Ghost World

Rating:
Summary: Don't Believe what you've heard
Review: Ghost World is one of the most dissapointing movies I've ever seen, and believe me I've seen some bad ones. It starts out strong like most good movies. Unfortunately it's different and unusual beggining is not enough.

The characters started out as very quirky, the premise was different and it had great promise to become a fantastic movie. Then it just stopped. Then it became predictable, unrealistic and most of all BORING!!!!! It's one of those movies that trys to be new, cutting edge, and chock full of symbolism, but ends up coming off as trying way too hard.

I'm sorry but I am tired of watching the same old thing. Girl starts out with potential, Girl's life begins to progress the Girl screws up Girls life is ruined, and finally Girl finds herself and what she wants. Do I really need to list off all the movies that have the exact same plot? And then they add weird characters that dont mean anything. (The man sitting at the bus stop waiting for the bus that will never come ooooohh exciting Please thats so old and done and STUPID!!!)

I expected more of these fantastic actors, but most of all I expected more of the viewers and critics. Just become it seems like it has some big deep meaning doesnt mean it has one, and everyone calling it a fantastic realistic coming of age movie. Umm HELLO nobody lives like that nobody acts like that, life isnt that cruel. Alright yes the main characters demeanor resembled that of a teenager, but all the characters around her were so fake and stereotypical.

So, to end up I have to say if you value your precious time dont waste two hours on an awful movie. Check out my list and rent one of those. I guarantee a good movie experience.

Rating:
Summary: Like nothing else you've ever seen...and hilarious, too.
Review: Actually, I don't know what was more fun - watching Thora Birch's excellent acting in this movie, or reading the one-star reviews posted here on amazon[.com] from people who didn't like the film. I agree that 'Ghost World' is an acquired taste.

The one scene that sticks in my head is the series of encounters Birch's Enid has when she decides to give it go as counter help at a movie concession stand. Her snarky, jaded look at the world results in a series of hilarious "customer friendly" interactions. And...she's out of there. It's a perfect set of takes by Birch.

Rating:
Summary: Strange mix of truths and false notes
Review: Look, I'm an open minded movie lover. I love The Royal Tenenbaums and Amelie, A Clockwork Orange and The Graduate, Eyes Wide Shut and Big Night and scores of other non-mainstream films. I also like Scooby-Doo, My Big Fat Greek Wedding, Planes, Trains and Automobiles and a lot of other conventional fare.

But to me Ghost World is a mixed bag. Great characterizations. Some great dialogue. Many nice moments. The movie has heart. But it hit too many false notes. I can buy Thora Birch in her situation falling for Steve Buscemi, but Buscemi's character falling for the Dana character? No. The movie seems to play it off as just comedy. Just that sort of inexplicable relationship that occurs to drive the third person in a love triangle insane. I don't think so, not here. This sort of perception is always what we have from afar. In this movie we know too much about Buscemi and about the Dana character to believe that they'd spend more than two dates together.

Then there's the kooky hockey hair guy at the convenience store. He just stepped out of another movie. He'd be fine in another movie, but he feels out of place here, too broadly drawn.

The Josh character is underdeveloped and seems extraneous to the plot. Maybe his story made more sense in the original screenplay and some of his scenes were deleted. I didn't watch the deleted scenes on the DVD.

The Norman character, waiting for the bus, was just a lame device to set up the heavy-handed ending. A metaphor that was not subtle enough to work.

The divide between Thora and her best friend happened too quickly, I thought.

The art teacher, while funny, was too much of a contradiction to be believable. Yes, she's a dilettante with no talent. But she's still not drawn from the beginning as the type to cut down true art like Thora's notebook sketches while lauding crap like the found object art of the teacup and tampon. I think her character was set up as the type to prize everything the kids do as art. Another false note.

And frankly, I think it's hard to root for a character like Thora's who doesn't really want anything. She wants Buscemi, yes, but not really. More the idea of him. She rejects everything, fine, there are people like that in this world. I can appreciate that. But unless you're one of those people and relate to her because you're like her, then she's hard to relate to. I don't think it's a universal human quality to reject everything. There are a lot of characters I'm nothing like but that I still can root for or relate to because on some level they embody a universal truth or universal human quality. Thora's character is not universal. Okay. Only... for this reason, most people won't like Ghost World.

Still and all, you've got to hand it to the filmmakers for their originality. But this is not a solid movie all around. It had a lot of potential...

Rating:
Summary: i must not be hip enough to understand this...
Review: Ghost World is one of the worst movies i have ever seen, i can't believe someone reviewing this movie dared compare it to rushmore. I'm so sick of stupid 'indie' kids ridiculing pop culture, and thats the whole point of this movie...worthless. And on top of the stupid plot, Thora Birch is ugly and she has cankles, and those damn combat boots certainly don't make things better. My idea of a pleasant movie going experience is not ghost world, in fact in my ideal movie, none of the actors/actresses in ghost world would be present, they'd all be dead. After watching this movie, i felt like going on a murderous rampage, thats how bad it is.

Rating:
Summary: A decent movie, but not great
Review: I kind of liked "Ghost World" but It seems everybody liked it more than me. Thora's character was not that likeable and cursed like a drunken sailor.(Heavy duty F words) Her friend was just as miserable and disappeared down the stretch. There was nothing amusing about Buscemi's character either as he was just as depressing as everybody else. He was a slob too, stuffing his face with fried chicken. The art fiasco I didn't understand because nobody ever mistook me for a mis-guided genius because I didn't much care, like Thora. The movie asks many questions that never get answered, like the meaning of the eventual romance and the sudden blow off. Why. Did he smell? Please rent this movie first and decide for yourself. We all see the world differently.

Rating:
Summary: Worst Movie Ever
Review: I actualy thought this was one of the worst movies I've ever seen in my life. It's just incredibly awful. Thora Birch has an incredibly large rear in this film too...

Rating:
Summary: Misanthropic Fun
Review: When I first saw an advertisement for the Ghost World DVD I expected it to be another teen comedy like American Pie, but I was pleasantly surprised when I found out that Terry Zwigoff directed it since I really enjoyed the heck out of Crumb. Ghost World is about what you would expect after seeing Crumb, though Crumb was an actual documentary and this is fiction. There really isn't a typical plot, but the characters are really great. If you despise most contemporary culture--MTV, rap music, sports bars, frat boys, business majors, fake fifties diners, and so on--then you'll most likely embrace the misanthropic spirit of this film. It doesn't provide any simple answers, but it's still a cathartic experience watching the film's star, Enid, reject everything around her. If movies like American Pie make you angry, if TV shows like MTV's Real World make you want to vomit, if you feel alienated by every popular song played on the radio, and feel that maybe the Earth would be a better place if it were struck by an asteroid, then this DVD is a must-buy.

Rating:
Summary: Accenuate the Negative
Review: Buddies Enid (Thora Birch) and Rebecca (Scarlett Johansson) graduate from high school and have no idea what to do with their futures, yet this is not your typical high school/slacker movie.

After playing around with the "L.A. Weekly" personal ads, they trick a middle-aged man Seymour (Steve Buscemi) into meeting 'his lovely blonde that you met on an airplane' at a local restaurant. Seeing his disappointment and sadness, Enid develops a friendship with Seymour. They both like music and Enid starts to abandon her future plans, and Rebecca, to spend time with this man. Ileana Douglas, as the pottery teacher Roberta, gives a hilarious supporting performance.

Very cynical and dark...at times even funny! One of the most underrated and best films of 2001! If you like "Election", you'll love this!

Rating:
Summary: "No, think about it...it's actually totally depressing."
Review: I am not nearly as eloquent as others who have reviewed this before me, so I will just say: this is my favorite movie. Enid's opinions on and reactions to people and situations she encountered were almost identical to mine upon viewing them. In my opinion, if you enjoyed "Heathers", "Broadcast News", and/or "Clerks" (...), you would really like "Ghost World".

Rating:
Summary: three and a half is more like it
Review: First off this is not a review,plenty around on this flick.
Also I'm lazy so you only get one paragraph.The acting was
very good overall,some of it subdued to say the least.
And the screenplay/story is good.It's a good film period.
Every review I read on this film(5+),during it's theatrical
release praise it to no end.Everything story,actors,ect.
I think thier are far greater "youth movies"out there,with
much more dynamics going on.
I would have given this movie 4 stars had everyone else not
been so liberal with the 5 star thing,I mean really its
no Heathers.