tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post5933003123043517732..comments2023-11-05T07:45:02.082-05:00Comments on Mystery Man on Film: Youth Without YouthMystery Manhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comBlogger14125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-57676699866655879742007-02-19T00:08:00.000-05:002007-02-19T00:08:00.000-05:00Hey man, thanks for the comment. I completely agr...Hey man, thanks for the comment. I completely agree. <BR/><BR/>It's funny you should say this. Coppola concluded his diary by saying, "I've begun to think that the only sensible way to deal with this dilemma is to become young again, to forget everything I know and try to have the mind of a student. To re-invent myself by forgetting I ever had any film career at all, and instead to dream about having one."Mystery Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-69365251838221534972007-02-18T20:22:00.000-05:002007-02-18T20:22:00.000-05:00The trouble with age is that experience comes with...The trouble with age is that experience comes with it.<BR/><BR/>With that experience, comes a certain type of knowledge.<BR/><BR/>When that knowledge comes, because it is *MY* knowledge, I identify with it, and I supply my energy to it.<BR/><BR/>I call this clinging to the past. How can I provide energy to this moment now if half or more of it is going towards sustaining the past?<BR/><BR/>People can't synthesize knowledge with energy very well.<BR/><BR/>The knowledge gained from experience tends to lock the energy into a stale pattern, and the energy dies there - it forms a hard, permanent thing.<BR/><BR/>This is the problem.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-28507208817610010272007-02-15T19:34:00.000-05:002007-02-15T19:34:00.000-05:00But then, to have everything constantly viewed as ...<I>But then, to have everything constantly viewed as a disappointment because your new work will never be as good as your opus, that's hard to take over time</I><BR/><BR/>Yeah, it would be, MM. I guess it's surprising to hear it come out of a legend's mouth. It sounds like he's humble about his gift and his contributions, as opposed to, say, Picasso. LOL. Makes me all warm and fuzzy inside. And I totally agree with you on taking anything from any Coppola, with Nicholas being the weakest link in a strong chain. Lost in Translation is one of my favorite films of all time.<BR/><BR/>Hey, I've got a bottle of their wine on my sideboard (seriously). *Pop* Here's to Magnum Opii!Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06238624456509484422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-5245404027517073352007-02-15T19:24:00.000-05:002007-02-15T19:24:00.000-05:00Mim, I can tell ;) As soon as I typed TWATG I thou...Mim, I can tell ;) As soon as I typed TWATG I thought to myself, but what about the Cider House Rules? So you won't get any argument from me on that one. No matter how you might be itching for one ;)<BR/><BR/>I also enjoyed Hotel New Hampshire. I still maintain TWATG was the finest, but alot of my reasons for saying that are personal. Garp, To Kill A Mockingbird and Lonesome Dove took me apart and put me back together a changed young woman. Cider House Rules, not so much. Maybe I need to read it again.<BR/><BR/>Instead of hijacking MM's thread further, I will now go out and get Son of The Circus on your rec. Seems we have similar tastes!Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06238624456509484422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-3022675707065145192007-02-15T15:34:00.000-05:002007-02-15T15:34:00.000-05:00Ann, I must humbly take exception to the implicati...Ann, I must humbly take exception to the implication that The World According to Garp is John Irving's only "Magnum Opus." I found the Cider House Rules a very impressive master-work. His very recent novels have not quite reached the level of "Garp" or "Cider House," but "Son of the Circus" certainly covered a lot of ground, both spiritually and physically.<BR/><BR/>I think Irving has managed to produce at least two Magnum Opus's (Opeii?) and several other works that do not quite measure up in stature, but that stand quite strongly by themselves on the shelf.<BR/><BR/>Sorry for the rant. I'm just a huge Irving fan. Can you tell?Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-86236760446133845862007-02-15T12:18:00.000-05:002007-02-15T12:18:00.000-05:00This may be a little off-topic but I think I enjoy...This may be a little off-topic but I think I enjoyed Captain EO more than any of FFC's other pieces (and the "making of" documentary with FFC and Michael dancing was pretty entertaining). Of course, it's no secret I'm not a big Godfather fan so...GimmeABreakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14681053662706062151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-89581178947210437232007-02-15T08:51:00.000-05:002007-02-15T08:51:00.000-05:00Joe - Sorry for the delay responding to your comme...Joe - Sorry for the delay responding to your comment. I had to read the article! I so thoroughly enjoyed it. I'll have to return to this subject. Thanks so much.<BR/><BR/>Mim - It really is. Thanks for that.<BR/><BR/>Ann - That's very true. With respect to Coppola, it's tough. Of course, we'd all take at least one good opus, but this guy has at least 3. So what do you do once you've had your opus(es) but it's in your blood to continue the art? You can't stop doing what you love. It's not healthy to be idle either. But then, to have everything constantly viewed as a disappointment because your new work will never be as good as your opus, that's hard to take over time. It's like the musician who has one runaway hit and that's the only song the audience wants to hear regardless of how many new albums come out. That's the wrong way to think, isn't it? Some people you're willing to take the good with the bad. I will certainly do that with the Coppolas. I love them. Father, daughter, and on rare occasions, I can actually watch Nicolas. I especially love their wine. Oh, baby. <BR/><BR/>I don't know. I think we should view it as a steady devotion to the craft and just not care. In my latter years, I'd like to be a master at work composing epic works like Tom Stoppard and his Russian Utopian trilogy. I think you just have to keep at it regardless of what they say.Mystery Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-73673836439576306242007-02-15T06:38:00.000-05:002007-02-15T06:38:00.000-05:00So many factors have to fall in line at the same t...So many factors have to fall in line at the same time to make a Great Work that it's truly amazing that any get done at all. It helps me to approach it this way. <BR/><BR/>I'm a late bloomer, and I see my writing getting better -- not the sexual aspect of the writing, but the comedy ;) Maybe the sex will follow? One can only hope. But I digress.<BR/><BR/>With books I've always had the opinion a writer has one Magnum Opus inside, if he or she is lucky. Most writers don't get two. Harper Lee quit after hers. Was that a giant loss to us? Not sure. But what she *did* give us was so freakin' awesome that multitudes of lives are better because of it. Other examples on my keeper shelf include Lonesome Dove and The World According to Garp. <BR/><BR/>As far as movies, Coppola was fortunate to have way more than one Magnum Opus, and plenty of arguably lesser, but still outstanding works.<BR/><BR/>So what's my point? I guess I'm trying to wrap my mind around an artist not being satisfied with one towering achievement. I mean, everyone wants to do more, but plenty don't even get one. Would I be satisfied (many years hence) with my one--if I get it?<BR/><BR/>As a reader/viewer it doesn't bother me if someone puts out a string of mehs before or after the MO. As long as I have the MO, I'm happy. But then, we're always easier on others than we are ourselves, right?Annhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06238624456509484422noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-48039354116616047012007-02-14T16:02:00.000-05:002007-02-14T16:02:00.000-05:00That makes sense. I know some writers who seem to...That makes sense. I know some writers who seem to have an instinctive feel for story structure, but they have a hard time applying theory. Everything is from the gut.Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-54588319828586376142007-02-14T10:25:00.000-05:002007-02-14T10:25:00.000-05:00There was a very interesting article in Wired (her...There was a very interesting article in Wired (<A HREF="http://www.wired.com/wired/archive/14.07/genius.html" REL="nofollow">here is a link</A>) that discussed this exact topic. The researchers came to the conclusion that there are 2 types of geniuses:<BR/><BR/>Conceptualists - Many geniuses peak early, creating their masterwork at a tender age ...<BR/><BR/>Experimentalists - ... while others bloom late, doing their best work after lifelong tinkering.<BR/><BR/>- JoeAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-87098803006851998702007-02-14T09:30:00.000-05:002007-02-14T09:30:00.000-05:00I think those heights really are attainable and th...I think those heights really are attainable and that's exciting to me and also quite terrifying.Mystery Manhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17486331815227364944noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-40591863897964255382007-02-14T09:06:00.000-05:002007-02-14T09:06:00.000-05:00You could try to be like Mozart, who composed hund...You could try to be like Mozart, who composed hundreds of pieces of great music and died in his early thirties.<BR/><BR/>You could try to be like Beatrix Potter, who didn't achieve success until after both her parents died, when she was in her forties.<BR/><BR/>Or you can be like yourself, and always do the best you can. In the words of Doc Brown, "If you put your mind to it, you can achieve anything."Mimhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11590214841424958129noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-77202840251337344592007-02-14T07:59:00.000-05:002007-02-14T07:59:00.000-05:00Since I've achieved no lofty heights from which to...Since I've achieved no lofty heights from which to fall and because I'm already old, everything looks up to me! heheGimmeABreakhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14681053662706062151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-30413383.post-78113275654916844032007-02-14T07:42:00.000-05:002007-02-14T07:42:00.000-05:00The key, if you ask me, is not to give up on yours...The key, if you ask me, is not to give up on yourself. If you write your magnum opus at the age of 30 and then compare everything else you do in life to that one work, you are cursing yourself to a life of torment.<BR/><BR/>Take each project and each artistic endeavor as it's own, individual and distinct work. Art has nothing to live up to. It doesn't need to be compared to another piece of art to be qualified, although sadly, this seems to be what we do anyway.<BR/><BR/>I think if you leanr to love youself, then you will love your creations, no matter if they are loved by others or not.Carl Shttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07145297032733680067noreply@blogger.com