Midsommar - Let the festivities begin - The Something Awful Forums

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Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

One of the best movies I have ever seen but man was it depressing hearing people leave the theatre

# ¿ Jul 4, 2019 20:09

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 10:45

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

I think complaining the plot "twists" were predictable is missing the point. The point is not to surprise you with twists, but to take a pre established story and explore the emotional trauma behind it.

What makes the movie special isnt that it goes places you dont expect, it's that it goes deeper into where you have already been

# ¿ Jul 4, 2019 20:14

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Magic Hate Ball posted:

I'd like this sewn onto a sampler.

Only if the border is symbolic representations of genitals

# ¿ Jul 4, 2019 20:47

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Ehud posted:

This movie is something else. It isn’t scary in any traditional sense, but it has stuck with me all afternoon though.

The portrayal of grief and depression and how they affect your relationships hit close to home for me.

If I had to sum up how the movie affected me, I would compare two scenes:

Christian’s attempt to comfort Dani early in the movie felt so cold and disconnected. I don’t think he really felt her grief in any meaningful way. He was a boyfriend in a dead end relationship who felt an obligation to comfort Dani.

Compare that with what happens when Dani sees Christian having sex in the mating ritual. She’s absolutely heartbroken and her reaction is similar to when her family died. But this time members of the commune share her sadness and cry and wail with her.

I was originally a little confused by the ending, but when I thought back to those two scenes it made sense to me.

Dani smiled because her past life was burned away and she finally found people who were willing to feel what she felt and share her pain.

It’s beautiful but sad and disturbing.

That's a real good analysis ehud

# ¿ Jul 4, 2019 21:13

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

I remember being really worried the film would be a global warming message film when near the beginning they say it's the hottest brightest summer ever

# ¿ Jul 4, 2019 22:47

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

turtlecrunch posted:

Filing under "bear not used in the manner I expected".

And "best introduction of a bear ever"

# ¿ Jul 4, 2019 22:48

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Yeah Aster movies arent scary as much as deeply upsetting

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 03:51

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Mr Ice Cream Glove posted:

What do you all think about the theory

that Pele targeted Dani from the begining and that he either worked with Dani sister to kill the family or he himself did it. people I read saying this theory say that in the parents bedroom is a photo of Dani with flowers near the frame of the photo.

Its plausible but definitely makes the film way less interesting

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 13:58

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

I am super disappointed they brought up the pubic hair in conversation because the glass of juice was both subtle and brilliantly shot to slowly catch the viewers attention and I wish he had kept the confidence to trust the audience to pick up on the hints

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 15:03

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

I�m not because �I think I ate one of her pubic hairs� is absolutely one of the best line readings in the movie

I am fond of

Are you not going to talk about that there's a bear?

There's a bear

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 15:14

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

I’ll be honest, I liked this movie a LOT less than Hereditary and think it’s pretty flawed, but it’s flawed in an interesting way at least and well worth seeing on the big screen. Still all in for whatever Aster does next even if I think this could’ve used another once over.

I think I prefer Midsommar as a movie but Hereditary as an experience, if that makes sense.

Hereditary had the best second act in any film I have ever seen but the third act was far too unambiguous when I thought it should have been less clear.

Midsommar doesnt hit the same highs, but in terms of tone and pacing it's far more masterfully constructed

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 15:22

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

the part I�ve seen the most people saying should�ve been cut for running time.

Who the gently caress is saying that. Kill those people

Speaking of that opening, I also feel like Aster casts his leads exclusively on their ability to express trauma authentically. Like, auditioning for him must be exhausting.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 15:32

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Anyone who wants to cut the movie should be given the blood eagle

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 16:38

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

I think the problem is that Christian is presented as far more sympathetic in the beginning than he is towards the end, and there are a few moments of whiplash that sort of make it feel like the movie is trying to get you to root against him

Like, the basic premise of a guy who feels morally obligated to support a woman he doesnt love anymore because he knows he is her only emotional support during the most traumatic time in her life even though its draining him emotionally and mentally. Like, the opening has Christian pretty sympathetic I think. He can break up with her because they both know the relationship isnt working, but also thereby abandoning her months after her entire family died and only furthering her sense of loss and isolation, or try to stay with her while its gradually draining him and turning him bitter so she has some semblance of something to hold on to. Its a pretty interesting moral quandary.

The problem is that by the end he is just ignoring her, loving over his friends, cheating on her, etc.

I would have liked if the film had stuck with Christian trying to do the right thing in a time when he has no idea what the right thing is

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 17:16

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

speaking of christian

I wonder if they had to have him eventually cover his junk with his hands to keep it from being NC-17. I would have loved if that whole scene of him running in terror just had his terrified dick flopping everywhere the whole time

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 17:21

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

QuoProQuid posted:

I got a very different sense of Christian. My interpretation was that Christian refuses to break up with Dani less out of a sense of obligation and more because he's a coward who hates confrontation. It's easier to continue on than it is to sever.

I mean, maybe I am projecting how I would feel in that situation but I dunno,

if he was afraid of confrontation he would not have immediately told Josh he was also doing his thesis on the village. It just would have never been brought up by him until he got caught. It also seems like if he is going for the path of least resistance, staying with an emotionally devastated woman would take way more effort than breaking up.

I read the whole thing about not telling her as him just being desperate to escape and knowing if he brought it up he would be an rear end in a top hat if he left her or didn't invite her. I didn't see it as avoiding a confrontation as much as being between two difficult choices: go and abandon her while she is still under crisis or bring her along and increase his personal sense of burden. Like I saw it as absolutely selfish, but certainly not malicious.

I will admit your interpretation is certainly more consistent with his behavior towards the end of the film, but again, maybe I am projecting. I had a girlfriend who was under crisis (not to that extent) and I found myself reflecting back onto the sense of obligation and frustration it evoked especially after it continued on for months.

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 17:46

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

QuoProQuid posted:

My interpretation is colored by my experiences too. I've just known a lot of Christians and, as such, his behavior doesn't read as inconsistent to me.

I do think its a credit that the film gives him enough nuance that people can project their own experiences into the event. Aster films wouldn't be nearly as good if they didn't have an element to sort of dig at your own traumas. We both have reasonable interpretations of his character, its just we are bringing ourselves into the situation and seeing a reflection looking back

# ¿ Jul 5, 2019 18:08

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

The more I think about it the more it feels like Mark accidentally fell into this movie from a wormhole

Everyone else is pretty realistic and believable and then for some reason a victim from a Friday the 13th movie is also there

# ¿ Jul 6, 2019 00:36

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Coffee And Pie posted:

Doesn�t Pele mention his parents died in a fire?

oh poo poo didnt catch the significance behind that

# ¿ Jul 6, 2019 02:00

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

veni veni veni posted:

I realize I'm just nitpicking here and probably just ignore this post because it's dumb, but there is no way in hell they would have gotten away with this for more than a week or two after the movie ends.

if want pointless nitpicking lets talk about how dumb it is to hold a sex ceremony to conceive a child with a woman on her period

I suppose she could always kept some old menstrual blood around for punch spiking but it seems unlikely

Mel Mudkiper fucked around with this message at 04:57 on Jul 6, 2019

# ¿ Jul 6, 2019 04:53

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Coffee And Pie posted:

Maybe it was from a broken hymen?

I was referring to that she spiked the juice with menstrual blood the day before

# ¿ Jul 6, 2019 15:00

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

One thing that slightly confuses me is that I am not sure what is different about it being the "90 year" anniversary. It sounds like everything they do they do every year is it just the sacrifice that is every 90 years?

# ¿ Jul 6, 2019 18:47

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

I had a thought about the ending. We have talked a lot about the film condemning Christian's selfishness, but I feel like the ending might suggest the same about Dani

The moment that Dani realizes she has been accepted into the family of the commune is when she is crying out after finding Christian cheating on her. The moment the other women start screaming in sync with her she realizes that they are willing to share in her pain because she has become one of them. Throughout the film a crucial element of the film is that the villagers are willing to share in each other's pain and also pleasure as a sign of community and connection. At the end, when the two men in the shack start burning alive and screaming, the villagers start screaming out in agony with them. The entire village is screaming in agony for their brothers, except for Dani. She is smiling, reflecting on her personal joy.

It occurs to me that it might show her level of selfishness as well. She gladly accepted the community taking on her pain, but when it came time for her to join the community in taking on another's pain, she is still caught up in her own personal experience. She is willing to take the emotional support of others, but not willing to provide it herself.

# ¿ Jul 7, 2019 22:57

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

For some reason I found her frown when she was in the dress amazing

She looked like a character from Kill La Kill

# ¿ Jul 8, 2019 01:15

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Speaking of the attestupa, two things about that scene for me

very subtle way to slip in "cell phones dont work" without calling unnecessary attention to it, really liked that

And more importantly, how much did Josh actually know about the attestupa?

He seems to know what it is but still is shocked and horrified with everyone else when it happens. Like, he knows the two old people will be the participants and is taking notes, but freaks out with everyone else when they actually die. Did he assume it was gonna be a tamer or more neutered version?

# ¿ Jul 8, 2019 15:33

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

lol giving Mark the fools cap is some excellent medieval pagan tapestry shade

# ¿ Jul 8, 2019 17:13

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Real talk I spent most of the movie scrutinizing the artwork in the background

I think it was when Christian told Josh he was gonna do his project on the village that the whole time I was just looking at the mural in the background about puberty and sex

EDIT: I might buy an avatar of the little drumming skeleton. That dude rules

Look at him, you know he is shaking his hips with the music

Mel Mudkiper fucked around with this message at 17:22 on Jul 8, 2019

# ¿ Jul 8, 2019 17:16

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Magic Hate Ball posted:

Too bad they didn't do it the Monty Python way, and chase them with sexy naked people.

Uh have you seen the movie? Thet had chasing people with naked people thing down

# ¿ Jul 8, 2019 18:02

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

I want it to make a tiny profit because I would rather Aster has a career of making tiny small budget masterpieces than deal with the expectations of a bigger budget.

I admire A24s willingness to put out bleak traumatizing horror films that get awful audience scores and make a small profit and that should never change

# ¿ Jul 8, 2019 19:13

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Donovan Trip posted:

but enough about Midsommar

Really though, to get the most out of Midsommar you need to think of it as a normie romantic comedy directed by David Lynch and with visuals arranged by Alejandro Jodorowsky

This feels like a mad lib made of names freshman film school students know

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 01:00

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

it's actually because film critics are dumbasses

film critics love the A24 horror films though

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 01:21

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

a new study bible! posted:

I don't agree with that. It Comes At Night has been shat on by basically every critic alive.

https://www.rottentomatoes.com/m/it_comes_at_night
https://www.metacritic.com/movie/it-comes-at-night

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 01:31

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Groovelord Neato posted:

i must've missed the trailers for it comes at night. i watched it after it got a home release and loved it.

It Comes at Night is a lot like Hereditary in which the title and marketing were deliberately misleading into order to really gently caress with you when the actual plot happens

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 14:33

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Do I even wanna take the time to read back and find out why we are talking about tusk

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 16:48

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

bort posted:

I have a male friend who had a spouse who was emotionally abusive and screwed up his life for a decade after their divorce. He came away with the impression that Christian was less abusive and more of a protagonist than I did. I'm starting to think that some of the characterization and Aster's building of their relationship might be deliberately vague, so that we can project our own experiences on the relationship.

Hard agree

I was surprised at the people itt who took Christian to be malevolent instead of just lost and indecisive

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 17:49

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

QuoProQuid posted:

aster has been up-front about this film being a fairy tale and, like any fairy tale story, it uses fantastical acts of violence to punish bad behavior

Snow White�s happy ending includes Snow White and her prince forcing the evil queen to dance herself to death. cindarella�s happy ending has the titular character�s doves peck out the eyes of her sisters. i interpreted the end of midsommar much the same way. it�s a happy ending because the monster is �punished� for its moral failings and the heroine is rewarded for quietly suffering through various tests.

I think the problem with taking this interpretation at face value is that Dani is also kind of a monster and half of the victims did nothing to deserve it

Like, its a twisted story presented with fairy tale logic but I wouldn't go so far as to look at as actually sincere in that presentation

# ¿ Jul 9, 2019 23:17

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Uncle Boogeyman posted:

How so?

She accepts the murders of five people including 3 total innocents in exchange for having a place that accepts her

# ¿ Jul 10, 2019 00:34

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

Budgie Jumping posted:

Could you explain your numberology here? For example, who were the 3 innocents?

The British couple and Josh

# ¿ Jul 10, 2019 01:19

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

You can tell it wasnt consensual because as soon as he got out of the trance he lost that chub like a deflated balloon

Like, yeah, he blew his load, but even post load you are still gonna still be pulling at least a mushy sausage for a few minutes

Nope, he just went right into floppy

# ¿ Jul 10, 2019 19:00

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# ¿ May 22, 2024 10:45

Mel Mudkiper: Jan 19, 2012; At this point, Mudman abruptly ends the conversation. He usually insists on the last word.

RCarr posted:

Quite the analysis there bud

where's the lie

# ¿ Jul 10, 2019 19:07

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