Independence Day and 911

[Buddy]

Everything Wrong With Independence Day In 6 Minutes Or Less

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Cho9WeDBo

Quite Amusing.

I agree. Final tally: 66 sins :)

 

[H-KQGE]

Everything Wrong With Independence Day In 6 Minutes Or Less

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0Cho9WeDBo

Quite Amusing.

(I have to admit I split a gut after listening to the last 30 seconds of this video...)

That was good. Biggest sin was Will Smith. Hang on it was coke. The end was just wrong though!

 

[Laura]

That was good. Biggest sin was Will Smith. Hang on it was coke. The end was just wrong though!

Yeah. Pretty funny. I notice that they have a whole list of movies they've "done".

I don't watch movies that are too realistic and accurate anymore unless I'm "working". I get way too much cold, hard, remorseless reality served up to me everyday.

If I watch a movie, I want it to be almost childlike make-believe that I KNOW is silly and childish to some extent. Being really campy helps too. I like to know that the actors know that what they are doing is dumb and silly but they are doing it anyway with "high drama" just for fun. Like fairy tales. But, as we know, even fairy tales have "morals" or lessons if you are sharp enough to extract them.

 

[Cosmos]

That brings me to something I wanted to bring up here for a while.

Am I the only one who absolutely loves the series "Little House on the Prairie" with Michael Landon?

Yeah it is filled with religious and sometimes illusory stuff, but for me it is one of the few series that brought humanity (being human) to the center point. Many stories in that series touched me quite deeply and I surely have shed more then one tear at times...

I'm just wondering, where are those kind of series today? Where is the human aspect/center gone?

 

[Palinurus]

If I watch a movie, I want it to be almost childlike make-believe that I KNOW is silly and childish to some extent. Being really campy helps too. I like to know that the actors know that what they are doing is dumb and silly but they are doing it anyway with "high drama" just for fun. Like fairy tales. But, as we know, even fairy tales have "morals" or lessons if you are sharp enough to extract them.

Of course there are plenty of movies to choose from, but I would advise (if I may) to have at least a look at Edward Scissorhands -- especially when you are able to watch it as an unwittingly early prequel to the TV serial Desperate Housewives. ;)

There's one mention only of it on the forum here: http://cassiopaea.org/forum/index.php/topic,14103.msg108331.html#msg108331

I'm really glad this thread was started because I was thinking over the last 2 weeks about the subject of how ponerology corrupts creative energy. What started me thinking about it was the movie "Edward Scissorhands". I think it's a perfect example of how this happens. You have the main character who is not only a creation (sort of like Frankenstein) but is incredibly creative as well. In the film, he encounters two characters who try and corrupt him (one through unhealthy sexuality and the other through violence and lies.) There's also a third character who believes he's the devil (the religious aspect). In the end, they end up turning the town (that is very bland and flavorless) against him and they run him out of town.

Sources:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Edward_Scissorhands
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0099487/
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Desperate_Housewives
http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0410975/
http://abc.go.com/shows/desperate-housewives

 

[Yozilla]

If I watch a movie, I want it to be almost childlike make-believe that I KNOW is silly and childish to some extent. Being really campy helps too. I like to know that the actors know that what they are doing is dumb and silly but they are doing it anyway with "high drama" just for fun. Like fairy tales. But, as we know, even fairy tales have "morals" or lessons if you are sharp enough to extract them.

I dunno if you've watched "Life of Brian" by Monty Python - some unique vista of Roman province Judea (hehe hehe)

...and there is also monster-piece: "Jabberwocky" by same Flying Circus Crew - about some monster from Dark Ages, and knights, kings, fortress, penitents and all that medieval stuff, you know...

Recommended by Yozilla (if you dare)

 

[Laura]

Monty Python is not really to my taste though I did chuckle a few times watching "Life of Brian."

One comedy I could hardly watch was "Idiocracy"... because it was too close to the truth; it was painful.

 

[griffin]

Monty Python is not really to my taste though I did chuckle a few times watching "Life of Brian."

One comedy I could hardly watch was "Idiocracy"... because it was too close to the truth; it was painful.

You're not alone. Maybe I'm too sensitive, but watching Monty Python skits makes me uncomfortable, usually, though I did like the one about "argument" versus "abuse" and one in which a shopkeeper shot a customer and explained they had been working up to it and could probably turf out a horse by then.

I was never able to watch Jerry Lewis "comedies", even giving them my attention was too embarrassing in that I was embarrassed for the actors, and I feel the same way about all Woody Allen movies, they're just too stupid.

 

[Buddy]

Maybe I'm too sensitive, but watching Monty Python skits makes me uncomfortable, usually, though I did like the one about "argument" versus "abuse" and one in which a shopkeeper shot a customer and explained they had been working up to it and could probably turf out a horse by then.

I was never able to watch Jerry Lewis "comedies", even giving them my attention was too embarrassing in that I was embarrassed for the actors, and I feel the same way about all Woody Allen movies, they're just too stupid.

Maybe you just have a "serious" preference? I do. I dislike Jerry Lewis and Woody Allen comedies for similar reasons. I dislike a few Monty Python episodes - probably because I didn't "get" the message - but other episodes I adored because I see them as poking fun at people's tendency toward predictable, routine, mechanical ways of seeing things. But this just relates to me.

 

[Leonarda]

One comedy I could hardly watch was "Idiocracy"... because it was too close to the truth; it was painful.

I saw it today. Very accurate, the sex obsession (ex. nowadays teenagers taking photos of themselves nearly naked in front of the mirror) violent spectacles, police control and the bad language: you can read any forum and most of the sentences have f*ck, fagg*t etc, people confuse bad language with being modern and cool.
But to be honest, the USA president was quite better than Obama, he was dumb but at least seemed to have good feelings towards the masses!

 

[H-KQGE]

One comedy I could hardly watch was "Idiocracy"... because it was too close to the truth; it was painful.

I saw it today. Very accurate, the sex obsession (ex. nowadays teenagers taking photos of themselves nearly naked in front of the mirror) violent spectacles, police control and the bad language: you can read any forum and most of the sentences have f*ck, fagg*t etc, people confuse bad language with being modern and cool.
But to be honest, the USA president was quite better than Obama, he was dumb but at least seemed to have good feelings towards the masses!

Leonarda erm... i don't think you know what teenagers get up to from your example. (unless you down played it) I'm thankful that i don't have teenage kids! That said i'm concerned about my 16 year old female cousin who won't listen about what's out there. Returning to the point, i looked up "idiocracy" & realized that i had seen it. What an awful movie. Truly awful. I will not be watching this again. Just the comments on youtube are shocking. (actually similar to idiocracy's languge) You're right about the president though. As for the "life of brian", the "judean people's front!" is probably the best part.

 

[Leonarda]

Very accurate, the sex obsession (ex. nowadays teenagers taking photos of themselves nearly naked in front of the mirror) violent spectacles, police control and the bad language: you can read any forum and most of the sentences have f*ck, fagg*t etc, people confuse bad language with being modern and cool.
But to be honest, the USA president was quite better than Obama, he was dumb but at least seemed to have good feelings towards the masses!

Leonarda erm... i don't think you know what teenagers get up to from your example. (unless you down played it) I'm thankful that i don't have teenage kids! That said i'm concerned about my 16 year old female cousin who won't listen about what's out there.

You're absolutely right, children and teenagers mimic what they see so we must be aware of our own behaviour. Sometimes I forget about this detail :/ It was an example of how the image of young people in sex has changed very much in recent years (I'm in my twenties but I can't understand what my younger cousin tells me, it seems we speak a different language)

 

[aaronfransen]

I have a couple of silly go-to movies: Big Trouble (with Tim Allen) and, surprisingly enough, Big Trouble in Little China (with Kurt Russell). Both inspired silliness.

 

[H-KQGE]

I have a couple of silly go-to movies: Big Trouble (with Tim Allen) and, surprisingly enough, Big Trouble in Little China (with Kurt Russell). Both inspired silliness.

Dunno what "Big Trouble" is about & i don't wanna know. It's got Tim Allen in it, & "Home Improvement" from the '90s was more than enough. "Big Trouble in Little China" was very popular in my school days (almost 20 years ago now!) but i won't be watching that any time soon, seen it about 50 times in like 10 years, good sillines as you said.

You're absolutely right, children and teenagers mimic what they see so we must be aware of our own behaviour. Sometimes I forget about this detail :/ It was an example of how the image of young people in sex has changed very much in recent years (I'm in my twenties but I can't understand what my younger cousin tells me, it seems we speak a different language)

Yep, everyone's an example to everyone else & more so for teenagers. My cousin's attitude to her emerging sexuality (16 next month) was shocking given what her mum told me she was doing, never mind what she was doing in front of me. And this was when i first met her at age thirteen.
I was taken aback when she made a (seemed like to me at least) half-joke about having good male role models & i thought i was being one... oh well. The language/slang thing is ridiculous as the evolution of has totally skewered which is annoying as i can trace English language/slang back to its roots, approx 1000 years back with the whole rebellion against monarchy/nobles & regional stuff. But now that link has gone & they're just making up random gibberish. A decent book that helped me trace the slang was "The Adventure of English" by the broadcaster Melvyn Bragg. (UK) Back to the movies:

brings me to something I wanted to bring up here for a while.

Am I the only one who absolutely loves the series "Little House on the Prairie" with Michael Landon?

Yeah it is filled with religious and sometimes illusory stuff, but for me it is one of the few series that brought humanity (being human) to the center point. Many stories in that series touched me quite deeply and I surely have shed more then one tear at times...

I'm just wondering, where are those kind of series today? Where is the human aspect/center gone?

Yeah i enjoyed it too. The opening credits when the little girl falls over going down that little hill & gets up quickly, very cute!
Another Michael Landon series i remember was (forgot the title) one where he was an angel. Can't for the life of me remember what it was about, other than obviously helping folks. Reminds me of a definite fave, "The Littlest Hobo" ( far better than that Lassie nonsense) where some mongrel goes about helping folks in the vain of Lassie - although L.H was more realistic as he was helping mainly tramps & drifters etc.
Where are those kinds of series today? Who knows. Psychopaths gobbling 'em up & regurgitating them to 4d sts, the ether/aether... who knows?

I don't watch movies that are too realistic and accurate anymore unless I'm "working". I get way too much cold, hard, remorseless reality served up to me everyday.

If I watch a movie, I want it to be almost childlike make-believe that I KNOW is silly and childish to some extent. Being really campy helps too. I like to know that the actors know that what they are doing is dumb and silly but they are doing it anyway with "high drama" just for fun. Like fairy tales. But, as we know, even fairy tales have "morals" or lessons if you are sharp enough to extract them.

Well the way i watch anything now is to test my discernment abilities, because upon "seeing" you can't stop. So in light of all the psychology studies & all the rest, i can look back at especially the tv/movies that i grew up with & take mental notes of the mindset of the characters & the writing. Unfortunately, i can still put up with some violence as i grew up mostly desensitized to it, seeing lots of dead bodies, stab wounds (i'm talking "real" life here) broken limbs etc, add to being emotionally stunted you can probably guess how i can tolerate these things - not that they don't affect me they do, it's just not as much as you'd think.
The childlike silly stuff are mostly pointless to my mind as it seems no-one can write a decent script anymore.
Is anyone still gonna write about independence day?! ;D

 

[aaronfransen]

I was certainly never a fan of Home Improvement, but don't dismiss "Big Trouble" too quickly because he's in it. It's an ensemble piece that's well worth the watch. Favourite line is from Dennis Farina near the end of the film: "Miami sucks, but the cops are kinda nice." Written by Dave Barry, directed by Barry Sonnenfeld (Men in Black) it's a movie that never takes itself too seriously. Very, very funny stuff.

One inspired silliness I forgot: "Fatal Instinct" staring Armand Assante and directed by Carl Reiner. Probably Carl's best acted and zaniest film.

As for Independence Day, I think it harkens back to a time when Roland Emmerich was making "fun" movies, and he's a good "fun" filmmaker. When he tries to do serious, well, it doesn't do so well.