I actually liked Redbelt but I felt like with a better director it could have been something really special. I like most of Mamet's movies, in fact, but it's usually despite his direction. Redbelt I mentioned because it's the most recent example. Homicide is plagued with the same problems. Spanish Prisoner is the only…

Arrested Development has pretty much one straight man surrounded by batshit crazy people. Arguably crazier than anyone in Brooklyn 9-9. It can work if you strike the right tone.

Very well written, IMO, but Mamet's directing is stifling. My biggest problem with his films is that he has no ability to give a sense of scope to the viewer. It always seems like the characters in  his films are the only people left in the world. I'm sure part of that is budgetary, but I think it's mostly because…

Agreed. I've always thought of Florida rednecks as the worst of the southern
rednecks. Like they took regular rednecks and exposed them to gamma
rays, but instead of making them stronger, it made them more obnoxious,
methed out and creepier. There's a reason the most insane news stories
in the country come out of…

Yes. But they often bond over a mutual hatred of Arkansas.

The coast is pretty nice (the actual beaches, I mean, not necessarily the towns/cities surrounding them). Birmingham is actually not that bad these days. The past five years have brought in some great restaurants and cool concert venues. It's not paradise but it's pretty good for Alabama.

It's the name of John du Pont's farm. Hunt down the trailer (which was released yesterday, but then pulled by the studio). It looks pretty great.

I miss the old Late Nite players.

And the Keach brothers!

That Teardrop movies sounds awful. At least we know Billy Bob knows the South better than almost any filmmaker out there, and knows better than to cast people who can't pull off the accent.

Daddy and Them is kind of a mess of a movie structurally (long dream sequences, too many characters and loose threads etc.), but the dialogue and characters are so good it doesn't really matter. Jim Varney in a semi-serious, non-Ernest role? Walton Goggins playing an effeminate wacko? John Prine dispensing wisdom and…

Yeah, they have a production company together called Rough House. They also produced The Comedy last year.

Same here. I was MySpace friends with him (yeah, that's right) back before Foot Fist Way came out and I remember seeing something about that movie on his profile and thinking "this guy seemed pretty funny in ATRG, hopefully this karate movie gets released on video at some point." Did not anticipate such a massive…

I agree. He's always making bold decisions, but many times he likely doesn't have a collaborator like Green who can help him to tone it down (or turn it up, as the case may be). He always just needs the right project and the right director.

This song didn't do a lot for me until I saw them perform it live, and it immediately became my favorite Walkmen song. Just an astounding performance by everyone, particularly Leithauser.

Not a bad venue if you don't mind getting covered in beer by Ole Miss students.

You said the soft part loud and the loud part soft!

I don't share your love for Argo (still think Gone Baby Gone is his best directorial effort) but I agree with the sentiment of your post. I would not miss Affleck the actor very much if he went away, but I would miss Affleck the director quite a bit. The fact that this movie I won't see will push back far more…

Actually, yes. I know a couple of older guys who hire car detailers. Granted, I don't think it's their only source of income.

Agree with your post. I think all three comedies have enough unique weirdness in them (particularly the first two) to make them worthwhile entries in DGG's filmography. Pineapple Express is a hilarious action comedy and possibly my favorite Apatow action movie behind Superbad. It's got an almost Altman-ish, or at…