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Film Confessions


Bilbo

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26 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

I find the description 'art house' as an inherent rejection of everything that makes film fun.

 

I don't like the term either, but for other reasons. A film is a film; doesn't matter to me what 'mode' the film is in. I get equal pleasure from socalled 'arthouse' as I do mainstream cinema. For me, watching films is about more than 'having fun'. It also needs to stimulate my intellect and aesthetic sensibility in some way.

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19 minutes ago, Richard Penna said:

It's well made, completely agreed.

 

But it's largely painted as pretty much perfect and essentially the fashionable thing for critics to queue to up praise. I just don't think it's that good.

 

But why is it not good?  Or maybe I should ask, what do you think of The Mentalist?

 

24 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

Can't say I'm much of a fan of The Wire.

 

Granted, I only watched half a season, and only checked it out b/c of the hype, but I wasn't blown away.

 

I took me half of the first season before I realized I was watching something very special. What do you think of The Mentalist? What about Bones? NCIS?

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Yeah it's about stimulation, and whether I get that from a specific emotion on the first (or second at most) viewing of the film, or whether I've got to watch the film 10 times and do days of research into a certain culture to understand what's going on.

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32 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

 

But why is it not good?  Or maybe I should ask, what do you think of The Mentalist?

 

 

I took me half of the first season before I realized I was watching something very special. What do you think of The Mentalist? What about Bones? NCIS?

 

I haven't seen any of those shows.

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2 hours ago, Richard said:

Me, neither, nor GREY'S ANATOMY, THE SOPRANOS, 30 ROCK, 2 1/2 MEN, THE WIRE, or PENNY DREADFUL. but I've heard that they are all good.

I do like SHAMELESS (USA) though.

 

Penny Dreadful is not top 20 material but it's certainly watchable (with sometimes very good moments) especially if you love Gothic tales.

 

Grey's Anatomy is a women's interest channel TV show, Richard. Don't mention it together with The Wire in one sentence. 

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10 minutes ago, Stefancos said:

What a predictable list. Is that all the great TV there is?

 

I just listed the cream of the crop of the drama series. Even the best of the rest are a few notches lower in terms of greatness.

 

11 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

Breaking Bad & Sopranos were far too popular & mainstream across too great a demo to be considered snob TV.

 

 

Popular is relative. 

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13 minutes ago, Alexcremers said:

Popular is relative. 

 

Well of course popularity is relative. But the question was to name some "Snob TV" shows...not "cream of the crop." A show can be among the best on TV but "Snob TV."

 

BB & Sopranos were popular among a wide range people across the socio economic spectrum. They transcended class.  I don't think you can really regard them as Snob TV, which I'd regard as a show loved by critics & watched by an affluent, but a narrow demo.

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You want a snob show?

FRASIER. I've never seen a more white show, in my life. Ultra-white, blindingly white, horrifyingly white, insultingly white, biased, smug, achingly self-knowing, and so arch it would give that thing in St. Louis a run for its money.

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Frasier (a great show) was about a snob, but wasn't Snob TV at all. Frasier had a huge audience and was very popular.

 

Examples of Snob TV:

 

The Handmaid's Tale

Masters of None
The Crown

Silicon Valley

Veep

 

And many others. I only list those b/c they've all been nominated for Emmy's this year.

 

 

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2 minutes ago, Thor said:

Love FRASIER. Far more than CHEERS, although that's good too. Guess I'm a snob, but if so, proud of it. ;)

 

That's the ticket! You stick to your guns, T, but...come the revolution, when your back is against the wall, don't count on all your chums at JWfan to rescue you.

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9 minutes ago, Richard said:

You want a snob show?

FRASIER. I've never seen a more white show, in my life. Ultra-white, blindingly white, horrifyingly white, insultingly white, biased, smug, achingly self-knowing, and so arch it would give that thing in St. Louis a run for its money.

 

What a silly and racist thing to say.

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8 minutes ago, Nick1066 said:

Frasier (a great show) was about a snob, but wasn't Snob TV at all. Frasier had a huge audience and was very popular.

 

Examples of Snob TV:

 

The Handmaid's Tale

Masters of None
The Crown

Silicon Valley

Veep

 

And many others. I only list those b/c they've all been nominated for Emmy's this year.

 

 

 

I've seen THE HANDMAID'S TALE, MASTERS OF NONE and SILICON VALLEY. Loved all of them. My 'snob' streak continues. VEEP is also on my to-see list, while THE CROWN doesn't really seem like my cup of tea.

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1 minute ago, Thor said:

 

I've seen THE HANDMAID'S TALE, MASTERS OF NONE and SILICON VALLEY. Loved all of them. My 'snob' streak continues. VEEP is also on my to-see list, while THE CROWN doesn't really seem like my cup of tea.

 

Well that's because you're a snob Thor! ;)

 

Of these, I've only seen Handmaid's Tale, which was well done, if not a bit ham fisted in its social commentary.  I tried Veep but it's really not my kind of humour (Curb is more my speed).

 

By the way, I'm not knocking Snob TV....there's plenty of snobbish things I love myself (I'm a bit of a Shakespeare nut). And there are Snob TV shows I like. I'm just pointing out that that just b/c something is high quality, golden age TV doesn't necessarily make it Snob TV.

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A show about the British royal family is snob and elite? Sounds like a typical women's interest show and not something the white-bearded pipe smoking snob would tape.

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8 minutes ago, Disco Stu said:

I dislike Masters of None.  The other shows I've watched and really liked.

 

I don't particularly like Aziz Ansari. There's something about his character I have issues with, even on a show like PARKS & RECREATION -- which I absolutely adore. But the whole thing was executed so beautifully -- with references to "snobbish" arthouse cinema, which is very much in my ball park. So I ended up liking it, DESPITE Ansari.

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4 hours ago, Thor said:

 

I don't like the term either, but for other reasons. A film is a film; doesn't matter to me what 'mode' the film is in. I get equal pleasure from socalled 'arthouse' as I do mainstream cinema. For me, watching films is about more than 'having fun'. It also needs to stimulate my intellect and aesthetic sensibility in some way.

 

Those terms seem to me like molds and expectations created on the viewer, the kind like some on this web love to worship. I like works that break down the barrier between the two.

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1 minute ago, Thor said:

 

I don't particularly like Aziz Ansari. There's something about his character I have issues with, even on a show like PARKS & RECREATION -- which I absolutely adore. But the whole thing was executed so beautifully -- with references to "snobbish" arthouse cinema, which is very much in my ball park. So I ended up liking it, DESPITE Ansari.

 

I'm a big Tim & Eric fan so I tried the first season because Eric Wareheim is in it.  It did nothing for me.  Just indifference.

 

I too really like Parks & Rec, and I even kinda liked him on it.  He works in smaller doses I guess.  As a minor side character.

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Quote

Those terms seem to me like molds and expectations created on the viewer. I like works that break down the barrier between the two.

 

Me too. I like film produced within mainstream cinema, but that still have 'auteur' qualities that move FAR beyond that. That's why people like Spielberg, Scott, Burton etc. are some of my favourite directors. You have to dig a bit deeper to find these values, rather than being smacked in the face with them, which you do with a Godard or Angeloupoulos film, for example (I like them too, but on a different level).

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1 hour ago, Alexcremers said:

Elite TV series, you ask?

 

The Wire

Deadwood

Six Feet Under

The Sopranos (it's elite despite Quintus)

Breaking Bad

Mad Men

Carnivale

I, Claudius

 

Lol, I would watch only one of those.

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Aww, I hadn't realised Alex must have gotten annoyed that I championed The Sopranos on here on numerous occasions over the years. He wanted it to be exclusive to him did he, being the special snowflake he is. He must have been absolutely enraged when he found out I didn't rate Mad Max! 

 

Ah, it's the little things in life. 

 

PS don't tell him I'm currently watching Mad Men again. It'll ruin his day. 

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Geez, Louise, hasn't anyone realised that JWfan itself is snobish?! 

A bunch of (mostly) white (mostly) men, banging on about a soon-to-be eighty-six year-old dude, who lives in Hollywood?

I mean, come on! We might as well all live in the Hamptons.

I'm looking forward to hearing THE POST, but it's not going to sell by the truck-load, is it? Music for the masses (great record, btw :thumbup:) it ain't. 

I don't like FRASIER; millions do. Who gives?

So...my question is, what constitutes "snob art"? Alex mentions I, CLAUDIUS (stratospherically good show that it is) but when it was first shown on BBC 2, it drew a very large audience, I know, I was there. Does that make it elitist, or popular?

Conversely, BLADE RUNNER was got by the few people who saw it, on its first release, I know, I was there (Saturday September 11th, 1982, at the ABC Shaftesbury Avenue, in 70mm and 6-track magnetic, in case you were wondering :)).

Really, aren't we all just getting hot under the collar...again? 

 

 

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There you go mentioning white people again? Snobbism and being white isn't the same thing. Don't get brainwashed by the American media, they will have you apologize for being born white each morning.

 

And please stop your silly and racist comments.

35 minutes ago, Quintus said:

Aww, I hadn't realised Alex must have gotten annoyed that I championed The Sopranos on here on numerous occasions over the years. He wanted it to be exclusive to him did he, being the special snowflake he is. He must have been absolutely enraged when he found out I didn't rate Mad Max! 

 

Ah, it's the little things in life. 

 

PS don't tell him I'm currently watching Mad Men again. It'll ruin his day. 

 

He must have been gutted that I watched Breaking Bad and lovex it! Lee, we should watch The Wire and totally ruin its status for him. ;)

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Anyone who joins an online forum purely to talk about and share their love of film or music, is, to varying degrees, a snob. The snobbery spectrum is broad though, and it goes from easy-going enthusiast all the way up to massive cunt. 

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58 minutes ago, Quintus said:

Anyone who joins an online forum purely to talk about and share their love of film or music, is, to varying degrees, a snob. The snobbery spectrum is broad though, and it goes from easy-going enthusiast all the way up to massive cunt. 

 

:lol: I spit out my tea reading this and I'm still laughing. 

 

Agree. And I have a pretty high tolerance for people's personality quirks. I like most everyone on here and think that we're a pretty knowledgable, friendly bunch for the most part, quirks and all. It's the flat out c*nts, to use your charming word, :). that I can't stand. And the worst people on geeky forums like this are those that think they're not geeky...that they're the cool kid dropping in to show the geeks how cool and cynical he is.  And this person is typically the most anti-social c*nt in real life.

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