Movie controversy?

[Cellmold]

I think black & white movies are a terrible idea and they should never take the colour out.

 

[Coriolis]

If you don't mind, I'd be interested in hearing more of your views about sexism in Star Wars. A lot of women see Leia as a feminist icon. The most sexist thing I noticed in the first two movies is Han Solo's attitude towards Leia, although he's kind of held up as an object of ridicule. He's sort of portrayed as a cocky braggart who isn't as badass as he thinks he is. ROTJ has more problems, though. The new movies aren't sexist at all and actually have a lot of alt-right types pissed off. I read one article that suggested alt-right trolls created bots to downvote the latest movie on Rotten Tomatoes because it promoted an "SJW agenda."

I don't know that Star Trek, from what I know of it, has an especially great track record on sexism until DS9. But, I'm open to my view being changed.

It's been awhile since I have seen any Star Wars, and I have seen only the original three, plus the first one made after that. Yes, there is Leia in the first 3, but she is the token "female who gets to do anything interesting". Compare with how many significant male roles there are. Presumably the societies in both SW and ST are about 50/50 male/female, which makes this ratio improbable absent any credible explanation. Then there is the fact that Jedi are only men. This is likewise never explained, just assumed. Things get a bit better when they introduce Padme and her entourage, but still, the ratio of significant male to female characters is quite high, and the big focus on Padme seems to be her relationship with a man (Anakin), and not what she is trying to do in the senate, or for her home planet.

Star Trek is almost a generation older, so one would expect even more sexism (and racism), and there certainly was some. The forced choice between Spock and Number One after the series pilot was because a woman first officer was seen as a risky venture, as risky as a recurring alien in a responsible role. Producers were unwilling to take both risks. Majel Barrett was therefore moved to the more stereotypical role of a nurse and Spock became "number one". Still, the ratio of significant female characters to male was much higher than in SW, even in the original series. There were three in the regular crew: Uhura, Nurse Chapel, Yeoman Rand. Though their positions were rather traditional, their role in the plots did not focus on relationships, but rather on their contributions to the action. A large number of the "guest" characters were also female, including ambassadors, nobility, entertainers, ship commanders, and scientists.

So, on balance, ST always seemed to me to be pushing the envelope on gender balance much more than SW. I understand SW is finally catching up with its first female Jedi. I am curious as to whether they explain this development in the context of the story. It is also a bit disturbing that it is this first female Jedi who I understand is finally allowed to go beyond the traditional Jedi stoicism of detaching from emotions and keeping relationships at a distance. That is probably more healthy, but stereotypical as presented.

 

[Beorn]

The only thing that comes to mind is that I thought Knight of Cups was a fantastic movie. Better than Tree of Life.

 

[ChocolateMoose123]

I've seen Billy Madison and Haply Gilmore probably about a hundred times each, and certain party still make me laugh hysterically each time. The Wedding Singer and Anger Management are both decent as well. Really, everything after Mr. Deeds is where it all goes to hell.

I watch Billy Madison strictly for this exchange and the principal cracks me up.

Principal: Mr. Madison, the Industrial Revolution changed the face of the modern novel forever. Discuss, citing specific examples.

[Billy clears his throat several times]

Billy Madison: Uh... Okay. The Industrial Revolution to me is just like a story I know called "The Puppy Who Lost His Way." The world was changing, and the puppy was getting... bigger.

[Later]

Billy Madison: So, you see, the puppy was like industry. In that, they were both lost in the woods. And nobody, especially the little boy - "society" - knew where to find 'em. Except that the puppy was a dog. But the industry, my friends, that was a revolution.

[Long pause]

Billy Madison: Knibb High football rules!

[the crowd erupts into cheers]

Principal: Mr. Madison, what you have just said is one of the most insanely idiotic things I have ever heard. At no point in your rambling, incoherent response were you even close to anything that could be considered a rational thought. Everyone in this room is now dumber for having listened to it. I award you no points, and may God have mercy on your soul.

Billy Madison: Okay, a simple "wrong" would've done just fine.

 

[highlander]

I hated Pulp Fiction

 

[Flâneuse]

American Beauty is one of the best films of the 1990s and did not deserve all the backlash.

 

[Lord Lavender]

I love a lot of Disney films deemed terrible or mediocre by many plus I find the new Star Wars (VII to IX) film cast super obnoxious and cliche for some reason. Im also not a huge lover of the Craig Bond films and prefer Connery/Moore era films.

 

[Jaguar]

I like the early Adam Sandler movies and I don't care that they're stupid.

Wedding Singer

Funny fuckers.

 

[Lark]

I hated Pulp Fiction

I thought it was pretty pedestrian too.

 

[ceecee]

Black Snake Moan was an above average movie with horrific marketing.

 

[Lark]

I am watching a bunch of eighties movies which explicitly declare tie ins to HP Lovecraft.

I'm pretty sure that Lovecraft would have been horrified by the 1980s and by these movies and their aesthetics.

 

[lowtech redneck]

Gothic is an artsy-fartsy, deliberately over-acted psuedo-horror movie, a highly fictionalized account of the summer that inspired Mary Shelley's Frankenstein and Dr. John Polidori's The Vampyre. Its basically about a group of broken people experiencing a series of bad trips.

Its one of my all-time favorite movies.

 

[Fluffywolf]

Although I didn't quite dislike them either, I didn't really enjoy the original star wars movies, even though sci-fi is one of my favorite genres. Although I understand the movies were amazing for its time and respect them for that fact, I thought perhaps I don't like them as much as I only watched them much later. (I think I watched them about 10 years ago or even less time ago).

I think I just missed the hype on Star Wars and didn't 'get into it'. But then again, I saw Blade Runner even later than that and utterly loved that movie. So I don't know.

I also find that either the quality of movies is going down, or I've become much more critical of movies lately, because I can't remember the last time I've seen a movie and really thought "Wow, that is such an amazing movie". Almost all movies I see nowadays either give me a "Well, I guess that was enjoyable/entertaining enough to watch" or "What a piece of crap movie." feeling.

 

[ceecee]

De Palma and Scorcese were far more daring and interesting directors from that generation of filmmakers.

I agree but on that subject - people always cite Scarface and Carlito's Way when discussing Brian DePalma but personally, I like Blow Out as much, if not slightly more (although the music in Carlito's Way is my favorite).

Scorcese is another conversation. I love nearly every one of his films but, The Age Of Innocence has always been the most beautiful, the most laser focused attention to the tiniest detail and really, who else could make a novel about 1870's New York this great of a movie?

 

[ceecee]

I actually might hold Casino as superior to Goodfellas.

I would agree with that.