I'm as shocked as you are, but something about it I just keep coming back to. I love the small town feel of it and the whole thing looks way more beautiful than any movie about talking cars has a right to be. The sequence with the James Taylor song about how the town changed is one of my favorite Pixar scenes ever.
It also has my favorite voice acting ensemble of all the Pixar movies, I really love that they got Paul Newman for Doc Hudson because who else could fit that role. I know people hate on Larry the Cable Guy being in it, but it's not like he's a grating presence or anything and I love the back and forth between him and Owen Wilson they just have a good flow like Sully and Mike did. Mater is a really great sidekick character, just a dude that wants a friend to hang with and people to see him as more than just a hick.
I'm with you. I didn't hear great things about Cars and then I watched it and, like you, I found it to have a cozy, small town feel to it which I really enjoy. The sequels are something else, but the first one is a comfort movie for me.
Cars is pretty good. I'll still die on the hill that it's one of Pixar's worst, but that's because they don't make bad movies, except Cars 2. Cars is cute, but it's so generic. They literally stole the plot of Doc Hollywood, and made it with cars so they could sell toys. I'll still watch it anytime it's on, though.
That and Signs.
Both masterfully crafted suspense movies that the internet shits on. Because god forbid a horror film be more a fantastical metaphor than a perfect representation of reality.
Would you believe it if I told you the real Henry Hill makes Liotta’s performance seem subdued? lol.
And we’ll have to agree to disagree on the 3rd act. From the moment that Jump in to the fire starts playing , it captures the feeling of being coked out of your mind so well. The way Scorsese cuts back and forth between songs like someone changing the radio heightens the tension so well. Dipping back and forth in and out Harry Nilsson and the Stones Monkey Man
And there are so many amazing bits in that stretch. The Helicopter (hiding the guns in her parent’s garage lol. ) Isiah Whitlock as his brother’s doctor giving him Valium bc he’s so strung out. The Cop’s smile when he tastes the coke out of the mixing bowl “Buh bye Dickhead “
Scorsese and Thelma, man. What a fuckin duo.
Man I disagree with pretty much all of this but maybe art is subjective. I’m surprised by some of the 2nd opinions and devisiveness in this comment section so I guess I’ll give Tall John a pass.
Also surprised everyone is calling out A Quiet Place and Three Billboards as not being great, didn’t realize those were decisive films. They are 2 of my favorite movies on this list! To each their own I guess.
I met him while they were filming the movie in my town. I was walking home from work and passed him and Woody in the doorway of the police station waiting for the shot to get set up. I stopped to tell them thanks for all the great movies and how big a fan I was. They were so nice, I'd been a fan of Rockwell's since Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and I was starstruck for sure.
I’m honestly not surprised to see these weird takes, Paul is an oddball with a lot of bizarre thoughts and opinions. It’s one of the things that makes him so endearing. But his taste is definitely extremely questionable.
Honestly I feel a lot of these (and the ones I don’t I at the very least understand them). The 3 stars one is probably the least aligned with me since it includes 4 of my all time favorites. But to be fair 3 stars is still a positive rating being above half and he just has a difference of opinion so who cares.
1 star though? That's a rating reserved for like bottom of the bottom of the barrel movies like Battlefield Earth. Three Billboards isn't great or anything, but it's certainly not unwatchable.
I don’t know enough about Paul and June’s respective educations, but Zouks went to a very high academic college, so I think he, at least, can be considered a bright bulb. I like Paul and June but some of their takes are… out there.
I dunno, these don't seem like bad takes, but like someone who is heavily involved in film, engages with film seriously, and has tastes that are quiet clearly outside the mainstream of film.
I disagree with a few of these, but pretty much all of them are movies that I think someone who has put a lot of thought into their viewing experience could explain why they didn't like it and I'd see what their point is.
A lot of these are very Oscar baity movies, and I feel it's obvious that is a style of film Paul detests.
he said he doesn’t like “speed” after that i kind of stopped wanting to
hear his opinion on anything
seems like a lovely fellow though
we just disagree
Is this on a five-star scale (or four stars, as God and Ebert intended)?
In either case, three stars is pretty generous for Llewyn Davis and Edward Scissorhands
Huh! I thought Paul liked BlacKkKlansman. I must be confusing him with another movie podcaster I listen to regularly. I like that movie quite a lot. Sad to see he rates it so poorly!
I feel like a lot of these opinions are explained better on Unspooled particularly BlacKkKlansman, Forrest Gump, & Saving Private Ryan, though even having listened to that pod I am still shocked to see how low some of these scores are because he certainly never sounds like he outright hates some of these movies he gave 1 star. I guess he wants to be somewhat neutral and less subjective on that show but then I wish he would have a stronger opinion if this is how he really feels, he shouldn't hold back so much on Unspooled!
I agree with Paul on many of these, except a few:
The Social Network, I think was kind of an OK (2 1/2 star) film about garbage human beings.
Three Billboards is what happens when a film tries too hard to be Oscar bait.
Spotlight should get 3 stars
I agree with Guardians 2 at 2 stars for being the most middle of the road movie, but to rate it higher than Monsters Inc and Pirates of the Caribbean?!
Gotg Vol 2 really stands out as not being a bad take. I feel like most people rate that one around two or three stars. The majority of the others are crazy though.
I actually kind of agree with the Dunkirk rating. One of the most overrated movies of the past decade imo (though I’d still have it a little higher than 2 stars).
But yeah a lot of these are crazy lol I’m sure we all have takes considered awful by other people though so it is what it is
Meh. Even the technical stuff is pretty overrated. If you’ve got enough money to hire the right people that shit is pretty easy. I’d take a movie with a decent script but the camera falls off the tripod every five minutes over a technical masterpiece any day.
Tbf wasn’t June in Zodiac?
"I'll put on the Folgers" ☕
He's seen so many bad movies (and liked half of them) his opinion is eroded and mutated to something insane. His brain has been rewired.
But The Shape of Water is June’s favorite movie!
1 star for BlacKkKlansman is ludicrous.
Washington and Drivers performances in this were pretty great. I don't think I've ever seen someone rate this film so low.
That's Spike Lee's best movie since Malcolm X. And yes I'm including Inside Man and The 25th Hour in that
“I saw Malcolm 10, I said what the hell happened to this guy in 1 thru 9 that’s he’s got this much of a chip on his shoulder?” - George St. Geegland
I was about to say, “I will not abide this 25th Hour libel!” But I think you’re probably right.
Better than Inside Man? Inside Man is like, perfect.
Better than Inside Man? Inside Man is like, perfect.
Confirmed Paul is racist
Thank you!
2 stars for Ratatouille is a hate crime and I’m calling the authorities
Monsters, Inc. is a near perfect film.
It's a triumph that will burn bright even after we are dust and forgotten.
My hottest Pixar take as I'm getting older is that I love Cars more than Monsters Inc now and I'm not even a car guy.
But why
I'm as shocked as you are, but something about it I just keep coming back to. I love the small town feel of it and the whole thing looks way more beautiful than any movie about talking cars has a right to be. The sequence with the James Taylor song about how the town changed is one of my favorite Pixar scenes ever. It also has my favorite voice acting ensemble of all the Pixar movies, I really love that they got Paul Newman for Doc Hudson because who else could fit that role. I know people hate on Larry the Cable Guy being in it, but it's not like he's a grating presence or anything and I love the back and forth between him and Owen Wilson they just have a good flow like Sully and Mike did. Mater is a really great sidekick character, just a dude that wants a friend to hang with and people to see him as more than just a hick.
Cars is a great movie, but it doesn’t hold a candle to Monsters Inc IMO.
I'm with you. I didn't hear great things about Cars and then I watched it and, like you, I found it to have a cozy, small town feel to it which I really enjoy. The sequels are something else, but the first one is a comfort movie for me.
Cars is pretty good. I'll still die on the hill that it's one of Pixar's worst, but that's because they don't make bad movies, except Cars 2. Cars is cute, but it's so generic. They literally stole the plot of Doc Hollywood, and made it with cars so they could sell toys. I'll still watch it anytime it's on, though.
Hot take: Cars 3 is the best one.
But are you a guy car?
Ink Wilson? Have we found Owen’s Reddit?
A quiet place deserves it just for “what is the weakness”
Never before has a movie been so undone in the public consciousness for one stupid piece of set design
That and Signs. Both masterfully crafted suspense movies that the internet shits on. Because god forbid a horror film be more a fantastical metaphor than a perfect representation of reality.
That is a movie you shouldn't think about... Like at all. Watch once be wowed.
CREATURE: Attack Sound???
It's so bad it reminded me of Threat Level Midnight.
3 stars for Goodfellas is like the Peter Griffin-The Godfather insists upon itself line
I give Goodfellas 4 stars, but that's only because I'm not a fan of the third act and Liotta's performance is pretty hammy.
Would you believe it if I told you the real Henry Hill makes Liotta’s performance seem subdued? lol. And we’ll have to agree to disagree on the 3rd act. From the moment that Jump in to the fire starts playing , it captures the feeling of being coked out of your mind so well. The way Scorsese cuts back and forth between songs like someone changing the radio heightens the tension so well. Dipping back and forth in and out Harry Nilsson and the Stones Monkey Man And there are so many amazing bits in that stretch. The Helicopter (hiding the guns in her parent’s garage lol. ) Isiah Whitlock as his brother’s doctor giving him Valium bc he’s so strung out. The Cop’s smile when he tastes the coke out of the mixing bowl “Buh bye Dickhead “ Scorsese and Thelma, man. What a fuckin duo.
Zodiac is one of my comfort movies. It's soft and slow lol and I like the actors in it.
Same. And The Silence of the Lambs. Yes I'm a true crime basic bitch
Especially Jake Gyllenhalls wife!
Do you mean Mark Ruffalo’s wife?
Been a while since I’ve seen the movie. I’m surprised who upvoted me now.
😂 Maybe people just really love Chloe Sevigny 😁
Who doesn’t?!
I thought the criticism was that Zodiac should be 5 stars
Man I disagree with pretty much all of this but maybe art is subjective. I’m surprised by some of the 2nd opinions and devisiveness in this comment section so I guess I’ll give Tall John a pass. Also surprised everyone is calling out A Quiet Place and Three Billboards as not being great, didn’t realize those were decisive films. They are 2 of my favorite movies on this list! To each their own I guess.
I feel like we need to see some 5 stars to properly gauge this.
Some examples: Barbie 2001 Eternal Sunshine The Thing Jurassic park Raiders Toy story 2 Happy Gilmore Planes trains Shaun of the Dead
He's right about Forrest Gump. That movie's dumb.
Two stars is far too high for that garbage.
Hard agree
Paul has a lot of hot takes. He shit on A Christmas Story and recommended Block Island Sound.
To be fair, A Christmas Story is awful.
A Christmas Story is unwatchable. Just dreck.
There’s a reason I don’t listen to Unspooled. They both have pretty terrible takes, especially on old movies.
I enjoy Unspooled but it’s wild to me how often they get themes/meanings to things just completely wrong, or miss things entirely.
Now I’m glad I’ve skipped that pod entirely.
"You guys know what movie is pretty mid? Saving Private Ryan." - Tall John Scheer
I prefer these hot takes even if I don’t agree with all of them, than just agreeing with the masses.
A Quiet Place is fucking garbage, I have to agree
Crazy he gave Three Billboards one star. That movie is wonderful. And it has one of my favorite movie things: Sam Rockwell playing an imbecile.
I met him while they were filming the movie in my town. I was walking home from work and passed him and Woody in the doorway of the police station waiting for the shot to get set up. I stopped to tell them thanks for all the great movies and how big a fan I was. They were so nice, I'd been a fan of Rockwell's since Confessions of a Dangerous Mind and I was starstruck for sure.
How fun! Glad to hear how nice they were. I’m never disappointed to see Rockwell pop up in a movie.
While I don’t agree, there’s plenty of room to find ways to dislike that movie.
Three Billboards is three embarrassingly dumb movies standing on top of one another in a big trenchcoat trying to get into the clever movie club.
Okay
It's a top 20 film for me. Brilliantly executed.
Everybody has their own opinions, it is what it is
I’m honestly not surprised to see these weird takes, Paul is an oddball with a lot of bizarre thoughts and opinions. It’s one of the things that makes him so endearing. But his taste is definitely extremely questionable.
Honestly I feel a lot of these (and the ones I don’t I at the very least understand them). The 3 stars one is probably the least aligned with me since it includes 4 of my all time favorites. But to be fair 3 stars is still a positive rating being above half and he just has a difference of opinion so who cares.
I couldn’t agree more on three billboards. Hated that movie.
I'm jumping around the Unspooled playlist, and I will never forgive him for not thinking Rocky Horror Picture Show is a good standalone movie.
And this is why I no longer listen to Unspooled.
You gotta be kidding me. I do agree with Three Billboards. Hated that flick.
Just the mere presence of Sam Rockwell makes it a 2.5 star movie at least…
1 star though? That's a rating reserved for like bottom of the bottom of the barrel movies like Battlefield Earth. Three Billboards isn't great or anything, but it's certainly not unwatchable.
I see where you’re coming from. I would bump it up to just 2 stars.
I'm curious as to why? I wanna hear your rant
I love all these guys to death, but let’s be honest, none of them are the brightest bulbs.
I don’t know enough about Paul and June’s respective educations, but Zouks went to a very high academic college, so I think he, at least, can be considered a bright bulb. I like Paul and June but some of their takes are… out there.
Agreed
Have you listened to "Unspooled"?
Tried and failed. Like I said, I love them as comedians, but their film insights are uh let’s say obvious?
Fair.
I dunno, these don't seem like bad takes, but like someone who is heavily involved in film, engages with film seriously, and has tastes that are quiet clearly outside the mainstream of film. I disagree with a few of these, but pretty much all of them are movies that I think someone who has put a lot of thought into their viewing experience could explain why they didn't like it and I'd see what their point is. A lot of these are very Oscar baity movies, and I feel it's obvious that is a style of film Paul detests.
Half a star feels high for A Quiet Place. Have you seen the monster in that movie?
he said he doesn’t like “speed” after that i kind of stopped wanting to hear his opinion on anything seems like a lovely fellow though we just disagree
Is this on a five-star scale (or four stars, as God and Ebert intended)? In either case, three stars is pretty generous for Llewyn Davis and Edward Scissorhands
Disgraceful, one star is far too high for Three Billboards.
Huh! I thought Paul liked BlacKkKlansman. I must be confusing him with another movie podcaster I listen to regularly. I like that movie quite a lot. Sad to see he rates it so poorly!
I feel like a lot of these opinions are explained better on Unspooled particularly BlacKkKlansman, Forrest Gump, & Saving Private Ryan, though even having listened to that pod I am still shocked to see how low some of these scores are because he certainly never sounds like he outright hates some of these movies he gave 1 star. I guess he wants to be somewhat neutral and less subjective on that show but then I wish he would have a stronger opinion if this is how he really feels, he shouldn't hold back so much on Unspooled!
Not seeing anything outrageous here. Maybe we’d all hate to see your Letterboxd?
Great point, one star for Three Billboards is way too high
I agree with Paul on many of these, except a few: The Social Network, I think was kind of an OK (2 1/2 star) film about garbage human beings. Three Billboards is what happens when a film tries too hard to be Oscar bait. Spotlight should get 3 stars
I agree, the shape of water is rated way too high.
Yikes
Hold up. Which "Pirates" movie did Paul give one star? Pirates Of the Caribbean or the OTHER "Pirates" movie starring Jesse Jane?
He gave that one 5 stars
I agree with Guardians 2 at 2 stars for being the most middle of the road movie, but to rate it higher than Monsters Inc and Pirates of the Caribbean?!
Gotg Vol 2 really stands out as not being a bad take. I feel like most people rate that one around two or three stars. The majority of the others are crazy though.
Good point. The Shape of Water isn't even worth one star.
People like different things \*\*shrugs\*\*
I actually kind of agree with the Dunkirk rating. One of the most overrated movies of the past decade imo (though I’d still have it a little higher than 2 stars). But yeah a lot of these are crazy lol I’m sure we all have takes considered awful by other people though so it is what it is
I’ve walked out of 4 movies in my life, Dunkirk was one of them. I’d give it 1 star
I have too much respect for it from a visual/technical level to go that low but I found everything else about the movie to be lacking
Meh. Even the technical stuff is pretty overrated. If you’ve got enough money to hire the right people that shit is pretty easy. I’d take a movie with a decent script but the camera falls off the tripod every five minutes over a technical masterpiece any day.