annoying people that don't watch movies

Started by Tiff, April 19, 2003, 05:50:46 AM

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SoNowThen

As an after-thought:

I hated Alphaville the first time I saw it. Then, two months later, watched it again and loved it. Some eccentric directors are much better when you get accustomed to their style.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Gold Trumpet

First off Mac, your impressions of me having look like test study are nothing of her doing but my attempts to be swift and cleaner in my writing. Though I throw away a lot of people's advice on things, I always try my best to improve. And identification of film snob? Who really fucking knows. SoNowThen gave that identity to liking Alphaville. My only reason of responding was debunk that theory by saying I am an egotistical asshole who didn't like it.

And finally, my reasons for not liking Alphaville are not for uncomfortability in the world of Godard. Alphaville is a remake of bad fiction into a film that completely identifies it is handling such. I just don't believe Godard brings Alphaville out of its run of bad science fiction into something that is really interesting and outside of massive detailings on a world that simply differs in freedom vs. control of thought. Band of Outsiders, on the other hand, displays a magnificent freedom in recreating the bad pulp gangster novel by adding a realism in sorts to the sloppiness of these characters in such a way that is completely reminding of silent filmmaking in where you be completely transfixed by the actions of these three characters. The voice overs, though for representation of the pulp novel, intrudes on this magic. The magic is then put over the edge where the film shows its freedom in the dance sequence and silence for one minute. Where Band of Outsiders feels like something new and original coming from dry material, Alphaville feels like it is running down the rules of bad science fiction without ever making itself felt to be completely original in a good way. Maybe the fact that the movie has to speak so much on this society in such a repitive way of ideas that the movie can't help but lose all steam in showing something interesting.

~rougerum

SoNowThen

I didn't mean to suggest that YOU were uncomfortable with Godard, I was just giving my example. You know how sometimes you can hate a movie, then see it a year later, and it all clicks for you? That's what I meant.

But for the record, I LOVE the voice-over in Band of Outsiders.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Gold Trumpet

I would have liked the voice over too if it would have been interested in saying details that were not really that relevant to the story, but a lot of them did give answers to what the characters were feeling when it was completely against the point of the entire flow of the movie in it being like silent cinema, where you were following the actions and not completely sure how to identify the characters at time but still drawn to them in an interesting way.

~rougerum

SoNowThen

Godard's always pushing the limits of VO narration, like all his other techniques, and I particularily enjoy this in Band. One of my absolute favorite moments is when Odile has to cut class at the start, and she walks in to give her excuse, then in VO Godard just sort of gives a hasty excuse and rushes us off into the next scene without showing exactly how/what Odile said. I had a huge smile on my face because it was the director basically saying "I don't really have a scene here, so why don't we just get to something more important with my characters". That's classic narrative disruption. As a writer, I can appreciate that. It's the same as in Down By Law, where we don't see HOW the guys escape from prison. Just get on with the story, forget about explaining, just show the results. I just think it's cool.
Those who say that the totalitarian state of the Soviet Union was not "real" Marxism also cannot admit that one simple feature of Marxism makes totalitarianism necessary:  the rejection of civil society. Since civil society is the sphere of private activity, its abolition and replacement by political society means that nothing private remains. That is already the essence of totalitarianism; and the moralistic practice of the trendy Left, which regards everything as political and sometimes reveals its hostility to free speech, does nothing to contradict this implication.

When those who hated capital and consumption (and Jews) in the 20th century murdered some hundred million people, and the poster children for the struggle against international capitalism and America are now fanatical Islamic terrorists, this puts recent enthusiasts in an awkward position. Most of them are too dense and shameless to appreciate it, and far too many are taken in by the moralistic and paternalistic rhetoric of the Left.

Duck Sauce

Quote from: SoNowThenAs an after-thought:

I hated Alphaville the first time I saw it. Then, two months later, watched it again and loved it. Some eccentric directors are much better when you get accustomed to their style.

I watched it last week and was kind of bored by it. I thought the voice of Alpha 60 (or whatever the computers name was) was really cool and scary at first but coasted into annoying by the end. I wouldnt say I hated it, but its my least favorite Godard so far.

Cecil

Quote from: cowboykurtisim speaking from the way i work -- the way i like to write is: i just tell the story id like to tell, i dont want to prove THIS POINT, or please THIS DEMOGRAPHIC of film goers -- i just hope that, if tell the story that i love with enthusiasm and energy, others will feel the same way about it.

thats good, but everyone has a different way of making a film or writing one. i dont begin with a point to prove either, but somewhere down the line, i realize that what ive written does have a statement. i also dont purposefully make the film all artsy just because thats the crowd im after. i just make it the way i want to make it, the way i would like to make the film, but in the end since im trying to please myself then im also technically trying to please the other people with the same taste in film that i have. so in the end, i AM writing for an "audience", which im a part of.

©brad

i need a nap after reading all these threads. pretty much everything that can be said about this topic has been. All I know is that last semester I had the same teacher for both contemporary film criticism and american ethnic cinema. she was really an incredible teacher, so good that i developed a crush on her. she's tall and german.anyway, she could talk about anything, from Yasujiro Ozu to Jackass. that's the kind of film buff I wanna hang around with/marry, not ppl who only watch italian neo-realism or that new wave stuff.

Reel

Annoying people that don't watch movies...

I have friends who are like that. They will watch a stupid movie 700 times, so I can't say that they don't watch movies at all, but I don't think they really digest them or else they would know they're crap. I can usually watch a movie one time and I'm good. If it's great, then I'll remember it and maybe buy it later and if it isn't I'll erase it from my memory and just be glad I got it over with. Holy shit, it's like that process doesn't even exist in these guys heads. They watch movies like a 3 year old. Their brains are like goldfish's. How funny can a gag be the 13th time you see it? The only conclusion I can come to is that they're not good at paying attention and need something on a constant loop to be commited to memory. So I don't think they really watch movies because if they did, they'd know there are better things to do than watch "Just go with it" again.


O.

It's less about entertainment or hilarity and more about comfort. Like your favorite pastry when you're feeling not-quite-yourself.

I mean, I watch There Will Be Blood probably every other month!!!
superb

Stefen

Quote from: O on September 17, 2011, 01:48:40 PMI mean, I watch There Will Be Blood probably every other month!!!

It's like your period.
Falling in love is the greatest joy in life. Followed closely by sneaking into a gated community late at night and firing a gun into the air.

Pozer

Quote from: S.R. on September 17, 2011, 02:40:42 PM
Quote from: O on September 17, 2011, 01:48:40 PMI mean, I watch There Will Be Blood probably every other month!!!

It's like your period.

fitting title for it.

Alexandro


Reel

haha, yeah who am I to bash them for rewatching an Adam Sandler movie where he falls in love in Hawaii when my PDL Dvd holds the record for most viewed in my house? But even if I suggested we watch PDL instead because it's a much better movie, my friend would go " naaah I saw that. It was all dramatic and stuff. The romantic parts actually were romantic, made me feel icky. " It's all about the 'new' with these guys." If somebody paid money to make this, it must be good. By golly, I'm gonna watch it." Fuck that.

Orgin

Well.. it's really depends on the movies or pretty much anything in regards of forms of entertainment. For example, many people think video games are not works of art, I would disagree with these people. Or many people think, like myself think that a large famous drawing of Campbell's Soup Cans is not art.  So really... If you think  a particular movie you are watching is Art, than it's Art and who cares what other people think.