Film Snobbery

[Saskwach]

Nicked. Stolen. Bodily ripped off.


Just as the English Language doesn't just rip off other languages, it follows them down dark alleyways, acts a bit intimidating them mugs the poor suckers to mop up any unused adjectives.

I knew the meaning; I was curious about how you thought our culture was filched (more than any other culture has liberally taken and synthesised from its neighbours and immigrants) and how that made it substandard or worthy of scorn - and how it was relevant.

 

[Labyrinth]

I knew the meaning; I was curious about how you thought our culture was filched (more than any other culture has liberally taken and synthesised from its neighbours and immigrants) and how that made it substandard or worthy of scorn - and how it was relevant.

More amusement than scorn, though with the "Auzzie pride brah." thing.. ick. And it was in reference to the 'cultural differences' thing.

 

[Saskwach]

I knew the meaning; I was curious about how you thought our culture was filched (more than any other culture has liberally taken and synthesised from its neighbours and immigrants) and how that made it substandard or worthy of scorn - and how it was relevant.

More amusement than scorn, though with the "Auzzie pride brah." thing.. ick. And it was in reference to the 'cultural differences' thing.

I still don't quite see the link, but meh, that's cool (yes I use it sometimes - it's a word I hope stays around). Keep on keeping on, you Aussie you.
PS: Bogans=gah.

 

[poleboy]

I'm British and I say Key-Hoe-Tay. I thought that was just how it was pronounced.

According to some of my former literature professors, it's "kisjot" or key-shot (more or less). But I think we need the opinion of someone who speaks fluent Spanish.

Movie snob? Only in the sense that I enjoy weird/arty movies or God forbid, movies where people talk for more than 30 seconds at a time. The only thing I truly loathe are typical romantic comedies (think 90's Julia Roberts), which are always poorly constructed drivel with no real message other than "if you haven't found true love at 30, kill yourself".

 

[Sylocat]

I had no idea I had so many fellow Argento fans around here, I always thought he was little-known. And though I'll take some flak for this, I rank Phenomena as his best.

Let's see, a few random thoughts...

Recently, the local art-house theatre here in Madison did a showing of the works of Mikio Naruse, one of the many Japanese directors who's never had a film open commercially in the west. The man is awesome.

I like Yasujiro Ozu, but I prefer his silent comedies to his dramatic works.

My dad once described Carl T. Dreyer as "Robert Bresson with a sense of humor."
Needless to say, I like Dreyer.

As for China, I like Zhang Yimou and Ang Lee, but I think my fave from China is Wong Kar-Wai. But it's not a contest, fortunately.

But if I had to choose an all-time favorite director, I'd be hard pressed to find a better choice than Howard Hawks. That man was awesome.

 

[SuperUberBob]

I'm pretty nit-picky and critical when it comes to movies. I have no formal education in film/cinema though.

I know many will think otherwise, but I believe that Citizen Kane is the best movie of all-time.

 

[s-l-u-g]

ichi the killer made me cream...

like.....


...

ichi does at windows...

 

[forever saturday]

So, who in this nuthouse would rather poke their own eyeballs out rather than see anything at a 'megaplex'?

as opposed to what? renting it as a dvd or something?

i do tend to try to critique a movie when im done watching it, though.

 

[Samirat]

And how the hell do you pronounce Quixote?

Kahwik-sote.

That's chiefly a British thing.

The original name sounds more like "key-hoe-tey" -- not exactly like that since it's all old Spanish and stuff, but close. Most international pronunciations are fairly similar. "Key-hoe-tey" is the pronunciation that you will learn in the US. (However, note that "quixotic" is pronounced "kwiksotic" even in America.)

-- Alex

I'm under the impression that he's joking. But who knows, I could be wrong.

No, I was curious one day and was assured that it is kee-hoe-tee (though the 'h' was almost silent when I heard it). And yes, quixotic is usually pronounced phonetically in English - but that's probably because of all the people who think it's kwik-soh-tee. Weird.

No, not Alex. I'm under the impression that Labyrinth was joking, not Alex. It's pronounced kee-ho-tay.

 

[Canadianwookie]

Lol I hang out with 2 film geeks all the time.

My Dad: for the older classics

My Sisters BF: for the newer films.


I've seen some of the best, but I don't know directors.

I concur that bubba-ho-tep was awesome sauce, Nausica not so much.

 

[Eyclonus]

I like Scorsese, Kurosawa, Alex Proyas, Paul Greengrass. A lot of the film school brats are intriguing but I don't necessarily worship them. As for Miyazaki: Yes, yes I do want own a preserved hair or nail clipping of the man.
I'm also going to break the trend and name Katsuhiro Otomo for the sheer epicness of Akira, and Steamboy.

Also I'm breaking the Aussie ranks by denouncing Baz Lurhman as a pretentious douche obsessed with jerking off repeatedly in the faces of the movie-going public. The arsehole can't direct anything which isn't a "Star-Crossed lovers" story with some gag or unusual background setting.

EDIT: You know you're a film buff/philosopher when:

-This is actually funny/noticeable to you:
Marge: But you liked Rashomon
Homer: Thats not how I remember it.

-You can name which film with an original story got Scorsese his first "Best Director" at the Academy awards.

-You know which country bestowed its highest honour on Kurosawa for his contribution to film.

-You can watch a David Cronenberg horror flick and find a metaphor through all the gore.

-You acknowledge the Richard Donner Cut as the real film.

-You find The Matrix and Dark City share more than just the sets.

-You can name the explicit reason why Dalton's Bond failed when every other Bond has been successful.

Have a guess at the answers, I'll post them after work tonight.

 

[santaandy]

Dear god, I hated Akira. Why do people love this film so much? Or Miyazaki? Or Studio Ghibli? I used to be very into anime, and now I find most of it samey and average. Few films/series stand out to me as awesome.

On another note, what do people think about Bollywood? I've been wanting to expose myself (no, stop that) to some more South/East/Southeast Asian cinema outside of the C-J-K triangle. Any recommendations?

 

[smallharmlesskitten]

I like Uwe Boll...........

Kidding, Kidding.

I enjoy classic films like King Kong and Casablance. I have a many and will probably make a list tommorow (Glenn or Glenda? Anyone?)

 

[falcontwin]

Independant cinema died back in the late 90's when it became more conservitave and preachy than mainstream cinema. Independant movies used to be the breading ground for new ideas. but it became the nursery for closed minded middle class arts students who were trying to "shock" people. So they end up making movies about wise cracking pregnant single teen mothers. These movies have a happy ending (cause thats anti establishment).

 

[Labyrinth]

No, not Alex. I'm under the impression that Labyrinth was joking, not Alex. It's pronounced kee-ho-tay.

He? Wow, I didn't even notice the surgery.

And the movie adaption of 1984 is REALLY FUCKING GOOD. The old one. AHhhhH!! HAPPY!

 

[beddo]

Don't be a pretentious and patronising idiot. You failed to read my comment as I had intended; 'film snobs' don't actually seem to enjoy films. This often seems to be the case because they have a tendency to judge them based on 'the vision' of the director and not the actual content.

I think Stanley Kubrick's films are awful. Space Odyssey is one of the most boring things I have ever seen. It lacked subtlety, there was no emotion, the story was weak. The end sequence when he 'evolves' it was just a tedious use of the then available special effects.

Clockwork Orange, what an incomprehensible mess. Non believable storyline and outrageous characters. Totally boring and a waste of time and effort to watch it.

One of my favourite films is Pirates of the Caribbean Curse of the Black Pearl. It's fun, exciting, engaging, you can watch it more than once. It's just an entertaining film.

I hate all these pseudo intellectual commentaries on life that are put into films. If these people were actually intelligent then they would write a book about it!

Pretentious? Me? I never even pretended to have watched most of the movies by these 'great' directors. I've seen FMJ by Kubrick, AI (half by Kubrick) and The Seven Samurai and that's it. My earlier post in this thread was about how much I love big bangs in my movies.
Patronising? I wasn't the one whose response to an innocent OP was dripping with veiled distaste. Your new post only shows exactly how much bile you were quietly directing at Hey Joe in the first place; I just called you on it.
As for your problems with Stanley Kubrick's movies, I really couldn't say one way or the other as I've already admitted I haven't watched them; but it should be noted that a writer I'd definitely class as an intellectual said one of the big themes of 2001 was a lack of emotionality, the process of distancing oneself from emotions. Don't ask me if that's true, but if it is then for the movie to lack emotion would mean SK succeeded with this 'vision' of his and successfully conveyed his meaning, which I would class as content. There was a message and you got it: you just concluded it was a failing when others claim it was the point.
As for your favourite movie...the content is what? Pirates, Johnny Depp playing a gay drunkard and sea battles? Seriously, I was willing to admit you had a valid point of view until then. Sure the movie is fun, engaging, blah blah blah - I loved it. But it's definitely not heavy on this content you speak of - a word as empty of meaning here as you've implied directorial 'vision' is.
Your last line is just silly. Books are the only medium for intelligent commentary? Tell us, in your infinite wisdom, do poems pass your test? Do plays make the cut?
Saying that film snobs don't enjoy films is preposterous; they wouldn't watch them otherwise. I suspect you simply don't like how much they analyse the movies they watch - something I'm not too fond of either, but I don't carry a chip on my shoulder about it. You've got no good reason; you just hate that they 'suck all the fun out of it'. Everything you've written is the ravings of one trying to explain why they just can't stand something.

Yes POTC has content, you know a story, characters, a begginning, middle and end and it's entertaining which is why I like it.

In the sciences, only journals, research papers and books are worth consideration for expertise and debate. The arts and commentary therein are generally a mess but still even there, written word is the only noteworthy medium for intellectual debate.

 

[Saskwach]

Hey, feel free to like it; I do too. The only difference between us is I don't insult others' movie tastes and present a pretty average action movie as objectively better.
And "intellectual debate" is not what movies, novels, plays, etc are for. To go into a movie or even a novel expecting to enjoy a rigorously argued thesis is wrong-headed.