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I watched "Everything Everywhere All at Once" and thought it was an OK sci-fantasy flick -- good but not great necessarily: 7/10* on the IMDB scale. But we know now that it has collect a over-the-top reviews and trove of Academy Awards.
On another forum I suggested perhaps so many accolades were a matter of recognizing Diversity rather than the inherent quality of the movie. I was immediately called out as a racist.
What do you think of (a) the movie, and (b) whether recognition of diversity as a factor in its critical success, and (c) whether I'm necessarily a racist.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Follow Ups:
IMHO 'The Heart, She Holler' covered racism pretty well.
"Horse sense is the thing a horse has which keeps it from betting on people. "
― W.C. Fields
It is all comparative.
.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
"It is all comparative."Excellent point!
*********
We are inclusive and diverse, but dissent will not be tolerated.
Edits: 03/15/23
If you are a minority, you probably are too.
Minorities, females, homosexuals, definitely had the upper hand in many ways.
Employers were afraid to discipline females, gays, or people of color lest they be viewed as selectively "racist" or bigoted somehow.
Etc, etc, etc...
I'm White so I can be racist, but if you're person-of-color you can't be racist. What may seem like racism, (e.g. you hate White people), isn't racism, it's merely natural and fair reaction to White racism and privilege. Is that clear now?
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/15/23 03/15/23
The stuff will make itself and will keep coming. Privilege comes with responsibilities which I don't see minorities are handling very well. It's all cargo cult and a blame game and victim mentality exploited by the leaders of those communities. Stuff is falling apart in Detroit because those racist whites don't want to do anything about it. They should fix it and give it away for free to oppressed people and keep fixing it when oppressed people will inevitably trash it.
Back to the topic, there is nothing to watch nowadays. 80% of the crap coming out is the skinny female hero wiping the floor with dozens of hulk sized bad guys and the rest is just never ending attempt to repair the ego of hurt minorities giving them roles of "super brainiac" and smartest arses around.
I've got it.
Of all the things one can praise or pan a film for and you just happen to notice the diversity aspect? And point that out. Sounds pretty racist to me...
But I wasn't out to "pan" the film, on the contrary as I said initially, it's a good movie: 7/10* on the IMDB scale, (IMO of course).But then I began to wonder what it was about a "good" movie that warranted a sack full of Academy Award nominations. Given the vibes around the movie I began to wonder whether its "diverse" actors and staff had a lot to do with it.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/15/23 03/15/23
"Sounds pretty racist to me..."In my opinion, there are a lot of racists in "Hollywood". For years now, they've been falling all over themselves talking about inclusiveness and diversity, and can hardly contain themselves when an Asian, a Black or a Hispanic hosts an awards event, is nominated for an award, or wins an award. They're positively ecstatic. Why should they care what race a person is?
Sounds pretty racist to me.
*********
We are inclusive and diverse, but dissent will not be tolerated.
Edits: 03/15/23
One is expected to prove to the world that one isn't racist by extravagant gestures. Even if it's disingenuous "virtue signaling", it's the thing that's demanded.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Thanks, you just proved my entire point. Good day!
Nt
Equlity of outcome is more important that equality of opportunity.....
Too much is never enough
scenario? Just askin' to make sure I didn't miss something.
Nt
nt
Nt
My opinion? and ONLY that?
I think the Motion Picture Academy....has Jumped the Shark.....Maybe by 1980
there is a string of equality of outcome running thru the proceedings.
And this year? A friend of mine who died......(continuing character in Orange Is The New Black) did not make the 'remembered' list........You'll know him in many other films and TV.....
Just look at the string of powerhouse 'best picture' winners in the decade of the 70s.......Tough to beat....say '68 thru '81 or so.....
Too much is never enough
claimed he was a bit disappointed with the flick as well.
Racist?
"Reality cannot exist because it cannot keep up with the lies on the Internet."
What will we do then ?
Except that the outlaws aren't necessarily hardcore racists; they are people who aren't flagellant about their racism.
Dmitri Shostakovich
... we must never disagree. We must all agree, or you're out." A gang is not a family. Family members can disagree and still be included, while gang-members cannot disagree and remain... alive.So, watch out.
Edits: 03/15/23
It's not about disagreements. I can be friends with someone who likes Electrostats - I don't. I disagree with them on their choice. Can still be friends. I don't like Rolex - if you do - we disagree I can still be friends with you.
If you are pro-life and I am pro-choice that is fine - but if the party you vote for takes that right away and then tries to put her in jail for 99 years or wants to execute her - and you are FOR THAT party - then no we can't be friends.
If your beliefs negatively impact my family and other friends then this is not a disagreement anymore but a fundamental outlook on life that hurts people. Conversely, I have no problem if someone so believes that abortion is a murder that they don't want to be friends with me - that's fine.
What's the problem with the idea of you're out? I don't need to be friends with people I view as scum. I don't need to be friends with members of the Proud Boys or their "soft supporters" on these boards.
7/10 is the best movie (out of the ones nominated)
My annual Academy Awards Rankings (out of five):
10) Women Talking **
9) Triangle of Sadness **
8) Top Gun: Maverick ***
7) Avatar: The Way of Water ***
6) Elvis ***
5) The Banshees of Inisherin ***
4) The Fabelmans ***
3) Tár ***1/2
2) All Quiet on the Western Front ***1/2
1) Everything Everywhere All at Once ***1/2
Everything Everywhere All at Once at its core is a family drama about a mother trapped between pleasing her father and old cultural values and her lesbian daughter and modern mores. Evelyn, of all her multiverse lives, is living her worst dull existence and is losing the family business, her husband and her daughter.
The multi-verse stuff (Sci-Fi stuff) is gloss - Look past that and you have what the movie is about.
Not another war movie, but it is good. Not that I would pay to see another war movie and not that I would pay to see such a war movie, but is is certainly watchable for a topic that I've had enough of. Much better than the other recent war movies by far. Apocalypse Now, I would pay to see, however.
Edits: 03/15/23
(thusly a cinematography Oscar) because it's so well filmed.
The horrors come across great, as does the mud.
Otherwise, it's the same old story (a fight for love and glory?) that's
now nearly 100 years old.
In telling this tale to new generations, the visuals are key.
The acting was OK. It was a more engaging film than we thought possible.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
So each one is a treasure.
Most "war" films are centered around visual effects. Which never works for me.
Same for horror... all those knives and axes do nothing for me... the most bone chilling horror in a film that I remember is that open door shadow in "M".
Then gave up... might try again since many here seem to like it.
"Then gave up... might try again since many here seem to like it."
Trust yourself. ;)
*********
We are inclusive and diverse, but dissent will not be tolerated.
The latter will better: I certainly give it an 8/10.Still Everything... being the best of a bad lot holds some water I suppose.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/14/23
Consider the other 9 films.Women Talking - women talking about how they will leave their land due to the ill-treatment of their religious nut men who treat them like cattle. A message movie is fine but there is no subtlety - it is long and repetitive and one dull thought exercise.
Triangle of Sadness - Man the Republicans on this board will HAAAAATE this move probably most of all. Basically, a bunch of rich sad losers wash ashore after their yacht is attacked by priates. None of them have any life skills so the Yacht's servant girl/maid is the one who takes charge and saves them all (she's the only one who knows how to start a fire and catch fish etc) - the rich fucks would all die without her. It has Woody Harrelson too which will make the MAGA nuts go crazy.
Top Gun: Maverick - I'd say it's a film trying so hard not to be woke that it winds up being woke. It is essentially the Star Wars story (the original Star Wars (A New Hope) trying to dump the payload down a hole to blow up the death star. No one ever mentions who the bad guys in the film are - can't pick on any group or country anymore so it is just some faceless/nameless enemy. And they needed to change the actress because they needed her to be pleasing to the eye - bah. Republicans will like this one best - ra ra sis boom ba simpleton black and white storyline
Avatar: The Way of Water - military are evil thugs, while tree-hugging whale lovers are good. It's better than the first one. Simple-minded in a sea (get it) of great spectacle.
Tar - basically the female story of Kevin Spacey. A little modern Shakespearean tragedy about a lesbian (oh no the MAGA are already heading for the exits) who rises to the very top of the classical conducting world. But she's a power-mad bitch who steps on everyone to get to the top (even a shot of her separating LPs with her foot - a nice touch I thought) and of course, she stepped on the wrong people and her comeuppance ensues. People forget that in Cancel Culture some people actually DESERVE to get cancelled.The Fabelmans - White Christians beating up Jewish kids - according to MAGA that never happened in the US and should not be taught - Factual history is now woke - How dare you say that anyone in the US was ever racist. It never happened according to these red hat-wearing slobs. It's funny that the MAGA dimwits don't get that book banning is "cancel culture."
The Banshees of Inisherin - it's Irish - that means it's woke because they have accents.
All Quiet on the Western Front - The Germans lost. MAGA loves the Nazis and Hitler wannabe types. Sure it's WWI and not WWII but it makes little difference. A guy gets run over by a tank and you see his body splatter all over. The one film the MAGA guys might like but darn it - it is all subtitled. Subtitles mean foreign - Foreign is woke. But they're all white? So maybe not woke - this one is a dilemma. Still no John Wayne to the rescue and is more about kids getting conned to sacrifice themselves - sounds pretty woke to me. caring about people - if there is any caring about others in the slightest way - it's ant-Maga and thus has a woke agenda.
Elvis? Rock music - Rock is the devil's work. Dancing. I mean heck in the film the Republicans were trying to get him banned. Where have I seen that before - cough - Florida/Texas/Red States? So will the Republican viewers be bright enough to see the link today? Regardless, Elvis is basically about a white man singing black men's music so he was Woke before it was a word.
Edits: 03/14/23
Dude, your bigotry and ridiculous stereotyping is appalling.
-Rod
Whatever, I am bigoted against racists, homophobes, and MAGA. The slime of humanity.
You don't know who these people are and have no right to be stereotyping them. It's no different than saying that all blacks are gang bangers and criminals.Lumping all people that may not agree with your political views as bigots clearly shows that you are the bigot.
And what is a MAGA? Plenty of LGBTQ+ people believe making America great is a good thing. Are they homophobes and racists? You're simply projecting and have no clue what real people think.
-Rod
Edits: 03/17/23
MAGA is and was a Donald Trump campaign slogan aimed at ignorant people, (especially not exclusively middle-age, White, rural folk) who don't know what makes American great or will made is so in the first place, or what will do so again as if that were necessary.
If you don't happen to ignorant, (and whether or not you're middle-age, White, or rural), but still buy the MAGA line, well more fool you .
Dmitri Shostakovich
"MAGA is and was a Donald Trump campaign slogan aimed at ignorant people, (especially not exclusively middle-age, White, rural folk)"
Wow.
You really don't know anything about American political campaigns. All you have is the hate for people with whom you disagree.
Still, I'd be interested in your assessment of Joe Biden's slogan "Build Back Better", or Barack Obama's one-word slogan "Hope".
Personally, I think a person would have to be pretty ignorant to rally around "Hope". It never paid a single monthly bill or bought my groceries.
*********
We are inclusive and diverse, but dissent will not be tolerated.
you're a fool too, but we don't care
I love those folks that know it all and don't even live in the USA.
-Rod
Not that that's hard.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Funny how English majors can't stand Trump and are in love with perpetual liar Bama. It's the syntax that gets them. A work related disease. Not that Drump isn't a lazy, lying, narcissistic piece of shit who only wants to be admired. At least he can point to a problem and has a courage or audacity to articulate it which most of neuters are unable to do afraid of their careers. You can't have a trained , neutered dog as a president.
The problem is he solved NONE of them and never followed through on his promises.
Trump said he would get out of the middle east.
Biden did it.Trump said Mexico would pay for the wall.
Biden got Mexico to pay for border security.Trump said he would lower drug prices. He didn't
Biden did.Trump said American business should leave China and move to the US.
Trump's clothing line is still being made in China (before, during and after his presidency - not only that he paid Xie over $200k in taxes -- Zero to the US.Trump said he would send those Mexicans back to Mexico
Obama sent 40% more illegals back to Mexico than did Trump in the same time period.Trump said he would create jobs
Biden created far more jobs (and not including the Covid bounce-back variety)Trump said he would eliminate the national debt.
Trump added 1/4 of the ENTIRE US DEBT in his 4 years in office - the worst of any president in US historyOnly the gullible morons fell for his yacking - he delivered on nothing. Made the country worse - much worse.
Bush W said he'd get Bin Laden - nope Obama/Biden/HRC did. They didn't babble through 50 tweets a day doing zilch - they got the job done and fixed the crappy economy left to them by the incompetent Republicans who left the country a total mess. Poor democrats always have to spend the first 3 years of their presidency fixing the mess the Republicans leave them.
Right-wing dimwits LOVE the illiterate tough-talking Cromagnon strong-man bullies who promise the world and deliver NOTHING. And the reason they love the tough-talking bullies is that they're little snowflakes, not man enough to say shit to someone in person without their guns. Bwahahaha
Edits: 03/21/23
Ironically Biden administration didn't change many of former administration positions did they? Even though they, the whole press (and you particularly ) were extensively yapping how bad and racists they were. They stuck with every effing shit and extended it fucking up everything on the road: China relations, Afghanistan, Border security, Submarine deal, and new Cold War in the Horizon
Also if Trump behaved like a drugged schizophreniac shaking hands with ghosts on life TV everybody would go ballistic but papa Joe just keep tripling over his feet and everything is fine.
PS.
your deleted post was in bad taste & low class for a gent you pretend to be. My fiance is an English Major hates Trump and is in perpetual love with Bamol. My two Polish wives married fat Americans with money. Pretty women alway will attract a fat American with money or skinny old Asian with money like my optologist friend whose Ukrainian bitch took off with $1mil. Bad taste is forgivable but low class in your case is not. Adios Amigo
Edits: 03/21/23 03/21/23
I saw some of the deleted posts you sent to me. I let deleted posts pass because people tend to get angry and then "take it back"I don't apologize for what I say because if I actually met some of the Trumpers on this board - I would do far worse to them in person. Probably why all the Trump nuts carry guns because they're too much of the pussy snowflake variety not to. But then I would never have a Trump slime as a friend.
Throughout history - US Foreign policy has largely been the same no matter who the president is. The Democrats also voted to fight Saddam in Iraq. They made the wrong choice. Only one politician voted no to invading Iraq - only one politician had the foresight to know that it would be worse and cost America trillions that would be better spent on America and the people.
Only ONE politician had the guts to stand up and do the right thing. But he's too smart and too good for America. (Note Biden and HRC voted for it).
The difference however is on domestic policy - and the Democrats are FAR FAR FAR better on that than Republicans.
Edits: 03/23/23
I'm not a Trumper and have never been one.I only defend people's democratic choice to have him as a president and I'm aware of a massive fraud of collusion between all sectors of media, business and administration to take him down.(Even though the old fucker so much craved their admiration and acceptance) Spectacle of elections included. Those gun wielding nutcases are a backbone of America and in every fucking American intellectual trumpeting his opposition to deplorables is imbedded the same kind of bloody, trigger happy redneck ready to send legions and burn whole countries.You can see this everyday on the forum. I cringe when I see a seemingly intelligent people repeating hypocritical nonsense on private forums just to fit into certain social category. Just because they live in enclaves removed from reality of 90% of regular folks. You ferociously criticized every single policy Trump enacted which Biden administration embraced and exponentially expanded. Every single one. Oh, and the war is raging again and US led coalition couldn't be happier to participate. The boys are back in town.
You couldn't pass on single physical /mental defect that this clown possessed yet you give an unchecked pass to a mumbling, walking corpse which for most part does not know where it is? You disparaged religion, marriage institution and conservative way of living but now you are a daddy, have a wife and a flicker of a joke at your expense throws you viscously off balance. I followed your posts because you happen to possess a light pen and entertaining way to present the topic and also because of Audio Note connection (with your slightly irritating fan boy shtick) Sayonara
Actually, I attacked Trump as a person. He is an abomination.
I attack the hypocrisy of the so-called "family values" types who all lined up to get behind a racist misogynistic bully who has zero family values. Going from Obama a wonderful family values president to a steaming shithole of a man in Trump just calls out the abject racism and deplorable kkkristians out there.
Biden was nobody's real choice to be president. They were never going to let a Bernie Sanders win because he's FOR the 85% of Americans who live in the country - scoff - fat fracking chance the elites wanted him.
Biden was merely the "anti-Trump" vote. He got a record of votes because people saw what a cluster-fuck of a fat-ass boor Trump was. They could have run a potato for president. What Biden is though is an experienced government bureaucrat - boring. But after being irritated daily by Trump's poop-tweeting a steady diet of lies at all hours - boring is a wonderful respite. I don't have to read some Trump policy that is cruel for the sake of cruel every day to appease little small-man syndrome pussies who always support strong-man Mussolini wannabe leaders because they can be "tough" on the back of their president.
You say things that are partially true because I think you think that only Republicans and Christians are Americans.
"Those gun wielding nutcases are a backbone of America."
Yes, but most of those gun nuts are KKKristian Trumpian Republicans. You should actually look at the kinds of people at the Trump rallies - if there was ever a reason to be Pro-abortion just look there. Jesus Christ those people should be sterilized!
As for violence - it solves problems. I am not your typical woke liberal on this - no one stopped Hitler with flower power. The HK Students didn't get China to back down with protests. Nor even semi-violent protests.
You get shit done with guillotines - notice how the French government responds to the people (is afraid of the people) because government remembers Marie Antoinette.
The problem with complaining about Biden is that I have seen him speak - other than his known speech impediment and a few gaffes he is cogent and his state of the union made all those Republican loons like MTG and Bobert look like complete idiots. The fact is he's not a great speaker - age and speech impediment issues aside he is still a billion times the speaker of that completely incoherent mess that Trump was.
So it's really laughable when anyone on the right makes fun of Biden after seeing Trump mangle the English language for 4 years. But again - Biden was an anti-Trump vote so it actually doesn't bother Biden voters if people call him Branden etc - I didn't vote for the guy so why would I care?
I disparage religion and marriage only to the point where someone wants to inflict it on me.
I know you can't understand this because you are religious but imagine if you can Islam took over the west and told you to live under Sharia Law or else you will be killed. You would not like that.
Well, this is not different from scientists/atheists who do not want to be told how to live OUR LIVES because your book tells you how to live yours. Richard Dawkins was a relative unknown until 9/11. He was so upset over it that he began getting on religion because those people so believed that flying the planes into the buildings would please Alla. These beliefs were instilled into them by religious texts and religious leaders that they truly believed they were acting Godly through killing and trying to control others. They will throw gays off buildings because of their "beliefs" never once thinking "gee what if I am wrong."
I am a freedom kind of person. If you want to smoke a plant that grows on this planet - be my guest - if it kills you - well we warned you. If you want to have sex with only one person your whole life - fine - if you want to have 4 women and everyone is an adult and can make an informed choice fine by me. Doesn't hurt anyone. If you're gay then great - more women left for me.
People have the right to change their minds - maybe you're a Sam Malone bagging women your whole life and you meet the right one and decide marriage is a good choice. Plenty of people are in open marriages too - a concept some geezers here may not get but it means that you can have sexual relations with women outside your marriage. I know couples like this. I know a married couple who are both into BDSM - they are each Dominant - they have subs to play with - to tie up and spank etc. It is their "turn-on." And out of all the couples I know, their marriage has lasted the longest and is still going!
Their marriage may make no sense to me - but it works for them. If people could stay the fuck out of other people's business and not be some morality police for others people would get along better. But nope - religious people always have to butt in and tell everyone to live EXACTLY the way they do. And then they try and create laws for everyone else to follow. They cause the problems and they cause the violence because I want to take their fat heads and smash them when they try to force 10-year-olds to carry a baby - those fucks should be lined up and shot - and those fucks are ALWAYS some holier than though Christian type (who usually gets caught diddling a little boy).
All these Religious weirdos against transgender people - but look who is always caught diddling little boys or caught in same sex scandals - always the Christian pastor or Catholic Priests - those are the people we need to worry about not drag queens. But hey - projection.
... It was clear Obama would be the Dems choice. Biden seemed at the time to have the better foreign policy insight. Obama proved naďve in that respect. But then Obama was, (tried to be), more progressive; Biden is hardcore Centrist. Pity Obama couldn't get much done on healthcare before the Republicans took over Congress.
Yes, in 2020 Biden was the "not Trump" candidate -- he will be again '24 if they both run. It would be convenient if Trump simply dropped dead (of natural causes of course). DeSantis et al. couldn't be any worse. (Who ever thought we'd miss Mit Romney?)
Democrats are sadly lacking in potential viable candidates. Like you said, RGA, Dems would never let poor old Bernie Sanders win; pretty much the same for Liz Warren, (no spring chicken herself). I haven't studied VP Kamala Harris to understand her policy position -- in any case she has all the charisma of a sweaty gym sock.
Dmitri Shostakovich
I am happy if Trump wins the Republican nomination because he's a loser and he'll lose again - nothing will get more democrats to the voting booth than Donald Trump running.
De Santis is just as horrible if not worse but people may not be following him as close so fewer democrats will turn up.
Democrats win if they show up because there are more liberals than nutbar religious conservatives and this is especially true with younger voters.
So as time passes the old racist Trump crazies will die (the sooner the better) and they'll be replaced by far more liberal 18-22-year-olds and their first vote.
But the Democrats seem to do a piss poor job at messaging and keep going down the track of identity politics which drives independents crazy.
AOC is a massive hit with her generation and younger and in her state, she completely annihilates the Republicans up against her.
I am sure she plays well in most liberal cities and she did more for Texas in crises than the losers Cruz (who took a vacation) and Abbott the do nothing, good governor. But I think they would need a photo shoot of AOC killing bad guys with an uzi to get some votes in Texas. She's on the young side but that has proven to be okay when looking abroad.
Basically, I want a good person who is pretty bright and who can listen to experts.
I never would have had a problem with John McCain or Mitt Romney or even Liz Cheney as president. I can disagree with them on various issues - but I believe they care about the country and would put the country over politics. Indeed, Cheney was a lock to win her seat but chose to end her political career to put the country over the party. I disagree with practically everything she is for but at least you can say she has integrity. To me this is the number one thing you should have as a leader.
I view anyone who voted for Trump (the second time - I cut people slack if they voted for him the first time and then voted against him the second) as someone who has no integrity.
Many Republicans thankfully switched their vote. Country over party.
In Canada, I have voted Conservative, Green, Liberal, and NDP. If the Prime Minister acts badly I call him out whether I voted for him or not. They are our employees - not kings or rock stars. I mean the mere fact that a President holds rallies and sells hats and T-Shirts and digital photos of himself - I mean that says it all but just look at how many on this forum still would vote for him. It's bonkers.
I hope at least a few thinking people get to see it.
Looking from the outside helps be objective.Make America Great Again implies that it was great in the past. But when in the past?
Certainly, before Reagan messed up the country. But how far back? When blacks were slaves? Certainly many MAGA voters liked it better when blacks sat at the back of the bus and were not allowed to drink from the same water fountain.
Okay, Republican Trump fans WHICH decade are you talking about?
The 1960s and 1970s when the corporate tax rate was 80-90% when a man could work - own a house a car outright while his wife stayed home and looked after the kids and Unions were at their strongest peak?
But you had Vietnam and flower power and hippies and drugs. Still, it seemed pretty good economically in terms of good jobs and 1 income household earner and rich people paying plenty of taxes. But you guys hate Unions. So I dunno - is this the 20 year span when it was great? Race volatility, president getting killed. Hmm. Not so great.
Was it during FDR's run? He was the most popular president in history often regarded as the first or second-best President. So popular he had three terms and they had to change the rules to make it 2 maximum - if he lived he would have won a 4th or maybe more. But Republicans can't mean his era because FDR was a Democratic Socialist (same as Bernie Sanders and AOC). Gee, maybe the greatest period in US history under a democratic socialist!! LOL, So you will rule him out on that alone amiright?
Surely you don't mean the 1980s when all the jobs disappeared, and everyone needed dual income - the racist war on drugs that didn't work and created even more drugs entering the country and increases in poverty. Union busting meant all the good paying jobs disappeared and the offload to jobs in China. That was Nixon and Reagan who did that and now you MAGA people whine about Chinese goods taking over. Your guys did that so why are you complaining now? The shithole you got is the shithole Republicans made.
The 1990s? - under Clinton - he balanced the books at least.
2000s? adding trillions to the debt - war against the wrong person - world embarrassment under the drunkard W Bush? LOL - c'mon - it wasn't great.
I am guessing they mean the 1950s because this is the "square" generation under Dwight D. Eisenhower who would be a democrat if he were alive today. Eisenhower was a war hero and sadly America went from that to a Bone Spurs thin-skinned crybaby draft-dodging coward. Perhaps Americans didn't know that Trumpy just pays doctors off to pretend he had bone spurs - seems not to affect his golf game lugging his 320lb fat ass around the golf course?
I love this nonsense about "you don't live here so you don't know" BS.
I'd love to see the MAGA nuts (or Trump) take a US Citizen test. Bwahahahahaha.
Edits: 03/20/23
I wrote a big reply and deleted it because it comes down to two things.Actions over words
I am a bigot against bullies (which isn't a thing).Person A)
Calls opposition rude names
Makes fun of the disabled
Takes shots at 5 star families
Takes shots at war heroes
Steal money from children's charity and is found guilty and pays millions in fines and him and his kids take a class on "why it's wrong to steal from children's charity).
Scams people for millions in his fake university
cheats on first wife with second wife and cheats on second wife with third wife and cheats on her with a porn star
denies rent to black people with his KKK father.
Runs a fake birther movement to attack a black man running for president (hello that is the epitome of a racist!)
Blaming Mexico for all your ills
The list goes on and on and on.For any reasonable person to HATE this person is not being a bigot. It is a sign of having basic human decency and a thing called class. No GOOD quality person of reasonable intelligence would support that human trash.
The schoolyard bully got the support of people who LIKE that behaviour and agree with his heinous behaviour and worldview. They support the schoolyard bully. They then are enablers and bullies just as bad as him.
I am against all those people. And what is more, you should be too.
This isn't about some fiscal conservative who thinks the min wage should be abolished or wants lower taxes - meh - that's an agree-to-disagree issue. This is about choosing to support a fascist racist wannabe selfish bully or not. Sometimes you have to vote for the guy who is the opposite of you on taxes and minimum wage in order to do "the right thing" and not support fascist racist wannabe bullies.
I have no respect for these people who don't get it. These are the people who should be loathed. Your actions - what you do is what you are. What you say means nothing. A lot of people say they have gay friends or family and then vote for the party that boots them from the military. They say one thing and then do another. Worst of the worst.
Voting for Trump or MTG or Lauren Boebert or Abbott or Cruz - - that's the action. Their words or rationale or excuses or self-delusions are irrelevant. In the end, who you are is a person who supports the racists, wannabe fascists, book-burning, homophobic, bullies. I have zero respect for these people. And neither should you.
Edits: 03/18/23
I get it. You hate many politicians and then transfer that hate into anyone that might vote for them. That doesn't correlate to those voters being racists, bigot, xenophobes, homophobes and so on.Personally, I don't like the man. However, I do prefer his policies over the other man. Still, I hope he goes away.
What I see is a lot of divisive propaganda accusing everyone that isn't on your team as a racist, wannabe fascist, book-burner, homophobic, and bully.
You believe that MAGA equates to white nationalist, fascist, etc. That's not it at all. It's the big lie. The populist movement is all about America first, all of America, including black, brown, red, yellow and white. Folks are fed up with foreign wars, globalism, illegal immigration and the US playing the world cop on our dime. Let Europe take care of Europe. Instead, let's fix our infrastructure, be energy independent and fix the border issues and take care of Americans with good education, health care and jobs.
-Rod
Edits: 03/18/23
I never had the issue with prior Republican presidents - I disagreed with all of them (and Clinton who was a DINO) and of course, Regan referred to black people as monkeys so there was that but it was the 1980s.
I disagree with you on policies - for instance, Trump was utterly horrible as a president in all the "duties of the presidency" as well. But if he were Reagan or Bush Senior - I would just be in the agree-to-disagree camp. As both sides only look at the stats that make their team look good and will make excuses as to why the other team is bad. Biden had more jobs created than any president in my lifetime - the counter-argument will be those jobs came back after the pandemic. That sort of thing.
I view all Stock market stuff to be beyond whatever the president does - has next to zero impact on that.
So it comes down to the Office being a beacon of civility and a world example. That's why I am so hung up on the man.
People think I am anti-American but it's the opposite - I grew up a big fan of the US - and it so FRUSTRATES me that one person can make my second favourite land after my home a world laughing stock and hear people abroad making fun of the US constantly. It's Sad. Biden is restoring that reputation by being a boring beurocrat. But DeSantis is coming and your reputation goes right back into the gutter if that horrific excuse for a man is elected.
Rod M., " Instead, let's fix our infrastructure, be energy independent and fix the border issues and take care of Americans with good education, health care and jobs. "These things would be great but Trump did none of them. He didn't even try and, I'm quite sure, never intended to -- that's why he is a fraud.
MAGA is a mega-delusion.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/18/23
To be fair - Bernie Sanders and others on the left (Bernie is independent) have noted that the Democrats do this to themselves - the fact that they can't convince people in the middle class and lower class not to vote for them (and against their own self-interest) is pretty telling.
The rich tend to be conservative - lower taxes means more money in their pockets) and not being given to the poor (who are all lazy in their worldview). You are going to have a tough time convincing people with money to give more of it away. Especially when in fact there ARE lazy pricks out there mooching off the system.
I see it as a teacher. Kid is pretty bright but does nothing because he has millionaire parents - he fails all his exams. Shows up to school with a new smartphone every 3 months. They live in government-subsidized housing which is really inexpensive - so the family can buy expensive clothes and phones and cars.
So it pisses people off like me who have to work hard to get a degree and has no wealthy support to help me do it largely on my own.
So I kind of understand the fiscal conservative stance on this kind of thing. They want people to take responsibility for themselves. Albeit I am not sure why they are always happy to give money to billionaires without making them pay it back or why they said nothing when Trump gave $6 trillion to bail out the Stock market in May 2020. It seems to me to be socialism for the wealthy class and rugged individualism for the poor. They'll raise the debt ceiling three times under Trump but moan about it for Biden. Granted that's politics. 7 banks failed under Trump his overturning Obama policy caused it but crickets. Adding 14 of all US National debt was incurred in just 4 years of Trump - crickets. Good with the financials just has never been true.
BIG +1
I will not go out of my way to watch any of them.
I'm sure there still are a lot of independent films worth watching.
Well, I just watched a very 'woke' movie with excellent cinematography:
HBO Max: Empire of Light
Yeah, nothing to write home about and I would not even recommend it to anyone, but once you start watching it, I couldn't stop because I just wanted to know what the cinematographer will focus on next. I rather enjoyed watching it, all said.
It's nice to read something critically good about a particular aspect of a work. All too often, people - especially those who aren't skilled in some pertinent aspect - poo-poo a work because of some aspect, even though it may have excellent work in other aspects.
*********
We are inclusive and diverse, but dissent will not be tolerated.
That show can connect anything on this earth to an alien presence. Reminds me of people who see "woke" in everything.
BTW, as per my previous comment. After having turned Everything Everywhere off after 40 minutes I watched the rest. It does become a better film right around the 40 minute mark. As far as its awards though...
Best Picture...deserved a nomination
Best Actress...maybe, probably
Best Supporting actress...mmmm maybe
Best supporting actor...just no
Best Script...maybe a nomination, but no win
Which it isn't especially as you're trying to point out, it's that it was a mediocre film that won a lot of Academy Awards. That isn't justified by the fact other mediocre films having won Academy Award.For that matter, my beef isn't that a mediocre film won because, in some measure, the Academy was rewarding 'Diversity' -- not a bad thing in itself BTW. But that I was labelled a racist for pointing it out
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/15/23
It won because out of the ten movies, it was the best one in most voters' opinions. It didn't win because it had a diverse cast. That's why you were called out.
Don't get me wrong, I understand what you are saying because in your view it wasn't the best movie but it's no different than saying - She only got the job because she's black and a woman. Which probably does happen. But then no one says anything when the white man gets the job when he is a clearly inferior candidate or when some presidents hire their ditsy inexperienced daughters to be CEO when they probably can't work the cash register.
At the Academy awards, Jamie Lee Curtis a white woman beat Angela Bassett a black woman out for the Academy Award for best Supporting Actress. So that flies in the face of the diversity choice.
Jamie Lee Curtis' win is neither here-nor-there in terms of the diversity aspect. I didn't see anything especially remarkable about her performance. Curtis is the 1000th Best Supporting performer to win mainly on account of the context of the file in which s/he was performing.
In the first instance the diversity aspect was something raised by other people that I picked up on it given I considered the film mediocre. But even if celebration of diversity had nothing ultimately to do with Everthing 's win that doesn't make me a racist -- maybe not "Woke" enough I grant you.
People who think I'm a racist can just Eff Off. FWIW I'll point out that my own family is White-Asian multiracial.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Well, I agree - but even a non-racist can make the occasional "racist comment" without even realizing it - the whole world has gotten very touchy over this stuff. I don't for a second think you're a racist. Granted I don't know you other than the various forums over the years but you seem to be a stand-up guy to me.
Affirmative Action was an attempt (eesh) to try and level the playing field for minorities - to force racist white business owners to hire a certain percentage of minorities to help give these people "better employment."
It makes initial sense but it also creates animosity within the rest of the workforce when people don't know why this person was hired. Are they qualified or are they just the token hire? I just watched an episode of Dexter and
Masuka: Hey Morgan. You wanna see something swell? Come a little closer. Deb: And the token has spoken.
See this is funny. Fat chance it gets on tv now or someone would bitch and complain about the line.
It's funny because everyone is in on the joke including Masuka. Of course, he's brilliant at his job but he also knows he is the token.
With Academy Voting you just don't know. The joke used to be that actors and others would give their voting ballot to their secretaries to fill in.
Many of them probably choose their friends or people they work with. Curtis has been around forever and never won anything - she may have many friends who voted for her. Cate Blanchett has already won 2 Academy Awards. Maybe people felt that Cate is so good she will probably win another one. Yeoh may not get another chance because her race and age may limit her opportunities in the future. Those decisions by studios are not even racist - they're business choices based on market research as to who will come to the movie based on who the leads are.
Ultimately it comes down to thinking about this differently. If Hyopothetically, you saw this movie and felt it was a Masterpiece and by far the best movie on this list then you probably don't entertain any notion that it "only Won to satisfy diversity virtue signalling"
But because you found it wanting or another film to be better, then now it "only Won to satisfy diversity virtue signalling"
We probably all do it. I know I did it when Gandhi beat E.T. I was like of course they have to pick Gandhi because it's a serious movie and Hollywood absolutely hates Spielberg, a Jew.
To be fair, I was something like 10 years old at the time.
I suppose I have a different perspective than you. I am in an interracial marriage and I have worked in Hong Kong for 12 years now as the only "white guy" here. I am the token hire.
So for example, my speculating the Everything won at least in part because the Academy want to acknowledge diversity is considered racist ... despite that acknowledging diversity isn't a bad thing per se , and that it might be true.I have other attitudes that will be construed as racist by many -- especially in this 'Woke' age -- for example:
- My attitude to "affirmative action" was always ambivalent. (I'm old enough to remember when it was a new thing.) Certainly I always believed that selection of employees ought to be on a purely objective basis, i.e. qualifications , not on racial/cultural/religious grounds one way or the other. I have personally, as a supervisor, hired people on that basis included several people-of-color. If there was a time for affirmative action I think that time is passing especially here in Canada. The high level of immigration we've had for many years now pretty much much ensures that a high proportion of candidates presenting themselves for any job are likely to be "racialized", (or Muslim, etc. ). One simply cannot be a bigot and expect to make the best hire.
- I'm bemused by the heavy promotion of diversity in Canadian TV ads. So my observation is that 2/3 of ads at least show multi-racial marriages and children, and/or gender-diverse people or couples. Sorry, but it's certainly "virtue signaling" by the advertisers. What is ironic is that Blacks are heavily over represented in these ads, i.e. away above the proportion of the Black population in Canada, (which is much lower than in the USA). At the same time it seems to me that one Canadian minority which is significantly under represented in TV ads and that's our indigenous populations. First Nations, Inuit, and Metis folks comprise at least 3X as many people in Canada as do Blacks but they hardly ever turn up in ads.
- The term "racialized" has become quite prevalent around here, most noticeably on CBC radio and television. It has mostly displaced "visible minority" and "people of color". Grammatically the use of the adjective-made-verb made adjective is absurd. In any case it's just another euphemism for non-White , and I'm not sure whose sensibilities it's supposed to sooth. I'd be fine with just using "non-White", after all it's accurate.
I've got laugh at the suggestion of prejudice against Jews in Hollywood. That's kinda rich.
As for Ghandi versus E.T. that was a hard call. Like Everthing versus All Quiet , two very different types of movies. In the former case, neither flick had any diversity considerations. Unlike the 1986 miniseries, Lord Mountbatten - The Last Viceroy where Pandit Nehru was played by Ian Richardson in black-face, LOL.
... WOW, but now I'm wondering whether any of the E.T. kids were Black? I think maybe not: that would never pass today, (and rightly so I suppose).
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/17/23 03/17/23 03/17/23
Feanor - thanks for the excellent thoughtful post.
Hollywood like Starbucks is a business. A large part of their sales comes down to public perception and they don't want to get cancelled. Starbucks doesn't care at all about plastic or paper straws - they use paper straws to be "seen as green" hoping not to lose their liberal customers.
I could be wrong but I suspect Starbucks mostly caters to Democrats and Liberals as they tend to be located in cities and even in red states - the major cities vote liberal/democrat. So Starbucks tends to cater to their left-wing base of customers. (Albeit Union Busting has taken some of their base away).
With Hollywood and the BBC and probably the CBC and the arts in general - you mostly have liberal types entering those professions, the Theater and the Arts.
The reality is that in the theatre world, people are exposed to more racially diverse people and certainly more exposed to members of the LGTBQ+ - people who don't make it in the arts often become agents or perhaps go into directing or producing or executive roles. They then hire their friends when they can.
So I think what you see is this "subset of the population" put on TV. So you watch a TV show and the representation is skewed to the population of the "arts" world and not the representation of the population of the country.
Ideally, people would be colour-blind and we would just hire people based on ability but it doesn't happen. Hiring managers have to consider how that person will work within the office/group. They may hire a slightly less skilled person who is easy to get along with than the superior intellectual candidate who is a douche.
When I applied for the teaching job here in Hong Kong I had to write a 20-minute timed essay. Then had a 20-minute interview with two Hong Kong Principals for Elementary School and High School (my training is mainly in Elementary school). My friend who has more experience and taught in BC for several years failed the interview.
Why? Because they would ask him a question - he'd answer and then they would press him on it and he would push back that he already answered the question or that his answer was correct.
Example: "How do you know when a child has understood the reading text?" Answer: Ask the students reading comprehension questions to ensure they know the characters, plot, theme etc.
"But how do you really know?"
Answer: have the students make a comic strip of the story they just read to see how much the student can remember from the text.
"But how do you really know?"
My friend would get irritated by this - I know him. Me? I keep trying to answer this question in a different way or I would simply say that I am not sure how to answer that question and admit I don't have all the answers and would hope to learn from my fellow colleagues. That is what they wanted I suspect - teachers work as a team and they don't want the foreigner to come in and tell them what they should be doing. 80 people were interviewed across Canada. They hired 11. I was one of them.
To me, they most want the people they figure won't be a "problem" and not necessarily the "best" candidate. LOL - cause it sure ain't me - I am an English teacher with pretty atrocious grammar and spelling. But that doesn't matter - there are spell checks and grammar checks - but not so much "easy to get along with amiable" checks.
Perhaps in Hollywood, they feel if people see more minorities and homosexuals on their tv screens audiences will be more exposed to them and thus less fearful of them. Fear is often a big driver of racism.
Sez more about the state of the art (or industry) than the particular movie.
Many awards not televised.
and in the History of the Academy, about a Dozen categories have been deleted or are no longer awarded.
Some awards are based on merit, and not done every year....
Too much is never enough
...is the fact that I am going to be checking out soon.I am extremely pessimistic about the current slope, in the world in general.
Maybe the "Sunset Boulevard" for tonight... with some sweet Tokaj.
Is it not sad that some of us will remember when it was good.
Others will only remember when it was "better".
Edits: 03/14/23
"...is the fact that I am going to be checking out soon.
"I am extremely pessimistic about the current slope, in the world in general."
Shake it off, Vic. Listen to a little Gershwin: "But not for me. With love to lead the way. I found more clouds of gray. Than any Russian play. Could guarantee. I was a fool to fall. And get that way..."
Has Jay Nordlinger contacted you?
It sure feels like he is a buddy with my wife, she often talks about him.
I recommended he interview you in one of his upcoming podcasts.
You should talk to my wife... THERE is the firework. You can start a conversation on apples, cars, dresses, and in a matter of two sentences it turns to politics, the state of republican party, Trump and all that other shit I would rather not talk about.
I hate to say that, but when it comes to politics, she is 98% correct. :)
I see your point. But for the past year Jay has been fixated on Ukraine. So I thought you two would hit it off. I know he would appreciate your perspective.
People who are closer to the situation, participate, or study it full time.
My position, in fact, is not purely pro-Ukrainian but totally anti-fascist-ruSSia, or, as it is becoming an official term, "rushist".
I would be feeling exactly the same if the scum attacked Estonia or Poland. I have no particular vested interest in Ukraine.
"My position, in fact, is not purely pro-Ukrainian but totally anti-fascist-ruSSia, or, as it is becoming an official term, "rushist".
"I would be feeling exactly the same if the scum attacked Estonia or Poland. I have no particular vested interest in Ukraine."
As I said, he would appreciate your perspective.
.
"Fuck it. We're all gonna die."
Close up!
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
I'm happy that the whole goddamn thing is over with!!!
Nt
Everyone is a racist. That's what the Wokesters want everyone to believe. SF is about to pay lots of folks $5M because of it!
Ignorance abounds.
Aside: At least the modern descendants of slaves can thank their lucky stars that 1) They were born, and 2) They were born in the USA.
"One egg, one sperm. That's all it takes to be an individual."
*********
We are inclusive and diverse, but dissent will not be tolerated.
entertaining, IMO.
It was awarded for MANY reasons, diversity being one them.
You have a bunch of Hollywood people voting for "best" of
in THEIR industry, what standards are you expecting?
Quality of anything (especially in the arts) has no meaning
anymore regarding ANYTHING to do with being awarded for
any percieved quality.
It all defaults to Opinions/Assholes 101.
The acting awards it received were certainly merited (again, given
the "competition").
I don't think you're necessarily a racist, but I didn't read your POV.
WE live in touchy times. Touchier maybe.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
... you've still got some learning to do if you want to be a fully certified liberal/progressive/socialist.
But you're doing a good job, so don't give up yet. As I've said before:
*********
We are inclusive and diverse, but dissent will not be tolerated.
I'm not flagellant about being what I am, so I'm not "woke", and don't aspire to be.
Dmitri Shostakovich
It depends on which definition of Woke you are using. I suspect some people mistake "politically correct" with Woke.
"in 2017, the new meaning of the word woke was officially added to the dictionary."
According to Webster - as "chiefly US slang", the dictionary defines the word as: "Aware of and actively attentive to important facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice)."
Woke nowadays refers to being aware or well-informed in a political or cultural sense, especially regarding issues surrounding marginalized communities - it describes someone who has "woken up" to issues of social injustice.
It's not new - it goes back to the 1960s.
It can be traced back to a 1962 New York Times Magazine article written by William Melvin Kelley, titled 'If You're Woke You Dig It.'
Furthermore, in 1971, the play Garvey Lives! by Barry Beckham reads: "I been sleeping all my life. And now that Mr. Garvey done woke me up, I'm gon' stay woke. And I'm gon help him wake up other black folk."
Erykah Badu's 2008 song Master Teacher also featured the phrase "I stay woke", which helped popularise the word.
In 2012 when Russian feminist group Pussy Riot were imprisioned for a protest intended to shine a light on the oppression of women, Badu Tweeted: "Truth requires no belief. Stay woke. Watch closely. #FreePussyRiot."
"The word woke became entwined with the Black Lives Matter movement; instead of just being a word that signalled awareness of injustice or racial tension, it became a word of action. Activists were woke and called on others to stay woke," Merriam-Webster explains.
Hirsch explains: "In reality, the only thing that unites the woke is an intellectual curiosity about identity and how complex, how nuanced, how rooted in disparate histories it can be. The real groupthink, the genuinely cohesive crowd, it's increasingly clear, is that of the anti-woke, the most weaponised identity of all."
Hirsch points out the irony of "the rightwing culture warriors [who] claim to support free speech" but "they seem to want minorities to shut up and stop complaining".
In the end, it is called empathy - you try and see things from the perspective of others. It's that simple. And you just put your own self to the side for a moment and say "look THIS really bothers this person"
What is the "This" - the this can be their pronoun or their identity and maybe you and I don't GET why it bothers them or even agree with what bothers them but it does. Then we decide whether we can accommodate their desire pronoun or feelings into our lives. Some people can't because maybe it goes against their religious beliefs.
Take the hockey players who would not wear a rainbow jersey or whatever due to their religious beliefs - that's fine.
Someone wants to be called They instead of him - meh - who cares - I'll call you they if you like.
A black man who has been wrongfully beaten by police and you see it over and over and over again - you want to kneel for the flag to protest bad cops - then do it. People making a big deal over nothing. Taking a knee isn't as bad as wrongfully shooting people. People are getting madder about taking a knee than cops killing innocent people? How about some perspective?
Like I implied above, I don't flagellate on account of my "White privilege" as, say, BLM would prefer I do.But I'll say at least I do condemn, for instance, policed brutality towards Blacks and other rank forms of discrimination.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/16/23
be white privilege that allows plenty of whites to not need to worry about white privilege.
Mark in NC
"The thought that life could be better is woven indelibly into our hearts and our brains" -Paul Simon
tanking on it being a woke institution, with a woke agenda and a woke culture.
It seems we're on track for "retarded" to get dusted off and put back into use.
Really, it's the perfect word for much of that knucklehead thinking.
"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination" -Michael McClure
Lol
...from all of the awards the film won. A well known Asian audiophile brought this up on FB.
I agree with you - I didn't think it was a great film. Actually I didn't think any of the 6 nominated films I saw were great.
But I understand why it won - it was very innovative and well done, even if I didn't care what happened to any of the characters. The Oscars are Hollywood congratulating itself.
You and I aren't racist. But then I'm not sure about you. :-)
Nt
It does seem like what you are is increasingly more important than what you do and there is a great deal of effort going into maximizing the division.
Equity isn't new, it crept into the High school where my Mom worked.
To make one group and the school dist look better, they simplified the tests and then taught / studied around the test and low and behold test scores were a little better.. Until they went on to take a conventional test. Now they are talking about eliminating tests because they detect your understanding of the subject and are prejudiced against those with poor scores.
So the new Indy Equity 500 done under now equity rules state no one can pass the slowest car or be penalized 1 lap.
At the beginning, that's when everything is normal at least for most of a lap when the fastest car reaches the slowest car. That's when the Cairo traffic jam begins. It's 12 wide the third lap AND THE EXCITING PART (and the big fires) ARE THE FUEL STOPS!!.
To even imply there might be something wrong with that is "politically incorrect" or frankly "racist". "Affirmative action" run amuck.
Dmitri Shostakovich
You are not racist but race is a factor when you assume it "only won because it is stars a mostly Asian cast" while not nothing that there are tons of "mostly caucasian casts" in films that didn't deserve to win jack best picture (Ahem Titanic, Silence of the Lambs, The English Patient, LOTR, Nomadland, and a bunch more).
Those mediocre, Caucasian-cast films didn't win because they were Caucasian-casted. As for Everything... , well, you understand what I was saying.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/14/23
But then what about the many many many many films that starred non-whites that should have won but didn't?I chose EEAAO over the other ten because I think out of those ten it was the best movie - if it starred an all-Black cast, White cast or Asian cast would be immaterial.
A few years ago the Korean film Parasite won best picture. I gave it 4/5 which would have been my top pick this year.
But in 2020 it would have placed 5th.
Jojo Rabbit *****
Once Upon a Time in Hollywood *****
1917 ****
Joker ****
Parasite (Winner) ****
Ford v Ferrari ***1/2
Marriage Story ***
Little Women ***
The Irishman **1/2
I think people choose what they like the best. The Academy voters are skewing younger and Science Fiction "seems" to be more popular than ever and EEAAO is impressive visually (artistically).Quite often in film history - multiple viewings of a film can help and if one begs for this is EEAAO. With a younger audience growing up with smartphones and more instant gratification and impressive video games (that often have superior stories to movies) I am not all surprised that young people like EEAAO - more than me for that matter.
Lastly, the Academy is preferential voting - so they choose their top 5. Actors choose actors and directors choose directors but everyone votes on picture.
That's why "polarizing films" don't tend to win. Many film critics (most of them) and people with degrees in the arts will choose Pulp Fiction for the best picture all day every day over Forrest Gump.Pulp Fiction will gain far far more 5/5 ratings but it will also be off-putting to the old geezers who don't like the F-Word or any blood. So it will also get a lot more 0/5 ratings. Forrest Gump is amiable - it's a good movie, entertaining, a family movie - likely gets a boatload of 2nd or third votes. The other movie that year was The Shawshank Redemption which no one at the time actually watched. And poor ole Quiz Show probably would have won a bunch of other years but no chance against those three in 1994.
For me, it would have been
Pulp Fiction 5/5
Shawshank Redemption 5/5
Crumb 4.5/5
Quiz Show 4/5
Ed Wood 4/5
Forrest Gump 4/5
The Last Seduction 4/5
Maverick 4/5
Natural Born Killers 3.5/5
Heavenly Creatures 3.5/5
Speed 3.5/5
Anyway - I think this is the first year in many years where my pick actually won best picture. And really it would have been my 7th choice in 2020!
Edits: 03/14/23
Shawshank Redemption was great of course. I don't think I've seen any of the others you just listed.Does it matter? I don't have your film critic impulse, I just watch flicks for entertainment. In case of Everything Everywhere All at Once I gave up on about halfway through for it being boringly silly; I only returned to watch the rest after hearing about the great critical reviews. Awareness of the reviews didn't change my first impression however.
Dmitri Shostakovich
Edits: 03/15/23
I wanted to be a film critic at one point but there were too many bad movies I had to sit through to find a good one.
Reviews at their best will make me rewatch a movie that I didn't get or perhaps I was not in the right mood to see. Sometimes I change my mind greatly (A Clockwork Orange) and sometimes it doesn't.
I don't have time to see that many movies so I usually wait for the oscar nominations and see those - after all these are "supposed to be" the best movies of the year. Since I didn't give any of them a score higher than 7/10 I don't think the "reviews" influenced me much - just as they don't with audio gear, watches or anything else.
Personally, I would have chosen The Batman - a film noir take on Batman over any of the nominated films. I don't much care for comic book movies either so I was pleased by it. In fact, like Joker, I feel like they could have changed all the names and just made it without the Batman shtick and it would have been even better. Joker was an arthouse film about a non-universal healthcare system not providing badly needed anti-psychotic drugs to a man who then goes off his nut. But that film makes $1 million at the box office (maybe). Call it Joker and loosely tie it to the Batman universe and it's a massive money maker. That film was also much better than anything on this year's list.
It's funny but you say you give EEAAO 7/10 and All Quiet.. an 8/10
Most of the time I'd be happy with that. I gave Nomadland 4/10 and it won the best picture! Jeez.
Last year CODA won - I was happy enough with that because while it's a Hallmark Movie it was done about as well as a Hallmark Movie can be done. So no problem there. Drive My Car was a 3-hour Japanese movie that requires some work and while I loved it I was just happy to see it get nominated. Titane which won the Palme d'Or was IMO the best film and didn't even get nominated. Polarizing to say the least though.
If you look back over all of the Academy Award-winning films in your lifetime - how often do you really concur with the best picture winner? And even just taking the ones they nominated not the ones you thought were the actual best movie that year that got skipped. How about all the movies you love and will watch if it happens to be on the box?
Here's a list of all the Academy Award best picture nominees and winners. I have not seen them all by any stretch.
I'd take
Raging Bull over Ordinary people (1980)
Raiders of the Lost Ark over Chariots of Fire (1981)
E.T. or Tootsie over Gandhi (1982)
The Killing Fields over Amadeus (1984)
Witness, Prizzie's Honor, or The Colour Purple over Out of Africa (1985)
Field of Dreams or My Left Foot or Born on the 4th of July over Driving Miss Daisy (1989)
PS there aren't enough comedies. That's why I like the Golden Globes with their best comedy/musical section. How the hell can you really compare a movie like EEAAO to a film like All Quiet...?
Or take your absolute favourite comedy of all time and your absolute favourite war film of all time. Most people probably want to award the war film (it's serious after all and awards are serious business). Eesh. So much for escapist entertainment - let's throw you into a trench in WWI and watch people get run over by a tank - pass the popcorn. We're all mad I tell you.
Goodfellas over Dances With Wolves
But that was almost 50 years ago. I blame my wife: she wasn't and isn't a big movie goer. In any case I avoid movie theaters so if it isn't free on Netflix or Prime Video, I'm probably not going to see it.
How to compare Everything with All Quiet? Well the Academy had to do it.
The latter is a gritty war story that begins with how callow youths are sucked into fighting by a cynical nationalist and end up all being kill by one ghastly means or another. The former is about a middle-aged women who, (as you mentioned), is losing her business, husband, and daughter -- and gives in to silly fantasies. Which is better? A hard call but, apparently, somebody had to do it.
Dmitri Shostakovich
And they gave it to EEAAO because it was "different" and/or "original" and All Quiet lost because it's another war film. It probably didn't help that 1917 (a better war WWI film) was nominated a few years ago. If that film were in this year's group I would have chosen it.
Watched around 30 minutes of it and turned it off. Diversity had nothing to do with it. I just didn't care for it at all.
And, in truth, I started to 'wow' reviews and came back and watched the rest. Overall I say 7/10 is plenty generous.
Dmitri Shostakovich
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