Maps to the Stars (2014 dir.David Cronenberg)

[Dubliner1]

Hoping this is a good watch and return to form for Cronenberg.

[melonhed]

Originally Posted by Dubliner1

Hoping this is a good watch and return to form for Cronenberg.

Still not quite sure if I loved this movie or absolutely hated it. A rewatch is essential.

[Foggy]

I'm in the middle of the road, it has great performances and it is disturbing, but it just runs out of things to say about an hour in and the satire feels a bit exhausted straight off the boot.

[Dubliner1]

Just fyi, comes with a slip...Region 'B' (UK) locked.
Special features-
Commentary with screenwriter Bruce Wagner
Interviews with cast & crew
On the red carpet

[pro-bassoonist]

Maps to the Stars Blu-ray REVIEW



Top film

Pro-B

[IanSchultz23]

It's in the high realms of Cronenberg for me and beats anything he did pre-Videodrome.

[ijustblumyself]

Still cannot fathom how this is getting solid reviews, and this is coming from a big Cronenberg fan.

[pro-bassoonist]

David Cronenberg is an incredibly intelligent director, but the highs and lows in his oeuvre are very obvious. His more straightforward horror films are clearly his weakest (The Fly, The Dead Zone, Shivers, Rabid). (And then there is Eastern Promises).

When Cronenberg loads up his films with social criticism or tackles taboo subjects, he is at his very best. His last two films, Cosmopolis and Maps to the Stars, have been every bit as impressive as Crash.

Currently, there really isn't another North American director whose work is as cutting-edge, hard-hitting and thought-provoking as Cronenberg's. The few that come close are still playing by the conventional rules.

Gregg Araki could have been the wild card if he went further down the road from Nowhere and The Doom Generation, but his films evolved differently.

Pro-B

[IanSchultz23]

Originally Posted by ijustblumyself

Still cannot fathom how this is getting solid reviews, and this is coming from a big Cronenberg fan.

It is because it's biting satire of the highest order that is laugh out loud funny throughout with a stunning performance by Julianne Moore and the rest of the cast is great as well.

[Pizzamorg]

Easily one of the best Cronenberg films I have watched, I'm glad it was far more accessible than his pretentious Cosmopolis while carrying on much of the same vibe from the good parts of that film. Really made me want to go back and watch the films of his Arrow released only to find out most of them are cut.

[Dickieduvet]

Originally Posted by Pizzamorg

Easily one of the best Cronenberg films I have watched, I'm glad it was far more accessible than his pretentious Cosmopolis while carrying on much of the same vibe from the good parts of that film. Really made me want to go back and watch the films of his Arrow released only to find out most of them are cut.

Arrow have only released Shivers And Rabid, Shivers is missing some footage that was previously available in the Dir Cut. Rabid is fully intact.

Universal released the edited version of Videodrome, Arrow will be releasing it soon which I'm assuming will be the uncut edition.

[Pizzamorg]

I had no idea Arrow were releasing Videodrome, is there orders already up for that?

[Dickieduvet]

Not yet, think it's going to be a late Summer/Autumn release, someone else probably has more info

[Vakulinchuk]

What about Crash? Would love a good disc of that one...

[Member-244966]

I've not seen many Cronenberg films, only this and The Fly (Though I have Cosmopolis recorded), but this was terrific. I even used it for my Film Studies coursework at college

[IanSchultz23]

@BreakfastClub211, other ones worth checking are Videodrome, Dead Ringers, Crash (probably my favourite one). Naked Lunch, eXistenZ and A History of Violence. The only ones I don't like are The Brood and Fast Company though.

[bigshot]

I work in the film business and the satire is spot on. I'm really glad Cronenberg has come so far and grown and evolved as a director. This film is as good as David Lynch's best, and that is high praise from me, because I think Lynch is a fantastic director. Everyone knows Cronenberg for his weird monster movies, but he is much better than that.

[Corny Collins]

It's always nice to see reviews of overseas releases, but this is plain wrong:

"It was also the first film Cronenberg shot entirely in America."

The reviewer seems to have listened to the commentary or did he? Bruce Wagner explicitly states in it that they had only several days to shoot in Los Angeles while most indoor scenes were filmed in Canada.

Don't even get me started on the "for the record", "as far as I am concerned", "buy with confidence, folks", "it is one year's best films/releases" (which it is, in my opinion, but just about every movie reviewed by this author is). The review template needs to be changed desperately.

[pro-bassoonist]

Originally Posted by Corny Collins

It's always nice to see reviews of overseas releases, but this is plain wrong:

"It was also the first film Cronenberg shot entirely in America."

It is true.

But don't trust the reviewer. See whether David Cronenberg thinks is true in the nice video interview with him.

Pro-B

[adamhopelies]

Originally Posted by pro-bassoonist

It is true.

But don't trust the reviewer. See whether David Cronenberg thinks is true in the nice video interview with him.

Pro-B

Thanks to the tabloid-friendly nature of one of the film's stars Maps To The Stars has a pretty well charted shooting schedule. Wikipedia collates (and references) the rough schedule.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maps_to_the_Stars#Filming

Principal photography began on July 8, 2013 in Toronto, Canada and continued until August 12, 2013.[49][50][51] Most of the shooting took place in Toronto and many of the interior locations in the film, were filmed at the Eastern Avenue side of Cinespace film studio of Ontario, Toronto.[52][53][54] On July 19, some scenes were shot in and around the diner at Queen street in Leslieville, Ontario.[55][56][57]

Filming then moved to Los Angeles, California. Most of the shoot was outdoors, at some landmark sites.[58][59] On August 17, filming took place downtown at Union Station, Los Angeles with Pattinson and Wasikowska[60][61] and on August 18 and 19, scenes were shot at Rodeo Drive and The Beverly Hilton in Beverly Hills, L.A.[60][62][63][64][65] Scenes were also filmed at the Hollywood Walk of Fame, Hollywood Boulevard and Runyon Canyon near Mulholland Drive on August 20[66][67][68][69][70][71][72] and at Park Way Beverly Hills L.A. on August 21.[73][74] Cronenberg lit the Hollywood Sign for a scene on August 20, by using 4K HMI lights. He has said that "It's no different than shining a light from a helicopter."[75] Filming wrapped up on August 22, 2013 in L.A.[75][76]

Maps To The Stars does mark the first time he's ever shot in the US tho (apparently).