Comments on: The ‘Benjamin Button is too long’ meme begins

By: Alexander Coleman

Alexander Coleman — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 16:08:19 +0000

That’s what I said when Alison first pointed to that AICN review last week. If someone has seen it, and thinks the film is too long, why not explain why it’s too long rather than just whining, “It’s too long, it’s too long.” And now as Craig reports, a meme has found itself in the bloodstream of online movie reporters.

I will say this: Fincher’s film is being given front-and-center treatment with the coverage of the Olympics. The studio and everybody appear to be behind this one. This isn’t Zodiac Redux, thank goodness.

By: joel

joel — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:49:53 +0000

Yeah, things like this remind me of the days before the internets, when I typically didn’t hear about a movie until it was opening and could just wander into the theater fairly oblivious and ignorant. Heck, sometimes I’d actually see a movie and know NOTHING ABOUT IT IN ADVANCE. No international trailers with subtitles in farsi, no posters in 13 different versions including the Polish one, no pre-release casting of the Best Boy and Grips months in advance, no leaked scripts, no cast and crew roundtable at Comic Con with entire sequences of the film leaked to Youtube captured on a shitty camera phone.

You might see the trailer or maybe the movie would have no marketing budget so you’d read the first two paragraphs of the PRINTED newspaper review (the local paper no less) and say, “Huh, I forgot Terrence Stamp was still alive but Soderbergh is cool and I liked Out of Sight. Let’s go see The Limey, even though I know nothing about it.” (true story)

As much as I LOVE discussing movies and whatnot with this crew on this blog, sometimes I miss the salad years. A lot.

By: Paul C.

Paul C. — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 14:00:58 +0000

The simple truth is that some stories just can’t be successfully pared down into a slim, trim 100 minutes. BENJAMIN BUTTON is one of them. Hell, this is the entire span of a man’s life, and a life lived under unique circumstances as that. No way to do it justice at conventional length.

But “trust the artist” just doesn’t make good business sense for the “entertainment journalists” of the world. Production woes and behind the scenes troubles attract more attention. Why else would Anne Thompson seize upon this like a shark seizes upon a swimmer with a bloody nose? The casual moviegoer doesn’t want to hear about everything going smoothly.

Sometimes, I wish we didn’t have to hear every damn thing about a movie before it comes out. I’d like to appreciate a film for what it is, not for the incidental details of its making. But how often does that happen anymore?

By: Jeff McM

Jeff McM — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:46:25 +0000

Let’s not forget the 7-hour cut of The Thin Red Line.

By: sartre

sartre — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 07:34:02 +0000

I don’t have much hope of Button making money regardless of length, though I’d naturally be happy if it did. What I do hope is that like Jesse James this will be a cinephile’s film. One of those rare treats of a beautfilly made art film that makes the most of a generous budget.

BTW, those titles were hilarious Ryan!

By: Joel

Joel — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 05:03:02 +0000

Supposedly the original cut of Jesse James WAS much longer, but the studio wasn’t happy and it was cut down. One thing I do know: nothing good will ever come of an AICN user review. Talk about ridiculous.

By: Matthew Lucas

Matthew Lucas — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 03:47:52 +0000

I hope Fincher sticks to his guns about this. I hope it doesn’t get cut.

Could you imagine a cut version of THE ASSASSINATION OF JESSE JAMES BY THE COWARD ROBERT FORD?

How about a 2 hour version of GONE WITH THE WIND or SEVEN SAMURAI?

Hell, people lined up for the 3 hour 15 minute TITANIC in droves.

If anyone is daunted by the 3 hour running time…they probably wouldn’t like the film in any form anyway.

By: christian

christian — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 02:43:49 +0000

I did see an early cut of TRAFFIC and when I interviewed Soderbergh, we talked about scenes that felt truncated, which he did alter. I guess you could say I guided Steve through the process. But no award for moi.

By: Alison Flynn

Alison Flynn — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:12:36 +0000

Hear, hear.

By: Craig Kennedy

Craig Kennedy — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 01:09:42 +0000

Alynch, exactly. I understand the marketing stooges and bean counters crying about the length, but none of these writers represent those people.

And it’s irritating that this seems to be blowing up into a ‘thing” over relatively nothing. I suspect we haven’t heard the last of it.

Ari I think it’s probably true that some movies are longer than they need to be, but I’m going to go out on a limb and suggest Che and Button are just fine. Even if they’re not, I’m not taking the word of a test screener.

Has anyone ever been to one of those? They’re lame. The music tracks are often temporary, the sound hasn’t been mastered properly and special effects are often missing. They’re the worst way to see a movie.

By: Ari

Ari — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:54:53 +0000

It’s part of the reason Che is still without a distributor. “Wait, Steven, your movie is over 4 hours?!” Yeah, deal with it. Some movies need to be long. So what? I don’t get it. I love good 90 minute movies. I also love good 190 minute movies.

By: alynch

alynch — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:45:37 +0000

I’ve never understood audience aprehension towards long movies. I get why studios want them shorter, more showings in a day, but why the hell would the audience want less bang for their buck? Tell me if this statement makes sense: “Listen here, I paid ten dollars for my ticket, so I better be able to leave this room as soon as humanly possible.”

By: Ryan Adams

Ryan Adams — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:30:15 +0000

What’s the big deal?
A lot of long movies would so much cuter with studio amputations.

War and Peas
Se7en Samurai
Calypso Now Redux
Larry of Arabia
Das Boo!
Dr. Zhi

I can’t wait to see the Curious Case of Ben’s Butt

By: christian

christian — Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:08:45 +0000

I heard the first cut was six weeks long.