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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
This was so fun for a movie geek like me, who also carries a good amount of 90's nostalgia. It gave a good glimpse into how the movies of 1999 got made and also weaved in some of the current events of the time to explain why the stories resonated with audiences. The chapters toward the end of the book were my favorites because Raferty seemed to dive deeper, which is what I was craving throughout the beginning of the book-- which felt just a little bit more shallow.
With regards to whether I think 1999 was the best year for movies? Maybe. I mean, so many of my favorites did come out that year (10 Things I Hate About You, The Blair Witch Project, the debut of my favorite director, Christopher Nolan). What I don't agree with is that movies have gone downhill today. Sure, you have to comb through the bombardment of sequels, but God knows I'd make an argument for 2017 being one of the best movie years ever. It featured originals like Lady Bird, adaptations like Call Me By Your Name, and overlooked, political mysteries like Wind River. Certainly, directors are creating the same amount of powerful films, you've just got to (in the words of the American Beauty, a 1999 favorite, tagline) look closer.
With regards to whether I think 1999 was the best year for movies? Maybe. I mean, so many of my favorites did come out that year (10 Things I Hate About You, The Blair Witch Project, the debut of my favorite director, Christopher Nolan). What I don't agree with is that movies have gone downhill today. Sure, you have to comb through the bombardment of sequels, but God knows I'd make an argument for 2017 being one of the best movie years ever. It featured originals like Lady Bird, adaptations like Call Me By Your Name, and overlooked, political mysteries like Wind River. Certainly, directors are creating the same amount of powerful films, you've just got to (in the words of the American Beauty, a 1999 favorite, tagline) look closer.
So, so good. One of the best books about movies I've ever read! I truly didn't want it to end. I would have been content for Raftery to cover EVERY movie that came out in 1999!
This quote made almost the whole book for me, I was doubled over laughing for like 10 minutes afterwards. It pretty much sums up what the movie industry executives were like then (and still are):
“They also fended off Sony’s insistence that the movie’s 29 minute Vegas-set middle sequence be scrapped altogether. Though the two men eventually won that fight, the studio execs became so frustrated with Liman that they’d sometimes go around his back and complain to the film’s editor, Stephen Mirrione. He secretly recorded their conversations, which he then played over the end credits during early screenings, much to the execs’ chagrin (and Liman’s delight)."
“They also fended off Sony’s insistence that the movie’s 29 minute Vegas-set middle sequence be scrapped altogether. Though the two men eventually won that fight, the studio execs became so frustrated with Liman that they’d sometimes go around his back and complain to the film’s editor, Stephen Mirrione. He secretly recorded their conversations, which he then played over the end credits during early screenings, much to the execs’ chagrin (and Liman’s delight)."
In-depth look at the most important films that made 1999 possibly (probably) the best year for movies ever. The Matrix, Magnolia, Being John Malkovich, Fight Club, Eyes Wide Shut, The Sixth Sense, The Blair Witch Project. To name a few. A lot of good behind-the-scenes insight.
informative
inspiring
reflective