I'm probably going to piss some people off when I say that Boondock Saints is one of the most mediocre movies I've ever seen. So, it was with much surprise that I discovered that Boondock director Troy Duffy was actually allowed to make a sequel, cleverly titled Boondock Saints 2: All Saints Day.
Well, he might have beaten the odds and gotten another movie made, but reports are that he himself hasn't changed all that much. A recent New York Times article examines the situation.
“He hadn’t learned an awful lot,” said the comedian Billy Connolly, who plays the lethal character Il Duce in both films. “But he was much more sure of himself.”
Oh no! the last thing we need is for Duffy to be more sure of himself. Check out the documentary Overnight to see what I mean.
Here is a guy who literally had the keys to the kingdom handed to him, and instead of spread the wealth and be happy, he decided to screw over his family and alienate just about all the friends he had. He even managed to bite the hand that fed him by making an enemy of Harvey Wienstein, who bizarrely thought Duffy would be the next Tarantino. He had it all in the palm of his hand and ruined just about everything.
Todd Fossey, the producer of Overnight, had this to say: “It’s hard for me to imagine, after Troy’s track record, that anyone would take him at his word unless there was some financial end in mind. I have to admit it is impressive that he got the sequel off the ground after making enemies of the likes of the William Morris Agency, Harvey Weinstein and nearly everyone else in the industry. It’s amazing what one can accomplish when they sell their soul.”
Duffy, however, views it all differently.
“I learned things about myself,” he said, “but it had nothing to do with that film. I’ve learned that politics need to be played in this business. I have learned that there will always be people who try to drag you down and the measure of a man is how he reacts to that. I’ve been gut-punched a million times and stood back up and kept moving forward, and now here I am coming out with the sequel.”
Yes, Troy, because you were such a victim. Asked if there was anything else he learned, Duffy said this: “I learned that if your friends ask you for permission to follow you around with a camera, the correct answer is no.”
Yep, that's the sound of big change... Boondock Saints II opens in a limited theatrical release on October 30, 2009.
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8 Comments
October 19th, 2009 11:25 PM
Jealous Rupert? Sounds like you have an agenda. The fact of the matter is, this man has worked very hard to do what he has done, and after the witch-hunt that was Overnight had to overcome more than his fair share of adversity.
And I'm not surprised you don't like The Boondock Saints, it's not aimed at pompous, 60-something year old women like yourself.
October 20th, 2009 2:42 PM
Hahahah! Troy is that you?
Sorry to burst your bubble, Connor, but I'm not jealous of Mr. Duffy, not in the least. I can't argue about the agenda part, though. As a movie critic, I do have an agenda: hating crappy movies. But in this case, all I'm really doing is expressing my opinion based on some facts.
Let's look at those facts: Troy Duffy has only made 2 movies over the course of 10 years. This clearly wasn't because he chose not to make another film until now. He had to claw his way out of a major hole after the fallout from first Boondock Saints (which tanked miserably at the box office, btw).
If he was both a better filmmaker and a nicer human being, he could have made up to 10 films in 10 years, because people would have liked him, liked working with him, and would have wanted to help him succeed. Instead, Troy chose to be selfish, pigheaded and rude to everyone around him.
The funny thing is that Boondock Saints isn't that bad of a movie in comparison to most of the crap that's out there. There are far more horrible directors who are churning stuff out each year. Why? Because they're not complete dicks to everyone around them and they don't go walking around with some huge sense of entitlement all the time.
It sounds like you've got an agenda, Connor. It sounds like you idolize Troy Duffy. If that's the case, I'm sorry.
The bottom line here is that Troy Duffy is an example of what NOT to do when you're trying get into Hollywood... or get into any profession for that matter.
October 20th, 2009 4:56 PM
Rupert,
If you are stating your opinion on Duff, might I suggest that you don't tag it under "Boondock Saints 2" and instead under "Troy Duff" or "Director"?
Now a days it seems like it is quantity over quality. Case and point: Saw 1-6 (and possibly a 7, 8 and 9). Why would any director have to do 10 movies in 10 years?! There is an old saying, "Less is more". You even stated in your review, "Here is a guy who literally had the keys to the kingdom handed to him,... thought Duffy would be the next Tarantino." Do we really need more Tarantinos? I find Tarantino overrated and completely idolized for little to no reason. Granted he had a couple of good movies, but I found more of them pointless and a waste. I would rather wait longer for a good sequel with a good storyline that makes sense than some of this nonsense that is churned out in about a year or less.
To say that the movie tanked in theatres is a completely gross statement in itself since the original only opened up in 5 theatres. Lets see you write and direct a movie, have it open in only 5 theatres in all of the US and make millions or billions like every movie is suppose to now a days. Obviously Duffy is doing something right since the sequel was made and the DVD sales continue to climb.
Focus on reviewing the movie and not bashing a director. While I am a fan of Duffy, I will admit that sometimes he comes across harsh, but no matter what his style is, he got the job done with the cards that were given to him.
In the end, everyone can moan and complain about Duffy, but you know what? I have a feeling that BDS2 will become yet another cult classic and will continue to pull people in. He made a good movie and when it boils down to it, the numbers show.
October 20th, 2009 7:18 PM
Regardless of how much Mr. Duffy did or did not shoot himself in the foot getting the original made and released, I love that first movie. Love it. I have no agenda...other than to enjoy movies that appeal to me.
I went and saw the sequel last night, and while it's not as great as the first, I still had a hell of a time. There was three hundred people in the theater with me that *also* had a hell of a time. (As judged by the cheers throughout and standing ovation it recieved when the lights came up). Granted, it was a screening filled with Boondock Saints fans...but that is who this movie was made for and it succeeded, in my opinion. I actually was expecting this movie to be crap, and it wasn't.
This is an excellent article, if you're into reading people bash a director for no better reason than bashing a director. Especially considering that the "Director is still a jerk" title is taken from an out of context quote from Billy Connolly, and there is no other basis presented other than referencing a five year old movie and your own opinion of the man.
October 20th, 2009 7:45 PM
To each his own, guys.
I just find it absolutely ridiculous that people come to the defense of this guy after knowing how he's treated others, simply because he made a movie they liked. Would you defend Victor Salva's pedophile tendencies just because you liked Jeepers Creepers? I highly doubt it.
I'm no moral crusader, I just think that you can be successful without treating other people like dirt. Troy Duffy claims he's learned about politics, but it's taken 10 years for him to get back on his feet as a filmmaker, and it's his own fault.
After seeing Overnight, I say he got better than he deserved, and I question whether or not a second Boondock Saints is either necessary or warranted.
October 21st, 2009 8:41 PM
For my part, I loved this movie in 1999 but that was before Pearl Harbor came out. THAT is a film that has a persecuted director who is largely misunderstood both in and out of Hollywood and has received mixed reviews in the fan and industry communities.
I think there are valid points on both sides of this argument. First, obviously McDuff isn't the politician Bay is. A great example would be the recent tiff involving the crew on ROTF and Megan Fox. Bay masterfully stated that he loves working with Megan and she is a great actress without saying anything negative about the crew.
The argument has been made that McDuff's attitude behind the scenes is irrelevant because of, at the very least, the crowd-pleasing movie he managed to make. That's fair. So what if he's an asshole? He got good actors together, he put a decent script together, put a bunch of stylized shots into a 98 minute movie that makes frat boys get a chubby when they see a gay Federal Agent recount the violent execution of mobsters at the hands of religious vigilantes. Kudos to McDuff.
But then, silence.
Does it matter he accomplished all those noble things if he doesn't continue to make art?
Also, was Boondock saints really great because of McDuff himself? Was there a guy who was nominated for a couple Oscars in that movie? The aforementioned gay federal agent? And wasn't there a comedic genius taking a star turn as the father of our treasured vigilantes?
McDuff utterly fails to get performances from any of his actors that could even remotely compete with the performances given the actors in Pearl Harbor. I think Billy Connelly is a better actor (who, incidentally is also a brilliant stand-up comic) than Ben Aflleck, but at the end of the day Bay directed lesser actors to greater performances, AND is a nice guy who makes self-deprecating commercials for services that allow us to stream porn in high-definition.
McDuff might be worth saying something nice about if he had anything nice to say about anyone else who takes his cliched college-boy bullshit and turns it into a half-way decent film. If I want to see a film that came out when the twin towers still towered above the island of the rich and the nation of homeless people, I'll watch Pearl Harbor. At least that leaves me with a feeling that America's best days are still ahead of us.
November 2nd, 2009 12:19 AM
Dear Rupert,
You don't come across as being impartial in your judgment. That you don't like the movie is fine. Shouldn't you see it before having an opinion? You seem to care more about who Duffy is in relation to the movie industry than anything else. Do you really like Miramax people all that much? Egos, egos...I don't see a reason to pick a side on this one. But can you tell us yourself and what is this site about? Promoting movies and the movie industry?
November 11th, 2009 9:55 AM
Boondock Saints 1 and 2 are marvelous movies. The rewatchability is very high. I hope there is a Boondock 3. In All Saints Day Duffy stayed true to what made the first movie fantastic. It's violent, hilarious, and Irish who could want anything more:)