John Maybury, director of the crappy “The Jacket“, has come out an blasted this year’s Best Picture Oscar winner Million Dollar Baby and it’s director Clint Eastwood.
The Attack didn’t just stop there. This guy, who has directed a grand total of 1 major motion picture, and a bad one at that, has decided that he would also take some shots at Martin Scorsese. The good folks over at Contact Music give us this:
Marybury fumes, “It was really depressing to watch that programme, that corporate programme… to see how much crap won. Especially you know when the director who made PLAY MISTY FOR ME, one of my favourite films of all time, won for such a piece of s**t√É‚Äö√¢‚Ǩ¬¶ But can you believe that the man who made Play Misty for Me made Million Dollar Baby?”
Maybury also took the opportunity to slam another big winner on the night – MARTIN SCORSESE’s THE AVIATOR, which picked up five statuettes, including Best Supporting Actress for CATE BLANCHETT.
He explains, “I don’t buy into this thing of five-hour, four-hour, three-hour√É‚Äö√¢‚Ǩ¬¶ Imagine if The Aviator had been 40 minutes shorter. It would have won every f**king Oscar last night.
Don’t get me wrong. EVERYONE is entitled to an opinion, but when you’re in a field you don’t take shots at legends in the same field. Can you imagine the uproar that would happen if Kobe Bryant came out and started taking shots at Michael Jordon? Or if George Bush started blasting George Washington? A-Rod started insulting Babe Ruth?
But what if it’s even worse. Imagine a second stringer on the Toronto Raptors insulting Michael Jordon? Or some minor league 3rd baseman was insulting the Babe? We’d just all laugh our collective asses off at him. Well that’s exactly what’s happening here. An unproven Big League director, who hasn’t done squat, starts bad mouthing the legends.
Let the fans, the critics and maybe even actors or producers criticize Eastwood or other directors. You don’t slam guys who are great at a job you yourself suck at, or at least are totally unproven at. That’s why you’ll never see me criticize other movie websites. Just my two cents worth.
“Reading everything in context, it’s quite clear that Maybury is funny, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and completely mad.”
I also thought the same after reading the transcript, I think he just wants to have a laugh.
My $.02: When you are in certain line of work you should respect your peers.
No one will always agree with those on their level, below or above, but one should show a measure of respect for those in their working in their craft.
When commenting to the media you should be constructive and avoid, in my opinion, profanity when critizing. (Common, can’t one use more creative words? Then again he’s a director and not a writer, so perhaps it’s a skill he lacks.)
My personal experience in the theatre taught me to respect who I worked with no matter how untalented I (or anyone else)thought they were. I never bad mouthed anyone aloud, but knew other actors who did. It only hurt them, no matter how talented they were.
Respect those who paved the way in film making even when you don’t like their current project. Bad mouthing them or their work to the press is tacky.
Well it seems to me that this guy wasnt really criticizing Million Bollar Baby as if his movie was better than Clint’s. I really dont know where you are going with this John. It sounds like you are making something out of nothing.
If you read the transcript, you will understand his tone?
John I dont know if you read the trascript or somebody told you this, but it seems like you put your own spin on it. Maybe next time you should read and actually do the research! Just a thought!
Good job Tom. Thanks for the link.
In case anybody’s interested, here’s a full transcript of the interview. Reading everything in context, it’s quite clear that Maybury is funny, sarcastic, self-deprecating, and completely mad. As much as anything else, he’s having a bit of fun playing with the journalists he’s talking to. It’s also interesting to note that he says Scorsese is the director he most admires.
Either way, it’s clear that he’s not saying this to just drum up publicity for his film, which he spends most of his time predicting doom for: “There√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢s going to be a disaster the first weekend when all the kids who think they√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re going to see The Grid or The Hole, find out they√¢‚Ǩ‚Ñ¢re watching some pretentious European drama.”
Oh, there is freedom of speach here (if you’ll notice I leave all the posts who disagree with me up).
However, when a comments gets way off topic, or gets into insulting language (mine included), I delete them unless they’re important to the conversation. (2 of the comments I removed were my own for those same reasons).
It seems like some posts have been taken off of here? I guess there isnt freedom of speech here.
But if everybody in a field was nothing but deferential to the “legends”… wouldn’t that would make for a staggeringly boring film industry? I just don’t see why you want people in the film industry to start being actively dishonest about the field they work in, that they devote their lives to and that they (one would hope) love. If Maybury (or whoever) honestly thinks that Million Dollar Baby was dull, or that The Aviator was overlong, why on does he look bad for saying so? And if they have a good case, why shouldn’t we listen to them? There’s enough blandness, sycophancy and mendacity in Hollywood as it is, without asking for more of it.
(And, to be honest, it’s not just those who are new and unproven who you don’t want criticising the legends – you weren’t keen on Russell Crowe having a mild pop at de Niro either, and he’s hardly unproven…)
It’s not a big issue – it’s just that I enjoy reading strong and interesting opinions about film, and if they come from people within the industry, that’s all the more interesting. I can’t see why someone would want less of that, rather than more.
Oh dear. It seems some people like putting words in my mouth.
If you read the post, I NEVER said Eastwood (or anyone for that matter) was above criticism.
My only point was that when you are in the same field and same job as a legend, and you yourself are “new” and unproven in the field, you only make yourself look like an ass when you take shots at those much more talented and proven than you are.
Or, you make yourself look like you’re trying to make a cheap name for yourself. Either way you look stupid.
Also, it doesn’t matter how good or bad this guy is at short films, or music videos… he has ZERO track record when it comes to major motion pictures. And his first project (in my opinion) sucks eggs (The Jacket). So to me… seeing this guy whose only real full blown motion picture sucks, take shots at proven award winning talent, well… it makes him look like a complete joke.
Let everyone else on the planet criticize Eastwood or Martin or whoever else. No one is above it.
Well I haven’t directed a single motion picture, good or bad, in my life, so I must be even less entitled to criticise someone who has than what John Maybury is. Just think, the gall that Jean-Luc Godard Francois Truffaut must’ve had to be film critics before they were filmmakers. And John Lydon obviously had no right to wear that “I Hate Pink Floyd” T-shirt when the latter had already released more records than the Sex Pistols ever would.
I’m sorry to say this, but this really is quite silly. I haven’t seen any of Maybury’s films so can’t speak for his qualities as a filmmaker, and haven’t seen M$B so can’t speak for its qualities as a film; consequently I don’t know whether or not the criticism is misplaced. Whether or not it is, however, Eastwood isn’t and shouldn’t be above criticism just because he’s a “legend”, and just because he and Maybury happen to work in the same section of the industry (on whatever different levels) doesn’t mean the latter shouldn’t be allowed to criticise the former.
of course he has the right, imagine a world where people didnt question those considered “above” them… more power to him.
He may have done a couple of other noteworthy films, but compare that to what these directors he is taking potshots of have already done in their lifetime. Eastwood’s acceptance speech was very humbling for someone of his stature. Who knows, I might like “The Jacket” when I watch it, I might even like the other films he has done but show some respect man, like what I said, what clout does he have? What has he actually proven?
“Remember, back in the sixties and seventies, it was Scorcese and Coppola and Lucas and Spielberg who were the young, unproven tykes. What goes around… and so on”.
Sure, but I dont recall them bashing the other directors not of their generation, oh well, there’s no Internet then to get our facts straight, but something that maybe Maybury should keep in mind?
John Maybury’s hardly a young tyke with no talent coming in and taking a few pops at the icons of cinema just to make a name for himself. He’s been working with film for over two decades, except he’s coming at it from the art side of things as opposed to the commercial side. He is himself hugely respected in the field of experimental and arthouse film. Try to see Love Is The Devil, his film about Francis Bacon. It’s pretty astonishing. I’ve not seen The Jacket yet, so I don’t know how well it works, but it’s hardly the only thing Maybury has done.
Oh, and you know that amazing Sinead O’Connor video for Nothing Compares 2 U? He did that as well.
Not that there’s anything wrong with young tykes coming in and taking a pop at the legends, come to think of it – it’s exciting, it’s progress, it’s fun. Remember, back in the sixties and seventies, it was Scorcese and Coppola and Lucas and Spielberg who were the young, unproven tykes. What goes around… and so on.
I wouldn’t take shots at him because he takes shots at a “legend” in his field: I mean I don’t get this “legend”-worship. “Legends” aren’t perfect and if they did something worthy of criticism then by all means open your mouth and “take a shot”. Kobe, flap about Jordan, whoever say something about Babe. If they are in the field and are unproven and/or hacks then they’re merely setting themselves up for ridicule. It would be wise not to do it, but hey could prove entertaining and gosh they could even have a point, their lack of skills not withstanding.
However if what the person is SAYING makes absolutely no sense, then there I think is what should be looked at, and not automatically dismissed because a lot of people like Michael Jordan or Clint Eastwood. The guy’s obviously just desperate for some media attention: why not make fun of that instead?
Funny guy. I can’t say The Jacket was bad, but it had so many mistakes. I mean, the idea is nice, but the realization is really poor.
Looks like he’s disappointed with himself and to hide that tries to attack other directors.
Oh well who cares, it’s not like he’s some important or famous person… :) Just a lucky director with a poor movie. :D
It may have been unwise for him to say this for professional reasons, and it may be true that he himself has failed to make a great film, but this doesn’t there isn’t something to what he said. There is something unsatisfying about films that regularly win oscars. Its hard to put a finger on it, but they all feel like they are produced with the intent of being an oscar winner- and I don’t mean that in the obvious “hey they just wanted to make a great film” sense. There is something ghoulishly fabricated about typical nominees.
“Let the fans, the critics and maybe even actors or producers criticize Eastwood or other directors. You don’t slam guys who are great at a job you yourself suck at, or at least are totally unproven at”.
I perfectly agree with you there John.
Who is this guy? I have never even heard of this guy until today. What clout does he have to say what’s good directing or not? I will probably listen to him if he has been at least honored by his peers, this one is digging his grave.