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High Fidelity

Started by madhair60, June 22, 2020, 03:04:14 PM

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madhair60

basically just an incel

Jerzy Bondov

I watched this as a teenager and thought, yes, that's exactly what I'm going to be like when I'm in my thirties. Now I'm in my thirties and luckily I was wrong. I'm still a cunt tho

madhair60

quite like it overall. 4/5

Jerzy Bondov

Love Jack Black in this. Really funny. Probably the best 'elitist cunt working in a niche shop' on film. Haven't thought that through so don't challenge me.

Shit Good Nose

Always been a big fan and, having watched it the other week, pleased to see that it still holds up for me.  Plenty in there for the current cancel culture to pick up on, but I've got a physical copy as well as a download, so it's safe.

madhair60

it would be a better film if the women weren't just ciphers but I still liked it

Icehaven

I read and liked the book before seeing the film so the differences (most markedly for me in the music discussed as it was transplanted to the US) preoccupied me a bit, but I like John Cusack enough to still enjoy it.

Fittingly I always associate the film with breaking up with my first serious boyfriend as we went to see it the day before we split, and while I was trying to keep myself occupied in the aftermath I painted my bedroom the same dark bluey green that Cusack's flat was (or as close as I could remember it being anyway). It's still the same colour even though it's just a storeroom now, but when I'm visiting my Mum I occasionally pop my head through the door, see the light reflecting off the walls and think about what a bloody terrible paint job I did.

The Culture Bunker

I think this film/book came up in some other thread not too long ago, and my thoughts were that in my opinion the film holds up a lot better than the book (which I find completely dreary now, much like all Hornby's writing) and that the actress playing Laura was hopelessly miscast. Cusack made his character likeable despite the writing and Black, as noted, plays his part very well. Favourite moment: fantasy scene of the lads beating the shit out of Tim Robbins, complete with teeth flying out of his mouth.

A line I find quite hard to believe anyone took seriously was the bit where some punter thinks the Stiff Little Fingers are Green Day, with other minus points being: bad Springsteen cameo and I was never that convinced by Lisa Bonet to play the singer, partly due to inability to play guitar. 

Sebastian Cobb

It's wank but enjoyable.

Shit Good Nose

Quote from: The Culture Bunker on June 22, 2020, 11:27:10 PM
in my opinion the film holds up a lot better than the book (which I find completely dreary now, much like all Hornby's writing)

Strong agree there.

jobotic

Music snobs whose music knowledge comes from Observer Music Monthly.

They ain't proper music snobs.

Can't stand Hornby.

EOLAN

Jack Black and the guy who played Dick were ok. Was distracted because the guy who plays Dick looks very much like Hornby so through he should have had the lead role.
Just found a good looking John Cusack moping about what awesome girlfriends he had and how sad it is he had to break up. Then says sorry to an ex whose father past away and that is redemption enough for him to get back with her.

Also; was expecting a much stronger soundtrack to this. Music seemed very beige.

The Culture Bunker

Quote from: EOLAN on June 23, 2020, 01:50:35 PMJust found a good looking John Cusack moping about what awesome girlfriends he had and how sad it is he had to break up. Then says sorry to an ex whose father past away and that is redemption enough for him to get back with her.
The issue with Cusack in the role is that he makes a very unlikeable character vaguely likeable due to his charm and being a good looking chap.

If I remember right, prior to the start of events, novel Rob cheats on Laura, borrows a pile of cash from her that he doesn't pay back and gets her pregnant, resulting in her having an abortion. And he's not far from shagging some other lass after he gets back with her at the end too, despite her going out of her way to try to make him happy by setting him up with a DJ gig. 

I suspect why I can't hack Hornby now is that when I first read Fever Pitch, High Fidelity and About a Boy, I was fairly young with zero idea about life and (especially) relationships. Now, from the perspective of someone with a cast of ex's and a current wife, I see that the man couldn't write female characters to save his life. Plus his musical tastes come straight from a Mojo/Uncut perspective, where anything more adventurous than the first Ramones LP is just a racket and why can't these kids check out by Van Morrison albums?

Campbell Soupe

Had weird prepubescent thing for Doris... and Bruno, come to think of it

Puce Moment

Having worked in a number of record shops I found their range of knowledge really narrow and dull. Same goes for Hornby who, for me, does not have enough interest in the broad range of music available to justify making a film about an indie record shop.

I have a friend, John, who has worked in indie record shops since the mid-80s. He basically just likes Captain Beefheart and prog, but ask him any question about music and he will usually know the answer. He once named all of the Whitehouse bootlegs that are worth over £100 to an acquaintance who is a Whitehouse nut, even though he has never heard them.

Seedsy

Quote from: Jerzy Bondov on June 22, 2020, 03:12:40 PM
I watched this as a teenager and thought, yes, that's exactly what I'm going to be like when I'm in my thirties. Now I'm in my thirties and luckily I was wrong. I'm still a cunt tho

Really sorry for the bump. But I have got a subscription to disney+
This description nails it.
I was born in 1981. Thought owning your own record store was the greatest looking work/life balance ever

Now, at my age, even with retrospect, I don't think I ever had such a warped view of woman and relationships.
And, as a self esteem point of view lost my shit as much over things as much as Rob

Still, cool as fuck record store

Gulftastic

Quote from: Campbell Soupe on July 07, 2020, 08:25:41 AM
Had weird prepubescent thing for Doris... and Bruno, come to think of it

Julie all the way. She couldn't sing, but she tried, bless her.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=o7-7uSXy2uc

sevendaughters

There was a bit more knowledge in the casting than the writing; Al from US Maple plays the forlorn record shop stooge who fails to get Safe as Milk, Ian from Don Cab and Battles is the guy who smiles on hearing the Beta Band, Dave Pajo is in Jack Black's backing band.

Egyptian Feast

The staff in that shop have the cunty attitude down pat, but don't know their onions - the local skater kids get away with passing off 'The Inside Game' by Royal Trux as their own work and get respect from Cusack and Co after playing about five seconds of it.

Liked the film, hated the dreary book. Cusack and the other screenwriters were wise to change many of the references to suit themselves as Hornby has shit & boring taste.

Gregory Torso

edit: egyptian feast said it

LADIES AND GENTLEMANS MAY I PRESENT THE BETTA BAND

Haven't read the book, I just assumed they dumbed down the musical references so that a mainstream audience would at least vaguely understand what was going on.

Always confused me what the movie is going for, because John Cusack's character is a pretty unredeemed asshole for most of the movie, and yet it has a happy ending.

Best part is Jack Black & the title "I Sold My Grandma's Wheelchair" or whatever the fake in-movie single is called.