The Modern Class of Gonzo Blockbusters

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Story by Patrick Willems, Mike Curran, Jake Torpey, Matt Torpey
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[@patrickhwillems]

A lot of people bringing up Speed Racer as an example. Yes that totally counts! I left it out because I was sticking to movies from the past 5 years. Question for the audience: what else should be added to the Gonzo Scale?

[@gf7324]

Would Del Toro's Hellboy movies count?

[@peanutismint]

Pacific Rim??

[@finnersmcspeed5646]

Lego Movie

[@BRAMCRACK3R]

I think After Earth absolutely qualifies as one of these and it far too shit on. Like I really liked after earth despite some of the wooden acting because the world building felt really neat and it was full of so many odd details my friends and I discussed a lot afterward.

[@WeatherVeinFilms]

Scott Pilgrim Vs The World Phantom of the Paradise Run Lola Run Big Trouble in Little China Rocky Horror Picture Show The Adventures of Baron Munchausen Danger: Diabolik Kung Fu Hustle Time Bandits The Fifth Element

[@heartpng]

"Mad Max needed an octopus on drums" is blind double-guitarist on bungee chords erasure

[@Demeaner4]

We're not erasing anybody; we're just assembling the greatest, most technically unnecessary band of all time.

[@milostickle-frizzell7305]

This thing HARD

[@lorcannagle]

They could have replaced the 4 guys on the back of the doof wagon with an octopus playing all those drums though.

[@anthonylaviale3021]

An octopus, while awesome, wouldn't work in mad max. Desert and all. What would work is a big mutant with a few extra arms, possibly a prosthetic arm on top of it.

[@lorcannagle]

@@anthonylaviale3021 Octopus in a watersuit. He's working for Immortan Joe because Joe's got all the water.

[@dl240787]

“Matt that doesnt make any sense, he helped write it.” 😂

[@SeiShinjitsuShi]

Then he drinks straight from the bottle.

[@821Drifter128]

@4:50 if anyone wanted to see it again 😆

[@badactor9063]

"I wasn't talking to you" 1:00 Oof my heart broke for Matt

[@maggiemiller3174]

Same

[@DaddyGamerReviews]

It wasn't very Paddington of him. Fingers crossed for the epic Pat redemption arc

[@helenl3193]

Absolutely! We'll talk to you Matt - though I can't guarantee that I won't also ask for more Matt Wines, but I'll at least buy you a good bottle of red to get your started! 😁🍷 #Justice4Matt

[@ThornheartCat]

Avatar really spent all that time on special effects and worldbuilding, and then my disabled friend saw it and their review was "they could spend all that time on a conlang and fake plants and animals and an alien culture but they couldn't even teach the lead actor how to use a wheelchair right?"

[@andrewgwilliam4831]

Ouch.

[@libertines24]

I always like that Patrick is always gonna defend the weirdest stuff. It's a nice refresher from everyone just talking about the same ten movies.

[@blokey8]

If nothing else, it's a reminder of how much harder most blockbusters could go. I can think of so few franchise pictures which try this much.

[@TheFlash-rh2el]

Unless he breaks out his mathematical whiteboard of objectivity again, while commenting on how there's now way of mathematically judging movies. It's good that the video points this out... but they had to point it out in the first place. Just remove the section from the video, it's dumb.

[@libertines24]

adam quane ya patricks biggest weakness is sometimes he acts like there’s some mathematical way to enjoy movies. And more story makes something more enjoyable, which isn’t true

[@maxcklein]

What are the ten movies?

[@blokey8]

@@maxckleinmore series, really. Star Wars, DC, MCU, SPUMC, Nolan, Snyder and occasionally Fincher

[@albatross1222]

As soon as you showed the gonzo chart I started chanting "Mad Max" because I knew it was coming

[@Posiman]

I was chanting Thor: Ragnarok

[@elgaith7626]

When he started talking about the apex of both axes, I had a horrible premonition his choice would be The Last Jedi...

[@subraxas]

I was thinking about Dredd a bit.

[@xant8344]

I was thinking about Spider-Verse but fury road fits just as well, if not better

[@laineydavis00]

"Movies aren't math, there's no rubric you can grade them on. So anyways here a graph I made." 😅

[@DashHoundRacing]

We need an "Is there Matt Merch?" sticker/shirt

[@Redrally]

Seconded

[@MariaVosa]

Thirded!

[@dlvnmedia]

I would buy Matt merch.

[@j.d.3597]

I will throw my vote into this!

[@helenl3193]

Yup, me too!

[@pyroshell5652]

Finally someone covers these! Movies with good-to-ok-to-crappy stories, but amazing aesthetics, art designs, fun moments that make you look at something differently, and creativity! Tron Legacy, Kong Skull Island, Atlantis: The Lost Empire, Treasure Planet, Pacific Rim, The Dark Crystal, Labyrinth, The Fifth Element, Thor Ragnarok, John Carter (kind of, I didn't really like it). Oz the Great and Powerful could have been this, but I think it kind of failed at that. Somewhat related are movies that aren't totally bonkers, but capturing a setting or aesthetic that we don't get to see very often. The 2013 Lone Ranger movie, Sherlock Holmes, The Adventures of Tin-Tin. Most of these movies don't exactly fall under Pat's definitions, but I feel that they at least come pretty close.

[@jonnyeh]

I came here just to see someone mention The Fifth Element. I guess Patrick was just covering films of the past few years. IMO, The Fifth Element fully delivers like Mad Max: Fury Road does.

[@aidilmubarock5394]

300

[@umjackd]

@@DanielshakespeareDanze1 I'd even argue that Tron Legacy's story is better than people give it credit for, though it's definitely not the... highlight... of the movie.

[@lydentodd]

much much much better choices than Pat's - hell i like to rewatch the crap out of that list, but the ones he suggests are borderline unwatchable - there is a huge tradeoff for a "bland scene" Captain Marvel, versus a story that makes sense and gives you a reason to watch... if you want scenery ONLY, go to a park.

[@joecassidy2887]

Check out filmjoys Deep Dive series

[@pannychanman]

"...also, Cara Delevingne is supposed to be his love interest but looks like his sibling" YES! Finally, someone else said it.

[@celebalert5616]

Actually a lot of people said that when the movie came out

[@veloce99]

@@celebalert5616 Yeah, but if they said it in French it might have been missed by many people.

[@celebalert5616]

@@veloce99 no they said it in English, honestly it was like the main thing I heard about the movie

[@SMacCuUladh]

its terrible, the two leads are very bad actors.@@celebalert5616

[@bfish89ryuhayabusa]

I think the point about "this element is weak, but that's not why you watch it" is something that needs to have more attention. Being able to see what good/unique things a piece gives you can make it worthwhile.

[@bfish89ryuhayabusa]

Example: there's a local burger place that is a bit divisive. Some people love it, some hate it. It's different, so anyone who just wants it to be a regular burger dislikes it, but is missing out on that fact that it's unique. I'll never say it's a great burger, but sometimes I just want THAT burger, and there isn't another like it. At the risk of overexplaining, you can replace "burger" with "movie" or "song" or "artwork" or "book" or whatever else, and the point stands.

[@lamecasuelas2]

Right, i really don't think that there's such thing as a perfect movie. But appreciate them for something that they offer me in exange. It could be an idea, a feeling.

[@Liam_Mellon]

22:54 I thought you were gonna say, "...in animation." Because animated movies manage to pull off gonzo visuals and world building wrapped around rock solid emotionally resonant narratives all the freakin time.

[@IAMA1]

When he described "gonzo blockbusters", I immediately thought of the anime, Redline.

[@bbrbbr-on2gd]

My mind went to Miyazaki lol

[@karlkarlos3545]

But we want see real people.

[@Dilmahkana]

Oh interesting! Can anime be classed as blockbusters?

[@umjackd]

@@Dilmahkana I don't think they can, to be honest. Would mass-market audiences literally line up around the block to buy tickets? That's what blockbusters are supposed to at least try and aim for.

[@NoOriginalNameXD]

Everything everywhere at once for me at least is definitely at the top right of the gonzo scale

[@zacharymiraziz4585]

Something tells me that Matt wielding that hammer is foreshadowing Charl's end!

[@orvilpym]

God, I hope so. Can't see him get smashed soon enough.

[@CIDILIABRA]

Martin Stennert why? He’s so helpful!

[@alanfloresayoroa1204]

I think it's a callback to that one time Patrick's dad advertised his own hammer brand

[@eddyp483]

🥥 🔨

[@a.m.hofmeister725]

This did not age well

[@seanhalldorson1746]

Honestly, the brother/sister vibe in Valerian was actually pretty accurate. I never had a description for what felt weird until you mentioned that. lol

[@axelalonsogarcia5382]

No coments about Pacific Rim, because Guillermo del Toro goes gonzo with that movie. His nerdism and otaku power it's at his best on that film

[@blokey8]

Then again, it's a really well-done story - the characters might be almost all broad strokes, but they're well-articulated and the story zips along.

[@maxcklein]

Otaku power.

[@rolanddeschain6089]

But I think it is his worst movie. Because just making everything crazy, freaky and too much, isn't automatically great imagination. Fury Road is not only gonzo but visually coherent. With a plan and a well thought out style, pace and portrayed fictonal culture, world. Fury Road is like a delicious meal, you never had before. Aquaman, Valerian or Jupiter feel like pizza with cheese, pork, bubblegum and ice cream on it. Fried in mountain dew. As much as I am with patrick, that blockbuster cinema shoud be more imaginative, crazy and surprising he kind of misses the point, that these movies aren't that good, because they do it wrong. Pacific Rim is one of them imo.

[@castalejandra]

Hi Axel, so weird to find you here.

[@axelalonsogarcia5382]

@@castalejandra Hiiiiii!! Nice to read you here, so much weird films to see

[@elferrous]

"Matt will return" the weight that lifted off my shoulders 😭

[@PlatyNews]

Hellboy 2 The Golden Army is my favorite that belongs to this scale. That Troll Market scene has more imagination than Gods of Egypt, Warcraft and Wrinkle in Time all at the same time with minimal use of CGI, and the rest of the movie is also full of amazing stuff like the wooden elves, the plant elemental, the entrance to the cave that is a rock giant and the angel of death

[@blokey8]

And, most gonzo of all, the line "I'm not a baby, I'm a tumour"

[@jaimeheather]

This is basically just the Wachowski’s entire filmography and is a big reason why I love their movies so much

[@Vigilante9033]

I love that Pat is wearing shorts with his jacket

[@thejollywriter]

When you posed the question about a movie with wild imagination but airtight storytelling and answered it with Mad Max: Fury Road, i actually cheered out loud.

[@greenery0192]

No mention of Speed Racer? Its beyond gonzo AND has a really solid, emotionally satisfying story.

[@RareBirdGames]

You a fan of the racertrash version?

[@jasonblalock4429]

It was certainly more gonzo than Fury Road. MMFR is awesome, but I really think Patrick cheated to say it's a pinnacle of gonzo-ness. There's no shortage of movies about post-apocalyptic deserts ruled by leather daddies. It has plenty of really unique and interesting moments, but its overall gonzo-per-minute rating would be quite low compared to most of the other movies he mentioned. Whereas Speed Racer really is throwing something new at you in almost every scene. . (If anything, I'd say MMFR's success illustrates how smart FX placement and good pacing are better than going full-tilt gonzo...)

[@umjackd]

@@jasonblalock4429 To be fair, he did already make a whole video about Speed Racer. It also sort of dates from just before Avatar hit us with peak "Well, visual effects are nice but where's the story?" Don't get me wrong though, Speed Racer definitely fits up there. Though I guess it could also use an octopus playing drums, or blind guitarist with a flamethrower.

[@fredericmigneret4211]

@@umjackd "Avatar hit us with peak "Well, visual effects are nice but where's the story?" " WTF is that comment?

[@GnRGaming]

I think he was intentionally limiting the video to movies made within the past decade.

[@roryevans5032]

If you liked Shrike you have to read the novels. He is massively expanded on as a character throughout, and it's a very satisfying ending.

[@datsthebesticando]

I hope to god that Villeneuve's Dune fits in the upper right quadrant, it has the highest potential to join Fury Road in the upper echelon

[@maximeteppe7627]

I'd argue that despite a very somber tone and slow pace that clashes with those fast moving blockbuster, BR 2049 absolutely deserves mention on that scale. the storytelling is slightly overexpository in places, like some of the flawed movies here, but there is a ton of viusal storytelling that stands on its own without being spoon fed by dialogue. the character are less bonkers than in the original (there's no eye-maker in a freezing room in a heating pseudo space suit) - I think this is a conscious decision to have characters behave robotically for thematic reasons, but the point stands. Anyways, the locations are, from the protein farm, to the junkyard orphanage, to the memory studio, the main draw, by contrast with the characters. I think the narrative is good, but yeah, it basically has the same qualities and flaws as those other movies: a visually varied and detailed world, dialogue that is sometimes overly self serious, and characters that are a bit "boring".

[@fredericmigneret4211]

@@maximeteppe7627 nope because because he is more like Ridley Scott and Alex Garland : his movies are grounded and aimed at an adult audience not toward teenagers unlike the movies Patrick is talking about (Except Mad Max Fury Road which is made for adults)

[@lourencomarino8351]

From the promotional images that haver been released i feel like dune is Just gonna be gray and moody

[@comicbookninja5268]

I love David Lynch's Dune from 1984. Now that was a gonzo movie that also failed at the box office.

[@davehandelman2832]

We're ALL praying for Dune to be awesome.

[@PaulGPixelBike]

Happy 300K subs ! Fifth Element is one of the first and one of the best.

[@wstine79]

I'd rather see a filmmaker reach for the stars and not quite succeed than someone who does the same thing as everyone else and be a success.

[@MsDaydream3r]

Ditto. I'd rather see an ambitious flop than a bland success.

[@blokey8]

And every now and again, the mad bastard succeeds and we get something truly incredible. Several of my favourite movies are among those - Aliens, Fury Road, TLJ and Pacific Rim all spring to mind.

[@PauLtus_B]

I very much agree. I don't have much reason to watch a film that's basically interchangable. Let's say you have 3 films (A,B and C). A and B are no doubt better made films than C, however, B is a film that does everything A does but just a bit worse, while C is aiming at something different. What are the movies you're going to watch?

[@caitlinrobinson6812]

This. I didnt like alita battle angel, but there were aspects I liked about it.

[@pieter_kok]

A bit disappointed that this was not about Hunter S Thompson. The definition of gonzo in the video kept clashing with the already established one in my head. We could use more of the original gonzo as well.

[@kshaur13]

Also the pornography industry's gonzo

[@redtutel]

I'd argue that "the person who's aware how weird everything is" strategy was present in Star Wars with Han Solo

[@RelativelyBest]

I'm actually struggling to recall any scene where Han found something truly weird or baffling. The only ones I can think of would be not believing in the Force, that Alderaan could have been destroyed by the Empire, and that the Death Star was actually a space station. Those do make sense in character since he was supposed to (initially) be pretty cynical and skeptical due to his lifestyle. Plus, all of those things were pretty unprecedented even by the standards of the setting, meaning _everyone_ would have found them strange. On the other hand, he was very well-traveled and experienced, so there are times when he is the _least_ surprised by the strangeness of the setting. One example would be that he was the first one to realize that the asteroid cave they'd landed in was actually the insides of a giant space worm, presumably because he's heard about them at some point during his smuggling days.

[@tobysinbad]

Fervidor the “walking carpet” line is literally Leia doing that

[@arsarma1808]

@elite4x We all have had that one hairy friend, and had to be up a crocodile or two.

[@PauLtus_B]

But I think that, importantly, he is NOT the protagonist and by the end of it DOES take the conflict seriously. I think it's just a more overt example of a movie NOT doing that.

[@nattmazzoni]

I'm horrified at the omission of Cats (2019) dir. Tom Hooper

[@CTOOFBOOGLE]

Alice Wang I believe the person you are reply to is being sarcastic.

[@MunchSkating]

I've been looking for something to call these types of films for years, and now I finally have a word! I also going to throw a few films into the mix that could fall into this category in some form or another, those being: Sucker Punch, Ready Player One, Speed Racer, and as wildcard as they are much older I feel like an argument for films like Brazil and The City of Lost Children to possible fall into this category

[@0g0dn0]

“Gonzo Blockbuster.” Thank you for giving me a catchy term for my favorite thing.

[@ender7278]

Do the Star Wars Prequels count? For all intents and purpose, they are just the bonkers vision of one man with way too much money.

[@Powerman293]

I mean, it might have been worth making the Prequels just so see Coruscant in its full glory.

[@ChiefBrodyRules]

I love that most these movies are the ones where I see the trailer and i'm like "I'm not seeing that."

[@dereknelson7108]

I can't believe you completely explained just why I love Alita: Battle Angel so much. It's truly a gonzo movie. the thing I loved most was the world and how interesting everything was to see

[@CanalTremocos]

20:24 All my future comments on this channel will be worded as "Excuse me, Patrick. I'm an intellectual and..."

[@lachlanharris9330]

"Everything, Everywhere, All at Once" showed this is still true.

[@Erigion]

The last time I truly felt wonder at a movie was the opening shot of Gravity. No explosions (yet), no laser beams, no aliens, no monsters, just the quiet enormity of space and Earth's place in it.

[@Horadrius]

I feel like Thor: Ragnarok threads this needle nicely between a complete whack-a-do world on Sakaar paired with a great screenplay.

[@MealDealSupreme]

Not gonzo enough

[@TooFatTooFurious]

not really imho. It has nice moments, but when two or more characters talk to each other or action scene starts, it's back to your regular sterile weightless MCU movie

[@travisspazz1624]

@@TooFatTooFurious oohhh the edge!!

[@Petepeatpeet]

Yes yes yes. Sounds like Love and Thunder is set to be even more so

[@ErmenBlankenberg]

@@TooFatTooFurious Yep, that's how I felt about it.

[@Shinanite]

Haha, when you did the "can a movie do both?" I knew immediately what movie you were going to say. As a random addition I want to plug Robin Hood (2018) as one of the movies that made me the happiest in theaters that year. Because it is bonkers in such a lovely specific way.

[@Stigcrafter]

The delivery of "that doesn't make any sense, he helped write it" was amazing

[@딸깍충지망생]

Here’s a suggestion, WATCH ANY GUILLERMO DEL TORO MOVIE! They are the true gonzo blockbusters with actual good scripts

[@rycolligan]

Hellboy 2, I love it so much!

[@thomasmerzlak6001]

Or Pirates of the Caribbean 2/3

[@alexPsanz]

They aren’t really blockbusters. They budgets are much lower in general

[@ianfleischer3532]

amazing comment, he's incredibly underrated and his worlds are just fantastic, from the low-scale almost theatric style of the Shape Of Water to the full on blockbuster extravanganza that is Pacific Rim. If you're a horror movie fan and specially a monster fan you're bound to love his work (i think)

[@Armakk]

Del Toro's had a good script maybe twice. Pan's and Water.

[@thepillhead456]

Another film that would score highly on the gonzo scale, for me, is Pans Labyrinth. Amazing story, paired with del Toros wild imagination.

[@caedrewan]

Patrick: Their failures are a product of narrative. Also Patrick: So go read a book!

[@clashcitywannabe]

George Miller needs to be recognized for striking the highest bell on the gonzo scale with EVERY FILM he's made all in a row. Mad Max, The Road Warrior, Mad Max Beyond Thunderdome, The Witches Of Eastwick, The Babe movies, the Happy Feet movies and FURY ROAD. He's am unstoppable filmmaker of the weirdest caliber

[@normf9020]

Pat, been a long time viewer and Patron, and I've got to say it's been an absolute joy watching your creative vision emerge. You still offer great points of view from the video essay standpoint, but your delivery method has become more and more your own. Hollywood just needs to give you a movie to direct already. You'd knock it out of the park.

[@Germania9]

Can we stop & appreciate for a moment that Aquaman made billions now, when decades before since the 80's, everyone thought a guy whose superpower is only talking to fish is too stupid to exist?

[@naramoro]

Nothing is too stupid for a gonzo movie

[@ABoyNamedArt]

If anything I thought the film held back a little too much. Aquamom should've been arm-wrestling the local bikers! Patrick Wilson should've played Orm like he impersonates Freddie Mercury!

[@adamgates1142]

They were right

[@davincent98]

"Meanwhile, back at the Hall of Justice, Aquaman makes a peanut butter and jelly sandwich because he can't do shit!"

[@Largentina.]

They were still right. The only difference is now there's alot more stupid people that exist to go support it.

[@neurotransmissions]

Gonna be honest, I was not totally on board with your thesis until you got to Mad Max: Fury Road. Nailed it!

[@madelinepeck9719]

I would say that Terry Gilliam’s “Brazil” is probably the best gonzo film out there

[@celebalert5616]

And also Terry Gilliams Zero Theorem.

[@madelinepeck9719]

CELEB ALERT! Terry Gilliam: the greatest auteur gonzo director

[@ThisIsAdamB]

As soon as you showed the Charl pin, I ordered one. Thank you, I've been a fan of his since day one.

[@lunamalfoy7]

You say Mad Max: Fury Road and I start crying and screaming because it's a masterpiece.

[@FGCLovesYou]

This was very interesting to watch from a songwriting perspective, and think about how music needs more wonder, too. As an aside, I especially loved your musical cues while talking about the upper-right quadrant.

[@mikeciul8599]

When you were talking about gonzo moments, I thought of films that only have a few gonzo moments, but they're very well placed. 2001 and Annihilation come to mind. There's a lot of setup and payoff in those films, and I really enjoy that.

[@movedmindpoRUSZonyUMYS]

Oh, the drone shots.. Being delivered with your monologues is strangely addictive and satisfying. Love everything about them. Keep up the brilliant work and, above all, keep safe!

[@bfish89ryuhayabusa]

I'd say Into the Spiderverse fills that role, as well, though in a slightly different way.

[@simonlagneau1839]

Yes sir

[@TooFatTooFurious]

the homogeneity in 3D animated film visuals is an entirely different story that is probably beyond the scope of this video

[@maximeteppe7627]

@@TooFatTooFurious not really... be it for alita Blattle angel, and city of a thousands planet, the whole point is that the special effects have allowed these live action movies to catch up to the limitless imagination of comic books. Animation is supposed to have had that freedom forever. It doesn't always take full advantage of it, but it has it nonetheless.

[@umjackd]

It definitely fulfils it in terms of visual flair, but rather less so in terms of an imaginative world. You don't say "Wow what a cool world" so much as "Oh cool, Spider-Ham is in this world."

[@andrewmittleman3571]

Yeah Spiderverse is an amazing example of going Gonzo without sacrificing character and logic

[@swanyriver]

Thank you so much for finally quantifying what had been for me an intangible craving, I remember all of my favorite childhood movies being high on the imagination vector (who framed roger rabbit, beetlejuice, etc) and always felt like a lot of modern fantasy/sci-fi movies where just missing something that made those movies so entrancing, it seemed like such a disappointment that movies where not using the medium to create fantastical realities that were so divergent that they sparked wonder and curiosity. This also explains why have been compelled sometimes to watch movies that I knew where going to be bad (ie have bad stories or characters) but I still just wanted to see their wild and imaginative worlds. I would struggle to put into words for other people how the movie was simultaneously terrible but I still enjoyed watching it (Valerian, Mortal Engines). Now I have a language for this kind of guilty pleasure and can feel a little less guilty about it, "who cares about the story, look at that creature in the background, I am loving this buffet of imagination"

[@alphabettical1]

This spectacle can be a necessary factor in good animation, so it's interesting seeing where it hits and where it fails in a different medium (especially when the two take inspiration from the same things and each other).

[@21milestudios60]

GOOD STORIES AND GOOD CHARACTERS ARE THE MAKE OR BREAK OF ANY MOVIE. It's not just what snooty critics think, it's about what truly compels the casual viewer, whether they realise or not. It's the reason people watch the same movies again and again. It's what actually brings in the money$$$. Good stories and characters are what makes a meaningful impression on the viewer, whether they be educated or totally ignorant to this. It still effects their subconscious the same way. Impressive VFX and art design works best when it enhances storytelling. In the first Star Wars movie, detailed art design and stunning visuals are used perfectly to build various parts of the world from the point of view of the characters. It's vivid and overwhelming when it needs to be and more sparse when the director wants us to focus more on the plot or what the characters are feeling. Bladerunner also does this perfectly. In fact, most movies throughout the 80s and early 90s that rely heavily on visuals for its storytelling, does so in a way that COMPLIMENTS stories and character journeys and doesn't swamp them. Jupiter rising and Mortal Engines are just mediocre or shit films. That's why they flopped. Avatar is a very ordinary movie but at least Cameron had the sense to create a standard (allbeit cliched) bunch of character arcs and it worked fine. Jupiter rising is actually my favourite out of all of these and with a few changes it could've been a smash. Now. Mortal Engines. Mortal Engines is a fucking car crash (no pun intended). It's a case study in how not to write a screenplay. Everything happens at the wrong time. The emotional pacing is just utterly confusing. Characters are introduced too late. I'm sure the book(s) were great cos it actually looks like a really cool world but the film is just an unengaging mess. That's why it flopped. MARVEL Studios, for all their conventional mediocrity understand the importance that to hold an audiences attention you introduce them to people, make the audience imagine they are those people, then take those people on a visually stunning adventure that is is meaningful, has consequence, has high stakes, has sacrifice and has payoff. So yes. Stories as more important than visuals in film because film is a storytelling format. In that sense, books and movies are one in the same.

[@derkcast620]

i kinda want a t-shirt that says "is there Matt Merch?"

[@sanitorz232]

Patrick makes a video about weird blockbusters with a round character with googly eyes. Two years later EEOAO comes out.

[@MsDaydream3r]

Just finished the final draft of my graphic novel, this feels like a reward for overworking myself. 😊

[@galactic85]

Congratulations from an aspiring artist to an official artist!

[@MsDaydream3r]

@@galactic85 Thank you! 😁 Now that the writing's done, I'll draw the pages... all 174 of them 😰. Labor of love. ✊❤

[@quinnnewman9538]

MsDaydream3r cool will search it once it’s out

[@MsDaydream3r]

@@quinnnewman9538 I have the character designs on my socials, including here: www.artstation.com/artwork/oOreyB

[@scs54]

Another gonzo film with great storytelling is Scott Pilgrim vs the World.

[@juliannaking8753]

wow im starting to get legitimately invested in these fictionalized versions of yourselves

[@AdamViklund]

I love your videos and all, but the through-story is what keeps me coming back time after time! I wish more people did something like this. Keep it up, Pat!

[@papayacatproductions]

The Saga comic has this gonzo world-building and makes me feel anything is possible with each new page, AND the narrative is amazing.

[@matthewjoy475]

Saga is fantastic and I hope BKV's desire that it never be turned into a film manages to stay true.

[@YouCallThataKnife253]

25:20 "From now on, the baby sleeps in the crib... Iron helps us play!... *maniacal laugh*... Hello Joe!"

[@yepperdeedooda]

Thanks for reminding me to watch Valerian. I love that movie.

[@waltwright84]

I don't understand why this channel doesn't have at least 2 million subscribers. Great work as always. I would posit that some of the gonzo films depend too heavily on visual spectacle and forget the basics of literature (I know they're movies, but shut up for a minute): plot, story, character, and world building. Avatar was incredible to look at... but it was Dances With Smurfs In Spaaaaaace; just highly derivative all around. Aquaman was gorgeous and I'll never complain about Dave Grohl in octopus drag, but the surface world never noticed any of this wild ecosystem in the oceans? It just breaks the credibility of its own reality. Wanna impress me? Adapt some really good stuff like any book by N.K. Jemisin or other wildly creative modern author who nails those 4 literary tentpoles and translate them intact to the screen. I dare you.

[@MatiasKiviniemi]

Octopus playing drums has nothing on the flamethrower guitarist. NOTHING!!

[@helenl3193]

But if they were a band how amazing would that be?!

[@kevinwillems8720]

@@helenl3193 Their music would be pretty fire

[@notyingyangbros]

"Cool, go read a book then." 20:28 is my new favorite moment in any of Patrick videos. 😂😂😂

[@EmeraldApe]

"You must lash out with every limb, like the octopus who plays the drums." - Mystery Men

[@TokiDokiNara728]

Octopus on drums was clearly aquaman trying to channel the Doof Warrior's energy. Also, I literally cheered when you said "Mad Max" - I had no idea where you were going with it, although in hindsight - of course, Mad Max! So is the takeaway that more blockbusters need storyboards instead of scripts?

[@jordanbroadway8217]

I'm so used to the talk show format that seeing Patrick monologue in his day to day life again is deeply upsetting. I feel like *I'M* hallucinating.

[@kattandraarm]

During the whole video, the interactions between Patrick and the background flowed together so well and resulted in some of my favourite acting/storytelling bits I've seen on this channel! 4:54 Especially loved this small exchange and insert to Charl 😂

[@andrewsubtitle]

I thought it would be like Chekhov's hammer with coconut and envy

[@A.F.Whitepigeon]

Another thing that sets Fury Road apart is that it's not _all_ CGI. There's quite a bit of VFX, sure, but there are enough real stunts and pyrotechnics that it's hard to tell where they are. Obviously, this wouldn't work for some of the more out-there concepts, but it's absolutely what works for this film. It lends a raw, visceral feel that fits perfectly with the exciting, action-packed story in this grungy, stripped-out world.

[@benLXIX]

I'm seeing shots from Aquaman early on and I am praying he shows that one Trench shot. Dang it.

[@Alex.HFA1]

Is "Trench Shot" a wierd prawn term now? Discuss

[@euansmith3699]

@@Alex.HFA1 You can find out on PrawnHub.

[@Thabosshoss]

This analysis is amazing. It really helps me articulate why I love this whole class of movies, and will help me explain that to my friends moving forward when explaining my tastes, thank you so much for this video it really helps me understand the movies I love in a completely new way, great stuff! Please keep going!

[@recoverymza]

What I really hate about these movies is all the potential wasted: they had everything to get the ball out of the park, but the end of the day, their scripts vary from decents to just something dull and bad. Sorry for my English 😁

[@lollerkeet]

Valerian is an excellent movie if you turn off the volume and play music instead.

[@brunopackardhill3296]

you are right on the money Emiliano

[@tobysinbad]

I agree, I still feel almost angry at the Mortal Engines movie because the book was so wildly imaginative

[@jankdotTV]

And you have to wonder how much of those amazing visuals are actually down to the director and not just the very talented VFX studios

[@Captain1nsaneo]

"Matt will return" I do hope that's ominous. Patrick's been doing a great job of becoming a heel in the Patrick (H) Williverse.

[@lindybeige]

How did he get through this without mentioning Brazil or The Fifth Element?

[@himonightbreeze]

He wanted to focus on recent movies.

[@danieladamczyk4024]

Hes a man of focus, commitment and SHER Fucking WILL!

[@rolanddeschain6089]

Speed Racer

[@subraxas]

Firstly, the video essay is clearly about the emergence of "Modern (meaning RECENT) Gonzo Blockbusters", and secondly, Brazil was NOT and NEVER was meant to be a blockbuster in the first place.

[@turtleboy1188]

Modern

[@zenfer]

As far as special effects go, I would say the only ones that wowed me this past decade have been: Godzilla (2013), Star Wars Rogue One, Star Wars The Last Jedi, and Blade Runner 2049.

[@androidpriest]

im begging you to watch John Carter if you haven't. its gonzo as hell and severely underrated--and also had some incredible mobile cities since you seem to like that concept

[@whodatninja439]

John Carter yes!!

[@fredericmigneret4211]

@@whodatninja439 I like John Carter but I don't think it is as gonzo as the movies he's talking about. The movie has it's flaws but unlike the movies he's talking about it is very classical, if you look at the environment and the camerawork it's basically a John Ford fantasy western

[@BostonMBrand]

Frédéric Migneret well also it’s based on a classical pulp novel.

[@MariaVosa]

This movie would have improved by being *more* gonzo! Spent too much time on Earth

[@rentless666]

Pro tip: Skip the first 15 minutes or so and start with him and Brian Cranston running from the Apaches. Also, just stop the movie when he's sitting on that balcony near the end. You won't miss much.

[@candylove1234]

I am constantly delighted at what high quality your videos are!

[@jonathandbeer]

I'm going to go out on a limb and say that this is the first time anyone has talked about Seven Brides for Seven Brothers and Ong Bak in the same paragraph.

[@gblatt8472]

Great vid as always. I recently saw a movie that I'd have loved to see you chart: Sion Sono's Tokyo Tribe. It may not count cause it's 1. Non-Western and 2. Didn't cost hundreds of millions. BUT it has that gonzo energy you're looking for in spades. It's a hip-hop musical set over the course of a futuristic yakuza skirmish. It often feels like West Side Story, mixed with The Warriors and a Neon George Miller approach to character design, with dozens of great looks, including a beat-boxing court jester. The storytelling has a few cul-de-sacs and moments of questionable content, but Sion Sono has directed enough gonzo films that he knows how to bring it all home thematically.I think what surprised me the most is how uplifting its closing notes are. The film opens with the promise of hope and delivers in surprising ways.

[@melindawolfUS]

For sense of wonder in the last two decades you can't beat Miyazaki and Del Torro. Everything they do makes you hold your breath and they don't drop the story while making a masterpiece of the spectacle. Del torro style especially reminds me of Jim Henson's movies Dark Crystal and Labyrinth. But these guys aren't hitting you over the head with new environments and creatures every second, they give you the parade but then let you rest, too. Show someone peeling potatoes or something else ordinary to make the weird and wonderful really sparkle. Or to help us see that an ordinary afternoon cooking can also be beautiful when we see it with new eyes.

[@calebhungerford]

I was really happy to see those shots of your comic collection again! I'm constantly looking for new books to pick up and seeing a collection like that is great inspiration! Also, great video!

[@davidfernandogordillocampu6919]

This reminded me a bit of the Umbrella Academy show and how that feels like it waters down the crazy ideas in favor of somber drama, whereas the comic does the exact opposite. It’s interesting how it relates to the medium, because in comics you can do anything without worrying about a budget, and some of these are based in comics or manga.

[@MagnitudeReviews]

Yeah, Umbrella Academy is just fucking absurd. And I love it. The visual effects are very lack luster. But the story and imagination is ridiculously wild.

[@bigrecipe7910]

Doom Patrol fits more into the gonzo scale i think.

[@peanutismint]

So glad you made this video because it feels like I’ve spent the last 10 years trying to reconcile my love of these kind of movies. They’re often derided, too, seemingly by the same people who would rather watch yet ANOTHER Marvel movie, which boggles my mind. Yes alright the likes of Jupiter Ascending and Valerian are outlandishly weird but at least they’re showing us something we’ve never seen before. Mortal Engines was great. I would also add Pacific Rim to this list. What a riot!

[@haldir108]

For another movie i think is top of the chart imagination, and no slouch in the storytelling department, Satoshi Kon's Paprika is absolutely killer.

[@dougwiggins9407]

"To paraphrase cinema's most beloved character, Syndrome..."

[@conorgallagher503]

Petition for charl to start an onlyfans

[@jdolce7898]

Loved it. The Fury Road reveal was awesome. I really do appreciate these movies, and have seen things like Valerian and Alita in theaters more than once. Glad I'm not the only one that notices them.

[@mlovecraftr]

When Charles started moving, I actually started screaming.

[@impersonalbrand2513]

100% on board with this and it's something I've been yelling into the ether about for a few years now. While definitely not blockbusters, I would add Suspiria (2018), The Neon Demon, and Annihilation to the list of mainstream genre movies (horror, horror/thriller, sci-fi/horror, respectively) that go all in on imagination, creativity, style, and were summarily ignored by the populace.

[@benwasserman8223]

By the time this show reaches its finale, Charl’s probably gonna be revealed as a demon or something.

[@segamble1679]

Ooh, should we all make predictions?! I think Charl is using Pat and will steal his agents and lawyers (also, what happened to the tax evasion storyline??? Or whatever it was). Eventually Jake and Matt will be the only one’s who will come back and help pick up the pieces after Charl moves on to bigger and better things

[@wright96d]

God damn, I enjoyed the talk show format, but it's unbelievably great to have you back to form.

[@zacharybutler5944]

"An ADVANCED ghost" is now going to become an in-joke my friends don't know we have yet.

[@lamecasuelas2]

Hahaha! What Is an advances ghost? Like Patrick Swayze? Casper? Maybe a zombie ?

[@bencorlett215]

Man Patrick you have been on a roll with these past bunch of video's, they are so very funny. both Matts the line and delivery of "Advanced ghost" was comedy gold so good job. Also I agree Shrike is the best in both the books and the movie.