What has happened to people? (1 Viewer)

[Joe Karlosi]

Originally Posted by Steve Christou

What makes me laugh is the excuses the haters come up with when a movie they don't like makes a killing at the box office, sometimes it's "yes alright it's made nearly a billion at the box office but if you take this and this into account and that too, than the film really isn't successful at all is it?", or this "...okay it's made $700m in 3 weeks, so what, doesn't prove anyone actually liked it."

In truth, box office is not always necessarily the mark of a "quality" film, is it? I believe PAUL BLART: MALL COP made an obscene amount of money this year!

 

[Steve Christou]

Yes but that wasn't the point of my post, was it? I was referring to the excuses haters like you come up with when a film they don't like makes a ton of dosh at the box office. While I couldn't care less how much Paul Blart, which I haven't seen, made at the box office.

 

[drobbins]

I think a lot has to do with your expectations before you see the movie. I haven't seen the new Transformers yet. I don't expect it to be a "good" movie. I expect it to have a plot geared toward a boy between 5 and 10 years old, or someone who grew up watching the series ad playing with the toys. I want to see the movie to see the special effects. I don't expect it to have any "real" storyline. If it has a lot of cool effects and action, I will think it is a good movie.

I don't know if have ever really "hated" a movie. That is a very strong word. There are many movies I did not like, or thought were stupid, or did not watch the whole thing. I recently watched Mall Cop and Pink Panther. While they had their funny moments, overall I thought they were lacking. They used up their funniest jokes in the trailers and left nothing for the movie. I enjoyed them, but not nearly as much as I would have liked to. Definitely no hate going on.

Tonight we are going as a family to the midnight showing of Harry Potter. It means much to my daughter and wife, but I don't care for the series. They are well put together and I am sure I will enjoy it because it will meet my expectations.

 

[Joe Karlosi]

Originally Posted by Steve Christou ">[/url]

Yes but that wasn't the point of my post, was it? I was referring to the excuses haters like you come up with when a film they don't like makes a ton of dosh at the box office. While I couldn't care less how much Paul Blart, which I haven't seen, made at the box office.

 

[Steve Christou]

I know it's this thread, it's got me seeing 'haters' everywhere. Anyone who doesn't agree with me is a hater, members I don't particularly like are now haters. Won't be long before I start accusing my workmates of being haters. My Sandra a hater? Hmmm she's dragged me to see so many dreadful horror movies the past few years and she wouldn't be caught dead watching giant robots fighting each other, or comic book heroes or even Star Trek, so when I see her tonight I'll have to point and yell "Hater!".

Edited by Steve Christou - 7/15/2009 at 12:32 pm GMT

 

[JonZ]

Yea, I see going to imdb as a complete waste of time.


And yes everyone who doesnt agree with youre fanboy gushing opinion of something is a hater.

 

[Steve Christou]

[Points ominously at JonZ.] Hey the IMDB isn't just crass comments, I find it very useful when looking up character actors and other films they've appeared in. It has it's uses. I've stopped buying those hefty yearly film guides long ago thanks to sites like the IMDB and Wikipedia.

 

[cineMANIAC]

My problem isn't so much with people saying hateful things about movies they disliked (everyone's entitled to their opinions, right?) but rather with people taking on a snobbish attitude and saying things like "I'll never see that piece of crap because the director makes pieces of crap" even before the movie comes out! Case in point: Roland Emmerich's upcoming end of the world picture 2012. The trailer to this was amazing and it looks to be another "fun" disaster flick by a guy who knows how to make them. Yet, I've read such vile comments on some of these boards it never ceases to amaze me how snobby and close-minded people can really be. I go to the movies to be mindlessly entertained for two hours, nothing more. If I want to feed my soul with enlightening material or give my brain a workout I'll read a book.
Edited by Luisito34 - 7/17/2009 at 03:45 pm GMT

 

[Mike Frezon]

"Karlosi and Christou: At the Movies"

It has a nice ring to it.

 

[JonZ]

Steve, I agree about going there for movie info.

I was talking about the message boards being a waste of time.

 

[Steve Christou]

Yep IMDB can be very useful Jon. I love the filmographies, but mistakes do creep in.

Mike, did you know the name Karlosi was a blending of the names Karloff and Lugosi? I didn't until someone mentioned it here, of course it might be his real name but the fact Joe's a huge horror fan too... well.

 

[RobertR]

Originally Posted by Luisito34

My problem isn't so much with people saying hateful things about movies they disliked (everyone's entitled to their opinions, right?) but rather with people taking on a snobbish attitude and saying things like "I'll never see that piece of crap because the director makes pieces of crap" even before the movie comes out! Case in point: Roland Emmerich's upcoming end of the world picture 2012. The trailer to this was amazing and it looks to be another "fun" disaster flick by a guy who knows how to make them. Yet, I've read such vile comments on some of these boards it never ceases to amaze me how snobby and close-minded people can really be. If I want to feed my soul with enlightening material or give my brain a workout I'll read a book. I go to the movies to be mindlessly entertained for two hours, nothing more. I enjoy movies for what they are: pure escapism.

But movies don't have to be "mindless entertainment". The old "I wasn't expecting Citizen Kane" claim assumes that movies can ONLY be High Art or "brainless escapism", which isn't true. And since it isn't true, why aren't the desires of people who want/expect more than mindless movies as least as valid as yours? I'm detecting something of your own brand of snobbery here.

 

[TravisR]

Originally Posted by RobertR

But movies don't have to be "mindless entertainment". The old "I wasn't expecting Citizen Kane" claim assumes that movies can ONLY be High Art or "brainless escapism", which isn't true.

Exactly. I've seen plenty of entertaining movies that weren't insulting to my intelligence.

 

[Michael Reuben]

Originally Posted by Luisito34

If I want to feed my soul with enlightening material or give my brain a workout I'll read a book.

Then again, there's nothing wrong with having your soul fed or your brain worked out at the movies. It's one of the best forms of recreation I know.

 

[Ockeghem]

Originally Posted by Michael Reuben

Then again, there's nothing wrong with having your soul fed or your brain worked out at the movies. It's one of the best forms of recreation I know.

Michael,

Well said. I can't watch a film of Hitchcock's or Truffaut's (as well as several other challenging directors) and not engage my brain to a very large extent. I probably don't go as far as Truffaut ("Is the cinema more important than life?"); however, I may come dangerously close to that on occasion as far as films and music are concerned.

"Are films more important than life?" asks Jean-Pierre Léaud in Day for Night (1973), Truffaut's loving tribute to film-making. For Truffaut the answer must be in the affirmative. "When actors sometimes go skiing on Sundays... I'm sick all day with worry," he explained in an interview. When asked if he fears for the actors or the film, he replies, without hesitation, "For the film."

http://www.fipresci.org/documents/archive/archive_2008/truffaut_rbergan.htm

 

[Brent M]

Originally Posted by Luisito34 /forum/thread/290230/what-has-happened-to-people/30#post_3584592

 

[Kirk Tsai]

Quote:

Originally Posted by Luisito34

If I want to feed my soul with enlightening material or give my brain a workout I'll read a book. I go to the movies to be mindlessly entertained for two hours, nothing more. I enjoy movies for what they are: pure escapism.

Really? Really? This is exactly what I was trying to express worry in my earlier post. I mean, this deserves the thread title, right? -- What has happened to people?

 

[RobertR]

Originally Posted by Kirk Tsai

Quote:

Really? Really? This is exactly what I was trying to express worry in my earlier post. I mean, this deserves the thread title, right? -- What has happened to people?

You mean, what has happened to people that they have zero interest in movies that feed their souls or exercise their minds? Good question.

 

[Steve Christou]

Where's that belching smiley when you need it, or didn't we ever have one? Well that was my 'knee-jerk' reaction to bad penny RobertR's latest offering. There's nothing wrong with people enjoying films of every variety, whether mindless escapism or intellectually stimulating. I can't stand this attitude you people have, and not just in this thread.

 

[RobertR]

Originally Posted by Steve Christou

Where's that belching smiley when you need it, or didn't we ever have one?

If you didn't spend so much time belching maybe you'd see that the point is that it was clearly implied that movies can't be or shouldn't be anything more than mindless escapism, and that people who want them to be more are misguided or snobs of some kind. It's unfortunate that you "can't stand" people who think otherwise.