tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post7119361500160766948..comments2024-03-23T12:33:33.918-04:00Comments on Junta Juleil's Culture Shock: Film Review: KUFFS (1992, Bruce A. Evans)Sean Gillhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/00537515557596273876noreply@blogger.comBlogger9125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-61631184542046999042010-11-11T11:01:58.330-05:002010-11-11T11:01:58.330-05:00http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/movies/12delaure...http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/12/movies/12delaurentiis.html?src=twrhp<br /><br />Dino de Laurentiis Communications was one of the film's producers and Dino de Laurentiis the man passed away today.Tempesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14886859669478196071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-54367884000698450792010-10-05T06:59:56.335-04:002010-10-05T06:59:56.335-04:00OK, my over analytical brain has got it: These plo...OK, my over analytical brain has got it: These plot holes could have been explained in deleted and extended scenes, which sadly, Universal did not include on the DVD. I guess they tend not to do that with older films as it would cost them money? Maya may have been from Sacramento, but attended school in San Francisco. This could have been how she met Kuffs and why she just happened to be in SF the night he went to confront the jumper--I did not see why she would spend so much time there. Her ex could have been someone she had a class with-so she went to SF for social reasons. <br /><br />The filmmakers seemed to convey Maya's parents were wealthy, but her house did not reflect that. Perhaps she was just rooming with some other college students or her parents bought that house for her. <br /><br />I heard that Slater himself does not care for this film. I have to wonder why, but the characters are pretty one-dimensional. The writers do not provide much of a back story and the audience is left to draw their own conclusions. Maybe Brad spoiled George and did not push him too hard as they lost their parents at a young age--and we don't know how that happened. I mention that as we don't know why Kuffs is so irresponsible, but he never had to be, while Brad had to raise him once they became orphans. We don't even know where George lived before he started staying in Brad's place after his murder.Tempesthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14886859669478196071noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-53891612183216192972010-09-03T19:16:41.167-04:002010-09-03T19:16:41.167-04:00And honestly, I was shocked they showed Kuffs with...And honestly, I was shocked they showed Kuffs with his baby and Maya at the end of the film. Many movies that contain a pregnancy subplot don't wrap it up by the end of the film. It is good they closed that story arc and went full circle, that is because the film started with her announcing her pregnancy. It was cool that they somehow got the babies (she was played by twins, which is not unusual) to actually look in the camera.Tempestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-48719385741174661632010-09-03T18:08:30.661-04:002010-09-03T18:08:30.661-04:00Thanks! All the Jack Nicholson stuff has become ve...Thanks! All the Jack Nicholson stuff has become very unoriginal, but I guess it made sense in the early '90s. But people still ask Slater about it! Give it a rest already. Maybe if they do a film together that will be the end of that.Tempestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-46933632788130373892010-09-03T16:15:43.407-04:002010-09-03T16:15:43.407-04:00Tempest,
I really appreciate that there is someon...Tempest,<br /><br />I really appreciate that there is someone else out there who takes KUFFS as seriously as I do. A lot of critics dismissed Slater as mere 'Nicholson pastiche,' and while that is certainly an element of his persona, I think there's generally a lot more going on in his performances. <br /><br />As for the plot holes- you make some good points. Perhaps 'Kuffs' is privy to alternate, Philip K. Dickian universes which leads to 4th wall breakage and character inconsistencies? I call it 'FLOW MY TEARS, THE SPECIAL PATROLMAN SAID.'Sean Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537515557596273876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-2967023988448880902010-09-03T15:11:35.128-04:002010-09-03T15:11:35.128-04:00P.S. I wanted to add there are some plot holes as ...P.S. I wanted to add there are some plot holes as the other characters are not fully developed and don't evolve the way George does: <br /><br />a) How would a college student and high-school drop out meet, especially when they live nearly two hours apart from each other? <br /><br />b)How likely is it that a woman in college would want to date a high-school drop out who can't hold a job and has no real plan for his life? <br /><br />c) Did Maya know for more than two months she was pregnant and wait to tell George? Was she testing him to see if he really cared for her by waiting? Or did she just find out before telling him? I gathered that she had known for some time. <br /><br />d) I did not really like how they cut away before Maya could even change her facial expression Kuffs pretended to play dumb when she asked what he thought about the pregnancy. It could have been done for comedic effect. <br /><br />e) How did Kuff's parents die? How old were he and Brad when this happened?<br /><br />f) Were Maya and Robert dating again or were they just friends? It seems like Kuffs did not really work at getting her back until he saw her with him, but he was already having second thoughts prior to that. <br /><br />I like the movie, but the other characters are not really fleshed out and that could have contributed to some of the negative reviews, but I still say that critics were way too hard on this film. It makes me wonder if they just had it in for Christian Slater as audiences took critics more seriously in the early '90s.Tempestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-12784543516358339852010-09-03T10:54:34.485-04:002010-09-03T10:54:34.485-04:00I don't understand why critics hated this film...I don't understand why critics hated this film so much. I recently bought it, and I can see how an action/comedy-intense melodrama-romance may not be for everyone, but I don't think it deserved to be so widely panned. There were plenty of other films out at the time that were far worse. But I will say that if you are not a hardcore Slater fan or if you do not like him somewhat, it may not be the film for you as he is in nearly every scene and smashes the fourth wall often. Maybe people saw it as a rip-off of Beverly Hills Cop and Ferris Bueller. <br /><br />Other Slater gems in my opinion are True Romance, Untamed Heart, and He Was A Quiet Man.Tempestnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-53612832471120787432010-05-05T16:37:28.090-04:002010-05-05T16:37:28.090-04:00Well, I was definitely in the mood for it when I s...Well, I was definitely in the mood for it when I saw it; if the idea of Slater trying to fuse Eastwood's disdainful badass and Broderick's happy-go-lucky slacker appeals to you- then I'd say this movie is a home run. If you're easily annoyed by eyebrow indicating, condescending Slater mugging, and solo jeans dancing, then you'll find this pretty excruciating indeed. Personally, a lot of behaviors that I find make for intolerable viewing are suddenly and strangely forgiven when it's Slater doing them on screen. This also extends to Slater-inspired performances like Jason Marsden as Dash X on EERIE INDIANA. Still, HEATHERS and PUMP UP THE VOLUME are definitely my favorite Slater flicks- runners-up include LEGEND OF BILLIE JEAN, GLEAMING THE CUBE, and, sure, KUFFS. There's still many I haven't seen, UNTAMED HEART included.Sean Gillhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/00537515557596273876noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5497928641398322495.post-69229727472438591072010-05-05T16:14:27.072-04:002010-05-05T16:14:27.072-04:00This is one very much-maligned film. I remember se...This is one very much-maligned film. I remember seeing this when it came out in theaters and the critics just HATED it. Man! I think that was the last time I saw this film but your review really has me curious enough to check it out again. I do like me some Christian Slater... in the right film. I still think his finest moments are the double whammy of HEATHERS and PUMP UP THE VOLUME. Alto, UNTAMED HEART is a guilty pleasure if only to see him cast radically against type and pull it off. Plus, Marisa Tomei is undeniably adorable in that film.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08164105442273577128noreply@blogger.com