The Curious Case of Benjamin Button

[SteadySmokin03]

Well I think this thread was going to be made sooner or later, so why not get it started now. Who else is anticipating this movie? I have for quite some time mainly for the intrigue surrounding the special effects related to the aging process of Button played by Pitt. I may be biased, the leads are my two favorites actors, male and female respectively, but I think this is going to be an epic movie. Not sure when I'll actually get to see it, but it is high on my priority list of movie-going experiences. I found this article on Apple's homepage, which albeit is an obvious endorsement of Final Cut Studio 2 (Final Cut is amazing by the way) but it also talks about the unusual filming process and has some really cool stills from the film. I can't wait.

http://www.apple.com/finalcutstudio/action/button/?sr=hotnews

[gweeps]

I've read some of Fitzgerald's work, and I love Fincher and Pitt.

Looking forward to this.

[NiCK Crush]

I'm definitely looking forward to this one. The Oscars are going to be very interesting this year.

Looks like this, Slumdog Millionaire, Milk, and The Dark Knight are pretty much on everyones lists.

As much as I would love to see TDK win, Slumdog Millionaire was fucking brilliant. Its going to be interesting, thats for sure.

[gweeps]

I just bought a small hard cover version of the Benjamin Button story.

This edition actually:
http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Benjamin-Button-Collins-Design/dp/0061144185/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229846182&sr=1-6

[1Mood]

i've been waiting for this one for awhile as well

[SteadySmokin03]

I just bought a small hard cover version of the Benjamin Button story.

This edition actually:
http://www.amazon.com/Curious-Benjamin-Button-Collins-Design/dp/0061144185/ref=sr_1_6?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1229846182&sr=1-6

Yea I might have to pick this up as well. Interesting how a major motion picture can spur interest in a book (short story) written 86 years ago.

[FiddySpence]

i'll watch anything david fincher directs, besides alien 3.

[froey]

i know nothing about the story but something that intrigues me is whether or not ben button will be born with the wisdom of an 80 year old or if its just the body. and then when he ages younger does he keep his knowledge or does he turn mentally and physically into a child? im very interested in this flick.

[gweeps]

i know nothing about the story but something that intrigues me is whether or not ben button will be born with the wisdom of an 80 year old or if its just the body. and then when he ages younger does he keep his knowledge or does he turn mentally and physically into a child? im very interested in this flick.http://xroads.virginia.edu/~HYPER/Fitzgerald/jazz/benjamin/benjamin1.htm

[pepelapag]

i know nothing about the story but something that intrigues me is whether or not ben button will be born with the wisdom of an 80 year old or if its just the body. and then when he ages younger does he keep his knowledge or does he turn mentally and physically into a child? im very interested in this flick.

he only ages backwards physically. mentally he retains everything he learns.

that said, this was an okay movie. good acting, but it was too long. the middle stretch took away from the overall intrigue of the movie, so the ending surprisingly felt rushed even though it was 2:47. it was a bit too preachy for my tastes as well. too many "morals of the story" constantly being thrown at you.

see Doubt, The Wrestler or Frost/Nixon before this one. theyre all much better.

[SteadySmokin03]

he only ages backwards physically. mentally he retains everything he learns.

that said, this was an okay movie. good acting, but it was too long. the middle stretch took away from the overall intrigue of the movie, so the ending surprisingly felt rushed even though it was 2:47. it was a bit too preachy for my tastes as well. too many "morals of the story" constantly being thrown at you.

see Doubt, The Wrestler or Frost/Nixon before this one. theyre all much better.

I have yet to see any of those movies (strapped-for-cash) but from what I've heard I would tend to agree. Button was good, not great, but definantly worth seeing at some point. The movie achieves its intended purpose to leave the viewer (although I can only speak for myself) pondering the concept of growing old and grey, in Button's case young and wrinkle-free, losing those you love and coming to terms with moving on. The first half of the story where he really comes into contact with some unique characters is the best, it gets bogged down telling the lover story between Button and Daisy (Blanchet) but it is a story that touches on themes most people will experience and struggle with in a very real, albeit unusual way, but for me that is where the film gets its charm. Having said all that, the special effects in this are phenomenal, as are the performances. I give it two thumbs up.

[NiCK Crush]

see Doubt, The Wrestler or Frost/Nixon before this one. theyre all much better.

Can't say I agree about Doubt. But The Wrestler was fucking brilliant. And Slumdog Millionaire is better than them all.

[Billy'sTV]

Can't say I agree about Doubt. But The Wrestler was fucking brilliant. And Slumdog Millionaire is better than them all.

Slumdog Millionaire was the best I've seen so far this year. Wrestler was pretty good too...

[malachite00]

Slumdog Millionaire was the best I've seen so far this year. Wrestler was pretty good too...

Agreed about Slumdog Millionaire. Haven't seen Doubt yet, though. For those that have seen it, how is it?

[FiddySpence]

i really enjoyed this and didn't think it dragged at all.

[NiCK Crush]

i really enjoyed this and didn't think it dragged at all.

Nor did I. That seems to be the common complaint with it though. I remember looking at my watch, and realizing that 2 hours had already passed and I couldnt believe it it... it didnt feel like it had been that long at all.

Ah well :dunno

[SteadySmokin03]

Slumdog Millionaire was the best I've seen so far this year. Wrestler was pretty good too...

Since there's no Golden Globe discussion I'll just post it here: Slumdog Millionaire is poised to be the big winner tonight. Although I have not seen it I'm thinking that the timing of the release has a lot to do with its critical acclaim so far. We all know this and the Academy Awards are just a glorified popularity contest, still it makes me want to see it even more. Very interested in seeing who walks away with Best Actor, I'm thinking Sean Penn, also a very timely film.

Wow, Rourke takes it, surprising to me considering what I just mentioned above, but Penn got his for Mystic River. And it looks like Button will get shut out.

[NiCK Crush]

Forgot to tell you guys... I had the pleasure of meeting and speaking with Danny Boyle about Slumdog Millionaire :upyours

[FiddySpence]

button got fucking robbed tonight. hopefully slumdog cleaning up tonight takes it out of the running for the oscars, other films deserve wins more IMO.

and kate winslet really pissed me off tonight. 2 wins, deserved one MAYBE and proceeded to do the "oh my god this never happens" teary thing for both speeches despite her being the hot shit around town for over a decade

[NiCK Crush]

Button is a great film. I love it. But I do think Slumdog deserves all the attention it has gotten.

[NiCK Crush]

Wow, Rourke takes it, surprising to me considering what I just mentioned above, but Penn got his for Mystic River. And it looks like Button will get shut out.

Rourke was a lock as far as I was concerned. I think Penn's Harvey Milk was fantastic, but the right man took home the award.

[FiddySpence]

springsteen won tonight, that's all i cared about.

oh and HUGE congrats to heath.

[NiCK Crush]

Aronofsky flipping off Rourke :lol

[SteadySmokin03]

Rourke was a lock as far as I was concerned. I think Penn's Harvey Milk was fantastic, but the right man took home the award.

Question for you though, do you think he will walk away with the Oscar? I understand you think he deserves it, but how many times have we seen the Best Actor/Director go to someone more on the merits of lifelong achievement rather than one particular performance (Pacino, Scent of a Woman jumps to mind). I guess I'm thinking DiCaprio because he's been shut out for Best Actor his entire career.

[pepelapag]

button got fucking robbed tonight. hopefully slumdog cleaning up tonight takes it out of the running for the oscars, other films deserve wins more IMO.

and kate winslet really pissed me off tonight. 2 wins, deserved one MAYBE and proceeded to do the "oh my god this never happens" teary thing for both speeches despite her being the hot shit around town for over a decade

i agree with the kate winslet comment, it was irritating to see her win two simply for the sake of winning two, and her reaction was equally irritating.

Slumdog, on the other hand, was a remarkable movie, and winning last night will not take it out of oscar contention, it will only raise awareness of the movie even more and rightfully so. people should be paying more attention to movies like these instead of over blown hollywood movies like button that get nominated bc they have the right celebrity ingredients.

thats another reason why i give aronofsky so much credit for making the wrestler the way he did. He passed on nicolas cage bc he didn't want the movie to turn into a big hollywood epic that favored glitz and glamor over substance.

[FiddySpence]

he probably also passed on nicolas cage because he's a fucking joke and no one would have taken the movie seriously.

[NiCK Crush]

Nic Cage :lol

[FiddySpence]

http://cdn.filmdrunk.uproxx.com-s1.simplecdn.net/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/niccageonahorse.jpg :lol

[FiddySpence]

oh and even better than punching women in bear suits Wmof9ax_GS0

[PineappleGrass]

I saw Benjamin Button last week. It was good, not great. But I feel like if it's the kind of movie that needs to be seen more than once to truly appreciate it.

Did anyone see Gran Torino? Now that was a great film, aside from the horrendous supporting actors.

[NiCK Crush]

Did anyone see Gran Torino? Now that was a great film, aside from the horrendous supporting actors.

Yea, I saw it... but literally every other actor in the film besides Eastwood was fucking TERRIBLE. It really took me out of it, personally. I liked the idea of it though.

[FiddySpence]

my only beef with button is they need to cut out about half of those old lady/mother scenes. man that shit got jarring.

[pepelapag]

he probably also passed on nicolas cage because he's a fucking joke and no one would have taken the movie seriously.

the guy also brings in millions of dollars at the box office and would have probably boosted movie sales. but again, thats my whole point, its not about making a hollywood movie, which is pretty much all button was.

my only beef with button is they need to cut out about half of those old lady/mother scenes. man that shit got jarring.

those were actually the interesting scenes in the movie. it was meant to be jarring, thats the point of his "ailment." the middle chunk of the movie with Tilda Swinton and the war fighting in the boat were unnecessary and could have been trimmed or mostly cut.

[omgbadbeatzlol]

overrated movie imo

[NiCK Crush]

overrated movie imo

not at all. it will not win any of the major awards. maybe cinematography, and possibly Fincher for his direction, but the chances are slim.

[Boyd onthefiddle]

the guy also brings in millions of dollars at the box office and would have probably boosted movie sales. but again, thats my whole point, its not about making a hollywood movie, which is pretty much all button was.

i understand what youre saying about the choice Aronofsky made, but do you really think Fincher set out to make a "hollywood" for the point of making box office dollars for the studio? its probably his most accessible work but i think it was just him trying something new. i could just be taking it the wrong way but it seems like you are trying to say Aronofsky is a real director why Fincher panders to hollywood which i completely disagree with.

[FiddySpence]

i understand what youre saying about the choice Aronofsky made, but do you really think Fincher set out to make a "hollywood" for the point of making box office dollars for the studio? its probably his most accessible work but i think it was just him trying something new. i could just be taking it the wrong way but it seems like you are trying to say Aronofsky is a real director why Fincher panders to hollywood which i completely disagree with.

yeah fincher is one of the last people to ever pander to anyone, he's notorious for being hard to work with and having a strict vision

[pepelapag]

i understand what youre saying about the choice Aronofsky made, but do you really think Fincher set out to make a "hollywood" for the point of making box office dollars for the studio? its probably his most accessible work but i think it was just him trying something new. i could just be taking it the wrong way but it seems like you are trying to say Aronofsky is a real director why Fincher panders to hollywood which i completely disagree with.

No I didn't mean to imply that Fincher's body of work represents pandering, i am only speaking about Button specifically. Nor am I trying to say that Aronofsky's work is generally "indie," bc The Fountain was a colossal hollywood disaster.

Button paired two of the biggest stars in hollywood right now, so it was bound to make millions regardless of its content. not to say that fincher relied solely on that, bc he did work hard on the movie, that's obvious, but i think it's getting blown out of proportion bc of the magnitude of its stars and the fact that it's an "epic." i feel its mediocre at best if you get past all the smoke and mirrors.

And as for The Wrestler, I'm just proud that Aronofsky had the balls to stray away from Cage when he could have made a more hollywood friendly picture with him in it.

[NiCK Crush]

And as for The Wrestler, I'm just proud that Aronofsky had the balls to stray away from Cage when he could have made a more hollywood friendly picture with him in it.

The Wrestler is my #1 movie of 2008. Hands down.

[godshufflingby]

The Wrestler is my #1 movie of 2008. Hands down.

Would it be a movie that my girlfriend, with her short attention span, could enjoy? If not, I will watch it by myself.

[malachite00]

Would it be a movie that my girlfriend, with her short attention span, could enjoy? If not, I will watch it by myself.

My husband went to it on his own. He loved it, but said I would have been bored and not liked the ending. Don't know if that helps, but I'm planning on waiting for it on netflix. :)

Saw Gran Torino last weekend - wonderful movie, surprisingly funny. I'm hoping to see The Reader tomorrow.

[NiCK Crush]

Saw Gran Torino last weekend - wonderful movie, surprisingly funny. I'm hoping to see The Reader tomorrow.

Gran Torino = Clint Eastwood awesome & everyone else the worst actor to ever be on film. Took me right out of it.

The Reader was also a major disappointment for me.

[godshufflingby]

My husband went to it on his own. He loved it, but said I would have been bored and not liked the ending. Don't know if that helps, but I'm planning on waiting for it on netflix. :)

Saw Gran Torino last weekend - wonderful movie, surprisingly funny. I'm hoping to see The Reader tomorrow.

Thanks for the advice.

[malachite00]

Finally saw Benjamin Button tonight. Very good, but I liked Slumdog and Gran Torino more. I think they should have skipped the whole mother/daughter telling the story from the hospital and just showed the actual story. I felt like I was taken out of the story each time they cut to the hospital. The hurricane mini-sub-plot was silly too. Brad Pitt was fantastic though.

[NiCK Crush]

Rumor has it that the Criterion Collection may have the rights and will be teaming with Paramount to release this on DVD and Blu-ray :upyours

Fantastic news, if true.

[NiCK Crush]

FUCK YES


The Criterion Collection in conjunction with Paramount Home Entertainment have announced the technical specs and special features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', which is due to hit store shelves on May 5th, day-and-date with the DVD release. The two-disc set will feature 1080p AVC video accompanied by a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.

Extras include:

*The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button—four-part documentary:
Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher introduces the surprising beginnings of what would become an epic masterpiece including the casting of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the decision to change the location of the story to New Orleans and more.
Follow the production from day one including the challenges of aging Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, designing over five thousand costumes and creating the animatronic baby.
Explore the incredible visual effects techniques created specifically for the film that allowed Brad Pitt to play the title character at virtually every age. Also includes a visit to the scoring stage with composer Alexandre Desplat.
*Walk the red carpet at the film's premiere in New Orleans, with final thoughts from cast and crew.
*Audio Commentary by director David Fincher

[neilb]

FUCK YES


The Criterion Collection in conjunction with Paramount Home Entertainment have announced the technical specs and special features for the upcoming Blu-ray release of 'The Curious Case of Benjamin Button', which is due to hit store shelves on May 5th, day-and-date with the DVD release. The two-disc set will feature 1080p AVC video accompanied by a 5.1 DTS-HD Master Audio soundtrack.

Extras include:

*The Curious Birth of Benjamin Button—four-part documentary:
Academy Award-nominated director David Fincher introduces the surprising beginnings of what would become an epic masterpiece including the casting of Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, the decision to change the location of the story to New Orleans and more.
Follow the production from day one including the challenges of aging Brad Pitt and Cate Blanchett, designing over five thousand costumes and creating the animatronic baby.
Explore the incredible visual effects techniques created specifically for the film that allowed Brad Pitt to play the title character at virtually every age. Also includes a visit to the scoring stage with composer Alexandre Desplat.
*Walk the red carpet at the film's premiere in New Orleans, with final thoughts from cast and crew.
*Audio Commentary by director David Fincher

great movie!

[NiCK Crush]

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/buttoncriteron.jpg

[FiddySpence]

that's sexy.

[neilb]

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/buttoncriteron.jpg

wow

[NiCK Crush]

I'm hoping this is sign of more Fincher titles to get the Criterion treatment on DVD/Blu-ray. I mean, Laserdisc was cool and all, but come on...

[FiddySpence]

re-releasing his films for criterion on blu ray would be cool, but especially Seven and Fight Club already have ultra-comprehensive dvd releases with plenty of commentaries and documentaries.

[FiddySpence]

and zodiac got a fat special edition too.

[NiCK Crush]

Criterion did a laserdisc of Fincher's "The Game". :upyours

[FiddySpence]

i've still never seen that movie, only fincher film i haven't watched. i've loved everything he's done except for alien 3 which i don't think is even his fault.

[NiCK Crush]

i've still never seen that movie, only fincher film i haven't watched. i've loved everything he's done except for alien 3 which i don't think is even his fault.

It's good, I'd definitely check it out the next time you feel like renting a movie. And yea, Alien 3 doesn't really count in my opinion. That was before he was David Fincher.

[Define Dancing]

http://www.slashfilm.com/wp/wp-content/images/buttoncriteron.jpg

i picked this up the other week and it has some of the best special features i've seen on a DVD. the most in depth making of documentary, it's really cool to see how they did everything. anyone who enjoys the craft of quality film making should see this making of.

[NiCK Crush]

i picked this up the other week and it has some of the best special features i've seen on a DVD. the most in depth making of documentary, it's really cool to see how they did everything. anyone who enjoys the craft of quality film making should see this making of.

that's Criterion for ya

[homermcclane]

he probably also passed on nicolas cage because he's a fucking joke and no one would have taken the movie seriously.

cage was cast and dropped out, according to aronofsky himself. also, people forget that despite cage's less than illustrious career, he's had some show-stealing (and oscar winning) bright spots when given the material.

leaving las vegas
raising arizona
moonstruck

[FiddySpence]

well yeah of course cage used to be awesome, that's what makes him now all the more bizarre and entertaining. the preview for the bad lieutenant remake he's doing looks like it's going to be an instant cult classic.