Movie/TV recommendations

[ThunderPeel2001]

I didn't provide a definition, you did. I'll go by John August's definition since it's more interesting that yours, which can arbitrarily flip who's the protagonist or antagonist based on what  you decide counts as "something" (and following your logic, Indiana Jones and Mr. Incredible aren't protagonists).

 

By John August's definition, Indiana Jones isn't a Protagonist, either. Neither is James Bond. What difference does that make, exactly?

 

You said: "I argue that Cameron, Jeanie, and Rooney are all the protagonists because they all have a shared goal of thwarting Ferris because they all feel like it's not fair that he can get away with whatever he wants."

 

How does August's definition back your argument exactly? Your definition is the agreed definition of an Antagonist.

[ThunderPeel2001]

Is anyone watching the Oscars? Anyone notice that Brave's co-director, Steve Purcell, didn't get an award OR even a name check from his fellow directors? Weird.

 

Also, they turned off the VFX guy's microphone when he was about to talk about this: http://www.deadline.com/2013/02/vfx-oscar-protest-workers-pound-the-pavement-to-plead-their-case/

 

It felt pretty fucking evil

[Twig]

You could rank every movie 100 or 1 and then the number it would spit out would probably be the % chance that you'd give it a thumbs up.

Heh. Maybe. My tastes in movies are too inconsistent.

[Patrick R]

I also use Criticker. I just think of the movie as a school assignment, and you're giving it a grade. In that way, 1 - 100 makes much more sense to me than stars, which I could never make sense of.

[Twig]

I wouldn't make a good teacher, I guess, 'cause I would never be able to decide between 86 and 87*, at least not without a strict grading strategy. MISSPELLING. INSTANT FAILURE. Is that how you grade movies? That color was a little off, minus two points. Those two characters have different pronunciations for the name of that other character, minus six points.

 

*Well, and a multitude of other reasons.

[Patrick R]

I don't sweat it too much, just go on instinct. On my viewing journal I use letter grades that stand in for very general things.

[TychoCelchuuu]

I wouldn't make a good teacher, I guess, 'cause I would never be able to decide between 86 and 87*, at least not without a strict grading strategy. MISSPELLING. INSTANT FAILURE. Is that how you grade movies? That color was a little off, minus two points. Those two characters have different pronunciations for the name of that other character, minus six points.

 

*Well, and a multitude of other reasons.

You only need to be as accurate as you want the predicted ratings to be. If you can't decide between an 86 and an 87, just flip a coin, and that means in the future, it will basically come down to a coin flip whether Criticker thinks you'll score a certain unwatched movie with an 86 or an 87. The way it works is by finding people who score movies similar to you and using their scores on movies you haven't seen to predict your score, so if your vague, inaccurate ratings match up with the vague, inaccurate ratings (or the fairly accurate) ratings of other people, then your predictions will be about as good as your ratings are. I find it sort of fun to get super precise predictions, but obviously it's an art, not a science, and if you can't narrow things down much at all then there's no reason to sweat it. It's still a neat website for keeping track of movies you've seen, etc. If I want to find out my favorite 10 drama movies from 1950 to 1960 I can do it in a couple clicks - it makes giving recommendations to other people a lot easier, and so on.

[Luftmensch]

By John August's definition, Indiana Jones isn't a Protagonist, either. Neither is James Bond. What difference does that make, exactly?

Haven't watched any James Bond movie in too long to make any comment on him, but you've missed out on Indy. Indiana Jones begins his journey because he wants the Ark, and by the end he discovers that he needs Marion Ravenwood, and only by making sacrifices to save her does he finally get the Ark. Also something about belief and whatever, I haven't seen this movie in a while either. But it's about him changing from being in pursuit of the thing to the protection of people.

Jeanie wants to take down Ferris because she's jealous. In the end, she really needs to forgive and help Ferris, because that's how she can let go of her jealousy and live for herself.

Robert Parr begins The Incredibles feeling dissatisfied with his mundane home life. He thinks that to be happy he has to go out seeking vigilante thrills, reminiscing over the "glory days". In the end, he needs to let go of the past and embrace his family, celebrating their abilities instead of griping that they can't use them like they used to.

Gilgamesh leaves his city looking for the secret for eternal life, because he wants to life forever. By the end of his journey, he discovers that he simply needed to go on the journey itself, because his story would live on in mankind's memory.

This really applies to most stories. It's how I've always understood it anyway, and it makes things more interesting when you reach glaring contradictions to the usual notions of good guy=hero=protagonist/bad guy=villain=antagonist (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Princess Mononoke).

[Luftmensch]

I don't sweat it too much, just go on instinct. On my viewing journal I use letter grades that stand in for very general things.

One thing I like about rating movies on Netflix is that its star ratings are each tied with a description. Three stars is "good". Four is "great". It's not too fancy, but it's more meaningful to me than just judging strictly numerically.

[Patrick R]

If I want to find out my favorite 10 drama movies from 1950 to 1960 I can do it in a couple clicks - it makes giving recommendations to other people a lot easier, and so on.

 

This is entirely why I use it. Sorting movies by genre and decade is also a good way to light a fire under your ass, like when I realized I only had seen a dozen horror movies from the 50's and 60's, but a lot more in every other decade. Film is my primary outlet for my nerd energy (video games would be third, behind rap music), so it's nice to clearly see where the holes in my experience are.

And I definitely agree with you there, Luftmensch. Rating art in general isn't a terribly precise exercise, so putting things in general categories of "good, great, masterpiece" etc. is more intuitive.

[Max Ernst]

In the new Die Hard does he drive a car into a helicopter, and if not were you able to get a ticket refund because of this oversight?

[Twig]

 If I want to find out my favorite 10 drama movies from 1950 to 1960 I can do it in a couple clicks - it makes giving recommendations to other people a lot easier, and so on.

Oh, for sure. I was just poking fun at you.

I'd be more inclined to use a website like Criticker if it would also apply to books and music and video games, so I could have it all in one place, instead of spread out across multiple websites. As it stands, I'll just use my brainhole to store and forget all kinds of things.

[elmuerte]

In the new Die Hard does he drive a car into a helicopter, and if not were you able to get a ticket refund because of this oversight?

That's the previous Die Hard (i.e. Die Hard 4), there is now a Die Hard 5: A Good day to Die Hard

[ThunderPeel2001]

Haven't watched any James Bond movie in too long to make any comment on him, but you've missed out on Indy. Indiana Jones begins his journey because he wants the Ark, and by the end he discovers that he needs Marion Ravenwood, and only by making sacrifices to save her does he finally get the Ark.

 

Okaaaay... Let's see if you can create an argument about nothing. Again. I'm getting tired of your antics, Luft. (And you're wrong about Indy.)

[miffy495]

All right boys, let's all take a breather, shall we? The definition of "protagonist" is actually kind of an interesting discussion, and something that I'd never considered before (having it be roughly interchangeable with "main character" in my head, as someone else mentioned on the last page), but this seems to be winding into something departing into personal territory. I'm not sure what it is about the other that pushes each of your buttons so hard, but it's starting to get frustrating to watch thread after thread fall to the "Thunderpeel vs Luftmensch" pattern. You both seem perfectly nice on your own and I have no problem with either of you, but I'm starting to think I wouldn't want to ever be in the same room with both of you simultaneously. To be fair, TP, it's not just Leftmensch's "antics" at play here, you are both equally guilty of egging each other on in different situations by now. One or (preferably) both of you needs to let this go before it escalates any further. It's getting to a point where if I see one of you posting immediately after the other my eyes just kind of glaze over and I write that thread off for a couple of weeks. That's a bummer of a response to have. It's a disagreement over terms on the internet. Both seem like fine interpretations, and I think that which a person subscribes to may actually say interesting things about them. Does this really need to become more of a thing than it already has?

[Max Ernst]

That's the previous Die Hard (i.e. Die Hard 4), there is now a Die Hard 5: A Good day to Die Hard

Does he drive two cars into a helicopter in the new movie?

[melmer]

Oh my god this trailer for Wesley Snipes Zombie Western Gallowwalkers is ridiculous

 

Shot in 2006. hmmm, i wonder why they've decided to release it now

[Ben X]

Good job reading Wikipedia.

 

Good job trolling.

 

 

 

Does he drive two cars into a helicopter in the new movie?

 

Not quite, but there is automobile/helicopter interaction.

[Brannigan]

Good job trolling.

 

 

 

 

Not quite, but there is automobile/helicopter interaction.

Please tell me they are the romantic subplot. I really want to see those two make it in this harsh die hard world.

[Luftmensch]

This probably sounds like I'm missing the point, but I saw the trailer for the new Die Hard movie when I went to see Django Unchained, and I thought that the Die Hard action looked a lot more impressive and exciting (the big highlight being when the heroes fall through several floors of a building while a helicopter tracks them outside the window). I'm not expecting Die Hard to be better than Django, or for its action to be more exciting in context, but damn, shot for shot these modern filmmakers know how to make a pretty picture. I should go to the movies more.

Leftmensch

I dig.

[melmer]

I like my action films to be somewhat believable, or at least my Die Hard films. The point of die hard for me was always a real man pushed to the limits of what a real person could go through. As soon as John McClane start surfing on a jet fighter i projectile barf all over my television.

 

Also see 'Salt' my god does that film spiral into shitsvile

[ThunderPeel2001]

Good job trolling.

 

I completely agree.

[elmuerte]

You know what I don't get. You people are talking about Ferris Bueller's Day Off while you could be talking about Weekend at Bernie's

[Roderick]

Oh no you di'n't!

[Max Ernst]

I just want to say that everyone who tried to tell me that Tree of Life is overwrought and pretentious is a huge idiot and I am currently writing to my member of congress to notify her on how dumb they are. Incredible, gorgeous movie that is carried by wonderful performances. The way it manages to create feeling, depth and empathy with each of the characters using so little dialogue is incredible.

 

Also, whoever recommended that I watch Blue is a goddamn mastermind. Thank you, kind knight.