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J.A. Bayona recommended The Tenant (2011) in Movies (curated)

 
The Tenant (2011)
The Tenant (2011)
2011 | Horror, Mystery
(0 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"Another one would be The Tenant from Roman Polanski. I think it’s my favorite Polanski movie, and I consider Polanski one of the biggest influences in my life. I love the tone — also because it’s another black comedy that mixes with horror. [It] was a quite unique film. I love absolutely everything about it."

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The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood
The Big Goodbye: Chinatown and the Last Years of Hollywood
Sam Wasson | 2020 | Film & TV
(0 Ratings)
Book Favorite

"Wasson bellydives into one of the deepest pools in Hollywood history. Along the way, he tells revealing stories about Jack Nicholson, Roman Polanski, and legendary producer Robert Evans—as well as dark secrets behind the making of Academy Award winner Chinatown."

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Benny Sadfie recommended Macbeth (2015) in Movies (curated)

 
Macbeth (2015)
Macbeth (2015)
2015 | International, Drama
4.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"We saw it in Venice for its world re-premiere, and it was nothing short of breathtaking. The cast of unknowns and the truth to the covalent bond of violence and romance make this a special film. What more could you ask for than Shakespeare presented by Roman Polanski and Playboy?"

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Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
1968 | Classics, Horror, Mystery

"It’s the perfect genre movie. It’s brilliant I every aspect. It deals with some very complex subjects and is done masterfully. Even the dream sequences were so advanced at the time, the way [director Roman Polanski] made it surreal like a dream has to be, but very economic. I love every aspect and I watch it over and over again."

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Tracy Letts recommended Rosemary's Baby (1968) in Movies (curated)

 
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
Rosemary's Baby (1968)
1968 | Classics, Horror, Mystery

"“He was in Luther and Nobody Loves an Albatross.” “Ectopic pregnancy.” “Chalky under-taste.” “Tannis root.” “All of them witches.” “What have done to his eyes?” “He has his father’s eyes!” “The Year is One!” And that’s just off the top of my head. Movies are rarely as quotable as Rosemary’s Baby, and no other horror movie comes close. Of course, those quotes come from a screenplay, written by Roman Polanski, who was faithful to the novel by Ira Levin. The whole enterprise is both hilarious and unnerving, a combination that is hard to pull off. It’s one of those movies, should you stumble upon it while flipping channels, you just can’t turn off."

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Jeremy Workman recommended Macbeth (2015) in Movies (curated)

 
Macbeth (2015)
Macbeth (2015)
2015 | International, Drama
4.5 (2 Ratings)
Movie Favorite

"I’ve always espoused this dopey idea that everyone should have one Shakespeare play that they know inside out. Just pick one. For me, it’s Macbeth. I’ve seen countless performances and probably watched most every movie version. (Hey, Scotland, PA, I got your back!). For me, Roman Polanski’s Macbeth is really the greatest of all Macbeths (and would have to be in the running for best Shakespeare film). People often mention how it was Polanski’s first film after the Sharon Tate murder or how Hugh Hefner was a producer. Try to get past all the extracurricular stuff and just play’dst (with the English subtitles on, I’d suggest) for the incredible performances, the mastery of Polanski’s cine-aesthetic precision, and a bleakness that feels so relevant today. I love how it’s so true to the play yet also so clearly a Polanski film. It’s harrowing, visceral, and frightening, like all his best work."

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Otway93 (567 KP) rated What? (1972) in Movies

Nov 15, 2019  
What? (1972)
What? (1972)
1972 | Comedy
6
6.0 (1 Ratings)
Movie Rating
Well Improvised (1 more)
Humour
Story (1 more)
Acting
Rather pointless...
Contains spoilers, click to show
Despite the controversy surrounding Roman Polanski for the past few decades, he has made some astounding movies over the past 50-something years, Rosemary's Baby, The Fearless Vampire Killers, The Pianist, and many others.

Unfortunately, this 1972 x-rated comedy doesn't come up to their standards, it's rumoured that the whole point of the film was so he could see Sydne Rome naked, which would explain the lack of effort put into this film.

The film itself has very little story, a woman (Sydne Rome) escapes from 3 rapists and comes to a luxurious Italian house full of strange sexual deviants, all of whom fit perfectly in with 1970s sex-comedies, but couldn't really do serious acting. That's basically the film.

The script itself is for the most improvised, and the humour from this is probably the best thing about this film, and does cause some funny moments.

For the most part though, the film is only good for those with a particular sense of humour, not dry, but also not crude, somewhere inbetween.
  
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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) created a post in Dear Smashbomb....

Jan 18, 2019 (Updated Jan 18, 2019)  
How do you feel about watching tv and movies, or listening to music or podcasts after learning unsavory details about an actor, director, producer, podcaster, or others involved in them? Can you compartmentalize their behavior and enjoy art as art or does it forever ruin it for you? How can we reconcile our love of certain performers and their onscreen personas with their monstrous behavior offscreen?

I find it so frustrating and disappointing when I learn that someone I have admired for decades is a perverted sex monster. I want to be politically-correct and denounce their behavior but it's difficult when they have created art that speaks to me and moves me and that I have loved for years. Some truly talented people have turned out to be terrible people. It's one thing when you've known for years about someone's exploits and abuse, such as in the case of Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. Those were things I knew about for ages and I avoided their movies. But another thing when it's someone whose work you've admired and respected for years. I don't know how to feel.
  
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Dianne Robbins (1738 KP) created a post

Jan 18, 2019  
How do you feel about watching tv and movies, or listening to music or podcasts after learning unsavory details about an actor, director, producer, podcaster, or others involved in them? Can you compartmentalize their behavior and enjoy art as art or does it forever ruin it for you? How can we reconcile our love of certain performers and their onscreen personas with their monstrous behavior offscreen?

I find it so frustrating and disappointing when I learn that someone I have admired for decades is a perverted sex monster. I want to be politically-correct and denounce their behavior but it's difficult when they have created art that speaks to me and moves me and that I have loved for years. Some truly talented people have turned out to be terrible people. It's one thing when you've known for years about someone's exploits and abuse, such as in the case of Woody Allen and Roman Polanski. Those were things I knew about for ages and I avoided their movies. But another thing when it's someone whose work you've admired and respected for years. I don't know how to feel.
     
Show all 15 comments.
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Daniel Boyd (1066 KP) Jan 21, 2019

In my opinion, they are two totally different aspects of a person's life that should not affect one another in any way.
There are so many creators that I love watching or listening to that I totally disagree with politically, but I am able to separate those things. Just because I disagree with one aspects of a person's opinions or actions, doesn't mean it tarnishes everything that that person has ever done.
George Washington was an incredible man who was fundamental in the battle for American independence over Britain, but he also kept slaves and treated them as animals. Both of these things exist and that's what makes a person whole. As much as we would like to believe that everybody is either purely good or purely evil, that is just not true, there are always shades of grey.
I am not in any way defending any of the despicable things that people like R Kelly and Kevin Spacey are accused of doing, but just because Spacey allegedly preyed on young boys, it doesn't mean that his performance in Se7en isn't still one of the greatest performances ever committed to film.
Another example of this is rap music. I am a huge rap fan and there are rappers that I listen to that brag in their songs using misogynistic language or homophobic slurs, things that I fundamentally disagree with. However, that doesn't mean that I can't appreciate their flow or delivery.
To be honest, I think that it is actually way more healthy to separate these things as an audience member. If I was to stop listening to/watching everyone that had ever been accused of doing something bad by the press, there probably wouldn't be much content left.

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Allison Knapp (118 KP) Jan 21, 2019

I would have to agree with you there. Talent and personal life are definitely two separate matters

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Terry Crews recommended The Pianist (2002) in Movies (curated)

 
The Pianist (2002)
The Pianist (2002)
2002 | Drama, War

"I want to go into another movie that I gotta bring up. The Pianist with Adrien Brody, Roman Polanski, the whole thing. Now, I don’t endorse his moral behaviors, but I have to say man, that movie… What he did with that character put me there, and I had never been there. Literally, I’m in the theater, and dude, I’m crying, I’m like, “Yo, this is crazy!” I go by emotional moments; if I walk out of the theater and I’m actually changed, you know what I mean? You know, you see the world in a different way. That’s the power of movies, to me. Like, when you go in and you saw the world one way, but when you walk out, I’m like, “I saw the world in a whole different way.” And Adrien Brody’s performance really taught me what an actor should do and should be. He gave everything he had. It was an awesome performance, an awesome movie, and I would just encourage everybody to see that one. That’s one of my favorite movies of all time. I bought that sucker; I got it on Blu-Ray, you know? [laughs]"

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