#290: Don't Be A Hater

Podcasts Galactic Watercooler
#21

I had written a long reply, then I accidently erased it. Oops.

To skip over the bulk of it, I tried out Netflix, never got hooked, so I’ll probably just drop it altogther. Plus, half the time, it worked like this for me: http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/1FdFkq/follyandinnovation.com/2011/04/so-you-want-to-rent-a-movie/

And if you think people hate on Netflix, just look at Facebook every time they roll something new out there. There be haters hating.

Finally, I have a problem. I tend to dislike things that get heralded as great ‘art’. It’s actually caused some unwelcome social drama before in my life, and I would probably be better off if somebody could help me understand it better, or set me straight at least. I’ve never seen Citizen Kane (I saw it mentioned on the top 100 movies of the century list a few years back) and I have no real desire to. I’ve seen 2001: A Space Odyssey, and I regret it. I’m told these are great movies because of their artistic vision, or what they did for the genre, etc. but with 2001, I really saw a movie that was hard to follow and very slow. It may be because I’m 25 and grew up in an increasingly ADD world. At the same time, I don’t think of myself as somebody who has trouble understanding or following things, or has to have things spoonfed to them. I read Dune back in High School when anyone else I knew who had tried to get into it thought it was boring as hell (Ditto LotR, the Fellowship does drag a bit with history if you can’t get past it). I’ve even read the Silmarillion and followed it without getting confused. That being said, I couldn’t follow the grander arc of 2001. The bit in the middle with Hal made sense, but the connections between the other segments were much harder to follow, and the end of the movie just looked like one big acid trip to me. It was a great movie on portraying what they thought the real science of space travel and life would be, and I love the scene with the waitress transitioning around the cabin on the strip as they approach the space station in the beginning. I understand the book, which was written at the same time, makes things a lot more clear, but if you have to read the book to understand the movie, I think the movie was failing on one level somewhere along the way.

It doesn’t matter how much ‘meaning’ or ‘smarts’ the movie (or even book) has, if it can’t tell its story. That’s the reason I hate James Joyce, and I have no problem with saying I hate him. I spent a year teaching English to Chinese students at a university in China, and in a lit course I had to spend two weeks on Ulysses. The book is hard to follow, even if you know the language. It might be one of the greater pieces of literature of the 20th century, but Joyce himself said that scholars wouldn’t understand everything in it in a hundred years. It makes me feel he was kind of a dick.

I guess, in just my opinion, thing can be great ‘art’ or even have great ‘artistic significance,’ but unless they manage whatever their primary purpose was, I just can’t get behind it. This could also be why I don’t appreciate much abstract art…

But yeah, if anyone can explain things better to me, let me know, because I don’t really want to be a mindless hater.

#22

Amen brother, hallelujah, and testify. You said it perfectly.

I normally wouldn’t give a frak if someone (besides my brother) told me this or that movie/music/art is classic, deep, cerebral, pivotal, <insert hoity-toity critic word here>, but the GWC community has earned my respect and confidence that if they say something’s good it will be, and if they say it’s not it won’t be. And they’ll typically back up their opinion with well-thought reason.

I was REALLY frustrated a few months ago when I watched 2001 for the first time. This book and movie have been in my family for YEARS and I never watched/read it until I was re-introduced to it by GWC. My problem is that I feel like a mental midget when the people here at GWC whose opinion I respect say a movie is good or important, and I am COMPLETELY lost. (And yes, we were warned that this was a tough one to understand.) I’m sure there are any number of explanations available on the 'net that I could read to guide me through 2001, and I have no doubt that we could arrange for a 2001 frak party in which the more knowledgeable GWCers could explain what’s going on real-time, but then it becomes a study of film and while I’ll be able to appreciate it, it may not be enjoyable.

So maybe I’m not a mental midget, maybe I’m just lazy, but Fallen_Crusader makes a great point.

On the other side of the coin I help my wife understand movies/books as we watch/read them together. She expresses the same thing I did above but I tell her that certain types/styles of writing are not for everyone and not to feel bad about it. “The Road”, while a GREAT story drove me absolutley bat-shit crazy simply because it had no chapters and threw conventional writing style out the window.

I challenge you to read a page of dialog from “The Garden of Eden” by Earnest Hemmingway. It’s SO unconventional and breaks so many rules you’d think it should be unintelligable but it reads better and is easier to understand than a children’s book.

Of course, I think “Natural Born Killers” is a good movie and very romantic, and that movie got some serious hate, so you can see how my tastes run and where I’m coming from.

PS - Is the term “mental midget” un-PC? How about “mentally deficient”?

#23

I’ve never got into the whole ‘deep’ ethos of films. I do like analysing some points but I’m one that goes for story first and I tend to leave it at that. I haven’t seen Citizen Kane or 2001. I’ve never read Joyce or pride and prejudice. Maybe one day I will.

#24

I have never seen Citizen Kane so I can’t speak to that.
But I have seen 2001 on the big screen and have recently got it on Blue Ray.
2001 is a very OPAQUE film. Way too opaque! It took me years and reading the book to figure out what the movie was trying to say.
It’s easy to sum up actually.
One Early Man. Man is an animal with little prospects for the future. Enter the aliens. Leaving a big black monolith that some how teaches Man to be a tool user and sets his feet on the path of world domination (no guaranty but worth a shot).
Two Man dominates world and takes his first steps into space. Aliens bury monolith on moon as a test. Man finds Monolith and it sends a signal back saying “Hay They Did It. You Owe me $10!”
Three follow beam back to Jupiter where there is a bigger monolith waiting. Every thing that happens on the ship is Dramatic Filler.
Four Last crewman takes a ride into hyperspace. Short description for a way too long part of the film.
Five arrival at alien central. The best way to describe this is that the aliens are slowly/quickly reshaping Dave. Age after age until he is ready for his final evolutionary transformation (No not into an Autobot).
Six THE STAR CHILD. Dave is now the next higher form of life and is sent back to save the world. Yay! Roll Credits.

That’s it.

Technically (FX) It was was a masterpiece. The blue ray edition is one of the most beautiful visuals I have ever seen.
There is no questioning the advancements in Special FX movie making the film made in cinema history.
But as an overall movie? I love it but the damn thing puts me to sleep every time I watch it!

Recommendation. If you watch it fast forward the ape part, watch the space part and fast forward the light show and watch the last part.

#25

Every thing that happens on the ship is Dramatic Filler.

In other words, the interesting part of the movie.
Actually that is not a bad description of the movie’s plot. The HAL stuff while not directly related it certainly related thematically to what is going on with the monolith guys. 2010 (which I think is a less ambitious but better movie) expands on this pretty well I think and sort of makes 2001 make a little more sense.

#26

Yes 2010 was far more relatable to the audience. The characters were better developed.

#27

Ok I am going to post this here. I about a year ago was big into posting on another forum (gasp). So one day I had a external hard drive crash (still trying to recover data off it). So I lost some fan fics I was reading. So this being a specific forum I asked for help in finding these fics again. Since I didn’t remember the titles I did a paragraph summary of each story I wanted back. The one and only response I got was here is blah blah story. The remaining sound stupid and a waste of time I as a moderator am closing your forum. Thank Crom I have never encountered anything like this on GWC.

#28

Super impressed by this cast. It made me take a second look at myself, and how I react to things I dislike. I will admit, I can be such a hater at times, but after hearing Chuck and Sean break it down, it really made me stop and think about it all. I should enjoy those differences, hear someone out, and find out more as to why they like a particular movie, song, or book that I don’t care for. Hell, it’s what makes us, well, us! The world would be uber boring if we were all alike. :slight_smile:

You guys rock!

#29

Hi my name is ‘talos and I’m a Netflix subscriber.

(Crowd harmonizes, ‘Hi talos’)

I’ve been a member since 2004. I started out with a modest 1-at-a-time habit but quickly increased my frequency. My friends and family started to notice a problem when my subscription reached 7-at-a-time. talos tear Excuse me.

(Supportive crowd member) Keep goin’ bruther. We’re here for you. (/Supportive crowd member)

Once Netflix started offering streaming movies, I realized I had a problem. I was streaming morning, noon, and night. My internet provider had me investigated by the FBI concerning my bandwidth usage. I was called into the HR department by my employer for using company resources to stream movies.

I’ve gotten better, though. I signed a waiver to have my IP at work blocked from streaming. I’m down to a modest 3-at-a-time unlimited streaming plan.

However, now I receive looks of disdain as I hold that little red envelope while walking to the mail drop. I’ve done horrible things to feed this addiction. I’ve slummed with Blockbuster. I’ve cheated with Redbox. I’ve exploited myself in the back alleys of the torrent realm. But the shame I feel now doesn’t compare. One woman was so bold to question, “You’re still using Netflix?” She tsked and continued on her way. I stood there aghast.

My name is ‘talos and I am a Netflix casualty.

#30

Huh, you said “I…P.”