The All Things Movie Thread

[algroth]

I really don't get the "not only do I dislike this film/actor/director/producer, I want to see it/them actively fail and shall expend untold amounts of energy on the internet arguing to make it happen" mentality.

 

I get it somewhat, because successful films and filmmakers can create trends which one might not want to see replicated. If it were up to me for example, I like MCU as much as anyone else but I consider it to be an absolutely awful influence on blockbuster filmmaking at large given the "cinematic universe" craze we're experiencing right now, which leads to a lot of blockbusters spending their time telling origin stories or the "first part" or something greater as well as largely homogenizing their aesthetic so that it can fit or be replicated by others in other projects, as well as their particular brand of humour which I've always felt undercut much of their films' potential dramatic power if any and which seems increasingly more prevalent in other franchises and even non-franchise films. I would actually think it a positive thing for them to fall out of fashion and lead the scene to creating more stand-alone blockbusters with their own sensibility or a more earnest touch instead.

 

And then there's groups that do so due to political reasons which, fair enough, I also want to see people like Ben Shapiro and Sargon of Akkad eat **** along with their rhetorics, so then again, I guess it's understandable the other side would think the same of anyone professing whatever they deem anathema (feminism, socialism, whatever). I reckon the people that are trying to start a boycott against Captain Marvel are those who fall on the latter camp of the matter and not so much those who simply "hate" the film as a film.

[Amentep]

But I still don't get it.  There's a difference between saying "I don't like this" or "I don't like what I feel is the politics behind this, and therefore I will not support it" and "Because I don't like the politics behind this, this shouldn't exist because the only things that should exist are things that I approve of, therefore this movie should have not been made, it shouldn't have any fans and I'm going to troll the internet attacking anyone who disagrees with me until everyone is enlightened and realizes I am right".

 

You don't like John Wayne because of what he said in the infamous Playboy interview - don't see his films.  Don't like the politics behind his THE GREEN BERETS, don't see the film.  Both of those things happened in the past.  But Wayne survived the disaster of THE GREEN BERETS and continued making films until his death for the fans who liked his work and could either overlook his past-era outlook/paternal patronizing on society revealed in the interview (or, alternatively agreed with it).

 

But I can only imagine the nutup the internet would be having over these things had it existed in 1968 and 1971*.

 

*Technically, I don't have to imagine as the 1971 interview was recently revived online for a round of "OMG, Wayne was a troglodyte!" style 'revelations' amid people who mainly know of Wayne as someone who was a big star in the past.

[Malcador]

What's hard to get? Hatred requires the destruction of the hated.

[ktchong]

I posted the following comments awhile ago elsewhere as a reply to someone else:

 

Of course alt-right trolls are real.  They are well-organized and well-coordinated - on Reddit, YouTube, and many other social sites.  Here are some of them on YouTube:

* Geeks and Gamers: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCMvVQIAfsGwzrfPLxiaIG8g

* SC Reviews: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCYjZ89DFZ9_kR_RA-TXMdMw

* Timcast: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCe02lGcO-ahAURWuxAJnjdA

* The Quartering: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCfwE_ODI1YTbdjkzuSi1Nag

* No Bull**** Reviews: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCZNk7Jjb2t8EuBdgn4Zj1cw

* Odin's Movie Blog: https://www.youtube.com/user/OdinsMovieBlog/

* Clownfish: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC4gD0czpXVv_LpADTSU624g

Here is how I came across them:

I have been mostly interested in movie and video game channels on YouTube.  I have been following various movie and video game channels on YouTube for over a decade.  In early 2017,  I started to notice a lot of new movie and video game channels had suddenly popped out of nowhere.  Obviously I checked out their movie and video game videos.  At first, I felt some of their movie and video game videos were quite good.  However, as I watched more of their videos, I gradually detected a pattern, a common thread, shared by all those new channels.  

The channel hosts were all Trump supporters.  All of them subscribed to the alt-right ideology, even though none of them would openly talked about it.   After all, they were running channels for movie and video game interests, not for alt-right ideology or politics.   However, in and between their movie and video game videos, they would "sprinkle in" praises for Trump or alt-right talking points: like criticism of Black Lives Matter of #MeToo movement, or how the "leftist" or "mainstream" media were "failing" or reporting "fake news".   I thought it was weird for those MOVIE and VIDEO GAME channels to frequently bring up those topics, (and I had been watching movie and video game videos on YouTube for over a decade - it was NOT normal for movie and video game channels or videos to spill those right-winged talking points.)  I started to become suspicious: especially because ALL those movie and video game channels just came out of nowhere at around the same time, and they all regurgitating the same or similar talking points.  That was a huge red flag.  Atop of that, they would frequently release videos with similar topics ALL AT AROUND THE SAME TIME - like calling for a boycott of Black Panther or BlacKkKlansman, or attacking some "libural leftist" like James Gunn or AOC.  I suspected those guys knew each other and were coordinating with each other.

Then, one time I went into one of their live streams, and then followed a lead into their private Discord channel.  I lurked around to listen to what would turn out to be their "plans to take over the world".  Yup, they were in the same alt-right "cult" that had been coordinating and organizing among themselves to push their alt-right agendas.  I put everything together and figured out they had deliberately created movie and video game channels because they knew those interests were the best way for them to reach out to "new recruits" - specifically, impressionable young men and even women.  I listened (or read) in their live streams and Discord and found out that they also targeted people who were interested in comic books, tabletop games, collectible card games, fantasy and sci-fi genres, the "boy stuff", but those were not my interests.  They had actually discussed and looked for new areas of "interest" for "expansion".

Occasionally, new people like myself would show up in their chat rooms.  They would talk to me to carefully gauge me and see if I was "with them" or "against them".  I just played dumb, or I just pretended to agree with them - and then someone would send me private chat to try to "proselytize" me.  When they felt that they had found a new recruit or have "converted" someone to their cause, they would gradually encourage the new recruit to maye start YouTube channel, or a new subreddit, or go to other forums to "spread their gospels".  I had been asked a few times if I had been a "mod" or created contents, of if I had ever run a media channel or some online forum.   My conjecture was that (although I was not sure) they would offer helps and supports to people who were willing to start new channels, forums or subreddits to spread their messages.  They certainly had planned out their whole expansion.

Personally I found them to be fascinating.  Of course it was fascinating for me as an outsider to observe an online cult  - or something like a cult.  Honestly I do not even know what they really were, what to call them, or how to describe their organizational structure.  Maybe "cells" or "cooperatives" would be a better description of their organizational structure (or the lack of.)  I had to hand it to them.  Those alt-right Trump trolls were certainly well-organized, well-coordinated, determined, smart, and they worked together towards a clear goal to push their alt-right agendas.   I had witnesses how the alt-right worked to target young men, grow their base and spread their messages.

I think the mainstream media and "liberals" have severely underestimated them.  Liberals are the real idiots, so is the  mainstream media because I am NOT a detective or investigative journalist, but I had somehow accidentally (or cluelessly) stumbled into and discovered those alt-right cells and cooperatives - and that was almost a year ago.  Yet those so-called "journalists" still have NOT caught on and have NO clue what was going on.  I certainly have not seen any discussion or report from the mainstream.  Those "alt-rights" are way ahead of those "liberals" and "mainstream media".  They were certainly not "Russians", and I do not believe they were paid by Russians.  They were not "right-wing terrorists" either because they were not violent or had not killed anyone.

The best term for them is... alt-right trolls.  Except I had not expected that they were organized but did not had a well-defined structure.  

So, yeah, alt-right trolls  do exist, because I have seen them.  I had, well, "spied" on them in their live-streams and Discord, so I know they exist.  There were about ten of them (channels) on Youtube when I first noticed them in early 2017.   I think they have grown to about two dozen channels on YouTube.  I used YouTube to identify them because I could actually see their faces and know who they really were on YouTube, unlike in Reddit or Discord in which everyone would remain as unknown, faceless user names.

After "spying" on them and learning about them about a year ago, I have mostly left them alone since then.   Their new videos still pop  up on my YouTube as "recommendations" from time to time.  However, their trolling and "rating bombing" on Rotten Tomatoes which I consider as deceptive and dishonest, but obviously Trump supporters certainly have no problem with lying to accomplish their objective - pissed me off enough to want to go support Captain Marvel.  But that is the most I am willing to do.  I certainly have no interest in spending most of my life to try to fight or stop their evil plans to take over the world.

 

 

 

Link to my original post.

 

I am not the only one who is being annoyed by those vermins.

Edited March 11, 2019 by ktchong

[Hurlshort]

Crazy people hate other crazy people, news at 11.

[Gfted1]

What if, and this will shock you, people just legit didnt like the movie? My morning radio show synopsis was (paraphrased) "I thought it sucked until the "redemption" at the end."

 

So can a movie even suck anymore or everyone that dislikes something is drinking the hateraide?

[Hurlshort]

Odds are pretty slim that the movie actually sucks though. It might be tired and unoriginal or whatever, but these things follow a pretty standard formula. They've got great effects, good acting and directing, solid writing. There aren't going to be a lot of obvious problems with the film. They get focus groups and a bunch of oversight making sure that it is a quality product. So yeah, anyone that says the movie is terrible is exaggerating or trying to make themselves seems edgy.

 

I mean, I have no interest in seeing the movie myself, but I realize that is a reflection on my lack of interest in the character and general apathy towards super heroes at this point. That doesn't make it a bad movie.

[Gfted1]

Does that rigorous vetting process only occur in superhero movie? Because Ive seen A LOT of movie that suck. Im curious, was Green Lantern a hit for you?

[ShadySands]

I  think you can usually tell pretty easily if a negative review for a movie has honest criticisms or if it is loaded with pet, political, or whatever else issues. 

[Gfted1]

^I disagree. Imo, things like this become a self fulfilling prophecy.

[Hurlshort]

What rigorous vetting process are you talking about?

 

Green Lantern was fine. Seemed like pretty standard popcorn flick fare. It wasn't groundbreaking and I guess they spent too much money on it, but I don't have any problem with it. What was the worst part of the movie?

 

 

Also good to keep in mind the target audience. Is Captain Marvel really targeting your morning radio hosts? 

[Gfted1]

Lol here we go, what is the meaning of "suck"?

 

via Imgflip Meme Generator

[Hurlshort]

Lol here we go, what is the meaning of "suck"?

You are really weird sometimes. You asked a question and I answered it. I guess we are done.

[Gfted1]

Ok

[ShadySands]

If the extent of a review for a movie is I thought it sucked then that's not much to go on. That basically reads as I personally didn't like it and that's fine as not all movies will appeal to all people and nothing really to mine there. 

Edited March 11, 2019 by ShadySands

[Maedhros]

Odds are pretty slim that the movie actually sucks though. It might be tired and unoriginal or whatever, but these things follow a pretty standard formula. They've got great effects, good acting and directing, solid writing. There aren't going to be a lot of obvious problems with the film. They get focus groups and a bunch of oversight making sure that it is a quality product. So yeah, anyone that says the movie is terrible is exaggerating or trying to make themselves seems edgy.

 

I mean, I have no interest in seeing the movie myself, but I realize that is a reflection on my lack of interest in the character and general apathy towards super heroes at this point. That doesn't make it a bad movie.

 

Quality product for who? Suicide Squad had focus groups too.

[Amentep]

 

Odds are pretty slim that the movie actually sucks though. It might be tired and unoriginal or whatever, but these things follow a pretty standard formula. They've got great effects, good acting and directing, solid writing. There aren't going to be a lot of obvious problems with the film. They get focus groups and a bunch of oversight making sure that it is a quality product. So yeah, anyone that says the movie is terrible is exaggerating or trying to make themselves seems edgy.

 

I mean, I have no interest in seeing the movie myself, but I realize that is a reflection on my lack of interest in the character and general apathy towards super heroes at this point. That doesn't make it a bad movie.

 

Quality product for who? Suicide Squad had focus groups too.

 

 

Suicide Squad also got a B+ Cinemascore (Green Lantern a B).  And while it has only 27% favorable reviews aggregated on RT from professional critics, 60% of the general audiences gave it a 3.5 or higher (Green Lantern? 26% and 45% respectively).

 

Regarding reviews, I think the best way to treat reviewers is to find one you like to read/listen to.  Eventually you'll get a feel for how you're interests coincide.  I didn't agree with Roger Ebert on every film, but I had read his opinion enough to know where we differed.  So while he may give a positive review to a film I wouldn't, I could read that positive review and from experience know I wouldn't like it (or vice versa with him hating a film).

[Hurlshort]

Thanks Shady, that is better said than I was managing.

[Volourn]

Yeah movies can suck. And, just  x amount of people like a movie doesn't mean it sucks. Also, just because most people hate a certain movie doesn't make it suck.

 

 

I, for one, know only sexists hate Alita or Peppermint. Those were goodmovies and only people who hate female leads would hate them. Captain Marvel, on the other hand sucks. Anmd, I know this because one line in the trailer ruined the entire propect of me even bothering with it in theatres.

[Malcador]

The truth is everything is garbage.

[Gfted1]

I like Pluto Nash and have watched it several times. Come at me!

[Hurlshort]

Also I had a blast watching Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad. I never understood the hate that movie got, but I figure it just hit the right notes for me.

[injurai]

Also I had a blast watching Margot Robbie in Suicide Squad. I never understood the hate that movie got, but I figure it just hit the right notes for me.

 

In general I have a blast watching Margot Robbie. Phrasing. Suicide Squad is still the worst movie that I've payed to see in a theater.

[injurai]

The truth is everything is garbage.

 

This is why we recycle movies now.

[Amentep]

I enjoyed SUICIDE SQUAD. No caveat to that.

 

I also acknowledge that it's a narrative mess, and possibly over edited.