Killers of the Flower Moon (Streaming Globally on Apple TV+ January 12th)

Based on David Grann's broadly lauded best-selling book, "Killers of the Flower Moon" is set in 1920s Oklahoma and depicts the serial murder of members of the oil-wealthy Osage Nation, a string of brutal crimes that came to be known as the Reign of Terror.

The film stars Leonardo DiCaprio, Robert De Niro and Lily Gladstone with Jesse Plemons, Tantoo Cardinal, John Lithgow and Brendan Fraser in supporting roles. It marks the sixth feature film collaboration between Scorsese and DiCaprio and the tenth between Scorsese and De Niro.

Rusty wrote:I've been waiting for this. I've had the book on my "must read" list for a while. Still haven't gotten to it.

WyldeMan wrote:
Killers is definitely one that's been on my radar for several years now. I think it is interesting that Scorsese had such a massive change of mind during his down time in the pandemic and rewrote the script with Dicaprio switching characters with Plemmons. When I saw the first trailer I was confused because I was expecting Dicaprio to be another vicious villain and then I read about all the changes this movie went through in the last couple of years. 

Killers and Napoleon with Joaquin Phoenix were both shot for Apple+ but then exceeded every expectation so they're thankfully getting the theatrical treatment they deserve and look to be two of my most anticipated movies of the last four months of the year.

Rusty wrote:I read that bringing in the Osage Nation had a massive impact on Scorsese's original vision of the film.

It'll be interesting to see how they portray DiCaprio's character, Ernest Burkhart. He was convicted of being a part of the conspiracy, so definitely not a good guy.

Should be good.

UltimateMarvel wrote:Usually I can sit through any movie but I felt the length of this movie. I didn't know anything about this and it was infuriating learning about what happened to the Osage people. DeNiro who played William Hale was a real bastard. Great performances here by some but not sure why Leo took on this role just based on his character alone, he was basically an idiot who did whatever he was told. Maybe it's because of Scorsese.

Rusty wrote:

UltimateMarvel wrote:Usually I can sit through any movie but I felt the length of this movie. I didn't know anything about this and it was infuriating learning about what happened to the Osage people. DeNiro who played William Hale was a real bastard. Great performances here by some but not sure why Leo took on this role just based on his character alone, he was basically an idiot who did whatever he was told. Maybe it's because of Scorsese.

I believe it was Leo who asked for it. Originally he was suppose to play Tom White (Jesse Plemons character), but convinced Marty to let him play Ernherst.

Is this out on streaming yet or did you pay for it?

“Marty compares me to a Flemish miniaturist. He would be more the type who paints Renaissance frescoes,” Schrader said. “Give him $200 million, a good film will inevitably come out of it. That said, I would have preferred Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of the cop in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ rather than the role of the idiot. Spending three-and-a-half hours in the company of an idiot is a long time.”

Rusty wrote:I believe it was Leo who asked for it. Originally he was suppose to play Tom White (Jesse Plemons character), but convinced Marty to let him play Ernherst.

Rusty wrote:Is this out on streaming yet or did you pay for it?

WyldeMan wrote:Yup, Rust nailed it. Originally Leo was going to be the villain but Quarantine made him want to play an idiot so Marty rewrote the movie. 

Director Paul Schrader recently said it best:

“Marty compares me to a Flemish miniaturist. He would be more the type who paints Renaissance frescoes,” Schrader said. “Give him $200 million, a good film will inevitably come out of it. That said, I would have preferred Leonardo DiCaprio to play the role of the cop in ‘Killers of the Flower Moon’ rather than the role of the idiot. Spending three-and-a-half hours in the company of an idiot is a long time.”

UltimateMarvel wrote:
Damn it Leo! Tom White would have been a much better role for him. But Jesse did a great job with it too and I can't say he doesn't deserve it either.

UltimateMarvel wrote:
I'm afraid I can't say.....if you know what I mean.

Rusty wrote:I would bet Leo saw the idea of Ernherst being that complex "is he in on it, is he not" character where he gets to act and do facial expressions and thought, "awards season".

Rusty wrote:What's funny is, historically, you would expect Jessse Plemons to be cast as that Ernherst type of character. Glad he nailed the Tom White character though. He's such an under-appreciated actor.

Rusty wrote:I would bet Leo saw the idea of Ernherst being that complex "is he in on it, is he not" character where he gets to act and do facial expressions and thought, "awards season".

Rusty wrote:Abe the Bandit.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

Rusty wrote:I would bet Leo saw the idea of Ernherst being that complex "is he in on it, is he not" character where he gets to act and do facial expressions and thought, "awards season".

This might be the real reason.

WyldeMan wrote:Leo loves to show his range in acting and facially and one time even in an iron mask but he's already played an idiot quite recently in Once Upon a Time in Hollywood. Rick Dalton allowed him to showed the more amusing comedic side of a fictional Hollywood idiot in Rick Dalton and it worked because it didn't take things too seriously and had a very funny ending but from all accounts Killers is just a bleak and depressing look at a real life moron who got a lot of innocent people violently killed. 

WyldeMan wrote:It was a very odd choice IMO but I'm curious to see his next follow up though I can't say I don't understand his real life distraction at the time since his girlfriend was turning 27 and he had to break it off and find a 22 year old replacement asap. Things were looking scary for a moment but I'm told he recovered nicely.

UltimateMarvel wrote:

I think it's time he slowed down and got married. You can't do that forever.

Rusty wrote:

UltimateMarvel wrote:

I think it's time he slowed down and got married. You can't do that forever.

I'm pretty sure Leo would rather die trying