The Neon Demon

[Wet Blanket]

Surprised there's no thread for this already. Drive director Nicolas Winding Refn's latest exercise in stylish bad taste and long wordless scenes of people looking at each other.

I'm really looking forward to it. Reviews have been mixed but are faintly warmer than for Only God Forgives, which I also really enjoyed. Also, the Daily Mail thinks it should be banned

He seems to piss a lot of people off but I really like Refn. There's room for this sort of pulpy but formalist cinema on the fringes of the mainstream, especially since David Lynch took his sabbatical.

[billtheburger]

It is currently my most anticipated film this year as "Nicolas Winding Refn" is my personal 3 word film anticipation combination.
Vanity Fair called it "Pure insane delight"

[Noodle Lizard]

My friend said "it's a terrible movie which I really liked".  That gives me some hope.

I really didn't like Only God Forgives and even thought Drive was quite a lot of dull nothing, but would almost say I love Bronson and Valhalla Rising.  I think Refn's probably a bit of a hack, but being a hack doesn't necessarily stop you from pumping out something excellent every so often.

So I'll be seeing it soon, basically.

[Garam]

I'll see this cause I like getting lost in his dreamy red mist. It's like cinematic vapourwave or something. I really enjoy these Fear X/Drive style films at the time, but they fade away into nothing as soon as they're over. I wish he'd do something with as much depth to it as the Pusher films again. Maybe the most consistent film trilogy ever?

[Noodle Lizard]

I've still not seen the Pusher films, mostly cos the premise doesn't much appeal to me (I'm generally not much of a crime drama fan).  They that good aye?

[Wet Blanket]

My friend said "it's a terrible movie which I really liked".  That gives me some hope.

I really didn't like Only God Forgives and even thought Drive was quite a lot of dull nothing, but would almost say I love Bronson and Valhalla Rising.  I think Refn's probably a bit of a hack, but being a hack doesn't necessarily stop you from pumping out something excellent every so often.

So I'll be seeing it soon, basically.

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call him a hack: his films are certainly distinctive and they all look incredible. There is arguably an increasing lack of substance, but as art house junk food goes they're in a league of their own at the minute.

He's definitely following a pathway ever further up his own arse in terms of self-regard. Apparently his monogram is a feature of the opening credits of Neon Demon, Lars Von Trier style. His arrogance makes for entertaining interviews though, and he clearly knows his stuff. I'd like to see a Refn on Refn book of interviews appear one day.

I've still not seen the Pusher films, mostly cos the premise doesn't much appeal to me (I'm generally not much of a crime drama fan).  They that good aye?

The Pusher films are surprisingly meaty when it comes to plot and dialogue compared to his more recent work, if no less lurid. They're closer to pyschodramas than crime films too. Especially 2.

[Garam]

Pretty damn good, the sequels especially. Made that whole era of Tarantino knock-offs worth it. Mads Mikkelson's finest hour, too. Think DeNiro as Johnny Boy/Travis Bickle level. Really great.

[BlodwynPig]

The wikipedia entry makes it sound like The Devil Wears Prada

[A Car With No Doors]

When did this whole trend of "arthouse films about fame/WOMEN GOING FUCKING MENTAL eh lads??" resurface anyways?

I mean, do we really need another "Hollywood/the fashion industry/etc. is bad and corrupting and bad" fable? Fuck me.

[Funcrusher]

I'm not sure I'd go so far as to call him a hack: his films are certainly distinctive and they all look incredible. There is arguably an increasing lack of substance, but as art house junk food goes they're in a league of their own at the minute.

He's definitely following a pathway ever further up his own arse in terms of self-regard. Apparently his monogram is a feature of the opening credits of Neon Demon, Lars Von Trier style. His arrogance makes for entertaining interviews though, and he clearly knows his stuff. I'd like to see a Refn on Refn book of interviews appear one day.

The Pusher films are surprisingly meaty when it comes to plot and dialogue compared to his more recent work, if no less lurid. They're closer to pyschodramas than crime films too. Especially 2.

Art house junk food is about right, I guess.

Refn was a big fave of mine in the Pusher trilogy/Fear X days. I always appreciate a well made crime film, and mourn the fact that they barely exist these days, although there are good things being made outside Hollywood and the UK/English speaking world. Alas, Refn always seemed to feel that the Pusher films were only mere genre fare, and that he should be making something more substantial, but I just don't see, based on the results, that he's really cut out for it. He would have been better to stick to what he's good at, and the Pusher films, especially 2 and 3 were really good.

I couldn't really figure out why he wanted to make a film about Charles Bronson, and after seeing 'Bronson' I still don't. He seemed to be trying to channel Kubrick, but not very successfully. Valhalla Rising is just poundshop Herzog. The first half of Drive I really enjoyed as a kind of  eighties vapourwave trance state experience, and the best thing he'd achieved in years, but it's reputation, and his reputation rests on the load of sensational cartoon ultraviolence of the second half, which just seemed like a completely pointless lurch in mood to me. 'Only God Forgives' was just flat out terrible. I'll give the new one a look if I can be bothered. It looks a bit like he's retreading Brian De Palma.

[Puce Moment]

He's very much not my cup of tea, but I don't think he has ever, or will ever, make a better film than Bronson which is far more ambitious and interesting than your average crime biopic. I will probably watch Neon Demon to see if it confirms my view that he is style over substance. I would very much like to be proved wrong.

[Head Gardener]

Neon Demon eh?

[Van Dammage]

Have enjoyed all I've seen from Refn. Haven't got around to seeing the pusher films yet but Bleeder and the like were good films. Is fear X as bad as the reviews / it's reputation make it out to be? I loved Only God Forgives and that was absolutely slated so I'm sure fear x can't be that bad. But still, what did people on here make of it?

[Garam]

I rate Fear X as his best after the Pusher films. Its in the same morphined up death crawl style of Valhalla Rising and Only God Forgives, but loads better than either. Its one of those films were the style seems dictated by the state of mind of the main character. Great use of sound and colour. Last thing Hubert Selby Jr ever wrote too, I think.




while i'm rating

Pusher II
Pusher III
Fear X
Pusher
Bronson
Drive
Only God Forgives
Bleeder
Valhalla Rising

[Funcrusher]

I rate Fear X as his best after the Pusher films. Its in the same morphined up death crawl style of Valhalla Rising and Only God Forgives, but loads better than either. Its one of those films were the style seems dictated by the state of mind of the main character. Great use of sound and colour. Last thing Hubert Selby Jr ever wrote too, I think.




while i'm rating

Pusher II
Pusher III
Fear X
Pusher
Bronson
Drive
Only God Forgives
Bleeder
Valhalla Rising

This. Fear X was indeed written by Hubert Selby. Does it have a bad rep on the Internet? 

[Bored of Canada]

He's very much not my cup of tea, but I don't think he has ever, or will ever, make a better film than Bronson which is far more ambitious and interesting than your average crime biopic. I will probably watch Neon Demon to see if it confirms my view that he is style over substance. I would very much like to be proved wrong.

Did you see Chopper? I feel like everyone who loves Bronson hasn't seen Chopper, which is the far superior and meaningful film in my eyes.

[Puce Moment]

Did you see Chopper? I feel like everyone who loves Bronson hasn't seen Chopper, which is the far superior and meaningful film in my eyes.

I like Chopper a great deal, and you can see Refn using that as a way to get Bronson made. I think Bronson is better because it has more unusual flourishes (although Chopper has a smattering of those too) which elevated it beyond a celebratory biopic.

[Wet Blanket]

Just seen it, and my first thoughts are that it's pretty terrible.

Looks amazing of course, and I can't help but admire Refn's commitment to truly sordid levels of bad taste, but there's neither the intensity or the weirdness of Only God Forgives (which I loved) and it goes without saying that we're a long long way from Drive.

It's basically Bret Easton Ellis's Glamorama shot through a giallo filter, but not half as good as that sounds.

[Blumf]

It's basically Bret Easton Ellis's Glamorama shot through a giallo filter, but not half as good as that sounds.

Zoolander?

[Wet Blanket]

Zoolander with piss, guts and vomit.

[Noodle Lizard]

Did you see Chopper? I feel like everyone who loves Bronson hasn't seen Chopper, which is the far superior and meaningful film in my eyes.

Yes, Bronson is better.  Sorry, Australia.

[hewantstolurkatad]

Refn and nartinez were at the screening of this I went to, saw about twelve people rush them at the end to get their only God forgives lps signed

[Glebe]

I could have gone to a free screening of this last week, if I'd been better organized.

[Old Nehamkin]

Just got back from seeing this. I didn't love it, but I liked it. It looks and sounds lovely. Fanning is greeeeeat.

David Lynch's crazy-haired shadow loomed pretty large over the whole thing. There was a big chunk of Mulholland Drive in there[nb]And a little bit of Fire Walk With Me, I thought. Maybe even a little Lost Highway.[/nb] but I don't think that Refn really managed to say anything that that film didn't already say.

STILL QUITE GOOD THOUGH. THREE AND ONE HALF STARS.

[Hangthebuggers]

I've still not seen the Pusher films, mostly cos the premise doesn't much appeal to me (I'm generally not much of a crime drama fan).  They that good aye?

I really enjoyed them for what they were.

The first one is a tad dated now and it seemed like he was finding his feet, but it's still worth watching as a drug/gangster film. The second one is more serious and explores different issues, the third is more of a dark comedy/drama of sorts.

Milo is one of my favourite characters of all time though.

[Small Man Big Horse]

Just seen it, and my first thoughts are that it's pretty terrible.

Looks amazing of course, and I can't help but admire Refn's commitment to truly sordid levels of bad taste, but there's neither the intensity or the weirdness of Only God Forgives (which I loved) and it goes without saying that we're a long long way from Drive.

It's basically Bret Easton Ellis's Glamorama shot through a giallo filter, but not half as good as that sounds.

That's how I feel about it, it's a largely pointless film which says nothing that hasn't been said before countless times. Visually it's arresting and it held my interest throughout, and sure, I did enjoy some of the more batshit moments, but the characters are incredibly sketchily drawn and hard to care for, much of the dialogue is weak, and the ending's all a bit daft leaving a mess of a film. Which is a shame as I'd liked Refn's work before.

[Bhazor]

Yep. Thats a labia. I know because I've seen one on the internet.

[Glebe]

^It's two slugs going, "Ooh, you've gorn and worn the same purple dress as me this evening!"

[TheFalconMalteser]

What a load of old tosh.

Looks good to begin with.  Some stuff never really explained.  Doesn't really go anywhere or make interesting points.

[Sam]

What a load of old tosh.

Looks good to begin with.  Some stuff never really explained.  Doesn't really go anywhere or make interesting points.

That's your posts on here, isn't it?