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My point was that no one would ever think to like the movie in the first place without having first spent sufficient time in a criticism-free vacuum.

I bought the movie sight unseen on laserdisc when I was 15 and I liked it, no Internet forum to tell me if it was worthy of my attention. I still enjoy it to this day. You can say that something is lacking in complexity or subtext perhaps, but what is an enjoyable film is a totally subjective metric, and you can't just say that something is or isn't good by that yardstick.

There is plenty of criticism at HTF, but there is less of an attitude of a monolithic "correct" viewpoint.

Moe Dickstein wrote:You can say that something is lacking in complexity or subtext perhaps, but what is an enjoyable film is a totally subjective metric, and you can't just say that something is or isn't good by that yardstick.

If it were any other film I would completely agree with you, but as we've all been trying to explain, this one is the exception that proves the rule. Note that Kramer himself removed subjectivity from the conversation when he rather brazenly chose to title the film as he did as opposed to, say, IMHO the World Might Be a Little Mad Though Admittedly Not All of the Facts Are In Yet.

Actually, Kramer shortened the title from the original, which was "It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World for Washed Up and Over the Hill Comics Trying to Earn a Buck"

I actually prefer the second working title "One Damn Thing After Another"

"It's a Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World"

Okay, so the world's mad. I heard you twice already the first time. What better epitomizes the bloated excesses of the early '60s studio system?

I prefer Kramer's third working title, Millions Now Living Will Never Die

swo17 wrote: IMHO the World Might Be a Little Mad Though Admittedly Not All of the Facts Are In Yet.

That's the title of Woody Allen's answer film.

EddieLarkin wrote:

colinr0380 wrote:I don't think I have seen the film in years so cannot comment on its quality (though it would also be nice to see some of the other madcap 1960s action movies such as The Great Race, Those Magnificent Men In Their Flying Machines or Monte Carlo Or Bust! that can out in the wake of It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World get Blu upgrades)

Twilight Time already put it out. I personally found it quite a bit more enjoyable than Mad World.

Hey! 'Monte Carlo or Bust! is paired with 'Houdini' in a Tony Curtis double feature blu-ray!

The title I want is coming tomorrow anyway. The rest is gravy.

I think what I'm most excited about is never having another discussion about It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World again

Moe Dickstein wrote:The title I want is coming tomorrow anyway. The rest is gravy.

But does gravy on a shit sandwich really add anything?

matrixschmatrix wrote:I think what I'm most excited about is never having another discussion about It's A Mad, Mad, Mad, Mad World again

I look forward to that (soon to be this) thread receiving no posts ever again once its release date is safely behind us all

Well, I'm definitely going to be posting about how awful this film is when I finally get around to seeing it.

Maybe it will show up in a future Film Club theme poll, Films No One Wants To Actually Watch

Yeah theoretically the discussion can move to a thread dedicated to the film so that people who dislike it and don't care can avoid it...

Wait a moment!

That's already happened....

If that were to happen though only you'd be posting in here and then the thread would only be five pages long.

Frankly, as a member of both forums, the extreme love/hate expressed over this film on one side or the other seems like overkill. I get that people are passionate pro or con, but good grief there's been a lot of virtual ink spilled over this one release.

(Posting the exact same thing in both forums. I have equal across the boards).

We'll always win because in ten years most of us will still be alive

Unless you all murder each other, which seems just as probable these days.

Moe Dickstein wrote:Right, people are allowed to have opinions that others disagree with without being mocked. Not a downslide IMO.

If one isn't ready and willing to be mocked for his (or, purely hypethetically and for purposes of equity and balance, her) stated opinions, one is not yet ready to for full membership in THIS forum. ;~}

I believe I've shown my fortitude in regards to being mocked...

;~}

In all seriousness, I think outside of the merits of the film itself, there are going to be aspects of this release that are interesting to those who follow film restoration and methodology. I'm looking forward to being able to discuss that aspect of it with anyone who's interested.