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Discussion
S. Craig Zahler's last film, Dragged Across Concrete came out 4 years ago. In my opinion, he is 3 for 3 with Bone Tomahawk, Brawl in Cell Block 99, and Dragged Across Concrete. I know he's be pumping out some other media including a graphic novel, but I'm really hoping to see a new film by him in the near future. I love the grittiness and dialogue in all his films. Where ya at Zahler?
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One of the best directors right now. I hate that he’s being labeled and dismissed as “conservative”, that feels extremely reductive.
He makes characters that can be extremely shitty, and doesn't punish them specifically for being shitty, so of course people get mad. I blame super hero movies for turning people into baby brains who expect movies to spoon feed them morality tales. Adults can both be engaged by a character, while also understanding that they suck.
That being said, I really, really want a movie adaptation of Wraiths of the Broken Land. Would be amazing.
His films are definitely meant to fill a grey area of politics, but since he’s edgy and dark people like to label him conservative. He’s definitely a very fresh and interesting filmmaker.
I think this attitude is weird, and it seems to me that it mostly stems from two pieces in The Daily Beast, one review of Dragged Across Concrete calling it racist, and one interview with Zahler, which had the headline "The director making films for the MAGA crowd" (or something along these lines), even though Zahler said nothing even remotely close in the actual interview. On the contrary, he explicitly stated that he is not interested in making political films. I’d argue that Zahler’s a victim of some people only being able to watch and think about films through the lens of their politics (that happens both on the left and the right).
That‘s were the whole narrative originates from, and, at least to my knowledge, it‘s not substantiated by any facts at all.
I think it‘s totally fair game for a film reviewer to call a film racist. I don‘t necessarily agree (one of the lead characters being a sympathetic black man, the villains being white), but a review is just a reviewer’s opinion. It’s an opinion piece, not reporting. But the headline for the interview with him is where a professional line is crossed and it becomes a smear.
I can‘t look into Zahler‘s head, maybe he’s secretly super duper conservative, but nothing he has actually said warrants labeling him a conservative (or, more extreme, MAGA) filmmaker. It’s all conjecture, or interpreting some meaning into Zahler’s decision to tell stories with flawed characters.
It‘s a smear that took on it‘s own life, as can be seen on Reddit, where this unproven myth comes up as fact every time his films come up, and it‘s weird and disappointing to see so much energy exerted to damage an indie filmmaker’s career.
Bone Tomahawk was dope. I just watched it again because I wanted to look a quote from the movie up, and ended up rewatching the entire thing.
I need him to adapt his novel, Mean Business on North Ganson Street. It's my favorite of all his movies and books. He's awesome!
Just rewatched Bone Tomahawk last week. Richard Jenkins kills in that movie. He has all the best lines.
I believe Warner Bros did acquire the rights to the novel and Leonardo DiCaprio and Jamie Foxx were in talks to star as the two central detectives, but I suppose it's been in development hell ever since.
Yeah, I heard that a few years ago but, like you say, stuck in limbo.
This is sincerely the best take I've read on Reddit. I completely agree. I honestly think he should have won an Oscar for the soup scene alone.
I know the movie can be a hard watch for some people with the brutality, but it's honestly an excellent movie that bucks a lot of expectations from Westerns if not horror.
Thank you! The soup scene is so great, partly because the dialogue as written is already really funny and memorable but he elevates it so much with his delivery. One of trhe best performances by one of my favorite actors.
I quote this scene all the time. Too good.
Took me half a movie to realise it was Richard Jenkins
Agreed we are overdue but I'm sure covid setback a lot of indie directors.
Jeremy saulnier hasn’t released a film since 2018 either. I always associate the two because of their depictions of violence
He’s got Rebel Ridge in post production so that’ll come out within the next year. John Boyega was supposed to be the lead but he left after a month of shooting due to “issues”, which obviously delayed things.
He’s pitching 3 projects right now:
Hug Chickenpenny
Fury of the Strongmen
Untitled western series
Hopefully one gets green-lit soon and we see him back in the directors chair next year.
Here's a link to his most recent interview in a Japanese magazine.
Fury Of The Strongman is an amazing script. I’d love to see it hit the screen someday.
He’s working on Hug Chickenpenny (based on his book.) I believe he wants to do it stop motion.
highly recommend the book. It’s unlike anything else he’s written and is tremendously depressing and could actually make a pretty good ”kids” movie.
I still hope his project with Park Chan-wook will see the light of day somtime in the future
Have you seen Puppet Master: The Littlest Reich (written by him)? It’s disgusting fun and it has Thomas Lennon in a starring role.
Are his other movies as shocking/gruesome as bone tomahawk?
"Cell Block" I think is his most violent film. The violence in Dragged Across Concrete however I think is the most effective in the context given. That movie has some of the most terrifying villains I've ever seen.
this is correct
in concrete or cell block?
Concrete
I’m glad to report they are!
Yes, but nothing quite as bad as the death scene in BT. You know which one I'm talking about.
I’ve seen so many shocking horror films in my life but nothing has ever come close to that scene. Absolutely horrifying and heartbreaking all at once.
The mom / bank employee with a new born baby that gets shot in the bank robbery scene. That even made me annoyed but I get why it's in the movie.
I do 💀
Love this guy. Bone Tomahawk is a modern classic. Get back to work Zahler!
He had a bunch of projects set up with Cinestate, who would let him have final cut, but when Cinestate went under those projects went to development hell. Dallas Sonnier may even still own the rights to them. I guess either studios are scared to touch him or he doesn't want to compromise his vision.
And I think he's smart enough to not demean himself with the Daily Wire.
Was just thinking about Brawl in Cell Block 99 and how perfectly written Vince Vaughan's character is. One dimensional but perfectly written and flawlessly portrayed. That monologue about always picking the wrong unlabelled coffee additive even though there is a 1/3 chance he should pick the right one (cream), right after he gets fired and finds his wife cheating on him sets the tone for the next 2 hours perfectly.
I think Zahler will go on to be an all-timer (if you don’t consider him one already). Just a stupidly talented person.
I think he's going to be a modern John Carpenter. In the sense that he won't get most of his accolades until he's already retired.
damn its already been 4 years? He’s one of the most exciting indie directors out rn nobody doing gritty pulp films like him
I love his body of work. He has another comic coming out in October I do believe. No small feet considering he writes AND draws! His last comic was fun so I'm excited to see what the new one is like.
But agreed, I'd love to see him step behind the director's chair again.
For now you can read his books, i recommend Slanted Gutter. Amazing crime novel.
And his scripts, start with The Brigands of The Rattleborge
THANK YOU. This man doesn't get nearly enough attention. All of his films have been awesome imo. I literally look him up every once in a while to see what he's working on lol and how it's going.
He makes awesome films. Bone Tomahawk is one of my favorite horror films of all time. Brawl in Cell Block 99 was just fucking badass. And I know Dragged Across Concrete was pretty divisive.. but I loved it. Have seen it 3 times now.
One of my favorite directors. And I hope he has a good amount of films left in him.
Dragged Across Concrete is a great film, Brawl in Cell Block 99 is probably my favorite though.
I get nervous watching his movies, they are dark as all hell but they are very very good.
Good, because I’m still reeling from Bone Tomahawk.
Everyone is always sleeping on ‘puppet master: the littlest reich’ smh
Zahler is a director who needs someone to rein him in. Now he's asking for final cut no one is going to give him a lot of cash to make films with 10 minute long scenes of Vince Vaughn eating sandwiches
Vaughn himself said of concrete - And certainly the people who aren't that onboard with the experience – makes them suffer through it all the much more: 'Oh, Jesus we got to watch these guys eat sandwiches'. So if you're not that onboard, it'll make it that much worse for you but if you are onboard then it's a detail to relish. I'm glad you enjoyed it.
Zahlers Brigands of Rattlborge is a famous blacklist script that's been doing the rounds since at least 2010 - its in production now with Park Chan-Wook directing and starring Mathew McConaughey.... Though I'm not sure how involved if at all Zahler is - they've already changed the name to Brigands of Rattlecreek... I doubt he would have accepted that if he was involved.
dont need any more movies made by nazis starring mel gibson. we’ve got too many as it is.
Nazis? Zahler is Jewish.
Dumbass
Maybe he's learned how to direct and frame action in that time
Oh so we could have another Michael Bay? No thanks.
His action style is spectacular.
Yes, because the only two directing styles are Michael Bay, and ... whatever film school Zahler is still in.
I'll never forget how hard I laughed the first time I saw that canyon/slope scene in Bone Tomahawk. They're literally looking up the mountain, the direction of the attack, and then it cuts to the side and he's hit in the head with a rock, coming from the direction he was facing. Then an arrow hits him from below, obviously thrown by some jackass PA.
I could go on, but there's no point. Zahler stans just counter with "it's made to be shit on purpose, like an homage to other shitty movies in the 70s, you just don't get it!" If you dig it, cool, more power to ya. Zahler is crap in my book though.
Brawl was a fun movie though. I dig auteurs, and hope he gets better.
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I don't agree with him at all, but this is such an infuriatingly asinine way to respond. Call him out on where he's wrong, don't just go "Um....awkward!" Like that one Key and Peele skit.
You are getting downvoted to hell because reddit has the movie taste of a 15 year old boy. Zahler is a tepid writer and an even worse director. He uses violence as a gimmick and crutch. I actually don't mind the overall plots to his movies but his execution is lacking.
Zahler's actually written a graphic novel that comes out in a few weeks. It can be found on Amazon. Now that he's written that maybe he'll return to film work.