that movie: free (like a free Hare Krishna stir-fry dinner is free...) opinion sampler

[David Ewers]

I agree.  I thought she was pretty good.  I'm being overly harsh on the casting in general, probably.  Full disclosure: I quit smoking on New Year's Day, so I'm not exactly easy to please these days (just more willing to rant)...



On Jan 12, 2015, at 12:38 PM, Mark Kohut wrote:

> I did not state clearly. I think Shasta LOOKED early-mid twenties, is all.
> 
> On Mon, Jan 12, 2015 at 1:12 PM, David Ewers <dsewers at comcast.net> wrote:
>> Yes, I would have bought that older straight woman/younger hippy guy thing, too.
>> 
>> But even Shasta, in her thirties...
>> 
>> I'm 44 now, but I can still remember being in my early twenties, living on Haight St. with lots of other young people, thinking thirty was long in the tooth (for making the scene, at least).  Joaquin's Doc reminded me too much of myself now, which struck me as a little creepy, tonally.
>> 
>> My folks, my sisters and I lived in a school bus in L.A. area when I was little (early '70s); we used to park at (on) the beach sometimes.  My folks would have been in their early-to-mid twenties, which was young but plenty grown-up (seemed so to me, anyway; maybe my view was skewed young...).  I remember lots of dirty little kids, young parents, etc. around; lots more youth in general.
>> 
>> A month or so ago I watched a late-nite trendsploitation flick called Roller Boogie (1979, Linda Blair) that took place In Venice Beach/Santa Monica area.  Not that it was good, but it was packed with actual teenagers, and the forty-year-olds were the parents and other authority figures (squares and bummers), with the exception of the cool-guy roller rink owner, who was a drunken sad-sack.  A little more of that vibe would've been nice, but I suspect that if Mr. Anderson had too many real kids peopling his Gordita Beach, his cast would have seemed ridiculous.  So, no kids at the beach.  Therefore, no beach.
>> 
>> I'm a fan of PTA, and was looking forward to this movie.  I really wanted to like it.  I'm not sure if the 'hardly any young people in 1970' thing would have bugged me if other elements weren't also bugging me.  I guess I was disappointed, but I'll watch it again.
>> 
>> 
>> On Jan 12, 2015, at 7:30 AM, Mark Kohut wrote:
>> 
>>> ISasha looked young enough, what is the actress, a youthful-looking 32
>>> or is it 34? ...I would accept a younger Doc with an older Reese
>>> Witherspoon making it with
>>> a younger hippie....
>>> 
>>> On Mon, Jan 12, 2015 at 10:24 AM, David Ewers <dsewers at comcast.net> wrote:
>>>> I couldn't agree more about Joaquin Phoenix.  I like his acting, but I couldn't stop thinking, fortyish in 1970 would have made Doc part of Korean War generation, maybe even some creepy old dude; it rang false to me right away.
>>>> 
>>>> I think most everyone skewed old in the movie.  Is this a reflection of an aging society, or just an aging director??
>>>> 
>>>> On Jan 12, 2015, at 4:48 AM, Mark Wright wrote:
>>>> 
>>>>> Although Josh Brolin and Katherine Waterston were wonderful, I've concluded that J Phoenix was miscast. Too old, playing the part too old, and fundamentally just not enough gum in the ol' shoe. The job description "gumshoe" refers to crepe soles, which are good for sneaky-pete-ing but not much better than leather at the beach. Anyway. As Coy Harlingen Owen Wilson worked beautifully. But for Sportello Anderson should have used the younger -- and congenitally more bewildered-seeming -- Jason Schwartzman. But then, wait, no... Then? Paul Thomas Anderson would have been Wes Anderson?...(thoughtful, he takes another drag)
>>>> 
>>>> -
>>>> Pynchon-l / http://www.waste.org/mail/?listpynchon-l
>> 

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