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I first watched Midsommar back in January and really enjoyed it. Not entirely surprising as I'm a huge fan of the Wicker Man, but I thought Ari Aster's 'dread-soaked modern fairy tale' was excellent.
Last night I watched the Director's Cut, which extends the film from 147 minutes to 171 minutes. In my opinion, it made the story even better. Watching Midsommar at this time of year in this kind of heat felt just right.
Have any of you seen this film? If so, what were your thoughts?
I watched it on DVD in January.
I was impressed by it but didn't really enjoy it.
It seemed to fuse a number of different influences with The Wicker Man at the top of the list, but also some of the casual 'horror' from dramas like The Borgias (Neopolitan Council dead), a nod to Logan's Run and a dollop of Scandi weird.
Florence Pugh is going to be a big name very soon.
She's incredibly good in the lead role. Brilliant actress, excellent performance.Originally Posted by jon1959
However (and I know this is contradictory), her casting is my only real reservation with the film. Given the way in which her character develops, I feel that someone who looked along the lines of a young Kirsten Dunst would have been a better choice, but that observation is based purely on Florence Pugh's physical appearance. It's likely that no other actress would have been as convincing in the role and therefore the film wouldn't have been as good.
This is why I'm not a movie critic. I don't know what I'm talking about.
I've seen it, thought it was great. Had the blessing of only a very vague idea of what to expect, which is always the best way to watch a movie. We watched Apostle around the same time, which has vaguely similar themes but isn't anywhere near as good
I expect you have because it's been out for ages and got a lot of great press but have you seen The Witch?
Or a music critic to be fair
Yes, I thought it was pretty good overall, but Anya Taylor-Joy was excellent. Incredibly, that was her first film. She's also excellent in Morgan, Split and Marrowbone. Very distinctive-looking girl, really good actress.
Yeah I really enjoyed that. I worked on a film called The Ritual which is on Netlfix which has elements in common with Midsommar, wouldn't say it's as good though
This is going to sound really daft: I bought Ritual on DVD when it came out because I hated the book.
I liked the premise of the book and was looking forward to reading it. It started well enough, but it got worse and worse as it went along and by the end it was absolutely terrible.
The DVD came out within a few weeks of me finishing the book and, having spotted it in HMV, I was determined to see what the director and producers had made of it. The film was by no means great, but it was more enjoyable than the book.
Yeah I think it suffers from what all but the best horror movies suffer from - the buildup is often good but once you see the whatever it is that's causing all the fear then it just dribbles away and it just becomes an average movie. It's why films like It Follows, Get Out or Midosmmar are so good.
I'll never forget shooting it though - 3 months in Romania, most of it at night in the mountains an hour's drive away from anything like a shop. I work in a Tesco Warehouse now and it's pretty shit but to its credit there's been no snow, earthquakes or bears yet.
May I take that last sentence out of context and remind you of it on occasions in the Butchers?
Thanks.
Absolutely, no problem. I use a similar phrase often enough when describing your views about football, so it's only fair.
Meeeowww!
I have noticed during our discussions about football that under your breath you have muttered the phrase "I don't know what I'm talking about." I wasn't going to tell anyone.Absolutely, no problem. I use a similar phrase often enough when describing your views about football, so it's only fair.
thought i went out of the park in then last ten mins ...just like hereditary
I think Midsommar had lots of good bits but I think it fell flat in general... In the same ways that Hereditary did. Just felt dissatisfied by the piece as a whole.
Also, Ari Aster's fetish of having naked old people in his films is going to be the new QT and 'showing gratuitous amounts of bare feet' trope.
Ah, how I've missed reading quality lads like TLG and delmbox.
Missed you boys
QT seems to be a long toe FT
there were many good bits in both movies but living in sweden now and seeing the movie...it was like watching a mafia movie based in cardiff
Naked old people in horror films: Rosemary’s Baby and the Sentinel spring to mind. You can see Aster’s influences as clear as day, but I kinda like that, especially when some of my very favourite films are referenced.
It made me think of the bath scene from The Shining for obvious reasons - but Rosemary's Baby makes far more sense in terms of referencing. Especially when you consider the main theme throughout both of Aster's films.
On this topic, I think one or two nude OAPs made an appearance in It Follows, come to think of it.
I believe you’re right.
To me, the scene towards the end of Midsommar was very reminiscent of the Devil dream/rape sequence in Rosemary’s Baby. That and the Wicker Man are both in my all-time top ten, so I was always likely to enjoy Midsommer.
I preferred Midsommar to Hereditary. I thought there were too many plotholes in Hereditary and I found the ending very dissatisfying,
I'm a massive fan of the horror genre and realise that I'm in a tiny minority of people who didn't like it, but apart from Toni Collette and, to an extent, Gabriel Byrne's performances it left a lot to be desired. It had some genuinely scary moments in it though, which is quite rare these days.
Midsommar had a lot more going for it, but I felt it was possibly 30mins too long and some of the character decisions were just too ridiculous. The tension in certain scenes were great though and I think the intro was outstanding (Florence Pugh's gutteral crying almost had me in tears).
Yes it has a cult, some 'dancing around the Maypole'-style scenes, it's set predominantly in daylight, and sacrifices involving fire - but it absolutely pales in comparison to The Wicker Man in my opinion (unless we're talking about the Nic Cage version
Hereditary - I know I enjoyed it, but I've only watched it once and to be honest I don't remember too much about it.I preferred Midsommar to Hereditary. I thought there were too many plotholes in Hereditary and I found the ending very dissatisfying,
I'm a massive fan of the horror genre and realise that I'm in a tiny minority of people who didn't like it, but apart from Toni Collette and, to an extent, Gabriel Byrne's performances it left a lot to be desired. It had some genuinely scary moments in it though, which is quite rare these days.
Midsommar had a lot more going for it, but I felt it was possibly 30mins too long and some of the character decisions were just too ridiculous. The tension in certain scenes were great though and I think the intro was outstanding (Florence Pugh's gutteral crying almost had me in tears).
Yes it has a cult, some 'dancing around the Maypole'-style scenes, it's set predominantly in daylight, and sacrifices involving fire - but it absolutely pales in comparison to The Wicker Man in my opinion (unless we're talking about the Nic Cage version
Midsommar character decisions - was it the theatrical version or the director's cut you watched? I ask because the latter contains a decent scene (set at night) in which Florence Pugh's character reveals that she thinks the whole set-up and some of the decisions being made by her boyfriend and his friends are very suspect. It was quite a telling addition, but Aster had to edit it out as it followed a lengthy ritual scene set at night which he also edited out at the request of the producers (like you, they thought the whole thing was too long - the director's cut is apparently the version he initially presented to them for release).
As for the Wicker Man, I first saw that when I was very young and it made quite an impression on me. I've got all sorts of Wicker Man memorabilia, including both the UK and USA first editions of the book, which are pretty valuable, and a mint copy of another book called The Quest for the Wicker Man which now sells for £100+ on Amazon. I've been considering selling that because it's not very good.
Many years ago, I loaned a copy of the Wicker Man to my closest friend in work as she hadn't seen it. We like a lot of the same sort of films, so I thought she'd be well impressed with what I regard as an absolute classic. Her verdict: "Load of rubbish. It's like a naked Scottish musical."
Also, I think I've thought of another for the 'naked old people in horror films' category: Kill List.
It was the theatrical version. Saw it in the cinema, actually. I might give the directors cut a go if you think it could change my opinion at all? Now I know how long it is, I think I'd be better prepared for sitting through it again.Hereditary - I know I enjoyed it, but I've only watched it once and to be honest I don't remember too much about it.
Midsommar character decisions - was it the theatrical version or the director's cut you watched? I ask because the latter contains a decent scene (set at night) in which Florence Pugh's character reveals that she thinks the whole set-up and some of the decisions being made by her boyfriend and his friends are very suspect. It was quite a telling addition, but Aster had to edit it out as it followed a lengthy ritual scene set at night which he also edited out at the request of the producers (like you, they thought the whole thing was too long - the director's cut is apparently the version he initially presented to them for release).
As for the Wicker Man, I first saw that when I was very young and it made quite an impression on me. I've got all sorts of Wicker Man memorabilia, including both the UK and USA first editions of the book, which are pretty valuable, and a mint copy of another book called The Quest for the Wicker Man which now sells for £100+ on Amazon. I've been considering selling that because it's not very good.
Many years ago, I loaned a copy of the Wicker Man to my closest friend in work as she hadn't seen it. We like a lot of the same sort of films, so I thought she'd be well impressed with what I regard as an absolute classic. Her verdict: "Load of rubbish. It's like a naked Scottish musical."
That's an excellent description of The Wicker Man btw
Speaking of horrors... have you seen the new The Invisible Man? I was surprised at how well it was made. I'd probably watch it again now, that's how good I thought it was. Leigh Whannell is turning out to be a very good director, as well as already being a brilliant horror scriber.
Great shout! I was half asleep when I first saw that and missed some key plot points. Second time around... Jesus Christ.
If you didn't particularly enjoy the theatrical edition, I wouldn't bother with the director's cut. The changes are only minor in nature - interesting for people, like me, who loved it the first time around, but not enough to change anyone's mind about it.
I haven't seen the new Invisible Man, wasn't even aware of it to be honest, but I will definitely buy it on release. Coincidentally, I watched the original once again fairly recently. The effects are just incredible for 1933. Very funny film in places too. Reason I watched it was I read the book for the first time late last year. It was brilliant.
I enjoyed Midsommar, a very different film, some great scenes, some very weird ones ( that sex scene!) and perhaps a touch long but well worth watching. I’m not sure about Wicker Man, it made a big impression on me when I was young but when I watched it with my kids a few years ago they thought it was very silly and with terrible acting!
Seen Ritual too, it was okay, the build up better than the ending but enjoyable enough. Saw the new Invisible Man in the cinema just before lockdown, wasn’t expecting much but was pleasantly surprised, it was pretty gripping.
Very difficult to make something different in the horror genre so full marks to Midsommar for achieving that at least
I'm glad to learn that's the case because I spent an hour last night trying to find a way of streaming the directors cut. No fish.
I don't think I've ever seen the original in it's entirety. I'll have to put it on the list. I've enjoyed some of the other takes on subject material though... Chevy Chase's Memoirs of An Invisible Man was decent. Hollow Man in the early 2000s had it's moments too.
The new one is simply excellent though. There's a good Easter Egg in there for you too, as you've seen the original
Just out of interest, do you know if the Director's Cut available to download from anywhere ? I've never been able to find on the regular places (Amazon, iTunes etc). Might just resort to buying the DVD.
I can answer that as my last email will attest
Unless you have an iTunes account that's based in the USA, you won't be able to download it anywhere. Seems ridiculous, really.
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