Magic Mike...

[Sid Idris]

Wow 2 million in one midnight screening...congrats to SS and his team.

[Vladimir Eugene]

Just saw it... It was akin to what the audience did for Paranormal Activity. At all the right moments, I hear the ladies going:) That was awesome... and great dancing... I've just learned a trick or two- whens the next Reduser Party???

[Elsie N]

I met with Soderbergh today. What a treat. Steven is one of the most talented guys I have ever worked with.

I expect this movie to do great things at the box office. I'd bet.... off the chart.

Steven deserves it. He is so smart and talented. The fact that he is a loyal RED supporter is a bonus.

7 features in a row plus one more coming. Let me think....

Jim

So, is this what retirement looks like? (He did say he was retiring about a year ago, didn't he?)

[Jannard]

His story is 1st of next year. I really hope he changes his mind.

Jim

So, is this what retirement looks like? (He did say he was retiring about a year ago, didn't he?)

[Tom Lowe]

As a person just getting into film directing, it's great to see how hard it is for all these guys to retire. Look at Ridley Scott... he's in his 70s and still kicking ass up and down the block. Ridley has oodles of money. He could have retired decades ago. But obviously, he loves what he is doing. It's not uncommon for directors, like Kurosawa, for example, to direct into their 80s.... to basically keep directing until their death. That tells you something.

[Elsie N]

His story is 1st of next year. I really hope he changes his mind.

Jim

Yeah, it sounds like he's just bored with making template movies. If he needs a challenge, he should just grab an Epic, empty his pockets, change his appearance and name and go make a movie. The movie may suck but he should be able to return to standardized movie-making with a new perspective.

[Anderson Boyd]

As a person just getting into film directing, it's great to see how hard it is for all these guys to retire. Look at Ridley Scott... he's in his 70s and still kicking ass up and down the block. Ridley has oodles of money. He could have retired decades ago. But obviously, he loves what he is doing. It's not uncommon for directors, like Kurosawa, for example, to direct into their 80s.... to basically keep directing until their death. That tells you something.

It's actually very uncommon that directors continue the craft in their 80's. Kurosawa couldn't get financed to save his life before Lucas and Spielberg stepped in to help him secure funding for Kagemusha in his 70s, hence his suicide attempt. He only did Dreams and Madadayo after that, both great but hardly comparable to his peak stuff.

The Ridley Scotts, the Ingmar Bergmans, the John Fords are the master exception, not the rule. Sidney Lumet (Before the Devil Knows You're Dead at 82) and Kaneto Shindo being recent examples. Most directors phase out well before by both choice and lack of commodity.

Use it while you've got it, I say. As I completely dig Soderbergh, I hope he doesn't wait til late age to step back into the ring, he just needs a break. Being prolific will do that I suppose.

[Luis Otero]

What a crappy movie, for God sakes...!!! I think it is time to retire, and time to stop damaging Epic's good name.

[David Mullen ASC]

It's actually very uncommon that directors continue the craft in their 80's. Kurosawa couldn't get financed to save his life before Lucas and Spielberg stepped in to help him secure funding for Kagemusha in his 70s, hence his suicide attempt. He only did Dreams and Madadayo after that, both great but hardly comparable to his peak stuff.

Actually, Kurosawa's suicide attempt was in 1971 after the critical failure of "Dodesukaden"; he eventually made "Dersu Uzala" (1975).

And you forgot one of his greatest films after "Kagemusha", which was "Ran". He also made "Rhapsody in August" after "Dreams".

Off-topic, but this is an interesting bit of trivia from Wikipedia regarding Kurosawa:

Because of this practice of editing as he went along, the post-production period for a Kurosawa film could be startlingly brief: Yojimbo had its Japanese premiere on April 20, 1961, four days after shooting concluded on April 16.

[Peter Moretti]

I believe that being removed from "Tora! Tora! Tora!" also played a significant role in his suicide attempt.