Todd Solondz

[Shrek & Donkey Kong 4336]

Does the king of discomfort deserve a spot in the Canon? after seeing Welcome to the Dollhouse, Happiness, and Palindromes (and very excited for Weiner Dog), does his unique style of emotional manipulation through absolute garbage characters with whom you are forced to sympathize deserve its place within the importance of the 90's indie movement?

[HoldenMartinson 221]

Todd Solondz is so interesting. I'd definitely give it up for Happiness, and I'd be up for Welcome to the Dollhouse. That said, some of his films are really terrible--Dark Horse and Storytelling are not great.

[RobertBoberts 62]

I wrote a paper on Happiness for a film class. Never felt so uncomfortable writing about a movie before, so yeah, I would love to hear that episode.

[NathanGordon 1096]

Todd Solondz vs Mike Leigh, perhaps? Happiness against Naked?

[Threshold 93]

I feel like, as with AntiChrist, I'm not sure I could sit through any of his films from what I've heard.

BUTTTTT, continuing the comparison with AntiChrist, It would be A Terrific, TERRIFIC episode.

[NathanGordon 1096]

I feel like, as with AntiChrist, I'm not sure I could sit through any of his films from what I've heard.

BUTTTTT, continuing the comparison with AntiChrist, It would be A Terrific, TERRIFIC episode.

Personally I find Lars Von Trier to be so self-serious as to be ludicrious at times. Antichrist is so completely over the top that the tone is confusing. Whereas Solondz is uncomfortable in its very plausible humanity (most of the time). I think it's much easier to relate to Solondz's characters.

 

Welcome To The Dollhouse is classic, you're missing out. Happiness is pretty essential as well. The rest I can take or leave, but they've all got some very good performances.

[Shrek & Donkey Kong 4336]

and Dollhouse has a couple of scenes that have more laughs than Von Trier's combined catalog-- some of Solondz stuff is hard to watch, but the deep, dark comedy within it makes the experience just so fantastic.

[joel_rosenbaum 1269]

Storytelling are not great.

Storytelling was so damned on the nose, especially with the Paul Giamatti storyline.

 

Happiness was fairly subversive and quite a bit better than Solondz's later stuff, which is basically unwatchable. But it lacks the humanity that made Welcome to the Dollhouse an interesting/enjoyable movie.

[Shrek & Donkey Kong 4336]

Wiener-Dog was very disappointing. Some signature Solondz moments, but as a whole was way too light-hearted. I also wish Greta Gerwig as Dawn Wiener was explored more, but I guess that just wasn't the nature of the ensemble.

[WilliamMendoza 3]

Happiness is his masterpiece.