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Re: Receiver recommendations
Hansang #295163 03/05/10 05:30 AM
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 Originally Posted By: Hansang
I heard that Quentin Tarantino was going to remake it in the States. We'll see.


The last thing I had read was that Steven Spielberg (!) had the rights and was going to remake it starring Will Smith (!!!!). I believe this has fallen by the wayside though.

Re: Receiver recommendations
Hansang #295167 03/05/10 06:47 AM
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It's funny. CraigP and Grunt are both right in a way.

I do think that someone who is a legitimate "critic" must be mostly objective in their reviews. Sure, they will bring their own prejudices and expectations to bear on their perspective of what they are reviewing, but good criticism should leave personal opinion at the door. I think it's far more important to be able to deconstruct and interpret the objectives/motives of the artist's work and inform a viewer/listener of the value of said work.

And usually, after time, a consensus is formed. That is why someone like Stanley Kubrick is considered a great filmmaker. I think he's perhaps one of the best directors to ever make movies. That's my opinion, but it's also the consensus of most critics. A lot of people think his work is cold and technical. I can see that as a valid criticism, but still, he is regarded as a genius by critics, and rightly so.

The same for Hitchcock. Whether you like his work or not, he was a master director who invented a rich film vocabulary (especially structurally, as in the editing and pacing of his films) that is still used in countless movies today. Films that people (who don't particularly like Hitchcock) enjoy immensely. Modern movies would not be the same without his contributions. That is a fact, not an opinion. I think that is the problem with armchair critics, they confuse their likes/dislikes with the actual value of the work and it's place in the context of cinema/music as a whole. And if that is not of interest to you, then you are a consumer of movies, not a student of "cinema".



For example, I'm personally not into the music of Bruce Springsteen, but I recognize his importance and value as an artist. He is an incredible writer and performer and I would like to think that I could be objective and rate his work within the parameters of his past/current work and to be able to competently convey that to someone who loves his music unequivocally. To bring a different perspective that a gushing fanboy, who might not be able to be as objective, would miss.

Buts that's just my opinion, lol!

Seriously, film and music are the two subjects that I can discuss at great length and with vast knowledge. Baseball? Nope, I'm an idiot. Architecture? Well, I can say "that's a cool building!", but can i dissect why it's cool? No.

Lol, reminds me of what someone once said about music criticism, "Writing about music is like dancing to architecture."


"Art is making something out of nothing and selling it."
---Frank Zappa

Re: Receiver recommendations
audiosavant #295169 03/05/10 07:04 AM
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Critics who are "mostly objective" are still just using their knowledge to convince you of their personal opinion. I don't have a problem with that, either. The idea is to find a reviewer whose tastes closely match your own before you shell out money to either be entertained or arted on. Long-winded appraisals of the technical merits aren't really going to be an effective guide for whether a movie is going to be of value to you. That being said, it can still be interesting to read about the little tricks in cinematography that make the scenes work better. The only problem is that these descriptions of the genius at work are usually more interesting than the actual genius at work.

I'm just arguing for the sake of arguing again. Don't mind me.

Re: Receiver recommendations
CV #295172 03/05/10 07:40 AM
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 Originally Posted By: audiosavant

I think that is the problem with armchair critics, they confuse their likes/dislikes with the actual value of the work and it's place in the context of cinema/music as a whole. And if that is not of interest to you, then you are a consumer of movies, not a student of "cinema".


I would make a distinction between “critics” armchair or professional and academics. Perhaps it’s just semantics but I look to critics to find out if I’m going to enjoy something or not whereas I look to academics to deconstruct and explain something. Certainly the distinction between the two can be blurred especially with contemporary work. Historically critics can be notoriously harsh on something and then the scholars come along much later and point out it’s technical merits. Which often then becomes “critical” acclaim for later generations.

One can dislike something while still accepting it has technical merit. In almost every endeavor it’s commonplace to see people “like” something because of “critical” or scholarly acclaim, it’s fashionable (not implying liking Hitchcock is just fashionable). OTOH if one doesn’t “like” the icons of the genre then they are perceived as naïve. I just see this as a form of snobbery and if any field is rife with this attitude it the arts.


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Re: Receiver recommendations
grunt #295177 03/05/10 08:13 AM
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But there are different levels of enjoyment/acclaim. For example, I enjoyed Armageddon like you wouldn't believe. Pure brain-candy entertainment movie. Same with movies that "The Rock"/Dwayne Johnson stars in. Just entertainment and not a serious "work of art."

Then you have the next category for movies made by folks like Ron Howard. They are quite entertaining but more than just brain-candy.

And the of course, you have the luminaries that most people think about. But for me, I enjoy Michael Bay's movie as much as Ron Howard's as well as Rob Reiner!


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Re: Receiver recommendations
Craig_P #295178 03/05/10 08:13 AM
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 Originally Posted By: Craig_P
 Originally Posted By: Hansang
I heard that Quentin Tarantino was going to remake it in the States. We'll see.


The last thing I had read was that Steven Spielberg (!) had the rights and was going to remake it starring Will Smith (!!!!). I believe this has fallen by the wayside though.


THERE IS NO WAY IN HELL that Will Smith can play that role....no way! \:\)


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Re: Receiver recommendations
Hansang #295235 03/05/10 07:28 PM
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I like art. I don’t understand half of what I look at, but for the most part, I enjoy it. Well, other than “art” that consists of paint splattered on canvas by a drug induced lunatic anyway. I do not however understand what film art is. It’s either entertaining to me or not. If I fall asleep while watching, it sucks.

Where would Blade Runner fit into the whole art verses entertainment mix?? I always felt that was a great movie and still one of my favorites.

I just watched The Book of Eli at the theater. Up until the very end I just thought it was another doomsday / hero movie and then was completely blown away when a particular ‘thing’ was revealed that will spoil it for everyone if I say what it was. And no, I am not religious. That ended pulled it off for me.

Re: Receiver recommendations
michael_d #295238 03/05/10 08:28 PM
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Ah yes, Blade Runner is timeless. Amazing how the special effects of that 80's movie holds up today.

I don't study movie's at all, I just love it when a movie comes out that's different from everything else out at the time. Some of my favorites of which are the original Star Wars (decades ahead of any other sci-fi movie up to that date), Angel Heart, Resevior Dogs, Cast Away, Lord of the Rings, No Country for Old Men, and I must say, I was fooled hook, line and sinker by Shutter Island. I believed the premise up until the very last minute of that movie.

So long as it has the ability to keep you entertained no matter what year or decade you may be in, then it's a winner in my book. But I suppose what's entertaining is as subjective as it gets now isn't it! ;\)


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Re: Receiver recommendations
Micah #295244 03/05/10 10:02 PM
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I view music, movies, and books in largely the same way--I very much enjoy all three types of entertainment but I am hardly a student of either medium. For the most part, I watch a movie and I either like it or don't like it (to differing degrees, of course). The same is true for music.

That being said, I agree with Micah about stuff that is different. There are some movies, music, and groups that to me stand above the rest. In my case, that typically (though not always) is because the movie, song, book or whatever has broken new ground, at least in my experience. For example, my favorite movie of all time is Pulp Fiction. I think it has great dialogue and it was different than anything I'd seen at the time. In short, I think it truly is brilliant. Another example is the Red Hot Chili Peppers. While they were never my favorite group, I always respected them because I thought, again at least at the time and in my experience, that they were doing something nobody had done in terms of style. Finally, Vonegut is my favorite author. I've never read anybody who does literature like he did. Again, I think his work is just brilliant (particularly Slaughterhouse Five).

Re: Receiver recommendations
Micah #295249 03/05/10 10:18 PM
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For different, I always liked Star Wars, Donnie Darko, Blue Velvet, Clockwork Orange, 2001, AI, Beowolf, Firefly, Harry Potter, Riddick Trilogy, Dune (tv series). For artistic, I like to put in that category, films like The New World, Flying Daggers, Mirror Mask, Baraka, Elizabeth, Saawariya.

Artistic is very subjective.

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