“I need somebody who’s had a little less caffeine this morning.” -Armageddon
Nothing induces the existential angst quite like browsing your Airbnb host’s television. At such times I wonder if my sole purpose on this rock is to wedge a Nosferatu or a 2001 between editions of The Real Housewives on strangers’ Peacock Home pages. “Continue Watching?” { 👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️👹👯♀️👯♀️👯♀️ } Guess I’m the stranger. Or maybe I’m just a dude.
Following the usual half hour of dissociation, I decided to try Project Hail Mary. I know most people liked it. Furthermore it’s about a dude who questions his place among earthlings and stars alike— a movie for me, right?
At the colorful surface, Hail Mary seems to have a lot going for it. Ryan’s hipster costumes for one. Lush practical sets for another. But 45 minutes in, I realized I had been asking myself the same question for the past 30. How the hell could Castaway-in-space have more cuts than Armageddon?
The hyper editing of Armageddon (1998) is justified because it juggles two dozen major characters and the most action ever put to screen. Project Hail Mary? One. Okay, three characters. And a whole lotta down time. Even so, the edit is close to the same break-neck pace, same amount of seconds per cut (about 2.5) as Michael Bay, “Bayhem’s” masterpiece. And it’s relentless for the duration.
So why? Was it lazy editing? Or caffeinated editing— from the same editor as Cocain Bear?.. Or worse, was it intentional? Was it the studio catering to an audience they believe holds the attention span of goldfish? And if so, were they right to do so. Would the audience have lost interest.
In that instant I fell through a psychological trap door back to square one. Zoning out wondering what percentage of adults would pass the marshmallow test. Or remember a car key for longer than a few seconds if I closed it in the palm of my hand. “Would you, Quintus? Would I?”
I’m not a snob. And I’m certainly not a know-it-all. I know I write that way sometimes, in attempt at authenticity… You know what it is? It’s that I’m sensitive… Film editing is an art that demands sensitivity. Our minds are all we have. And as an editor, you’re asking people to lend you their mind for the duration of your movie, so you can manipulate it. I have zero tolerance for edits that abuse that responsibility, that privilege. Project Hail Mary appears to be an edit that abuses its privilege. But hey, maybe I’m overreacting. People loved this movie so don’t let my gripe bring you down.
A cold plunge in 50 degree Lake Michigan brought me out of my funk soon after. I had a very positive vacation with family. Maybe you’re more interested in that anyway😚 Maybe I was just off, could give the film another try. The good news is, that morning’s consternation led to a chain of events which has since reignited my passion for film editing. It’s one of my favorite things, it’s what I do here. I’m re-reading “In The Blink of an Eye” by Walter Murch, editor of Apocalypse Now, The Godfather, and The Conversation. This week I also re-opened the Sucker Punch Project for the first time since June. Up and at it. We have a planet to save.
…Now watch this (dive)
EF
Interesting to read your review! I am more impressed that you had good vacation with your folks!!
It was a good vacation with family. Thank you!
Glad the vacation was a good one, E.F. I will keep an eye on the editing specifically the next time I watch Project Hail Mary. I enjoyed the film. I also get where you are coming from. It seems from what I have seen online they were concerned about getting to everything they wanted to include from the book, but you also have a situation where there were necessarily quiet moments. A juggling act to be sure. In The Blink Of An Eye sounds like an excellent primer on film editing, and that author certainly knows his stuff.
Great feedback, glad the editing didn’t bother you. Knowing that helps me calibrate… It’s the best book I’ve read about film editing. Murch is very insightful— doesn’t get bogged down by the technicals, but doesn’t ignore them either. It’s philosophically entertaining.
Hey EF! Glad you had some nice time off, Lake Michigan plunge sounds refreshing in this scorching hot summer!
I enjoyed Project Hail Mary; somehow I was ok with the frenetic pacing. Maybe I was just mesmerized by Rocky, ahah. I haven’t read the book, though; my cousin who loved the book also raved about the movie. It’s been ages since I saw Armageddon, but I think I enjoyed it despite all the silly Bay-hem.
Thanks! And that’s really good to know the editing didn’t bother you— helps me calibrate when doing my own editing. I’ll probs watch Hail Mary again.
I did like Project Hail Mary but it wasn’t my favourite of the year. Glad I saw it at the cinema though. What’s been your favourite three this year so far?
Good question. I’ll go with the three I’ve seen and those are Toy Story 5, which I really liked. The Super Mario Galaxy movie, and… Shoot that’s only two. Maybe Sheep Detectives! When I see it. Still want to see Odyssey and Spider Man this summer. What about you?
Hi EF, glad you had a great vacation. I haven’t seen the film so I can’t comment on it, but isn’t Michael Bay the guy that did the Transformers reboot/retcons? Because they were difficult to watch as they just seemed to be Special FX with cut-out paper characters superimposed over the top. I couldn’t watch most of them and make sense of the movies. It seems Bay has moved on from overloaded FX to overloading films with edits?
Thanks, I should’ve talked more about the vacay instead of ranting about a movie everybody loved Lol Oh well. I know you’re not a fan of Bay’s transformers. I’m biased because the first one came out right when I got my first car and job at the movie theater when it came out. So, memories. I still think it’s an impressive movie. The sequels I don’t care for… 90s Bay is superior to 2000s— they’re all frenetic and headache inducing movies. I have to watch them a few minutes at a time.