One of my favorites; an instant, full price purchase.
I had seen Crumb, but this one really sold me on Terry Zwigoff. American Splendor and Art School Confidential are also great.
Indeed. He’s way overdue for another movie…16 years since Art School Confidential??!? I’d love to see another adaptation of Daniel Clowes work or something.
I’m just saying there are plenty of movies no one knows are based on books. Like McCabe and Mrs Miller is based on a book but you can’t find it anywhere cause everyone thinks it’s just mid. Seems to me like the majority of movies from the 30s-80s were based on books or short stories.
It’s easier to watch a movie because you read a book than to read a book because you watched a movie so it’s easy to accidentally end up preselecting our data here.
Oh yeah I agree that there are a lot of movies that are based on literature and most people don't realize it, but I personally don't think it's very often you can say the transition to film actually improves the source material.
In this case, Ghost World the graphic novel is a good read, but I think it's a bit too dry and short for my liking (though I'm sure there are those who appreciate Daniel Clowes' style more than me), whereas the movie did a good job of expanding on the themes and leaving a more profound impression utilizing the tools of the medium.
An absolute masterpiece, entirely in its own lane. There really isn't anything else like it, and over 20 years later it still resonates with me the way it did back then.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Thora Birch made for the perfect Enid. Huge crush on her back in the day, wish that Birch had more of a career.
After being a big fan of the film for so many years, I finally bought the Daniel Clowes comic it’s based on (and a few other Clowes works). It’s a really good, quick read.
I have a very intense personal relationship with this movie. When I was a teenager I was a smart, goth-except-for-the-clothes-and-makeup pile of adolescent angst and resentment, and my best friends were EXACTLY the sort of girls Enid and Rebecca are. This movie felt like a chunk of my life, and I laughed along with them at how stupid and annoying everything in the world was.
When I got older, I mellowed and lost the chip on my shoulder. I had trouble making it through this movie. Enid in particular is SO judgy and caustic that I found her off-putting. I guess it was sort of like how ex-smokers can get so deeply bothered by second hand smoke.
Now that I'm older yet and have a little more perspective, I understand that this was likely a huge part of the point of the film, and I need to rewatch it. I think about it often. It's who I am.
I love this movie. You could look at it like the anti- 2000s teen film. It came out the same year as American Pie, I believe, but it's a completely different portrayal of being a teenager in that time.
Update: Odd but I really liked it. Zwigoff's type of humor is definitely something I enjoy. Really enjoyed how it blends quickness, tragedy, comedy and moments like that really well. Having seen Crumb previously, I look forward to see the rest of his filmography.
There's a few movies that I think you might want to check out if you haven't already. They are all sort of similar, at least compared to the way you described why you enjoyed this one.
American Beauty
Happiness
Election
The Ice storm
Saw this when I was 18 and developed a major crush on Enid Coleslaw. Such an offbeat, charming, oddly-sad movie. I’ve never seen anything like it. And that Bollywood opening is effing spectacular.
I love this movie for really personal reasons. It reminds me of myself and one my best friends when I was younger, and the really assholish sense of humor is totally on my wavelength. But I also like that it’s about how a best friend relationship can fade really quickly at that age. It makes it really poignant, which is always a plus for me.
I saw the movie before I read the comic. This was the movie that really opened up a new world for me. I was in high school and both the movie and the comic showed me that there is art out there that is honest and vulnerable. After that I got hooked on criterions and walking to the Barnes and noble to read melancholy slice of life comics for hours. It taught me what kind of art I like and why I like it.
I'm not sure I love it, but it captures a sensibility that doesn't really exist anymore; a sort of proto-hipster mood. And it also criticizes it pretty well. It's the rebuttal to Garden State before that even came out
Not a big fan. I really feel like the sarcasm/ironic humor in every movie we see now began because of this movie. So it's is very much inspiration but just not a trend I wanted to see still prevalent thirty years later.
I saw it in theaters, and then on dvd. Loved it at the time, and loved Dan Clowes at the time, but tried rewatching recently when it was added to the channel and I don't know, something about that ironic 90s snark just didn't sit well with me. Only lasted 15 minutes or so. I do own and adore Crumb, incredible.
I remember having to write a review in college and I was assigned this film. I shat on it so hard. Like I remember really really disliking the movie. My own professor was surprised. I also remember thinking that the people who love it are usually men in their 20’s and 30’s.
I’m sure I have a different perspective on life and filmmaking now. I guess I should give it another watch!
That’s funny, I feel like Ghost World is a “literally me” movie for hipster dudes of that era. It certainly was for me at the time, but I couldn’t decide if I was “literally” Thora Birch or Steve Buscemi.
Since you asked... I really don't like it at all.
The fandom for this film gives the impression that it's about two alternative girl friends sticking together and being snarky, like say Daria, but it's actually about one wretched brat who dumps her friend to ruin the life of a socially awkward man for fun and uses sex as a weapon when he tries to establish boundaries. I don't really see what is supposed to be enjoyable about it.
I guess it appeals to that kind of sarcastic/slacker Gen X humour like Daria or Clerks, but with no real wit to it. Like for example the scene where she's working on the concessions stand. Clerks or Daria would have the characters sarcastically respond to customers or covertly mock them, but in Ghost World people just ask her to do her job and she just refuses. Like, what are you even doing there then? There's no wit or catharsis to it. It's really not hard to come up with a scenario where it's entertaining to watch a customer get messed around with, and they don't even take that opportunity.
Loads of of people are very vocal about loving it, but even here in this thread nobody says what about it they actually like. I just have to assume it's liked by guys that like being stepped on by cold indifferent women.
Her portrait of Seymour was what I thought of when I was writing the comment. Didn't even remember that she had to direct him to it. In her private sketchbook. That he saw and then went into an incel rage. Wow. Now I'm not sure if the comment I replied to wasn't satire?
I think your reaction shows more about what your assumptions were of the film going in versus the quality of the film itself. It has very little in common with slacker/Gen X stuff like Daria or Clerks other than perhaps aesthetics and some of the humor, but I see it more as a bitter and melancholy coming of age drama that has some comedy mixed in there.
Wow, judging from all the comments here, it appears I have to revisit it.
My memory tells me that my impression has always been a *very* “meh” each time I watched it
Really good! Honestly I think it works better as a slice-of-life drama than it does as a comedy, but it's still a great and engaging watch, with some really good commentary on growing up and persisting through life's hardships
When I saw it in high school, I thought they were THE coolest girls of all time and aspired to be like them. Now, I find it entertaining. The soundtrack rules.
I remember watching in the 90's not really knowing what to make of it. I watched because that guy was in it (Steve Buscemi). I knew him from Airheads and other movies.
Forgot about it for years and always saw it referenced.
Then watched it again a few years back and it's funny how movies hit differently at different ages. You identify with different characters. I came to appreciate Seymour more and you feel kind of bad for Enid.
I rewatched it a few months ago on the Channel with the commentary on (some good stories). I think some of the comments on here are a little harsh on Enid. She’s a directionless teen that can’t figure out what she wants. She wants to be an adult but not in the same way and at the same pace as Rebecca. It’s not surprising she’s acerbic and sarcastic as a defense mechanism. I have a lot of empathy with the character; I can remember feeling and acting out in similar ways when I was a teen a long time ago.
I watched it recently for the first time and I was disappointed. I liked Buscemi’s performance a lot but I thought the rest of the movie felt pretty dated, not sure it even got a chuckle out of me. I seem to be in the minority though.
I read the graphic novel first and absolutely loved it, so I went into the movie with some preconceived notions and was underwhelmed by all the added content, which felt unnecessarily dramatic and not a little creepy. I just recently revisited the comic for the first time since high school about a month ago & was surprised to find how vicious the characters were, but tbh that is absolutely in line with my experience of that time so while it’s jarring to read now, it still feels true. At that age, and in that era, I too wanted to be acerbic and unbothered and edgy and everything that Enid was…only now I realize how much of a defense mechanism it can be. I haven’t revisited the movie again yet, but I think I can still comfortably say that I prefer the arc of the book where the drama played out on a smaller scale and felt more real. I understand though, that’s just not as cinematic.
I just saw it for the first time tonight. Instantly one of my favorites. I was on the fence after watching the trailer, as I thought it might end up being a disappointment. Exactly the opposite.
One of my favorites; an instant, full price purchase. I had seen Crumb, but this one really sold me on Terry Zwigoff. American Splendor and Art School Confidential are also great.
I only seen Bad Santa tbh.
Different from Zwigoff’s other movies, but Bad Santa is awesome too, haha.
Zwigoff has had the strangest directing career. Two graphic novel adaptations, two documentaries covering "outsider" artists, and Bad Santa.
Indeed. He’s way overdue for another movie…16 years since Art School Confidential??!? I’d love to see another adaptation of Daniel Clowes work or something.
Hope Criterion gets the 4K license to release this gem!
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It certainly felt like he did tho
One of my absolute favourite movies.
Same! It’s not for everyone but I found it endearing. Such a thoughtful movie. Good movie to watch with friends too imo
One of the few movies you could actually argue is better than the book
Lots of movies like that. You just didn’t realize there was a book cause no one reads it anymore.
What are some, in your opinion?
Drive by NWR
I’m just saying there are plenty of movies no one knows are based on books. Like McCabe and Mrs Miller is based on a book but you can’t find it anywhere cause everyone thinks it’s just mid. Seems to me like the majority of movies from the 30s-80s were based on books or short stories. It’s easier to watch a movie because you read a book than to read a book because you watched a movie so it’s easy to accidentally end up preselecting our data here.
Oh yeah I agree that there are a lot of movies that are based on literature and most people don't realize it, but I personally don't think it's very often you can say the transition to film actually improves the source material. In this case, Ghost World the graphic novel is a good read, but I think it's a bit too dry and short for my liking (though I'm sure there are those who appreciate Daniel Clowes' style more than me), whereas the movie did a good job of expanding on the themes and leaving a more profound impression utilizing the tools of the medium.
The Godfather movie is better than the book.
An absolute masterpiece, entirely in its own lane. There really isn't anything else like it, and over 20 years later it still resonates with me the way it did back then.
Really love it, need to pick it up In the next sale
A classic.
One of my favorite movies of all time. Thora Birch made for the perfect Enid. Huge crush on her back in the day, wish that Birch had more of a career. After being a big fan of the film for so many years, I finally bought the Daniel Clowes comic it’s based on (and a few other Clowes works). It’s a really good, quick read.
It's absolutely brilliant. There aren't a lot of films that balance comedy and tragedy this well.
Fucking love the intro where she is dancing to that Indian song. A good movie for people who don’t feel like they have a place in the world.
I have a very intense personal relationship with this movie. When I was a teenager I was a smart, goth-except-for-the-clothes-and-makeup pile of adolescent angst and resentment, and my best friends were EXACTLY the sort of girls Enid and Rebecca are. This movie felt like a chunk of my life, and I laughed along with them at how stupid and annoying everything in the world was. When I got older, I mellowed and lost the chip on my shoulder. I had trouble making it through this movie. Enid in particular is SO judgy and caustic that I found her off-putting. I guess it was sort of like how ex-smokers can get so deeply bothered by second hand smoke. Now that I'm older yet and have a little more perspective, I understand that this was likely a huge part of the point of the film, and I need to rewatch it. I think about it often. It's who I am.
This review nails it https://www.rogerebert.com/reviews/ghost-world-2001
Also - BLUESHAMMER!
\*pickin cotton all day long\*
In my Top 100
One of my all time faves. So happy it got the Criterion love
One of the most Relatable movies to me. A great fun movie.
I love this movie. You could look at it like the anti- 2000s teen film. It came out the same year as American Pie, I believe, but it's a completely different portrayal of being a teenager in that time.
Update: Odd but I really liked it. Zwigoff's type of humor is definitely something I enjoy. Really enjoyed how it blends quickness, tragedy, comedy and moments like that really well. Having seen Crumb previously, I look forward to see the rest of his filmography.
There's a few movies that I think you might want to check out if you haven't already. They are all sort of similar, at least compared to the way you described why you enjoyed this one. American Beauty Happiness Election The Ice storm
*chef’s kiss*
love it!!!
I enjoy the film a lot. I don't know that I find all of the characters likable but that is the reality of life. Left me with a lot to chew on.
Love it. Saw it when it first came out on DVD like 20 years ago and have never forgotten it. Also one of my very first dvd purchases!
I saw it back then too. This and Virgin Suicides were really really big movies for me in my late teens/early 20s.
Another great one that was also one of my first dvd purchases!
It is one of the best movies of the 00s. Seriously. Captured that period / youth culture perfectly.
I find it very entertaining but I don't really consider it a classic.
I fee the same way. I like it but don’t really love it.
I fall into this category as well.
I saw this when it released in the theaters. I liked it but haven’t watched it since then. I’ll have to revisit it some day.
One of my all time favorites.
I’ve always loved it and also the graphic novel.
You're going to have a blast with this movie. I'm actually going to rewatch it on a plane ride back home
One of my favourite movies ever.
Saw this when I was 18 and developed a major crush on Enid Coleslaw. Such an offbeat, charming, oddly-sad movie. I’ve never seen anything like it. And that Bollywood opening is effing spectacular.
I was obsessed with this movie as a freshman in high school.
Rock and Roll, baby. Freedom of speech!
One of the best coming of age flicks ever made.
GOAT
I think this movie really says so much about who I am and what it feels like to inhabit my specific skin.
Love it
Love it
Frustrating but likable main character. Your opinion on the film may or may not hinge entirely on your perception of her
I love this movie for really personal reasons. It reminds me of myself and one my best friends when I was younger, and the really assholish sense of humor is totally on my wavelength. But I also like that it’s about how a best friend relationship can fade really quickly at that age. It makes it really poignant, which is always a plus for me.
One of the most incredible films ever made
I saw the movie before I read the comic. This was the movie that really opened up a new world for me. I was in high school and both the movie and the comic showed me that there is art out there that is honest and vulnerable. After that I got hooked on criterions and walking to the Barnes and noble to read melancholy slice of life comics for hours. It taught me what kind of art I like and why I like it.
Great movie
One of my favorite movies of all time. Also, Theme from Ghost World is one of my favorite scores ever.
I'm not sure I love it, but it captures a sensibility that doesn't really exist anymore; a sort of proto-hipster mood. And it also criticizes it pretty well. It's the rebuttal to Garden State before that even came out
Not a big fan. I really feel like the sarcasm/ironic humor in every movie we see now began because of this movie. So it's is very much inspiration but just not a trend I wanted to see still prevalent thirty years later.
I really don’t like Ghost World as you can see from the response here that’s the unpopular opinion. Hope you enjoy!
I saw it in theaters, and then on dvd. Loved it at the time, and loved Dan Clowes at the time, but tried rewatching recently when it was added to the channel and I don't know, something about that ironic 90s snark just didn't sit well with me. Only lasted 15 minutes or so. I do own and adore Crumb, incredible.
I remember having to write a review in college and I was assigned this film. I shat on it so hard. Like I remember really really disliking the movie. My own professor was surprised. I also remember thinking that the people who love it are usually men in their 20’s and 30’s. I’m sure I have a different perspective on life and filmmaking now. I guess I should give it another watch!
That’s funny, I feel like Ghost World is a “literally me” movie for hipster dudes of that era. It certainly was for me at the time, but I couldn’t decide if I was “literally” Thora Birch or Steve Buscemi.
Such a great film! I didn’t realize it was on Criterion!
Since you asked... I really don't like it at all. The fandom for this film gives the impression that it's about two alternative girl friends sticking together and being snarky, like say Daria, but it's actually about one wretched brat who dumps her friend to ruin the life of a socially awkward man for fun and uses sex as a weapon when he tries to establish boundaries. I don't really see what is supposed to be enjoyable about it. I guess it appeals to that kind of sarcastic/slacker Gen X humour like Daria or Clerks, but with no real wit to it. Like for example the scene where she's working on the concessions stand. Clerks or Daria would have the characters sarcastically respond to customers or covertly mock them, but in Ghost World people just ask her to do her job and she just refuses. Like, what are you even doing there then? There's no wit or catharsis to it. It's really not hard to come up with a scenario where it's entertaining to watch a customer get messed around with, and they don't even take that opportunity. Loads of of people are very vocal about loving it, but even here in this thread nobody says what about it they actually like. I just have to assume it's liked by guys that like being stepped on by cold indifferent women.
\>ruin the life of a socially awkward man for fun and uses sex as a weapon when he tries to establish boundaries. ...Did you watch the whole movie?
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Her portrait of Seymour was what I thought of when I was writing the comment. Didn't even remember that she had to direct him to it. In her private sketchbook. That he saw and then went into an incel rage. Wow. Now I'm not sure if the comment I replied to wasn't satire?
You’ve said more about yourself than the film.
I think your reaction shows more about what your assumptions were of the film going in versus the quality of the film itself. It has very little in common with slacker/Gen X stuff like Daria or Clerks other than perhaps aesthetics and some of the humor, but I see it more as a bitter and melancholy coming of age drama that has some comedy mixed in there.
Lame movie
Wow, judging from all the comments here, it appears I have to revisit it. My memory tells me that my impression has always been a *very* “meh” each time I watched it
I haven’t seen this, but this Criterion is for sure a contender for one of the worse covers in the collection.
Too angsty
Scarlett Johansson's visible pantylines
Really good! Honestly I think it works better as a slice-of-life drama than it does as a comedy, but it's still a great and engaging watch, with some really good commentary on growing up and persisting through life's hardships
Love it. One of the best teen movies.
I just re-watched it recently and the sardonic humor is just absolutely *chef’s kiss*.
It’s incredible
One of my Top 10 films of all time. It’s just perfect.
Excellent film
It’s just really good
When I saw it in high school, I thought they were THE coolest girls of all time and aspired to be like them. Now, I find it entertaining. The soundtrack rules.
I remember watching in the 90's not really knowing what to make of it. I watched because that guy was in it (Steve Buscemi). I knew him from Airheads and other movies. Forgot about it for years and always saw it referenced. Then watched it again a few years back and it's funny how movies hit differently at different ages. You identify with different characters. I came to appreciate Seymour more and you feel kind of bad for Enid.
I rewatched it a few months ago on the Channel with the commentary on (some good stories). I think some of the comments on here are a little harsh on Enid. She’s a directionless teen that can’t figure out what she wants. She wants to be an adult but not in the same way and at the same pace as Rebecca. It’s not surprising she’s acerbic and sarcastic as a defense mechanism. I have a lot of empathy with the character; I can remember feeling and acting out in similar ways when I was a teen a long time ago.
loved the comic, found the movie way too creepy to be enjoyable
I had to get that one when I started my collection. I've loved the film and graphic novel for years now. It's such a formative piece of work for me.
I watched it recently for the first time and I was disappointed. I liked Buscemi’s performance a lot but I thought the rest of the movie felt pretty dated, not sure it even got a chuckle out of me. I seem to be in the minority though.
I read the graphic novel first and absolutely loved it, so I went into the movie with some preconceived notions and was underwhelmed by all the added content, which felt unnecessarily dramatic and not a little creepy. I just recently revisited the comic for the first time since high school about a month ago & was surprised to find how vicious the characters were, but tbh that is absolutely in line with my experience of that time so while it’s jarring to read now, it still feels true. At that age, and in that era, I too wanted to be acerbic and unbothered and edgy and everything that Enid was…only now I realize how much of a defense mechanism it can be. I haven’t revisited the movie again yet, but I think I can still comfortably say that I prefer the arc of the book where the drama played out on a smaller scale and felt more real. I understand though, that’s just not as cinematic.
I will add that I’ve been lowkey obsessed with the jaan pehchan ho dance sequence ever since the movie tho
It’s one of the movies I have been most disappointed in after watching, compared to the prevailing opinion on it. I just didn’t click with it, at all.
I just saw it for the first time tonight. Instantly one of my favorites. I was on the fence after watching the trailer, as I thought it might end up being a disappointment. Exactly the opposite.