KevinClauson

It's a callback to a criticism made by the (sound guy? producer? I don't really know what his position is.) made. i don't have the exact quote. but it was something to the effect that 'Amy often dislikes movies for stupid reasons. She'll be like ' I don't like the color of that woman's scarf' and she'll let it color her whole experience.' The critique originally was spoken off air and Devin had him repeat it for the listeners. It does not reference any particular film. Personally, i find this criticism to be dismissive, vaguely sexist, and willfully ignorant of the way that examples work.

I was using the word literally, in that Fincher's movies play out like countless conversations I and my equally insufferable schoolmates had as sophomores. (Looking back at my original post, I can't come up for a single good reason why I didn't just say "sophomore" instead of "second-semester freshman." ). It was a critique of the expression, rather than the content its self. (I'm a very stupid man who only recognized the irony of this after the fact.) I know this reads like a brush-off of your question, but it's embarassingly the truth.

Additionally, he keeps brings up that whole "yellow scarf" thing as if he is completely unfamiliar with people using examples. I love this podcast, but Devin gets patronizing and mansplaney when he's flustered. As to the film itself, it's fine. Like many Fincher movies, Se7en seems to be aimed at second-semester freshmen who are taking a philosophy class. It is, in a word, sophomoric. The film has a vibrancy that is admirable, but that energy isn't in the service of anything interesting or thought provoking. The insistence to the contrary that the film itself makes leads to a grating viewing experience that I am loathe to undergo again. *The production design is stellar and Paltrow's performance is winning. Pitt gives a valiant effort. Spacey is hammy, yet effecting, per usual.Freeman continues to leave me feeling cold. * I don't find arguments on influence compelling, though I suppose that goes down to whether or not you think this a canon of great films or important films. Furthermore, such arguments are extra-textual, which Devin insists he never traffics in. *Both Amy and Devin were right regarding the three day to retirement trope. While it is true, (or at least seemingly so; i am not researching this point at present) that the retiring officer usually dies, it is by no means uncommon for their world to simply go to shit, with them reaching retirement very much alive. *As far as personal enjoyment goes, I place this film 6th in Fincher's canon. On technical merits, it finds itsself in a tie for 3rd. It and Fight Club seem like two sides of the same laser disc to me. Scorching hot takes, these!