Best new posit we’ve heard in a long time (via our message boards, we forget who, but kudos): Is Wes Anderson quickly becoming the new Weezer? I.e. A heavily adored, highly influential (relatively anyhow) band that transformed regular fans into devoted disciples who insisted the work remained brilliant despite obvious diminishing returns to the rest of the normal world?
It’s literally the best analogue we’ve heard in a long time. Don’t get it twisted (Fox Searchlight or anyone else), we don’t dislike or hate Anderson or his work, but apostles of any kind with zero critical faculties and fan boy-ish tendencies tend to be wretched and it’s much the same here. It’s like the line in that classic Sloan song. “It’s not the band I hate, it’s their fans…”
This is to say, we don’t have gigantic expectations for Anderson’s first foray into animation with “Fantastic Mr. Fox.” Ever since we saw the trailer we stopped being very excited and perhaps that’s a good thing. Expectations keep growing for his films and we keep getting disappointed. It’s not all his fault; there is a lot of the buzz and hype factor that can make the most skeptical of heart get enthusiastic all over again.
Anyhow, chew on that one or discuss, but we love the Weezer/Anderson trajectory idea. Also, we love it for this idea too. Once you accept Weezer for who they are: a pretty catchy, radio-rock, commercial-friendly band and realize they’re never going to go back to the cool indie-emo days of Pinkerton, you can just settle in and enjoy them. Perhaps the same will happen with Wes. He can’t do “Rushmore” forever. Btw, here’s the new poster.
I guess I'm an apostle or a disciple or whatever of Anderson because I continue to think he's great and the lo-fi, handmade quality of the Fox trailer made me even more interested than I already was.
I don't lack critical faculties and I don't have fan boy-ish tendencies, but I'm clearly in the tank for the guy as I am with a tiny handful of other filmmakers. Therefore, I'm unqualified to answer your question.
Haha, that was me. I'd be more than happy if this became a minor meme.
Another important parallel is that Weezer and Wes Anderson are both what I call "bridge" artists. They're accessible and conventional enough that a young, mainstream-fed fan can love it immediately, but they have enough skill and personality that they make you hungry for other talented, more challenging artists (who may have influenced those guys).
For example, after I got into Weezer, I soon became curious about the Pixies, Pavement, and the Beach Boys. After I got into Wes's films, I wanted to check out Truffaut, Fellini, Hal Ashby (and Hartley). After that, it's just a hop, skip, and a jump to the *really* great, challenging works of art out there.
I'll readily admit that Zissou is not so hott… and while I like Darjeeling, I get it, it's not Rushmore. But really. Show me the Andersonian equivalent of "Pork and Beans," "Beverly Hills," or Maladroit.
Wes was never great on his own. Without Owen Wilson co-writing the scripts he has lost his way somewhat.
Owen Wilson:Matt Sharp analogies also possible…
the Weezer as bridge band posit is cute, but only for people of a certain age, they in no way taught me about the bands you speak. They were in fact met with a lot of grunge-wannabe mistrust at first from people my age (slightly older to just older than you), but in the end they sort of won us over.
Bullshit was easy to smell on all the bands back then. Everybody loved the Smashing Pumpkins back then, and i do admit to liking a handful of songs, but am in now way shocked just what a joke Billy Corgan has turned into. He was always rather vile from minute one.
"i do admit to liking a handful of songs, but am in no way shocked just what a joke Billy Corgan has turned into."
I think a lot of people would say that about Rivers Cuomo.