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Pre-Order Mother! (4k UHD) (Blu-ray) Available for Preorder (1 Viewer)

Ronald Epstein

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The link below will take you directly to the product on Amazon. If you are using an adblocker you will not see link.

 
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Thomas T

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An astonishing if highly flawed film that I can't wait to see again! The hysterical outrage toward the film (it got an "F" CinemaScore rating by the multiplex crowd) by the usual "the worst film in the history of cinema" internet types is quite amusing. Paramount shares some of the blame for releasing and promoting an art house film as a mainstream horror movie. But posterity will be the true judge of Mother!'s worth. In 1960, Michael Powell's Peeping Tom was reviled by critics and public alike and it basically ended Michael Powell's career. Almost 60 years later, Peeping Tom is recognized as a masterpiece. I suspect in 2077, Mother! will have weathered the storm very well and be recognized for the brilliant if flawed film it is. It's usually the films that everybody likes that I find crappy and any film that pisses people off this much is pushing the right buttons. :) Definitely NOT a film for everybody!
 

Ronald Epstein

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I'll take a blind chance on this.

BTW, I added the 4k preorder link as well.
 

Robert Crawford

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I'll take a blind chance on this.

BTW, I added the 4k preorder link as well.
Ron,

I don't know about that as this film is being crapped on. I mean, people actually hating this film. Perhaps, people not knowing what type of film this was going to be so going in with false expectations and getting something else. You might be better off renting this title. I was going to see it, but I've changed my mind as I don't think this film fits my film taste. ;)
 

Ronald Epstein

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Okay, good advice. I will abstain for the moment and keep an eye on reviews and BD Pricing.
 

Robert Crawford

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The most disturbing film I've ever seen was directed by this director. Requiem for a Dream was viewed by me during our first HTF Meet in LA with some other HTF members during some downtime we had during that Meet. That movie experience still disturbs me to this day. It was a great film, but I will never watch it again.
 
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Winston T. Boogie

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So, I think the best way to describe Aronofsky as a filmmaker is that he wants to manipulate and provoke his audience. Yes, he will put you through the ringer, intentionally, to attempt to force you to feel things...often that we would prefer not to feel.

I think Lars von Trier is the same type of filmmaker.

Now, I also think Roman Polanski does this but he does it in a much more playful way. In that he still wants you to enjoy and have a good time watching his films. So, I would call what Polanski does "delightful" manipulation in that he sort of has the audience eating out of his hand.

Guys like Aronofsky and von Trier want to take that a few steps farther and they want to emotionally disturb the audience...I would say to make them "feel" something real that jolts them. The issue I have with this is that it is something that requires, I think, walking a very fine line because if you go over that line a couple of things can happen:

1. You can repulse your audience and cause them to want to dismiss your film. Basically, like Robert I could see that Requiem for a Dream was a well made picture but also a picture I would have no interest in watching again. Nor would I want to put it on to show somebody else because I don't think I am doing anybody any favors showing them a film like that nor attempting to explain to them while emotionally violating it is very good filmmaking. Of course there is always the argument that it is "good art" if it makes you feel something...well, take that bit of wisdom with a grain of salt.

2. I think if you try too hard to "emotionally violate" your audience then you risk taking your audience totally out of the film because they become very aware of what you are doing. I have this issue with Lars von Trier's work and so have just not been very taken with his films because basically...he is way too obvious in what he is attempting.

All that said it should be clear that a film like mother! is not meant to be a simple entertainment and is more of an experiment than it is a genre picture or meant to fit in a marketing box. This means it is meant to intentionally not appeal to a lot of people. A film like this finds its audience and will only speak to certain people. I'm afraid that the majority of the people out there would rate this film an 'F' if they were comparing it to other films they like or yes, going into it thinking this is a "horror" film.

So, should you see it? Well, I would say yes if only because you get to see probably today's major female "star" do something totally out of the box while being 100% committed to the work. However I would go into it knowing that at least 75% of people that see this film will not like it, will not understand it, and will not appreciate anything it is attempting to do. Which is not a knock on anybody that dislikes the film...this is not a film nor a filmmaker that is working to get you to like what they are doing.
 

Thomas T

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Well said, Reggie. Some film makers like von Trier and Aronofsky (and John Waters) often like to rub your faces in the *beep*. Many people resent that especially after having paid good money. The film will find its audience and has cult film written all over it. I just don't think people expected a horror movie with big names like Jennifer Lawrence, Javier Bardem, Kristen Wiig, Michelle Pfeiffer and Ed Harris to be such an assault on them! (the audience, not the actors though Lawrence does go thru an emotional rollercoaster ride). I'll second Robert Crawford's opinion, Ron that I don't think it's your kind of movie. But if you decide to watch anyway, you've been fully warned so you can be prepared for the onslaught :)
 

Douglas R

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I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I think many people have given a false impression of it in making potential viewers think it's disturbing. It isn't but it has a heightened reality and surrealism and is very entertaining. A good change from the usual mainstream fare.
 

TravisR

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I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I think many people have given a false impression of it in making potential viewers think it's disturbing.
Yeah, I said it over in the thread in the Movies section but this movie was marketed as a horror movie starring America's sweetheart and it is definitely not that. When the average person goes in expecting that and they get Mother! instead, I think they're right to feel mad about essentially being sold an entirely different movie. If it had been marketed as an 'art' movie, it wouldn't have anywhere near an F Cinemascore because just the intended audience would have seen it.
 

Thomas T

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I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I think many people have given a false impression of it in making potential viewers think it's disturbing. It isn't but it has a heightened reality and surrealism and is very entertaining. A good change from the usual mainstream fare.

I don't think that it's a false impression that it's disturbing. Many Christians for example are infuriated at Aronofsky's parable for obvious reasons. Also an act of violence that clearly pissed people off. If you're an adventurous filmgoer, it shouldn't be a problem. But yes, I think it is a disturbing film to many people.
 

Winston T. Boogie

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I thoroughly enjoyed the film and I think many people have given a false impression of it in making potential viewers think it's disturbing. It isn't but it has a heightened reality and surrealism and is very entertaining. A good change from the usual mainstream fare.

I don't mean to give the impression that it is disturbing and I do think if it is will be up to the individual viewer. I can say where at the end of Requiem for a Dream I felt sick and depressed I was not at all disturbed by mother! in this way. I think I was probably more amused than anything else.

In mother! we are tipped off fairly quickly that we are not watching "reality" nor a representation of some sort of reality. We are watching...well...a play and this play is going to have a sort of metaphorical discussion. I think the point of the picture is that people walk out of it and discuss it. That is quite honestly what it is attempting to generate...a big discussion among the audience that has seen the film.

As usual for this kind of film a bunch of people that both did and did not see the film immediately said "No way we are discussing this drivel invented by a bunch of godless commie Hollywood pigs." and so some protest ensued.
 

skylark68

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Never been a fan of the director, but I found Noah an interesting interpretation of the ancient story. Requiem was too much to stomach so I figure I'll be giving Mother a pass.
 

Winston T. Boogie

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Never been a fan of the director, but I found Noah an interesting interpretation of the ancient story. Requiem was too much to stomach so I figure I'll be giving Mother a pass.

Well, with the Noah thing and now this I think Eddie Izzard should be a little perturbed that Darren keeps ripping him off...



Or you know let's face it Darren sits around getting stoned watching Eddie Izzard stand-up and thinking "Hey, I just had a great idea for a film!"
 

Ronald Epstein

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If the title drops to $20 I will definitely take a chance on it.

I am really starting to enjoy films out of the Hollywood mainstream. Just something different, that's all.
 

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