VCDQuality Forums (http://www.vcdhq.com/forum/index.php)
- Movie, movies and more movies! (http://www.vcdhq.com/forum/forumdisplay.php?forumid=14)
-- Review: L.A. Twister (2004) (http://www.vcdhq.com/forum/showthread.php?threadid=47408)

wow, kinda shocked when i see the director of the movie, posting here. Its really cool, but...

To tell you the truth,

I've never seen this movie.
I've never heard of this movie.

But after this seeing this thread, and the director's ideas. I'll be picking up the DVD, no bullshit.

I wish more of the "hollywood" guys were more like this. Wish i had more to say, but maybe I'll comment more on this after I see the dvd.

About Piracy;
I dont support or condone selling what you download in any way. Thats the real stealing, in my honest opinion--'Not buying the movie you probally like/love, and then selling it to other people who probaly will not see the good movie in the theaters or buy the dvd.' (hope that made sense)

I do support 'try before you buy'.

Why should I pay the little money I have to see a movie that might end up being terrible and a waste of time? And hey, if you honestly made a good movie or game, I dont see why I shouldnt buy and support(as in tell other people about a great movie/game) your stuff. Pretty much that simple to me.

Kinda like that movie equilibrium. Not many people heard about it, it didnt do too well at the box office. Honestly I downloaded it. I ended up loving the flick, told some friends about it, and we ended up going to see it at the theatres together. And a few months later when the dvd came out, I loved watching it so much I picked up a copy.

Thats pretty much all I gotta say.

Dont really care if I end up on the dvd, I just wanted to throw my 2 cents in.

__________________

i read these forums from time to time and this is by far the best thread ive read... it was so good, it inspired me to post! i haven't seen the movie, but after watching the web stream for 6 hours straight, i will certainly be buying the dvd!

and on that note, back to the stream!


.//chris

__________________
The best things in life are free... after rebate.

Well i finally got the time to check this movie out.

And must say this one is for sure in my
top 3 of this years movies (the year isn't over yet u know)

Watched it with a buddy of mine just now and we had great fun watching it.

I'll be buying the dvd for sure if when it gets released in the Netherlands

Well I watched it, and I loved it, the whole part about what he does because he lost his wife (dont want to spoil for amnyone who hadn't seen it yet) well it really hit home with me, you got it down to the T Sven, I say this because I in the past felt the same way about someone, and was seriously thinking about doing the same thing. Luckily we repaired the relationship. but back to the movie, I loved it. great storyline, I look forward to seeing more of your work.

oh, and i should add that normally I would hate a storyline like this, but this one is going into my favorites collection.

I Would like to say respect to sven on his opinions, shame most dont think like that.
I think people should be able to try b4 they buy? E.G if u go 2 buy a second hand car u dont just go yeah i will take it, with out a test run do u?

I think films/music should be the same. and if u like it and respect the artist/director then you support them by buying the film/music.

As for this form i bet this has given the film more free advertizing than any other film out there.
I have just heard about it and if it as good as everyone say's i guess i better watch it. (Not on for download anymore tho)

Sven, you the man, you really are! Heh, just wanted to say that. Don't really have anything to say about piracy, that has not been said already. But i'll say this, if it had not been for this thread i would have never heard about this movie.

Hopefully i will like the movie. And if i do, i will buy the DVD for sure. Hell, i'll prolly buy it anyways.

I will edit after i've seen the movie...

::edit:: I finally had time to watch it..

I liked the movie a lot. It wasn't laugh out loud funny, but it made me smile a lot. And the acting was great. I really cared about the characters. I even got a tear in my eye during the hanging scene, heh. It gets an 8- from me. It's not the best movie i've ever seen, but it's certainly better then most other movies released this year. I will defenitly recommend it to my friends.

New York Times Review/Video Mastering for DVD

Here is some food for discussion. Ran this morning in the New York Times:


December 10, 2004
MOVIE REVIEW | 'L.A. TWISTER'
Movie-Within-a-Movie, Mixed In With the Movie
By STEPHEN HOLDEN


The barely watchable buddy comedy "L.A. Twister" is so sloppily put together it bungles its recycled movie-within-a-movie conceit. Its fatuous pals, Lenny (Zack Ward), an unemployed actor who moonlights as a limo driver, and his best friend, Ethan (Tony Daly), a plumber left suicidally mopey after his wife deserts him, decide that the only way to break into films is by producing their own.
The product they create thanks to a last-minute windfall is the same B-movie comedy we're watching of their Hollywood misadventures. Excerpts from that product, "Lenny and Ethan in L.A.," starring themselves (naturally), are crudely woven into the "real" story. It isn't easy to tell the "real" from the fictional, which is one of the comedy's unproductive jokes.
Both versions rely on stale, sexist sitcom clichés: the monstrously obese, female casting agent who manipulates young actors into sexual service by promising them juicy roles; the pretty starlet married to a rich, monstrous financier; the Christian cuties who live next door and play strip Scrabble; the thuggish entrepreneur who boasts, "I know people who know people who know people" and who later reneges on his financial promises; the actress whose screams of "Yes, yes, yes!" while winning at backgammon must be the umpteen-thousandth rip-off of Meg Ryan's yelps in "When Harry Met Sally."
Even after he softens in the arms of Mindy (Jennifer Aspen), a classically trained actress married to a karate instructor, Mr. Ward's Lenny is an intensely disagreeable character: a stupid, selfish jive-talking ferret. Mr. Daly's dead-eyed Ethan suggests Keanu Reeves on Thorazine.
"L.A. Twister" is the first feature film directed by Sven Pape. Its aim is inches above the gutter.


-------


On another note, we finished the Video Master for the DVD today. I am very happy with the way it came out. We could only afford a 10-hour session, but I think we made it look great. Kudos to color timer Kevin O-Connor. Shortly I'll be able to put it online.

good times,

Sven
www.snowdogfilms.com

The New York Times smells. Hang the journo!

I think everyone's comments hear speak more than that lame review.

Sven, any news on when the DVD will be available to buy? As much as i'd like to get a copy from the website, i'd rather have the real deal on my shelf!

Oh, on another note, what have you got lined up next to direct? I understand if you can't comment on it for contractual reasons no probs.

The truth is.. the movie isn't for the Unintelligent and if a critic can't see the difference between the two stories within the movie, he's on the lower end of the stick.

__________________
Spitball Admin
http://www.spitballcinema.com

Awesome

Awesome film.. not posted here before but thought i should comment on this one.. Outstanding!

quote:

---

Originally posted by pHo
I've kept my mouth shut so far, because I was at work when this whole thing broke out, and a lot of posts were already here stating pretty much the usual thing. Plus I've written so many of these long piracy based posts, I wanted to contribute something a bit more this time

Piracy is such an odd subject, because its not simply a case of "its right" or "its wrong". People will lose money because of it... but thats the key.. money. It seems that the majority of large film houses have forgotten the "art" and seem to concentrate on making as much money as possible, even tho the industry is booming at the moment. And why shouldn't the industry be booming, lots of cheap sequels, remakes and badly written "teen comedies" that I'm shocked were even considered by a normal human being to be made. But people go to see them, people buy the DVDs, and they make a lot of money.. basically exploiting the masses stupidity. You can sell the same film to a lot of people over and over again in different guises, and they'll keep lapping it up.

When it come's to independent, obviously the money matters as it really can affect whether the next film will be made or not. But at the same time, you're only going to have limited marketing ability for a new, clever and original film compared to the WB will have for Police Academy 8. Its without doubt that more paying customers will go to, and even have the ability to see, a new Police Academy movie, compared to an independent that isn't backed or hyped by a larger studio. So in this aspect, piracy is good. If everyone out there took the "risk" of downloading a movie they don't necessary know much about, or recognise the actos/actresses, they might find they enjoy the films more. And if everyone does this... the studio will realise this. More theaters bring in more indies, and more people go to them due to previous experiences. Maybe then we can finally have a Hollywood that is capable of putting out more than about 5 good fims a year, and spending the rest of its budgets backing films that are guaranteed success. Miramax is probably the worst of the bunch, for buying the rights to foreign movies just to make sure they're not released. Whatever happened to the US release of Battle Royale? Oh yeah, its still in their vaults as they'd rather remake it than introduce the country to another kind of cinema. If it wasn't for piracy, I'm sure a lot of people wouldn't have seen that film in the west, and now there's a lot of hype surrounding HK, Korean and Japanese cinema again. Fingers crossed the same can happen for home grown talent. One of our (Mystic and myself) favorite movies of recent years was Interstate 60. Watching the extras shows you how hard a film it was to make due to the studios not wanting to buy films without obvious selling points.. the fact it was Bob Gale's project (creator of the Back to the Future series) meant nothing to them. I60 is without doubt one of the best storytelling films of recent years, and the fact it was close to not being made is... disgusting. At least on here, we have a decent community generally, and as we discuss movies that are freely available, a lot of people are opening their minds... this can only be a good thing surely. I don't think the majority of people downloading indie flicks are the kind that think "hey, i was going to buy this.. but now its free!", but the sort that are willing to take a chance. Personally, I don't think if i went down my local market, to see the scumbags selling pirated wares.. I don't think a film like LA Twister would be on their desks, regardless of the quality of filmmaking. Like the rest of the masses, they're more comfortable with selling commercialised crap, and in all honesty the only reason I dislike these people is because of the ethics involved, and the fact it puts people like us in a bad light. I couldn't give a damn if half of Hollywood closes overnight due to piracy, if it did it'd be because of their inability to create decent films, and it's their own doing. Independent cinema will always live on, as long as people have the ability to write and pick up a camera.. and create.

Amazingly, I think a thread like this will actually help spur the success of the movie. In the UK, if you're not online and you don't read industry publications, there's very little doubt that you won't have heard of a movie called LA Twister, but I think every active member of our community has.. and I think a large percentage of them have it now because of this! People see the fact the director has taken the time out to talk here, and rather than criticise and shout his mouth off about how our actions are killing him, seems pleased that people are talking about and enjoying his movie. It really does make a difference, and again.. hopefully this will spur sales of the DVD, and make the major labels take note. I'm sure if a new wave of independent filmmakers does manage to take Hollwood by storm, they'll manage to screw it up in their own special way.. but thats life

Incidentally, you're not actually the first film maker on our forum whose had their work put out on the net. Jane White is Sick and Twisted was distributed for free, and the director took note, so that might be of interest to you. Alas, I was never able to secure a copy myself, and I've never seen it advertised or mentioned on our shores. Which is a shame, as it sounds like an interesting movie i'd probably really enjoy. Personally, I have a PD150 sitting next to me thats aching to be used creatively, it's just a case of time, money and talent Maybe in the future I'll be able to comment on one of my own films being passed around the net (even if I'm the one to put it out there myself )

edit: oh yeah, forgot to mention good ol' Uwe Boll he should have his status changed from Filmmaker, to Marketing Genius.

---

__________________
Jesus fucking christ my sig was huge so Dwaggy replaced it with this message

quote:

---

Sven, any news on when the DVD will be available to buy? As much as i'd like to get a copy from the website, i'd rather have the real deal on my shelf!

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sven
Mystic how about you introduce this thread on the DVD (either on video, or voice recording or written)?

---

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sven
Mystic how about you introduce this thread on the DVD (either on video, or voice recording or written)?

---

__________________
563-773-1880

<Dwaggy> i caught you a delicious Bass
<The404> This is because you are an idiot

quote:

---

Originally posted by Sven
Mystic how about you introduce this thread on the DVD (either on video, or voice recording or written)

---

Yeah they were right, very good movie one of the best this year. Right up there with Garden State amoung my favs of the year. Cheers to sven....one dvd sale here.

Very good movie..and on the topic of that New York Times review...big paper's don't care about small time movies. Zero Day is also one of a few that was way overlooked along with this one.

Hey Sven,
when will it released in germany ? Hope to see it here, my english isnt very well so i dont understand all the dialogues! But i must admit, that this movie is the best for 2004, last time no ambitious movies were released. A little note to piracy, without the internet i would have never been the chance to see that GREAT movie ! Hope you answer me and i have to apologize me for my bad english ! Du sprichst ja auch deutsch aber das wäre unpassend in diesem Forum



regards Erik-K.

Hi Sven, is there a date as too when the movie will hit your website as i haven't seen it yet and i'm almost going crazy cause i just can't find it

Aside from release date discussion, I'd like to add that L.A. Twister is still a limited showing in a few places around the States. If you live in any of the areas where it will be shown, I suggest going.

January: Davis, CA
February: Portland, OR - Foxtower
February: Pittsburg, PA - Harris
Hartford, CT - Real Art Ways

One of the corner-stone events of my year was traveling to The Orpheum and seeing L.A. Twister on the big screen.