Hi Rodeo! Iâm Frank. Iâm Tylerâs cousin and a filmmaker in Orlando Florida.
I wanted to chime in and just say I totally get what youâre saying about A24 films. Theyâre not everyoneâs cup of tea. there are some A24 films that I absolutely adore, and others that I absolutely loath (Personally). Iâm curious which films you saw?
One of the reasons A24 is a divisive company amongst general audiences, while being praised by filmmakers is due to their business model. If you donât know it, Iâll give a brief explanation.
A24 began solely a distribution company. Instead of making films, they started bidding and buying films from independent film festivals. They sought after unusual, artistic films that most other studios wouldnât seek out, as a means to give independent filmmakers a platform, while also making their catalogue vastly different than what other companyâs were producing.
Theyâve since begun actually producing films for their more successful filmmakers (Robert Eggers for example) and paying for them to make whatever kind of films they want.
It is A24âs philosophy, that giving filmmakers The resources and the creative freedom to make whatever movie they want, without interference, leads to great movies with greater financial success.
This has led to a new renaissance in the independent film industry as of late (love to see it) where filmmakers donât feel as pressured to make what is considered a conventional movie. We can get weird, and we looove that.
Point is, itâs my belief that the hype around A24 and its movies do not come from every film being a banger, but rather its choice to allow artists to be artistic in their craft.
With that said, Iâll recommend my favorite A24 films, with brief reviews on them.
Uncut Gems: The first A24 film I watched in theaters. I love this movie because of the stress it impresses upon me. I am not a gambler, and I do not like to gamble. However, Uncut Gemâs forced me to experience the âGamblerâs Highâ and brilliantly punishes you for it, just as Sandlerâs character is punished throughout the movie. (Also Adam Sandler can ACT man.)
The Lighthouse: As a Horror fan, there is no better depiction of madness than Robert Eggerâs âThe Lighthouseâ. Itâs bizarre, itâs unsettling, and itâs oddly funny.
The Green Knight: A charming film with great cinematograph, great performances, and creative storytelling. impressive for an adaptation of the shortest story in the Roundtable ethos of King Arthur.
if youâve seen any of these films Iâd like to know what you thought of them. and if you havenât, please do! And come back to tell me what you thought.
Welp, thats a lot of words Iâve now typed for almost half an hour. Take a shot every time I said âA24â đ Thank you for your time, hope this helps clarify the âbig dealâ of A24. cheers!
Oct 23, 2024
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i think about this a lot specifically where film is concerned because that's the medium that most resonates with me but i think it could apply to any type of art. consider those "top four favorites" letterboxd videos - every time someone lists a bunch of old or foreign movies, tons of the comments accuse that person of being sooo pretentious, and then whoever picks legally blonde or something gets lauded for being "so real" and "actually honest with their answer". like hello?? you're following letterboxd on social media, watching a video of accomplished filmmakers and artists passionate about their field list their favorite movies, and turn on them when they pick the night of the hunter instead of star wars?? i used to regularly listen to students in film classes with me complain about all the old and "weird" movies we had to watch. i have met tons of people who want nothing more than to make movies or otherwise pursue art yet regularly write things off as too weird, too long, too old, too hard to understand.
what is the point of engaging with art then if you refuse to try and understand it when it's hard, don't look back to the older influences of modern art you enjoy, don't want to step outside of what you know and find comfort in? even if someone's watching all these movies with the goal of having big letterboxd numbers or falsely looking knowledgable about film, at least they're thoroughly engaging with the medium instead of watching nothing but american classics and writing off the rest.
Nov 26, 2024
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Important things to note:
- Rushmore is my favorite movie of all time
- I do a really bad job on logging all the movies I see
- I logged my first 1/2 star (Madame Web lol)
- I try to always write a written review for every movie I post, it was honestly a bad idea
@cadeearick (also linked above)
Mar 8, 2024
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The time of year has come where I can watch a ton of movies at a theater in a 2 week period, which works great for my ADHD binge nature. Last night I caught Flow, which I absolutely loved! Such a unique experience.
Night before we watched Conclave and A Real Pain. To be honest I was not a fan of A Real Pain. This week I plan to catch Sing Sing, Anora, A Complete Unknown, Porcelain War, The Girl With The Needle, and Nickel Boys.
Animated Oscar Shorts were once again my favorite category. Very different from last year but wonderful nonetheless.
Feb 23, 2025
Top Recs from @frankiomalley
Pink Floyd's "The Wall" is a 26 track, surreal rock opera concept album made in 1979. It was later made into an abstract film in 1982. I cannot recommend both of them enough. If you are the kind of person who has a tendency to isolate yourself in your low points, then this album is for you.
The Album follows a character named Pink, who is a fictional combination of Roger Waters (Founding band member, Bass player and vocalist), and Sid Barrett, the original singer and creator of the band who drove himself crazy with his excessive psychedelic usage, particularly LSD.
The majority of the Album's story is based on Roger's life, while the character of Pink is also suffering from a form of psychosis due to his drug abuse.
Pink is a rock star, and a drug addict. He carries the traumas of his childhood with him everywhere he goes, and it begins to build up, like a wall, brick by brick, until eventually he shuts himself away from the world, behind this wall of his own creation. The story of the album tells the story of how his wall was built, how he shuts himself in, what that does to him, and how he tries to escape it.
The story of The Wall focuses on a few key elements. Physical and mental abuse, drug addiction, infidelity. War, poverty, casualties. Isolation and self loathing. I however believe it can be applied to almost anything, and anyone. Because the Wall is at its core, a metaphor for trauma, tragedy, and the human condition. It's about how we cope with our own traumas, and how keeping it in, and letting them haunt us forever can be most toxic.
The Wall is about closure, and I believe anyone going through a hard time can find their own closure by the end of the album if they listen to it beginning to end. I cannot recommend it enough. You should watch the film if you want a clearer idea of what is happening in the album. If anyone gives it a listen and has any questions about it, hit me up! I'll happily talk more about it.
Oct 23, 2024