“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 haven’t rewatched it, but I’m curious how I’d feel the second time around. I saw it for the first time in the theater, and sometimes you get caught up by the vibe of the crowd, too.
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?
Nice list! I’ll go with Michael, Mortal Kombat II and Toy Story 5. I haven’t seen the second Mario movie.
Oh yeah I want to see those too! Mario was just okay.
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.
I agree, and have to wonder if the rapid-fire editing is because attention spans have become so short. A great deal of the beauty of films like “2001”, “Bladerunner”, or “Ghost in the Shell” are the long, drawn out sequences that draw viewers into the aesthetic. But that requires both focus and processing. Still, what’s the point of shooting something worthy of a movie screen like its going to be watched on a phone?
THANK YOU. (Finally some validation). I was starting to think I was crazy. I never want people to lie to me, so I’m glad other comments reaffirmed the editing didn’t bother them. It’s just surprising to me… I re-watched a few scenes on youtube and the rapid-fire editing is def there, just as I described. Like the “Having a moment” green planet scene— I counted 60 cuts in 2 Min 50 seconds. For avg. shot length of 2.83 seconds. Which is absolutely bonkers for a calm space walk like this. Between 4-10X faster than a comparable scene from 2001 A SPace Odyssey.
You’re welcome!
Interesting. I don’t watch many films anymore…usually on long flights. But that kind of editing will just hammer me. Maybe one of the reasons I’ve tended toward Asian films as I’ve gotten older. And I realized that I referenced “Ghost in the Shell”, while I’ve never actually seen the more recent live-action remake. Might make for an interesting comparison.
Project Hail Mary is still one of my favorite movies of the year. I didn’t notice the editing at all.
That’s good, I’m glad. I remain stupefied by my reaction.
I didn’t see this movie but I feel your pain. “People loved this movie…” is a red flag for me. I don’t trust the “people.” Lightness Traveling, who remarked about today’s attention spans, is absolutely correct. And Roger Ebert – who knew a bit about film – lamented that, today, the reviews of seasoned, professional critics who have seen thousands of movies, all different genres, domestic and foreign, and studied filmmaking for many years, get less attention than social media posts by 15-year-olds who have limited their knowledge to a few dozen blockbuster special-effect-laden superhero films. So it’s not only about film quality, it’s also about the quality and viewership of the “critical” evaluations.
It’s true that there’s no accounting for taste. But there should be consideration given to those who review the arts. Not that I’ll ever see this film…but thanks for your concise evaluation of the editing.
I respect Ebert, especially for having the confidence to change his mind sometimes. Like when he apologized for attacking Jim Carrey early in his careers— he’d just never seen such a unique talent prior and didn’t know how to interpret him at first…
Ahh I sourced Ebert’s gripe to his 2012 article, “The Gathering Dark Age” The young “influencer” over critic phenomenon has only grown exponentially since then… Amplified by social media algorithms which have NOW become CO-OPTED by the globalist, fascist technocrats. It is in THEIR interest to undermine such true experts / authorities and promote voices that either directly serve their propagandic agenda, or sow chaos and uncertainty in any domain.
But I would push back against not trusting “the people”. And I notice that influencers largely do speak for the opinions of younger generations. You and I can’t simply turn our nose up at them or they’ll write us off. Influencers remain a greater ally to revolutionaries than to authorities in general.
I have just learned, via multiple young influencers on TikTok, that Spider Man: Brand New Day (released 07/31/26) features Spider man weaponizing mass surveillance in order to catch the baddies. This is the same movie that has just broken the box office records for highest earnings in an opening week. I strongly suspect Dark money, zionist money, has boosted the movie’s box office success. And I notice how this APPARENT success causes everyday people to believe the movie must be good. Therefore, they must go see it, and like. It’s brilliant propaganda. We must warn people.
Sorry for the long response (if you read this far). But I consider this an extremely consequential subject. And thank your for raising it.
EF
Yes, I did read your whole piece. Thanks for your lucid reply. Perhaps I’m being too harsh on “the people” (influencers). I’m an old curmudgeon who remembers Jaws and Star Wars (both great flicks) opening the floodgates for multi-million-dollar summer blockbusters with massive youth appeal. But seems like so many of these mega-movies sacrifice story and character (and good editing) for the witty one-liner, sustained scream, and technical wizardry. Throw in what Ebert says about publicists and quid pro quos, and your point about “Dark money” (not sure about the Zionism) and it’s even worse.
We’ll see if that Tomatometer soon drops for this movie. (Actually, it wasn’t “The Gathering Dark Age” I’d read, but very similar.)
I’m 35 and will def be an old curmudgeon, if i’m not already. I tuned in to AMC for the Jaws marathon (Man, even Jaws 2 is better than a lot of today’s movies!). The next day on the car ride to Michigan Vacay my parents and I talked movies in the car and we all agreed with your sentiments in the comment above… I have faith the kids will discover the classics in time… But dark money manipulation + AI is a real obstacle to that… There are so many bot accounts everywhere. At least 30% of youtube accounts are bots… I don’t trust rotten tomatoes or imdb anymore. It’s unfortunate. Thats just where I’m at.
Well, we speak the same language. My reliable go-to is my dog-eared 1997 Leonard Maltin guide…which says something about age of the movies I watch! Last night we watched “The Fallen Idol” with Sir Ralph Richardson, dir. by Sir Carol Reed. Solid writing, acting, directing, camera work.
Enjoyed the convo!
Ahh, you were on vaycay. With caffiene?
Well, I’m with you on editing. I want to enjoy a film, not be exhausted by it. I won’t be seeing this movie.
I AM NOT A GOLDFISH!
I’m intrigued by the film in a new way now. I’ll certainly update you once I’ve seen it. Glad your vacation was a good reset. 🤓
Java Bean: “Ayyy, everybody into the water!!!”
I am going to see “Project Hail Mary” eventually, but I have to read the book first. Since I picked it up in 2022 and am currently working on books I picked up in 2020, this might take a while lol
Now I want to watch project hail mary
I saw that movie with my brother milion times and still love it. lol lol…. there are some movies that get me thinking about wich one I will see after…
great one!
✌️👾🪐