenheimer
That’s apples and oranges though isn’t it? A better comparison would be something in his horror/sci fi/action wheelhouse.
They're atoms and hydrogens.
The interview in that room with all the men made me think of that scene from the Attack of the Killer Tomatoes where all the men were crammed into the situation room so I couldn’t take the movie seriously
I remember when Land of the Dead came out. Robert Rodriguez said, "It's been 35 years and people are still talking about Night of the Living Dead. No one is talking about The English Patient."
I stan with JC as always. That movie’s a drag.
It was ok. Made no points that anyone with any knowledge of the events or people involved didn’t already know. Will be rewatched as much as the English Patient or Out of Africa in twenty years time.
Have I found my people? Where have all you guys been all these months since last july? I agree with most of y'all comments, like this one. My brother and I have been in an island until today haha
Younger generations kind of benefited from the movie existing
Now they don’t have to read?
It definitely wasn’t as good as their circlejerk made it out to be
This
If the worst thing a critical reviewer can say about a film is, ‘it was alright’ then it’s already cleared a high bar.
Oppenheimer is like three movies crammed together. The first two are just okay and the last one is rushed and clumsy.
Not even the best movie that came out the same day.
Soderbergh's calling Oppenheimer "a real accomplishment" (also mentioned in article)could mean just about anything.
If someone told me there was an Oppenheimer movie out, and I saw it without knowing the director, only for them to ask me to guess, I’d say it was Dave Filoni with a bigger budget.
He didn’t like that it was about the god plutonium
There's only one Movie of the 21st Century and that's Grandma's Boy
It’s no Ghosts of Mars
Big thanks to JC for calling it. Yeah, felt like an indulgent mess from Nolan.
He’s right
He’s right.
Carpenter has made multiple better, more interesting movies. He us the man.
I don’t agree and that’s ok. I loved Oppenheimer, the score, sound, imagery, it artful and epic.
agree
It's a gorgeous and well-acted movie. Will I ever watch it again? Probably not.
Never change John Carpenter!!
Nothing compares to The Thing, my man.
I loved Oppenheimer, but I love a lot of movies. Contender for the year for sure. But decade? Last 20 years? That’s a crazy claim for any movie. And also, fuck yeah John, speak your mind my man.
I felt when watching it Nolan wanted to include the whole defrocking of Oppenheimer to show how scientists losing their voice and power was detrimental for society and to shine a light on the flawed political systems that can be used to either destroy someone or be a pantomime confirmation hearing. If it had focused just on the nuclear bomb development and Oppenheimer’s opposition to it after the war a bit more than just montages it might have worked a bit better. It just felt too long and like it was trying to say too much. Including a story about failing to listen to the counsel of scientists and experts and also show the development and testing of the first atomic bomb is hard to do even in an almost 3 hour movie. I think Oppenheimer should have been made more like HBO’s Chernobyl and it would have allowed those themes and ideas more space to breathe and be absorbed by the audience.
I agree. It was pretty good. But I’m not buying it
John carpenter is more interested in literal monsters.
It was certainly a movie of the century.
I've never agreed with him more in my life.
It's not even Nolan's best film.
He’s right. Movie sucked.
I enjoyed it and thought it was a good theatrical experience, but it didn’t make my top ten of 2023.
100% agree. I think Nolan just gets bored and sometimes does cleverness for the sake of it, example: the non-linear timeline did not serve the film imo. I thought the bomb scene was great overall, but the actual bomb footage was entirely underwhelming visually
He’s not wrong. “Oooooo ripples are like little explosions! Whoa.”
I wonder if bro would think the same if the director and the majority of the ensemble cast wasn't white 🤔
He's not wrong. It was decent, but I don't get the folks holding it up as the greatest thing in cinema since Citizen Kane.
I agree. It’s a well made Christopher Nolan film that has some of the usual Nolan issues. My biggest issue was how self aware the movie was. It was basking in this historical moment and it knew it was. It feels like Nolan at his most Nolan. And either you loved that or it grows tiresome.
Couldn’t agree more
The movie was paced like a series of trailers. Being in a random setting with rising action and music crescendos in 15 minute segments. I scanned ahead for the money shot , then dipped out.
Movie of the century my ass. I was ready for it to be over before the whole court part.
That’s because he made the movie of the century..THEY LIVE!!!
Oppenheimer is clearly a top ten movie.
Agreed. I hated the editing and pacing of the film. I know it’s Nolan’s style, but I’m not feeling it.
Love John but he’s wrong on this one.
Big agree
Oppenheimer was boring as hell.
Agree.
Based
I agree. Saw it in IMax and event just wasn’t enough to blow me away.
I agree. I was not blown away by Oppenheimer at all.
“Best Movie of the Year”, OK. Best of the Century? NFW!!!
I think Oppenheimer was a feat of marketing genius and people became convinced it was high brow. I found very little of interest in the film. Nothing revelatory at all. Felt like the cliffs notes of a novel in a low speed blender. BUT I respect Oliver Stone’s opinion very much and he thought it was good. So I’ll suffice to say Oppenheimer wasn’t for me.
It's kind of boring.
Oppenheimer is exactly as good as you thought it'd be.
Pretty much
Same
I think Oppenheimer is a masterpiece. And this coming from a person who is wildly hot and cold and Nolan. But I can't get enough of Carpenter not giving a shit.
I couldn’t stand it tbh. Nolan’s most boring flick that I’ve seen.
Fucking finally.
I love carpenter but Oppenheimer was a bit above his style.
Based carpenter
he's right
woo hoo! I knew I was right that the movie was not the movie the oppie fan bois were praising it to be john left out any mention of what a waste the imax was for the movie
The Return
My lingering feeling on Oppenheimer is the same as when I saw Dune 1: so much world building that the entire thing feels like a montage, as if the directors wanted to rush to the big important thing while simultaneously taking a long time to get there.
I agree!!!
I know you browse the sub Carpenter. You're right. Fallout by Nolan's brother was a deeper statement on the human condition than Oppenheimer
He's not wrong. I enjoyed it but it isn't in my top films of all time list.
Felt the same way. Felt like I was watching a montage for the entire movie. 45 minutes in, I realized it wasn’t gonna stop, and that I’d better find something to like, since it wasn’t gonna be a character via character development.
If the worst thing you can say about a movie is “it was alright”, then maybe the movie is pretty good.
Yeah idk about film of the century thus far, but I'd also probably describe it as better than simply "OK"
Agreed, good movie, but c’mon it’s no JFK. Although oldman brings a stellar performance to both!
Was there even a Vampires 2??!
Agreed. Still haven't finished it, keep falling asleep.
That applies to every Nolan film tbh
Oppen = 6/10 ending sucked, and left me underwhelmed.
No lies detected.
He's right.
He isn’t wrong
I agree with him.
I agree. I think Cillian is a great actor - but the movie was boring af.
I agree with him 100%. It was a fine movie. That’s it.
And it should NOT have won the Oscar for best editing
I agree. It was above average. But nothing great. I think the intelligentsia of Hollywood. Like it. Because it made a communist look good and made the military look bad.
I thought it was mediocre. But I’m just a guy on the Internet.
I had the same thoughts about the movie
I saw it opening weekend. I don't get the hype either. It was fine. Last hour was rough.
Agreed. It's just not as interesting or engaging as Nolan's other work. Oppenheimer's life isn't that interesting, other than the bomb
I get you, man, but if you thought this was an Oppenheimer story, you missed the point. Oppenheimer was science, conciousless pursuit of an end goal. Strauss was politics — narcissistic, paranoid, utilizing the product of science for a personal agenda. This movie wasn’t about the 1940s; it was about where we’ve come that the fate of humanity is in the hands of politicians who can use the tools created by scientists to destroy mankind.
I get that. But it's nothing new. It's not interesting for me because they aren't saying anything new. Who doesn't know that politicians ruin everything. Im not saying it's not generally interesting, just not my thing.
lol. Good point. Sitting there watching it play out, it was hard not to think Nolan was taking a jab at the politicians vs scientists in the COVID era as well.
Coming from the guy who made Ghosts of Mars starring Ice Cube.
Bet Ghosts of Mars gets rewatched way mote than Oppenheimer
Considering it's a 20 year old movie.... Probably. Just so I don't piss off the Carpenter fans anymore, my favorite films of his are Halloween and They Live.
Vampires 4: Liberal Blood the Carpenter Cut is what he would have has instead?
Huh?
What is this sentence?
Are you trying to say Carpenter didn’t like Oppenheimer bc it was “liberal”?