I've seen Scott Pilgrim Versus The World on the video store shelf for awhile now, and I generally thought, "Meh." Part of the disadvantage of not watching television, I suppose, is that I rarely see movie trailers except for the rare occasions when I go out to the theater.
So I knew next to nothing about Scott Pilgrim Versus The World except what I could learn from the back of the dvd box, and that didn't really impress me.
But I took it home last night and was pleasantly surprised. In fact, I liked it enough that I hung on to it and I'll watch it again tonight, with the dvd commentary. I figure the commentary might be interesting to listen to.
Cheers,
Michael
__________________
“The greatest way to live with honor in this world is to be what we pretend to be.”
So I knew next to nothing about Scott Pilgrim Versus The World except what I could learn from the back of the dvd box, and that didn't really impress me.
But I took it home last night and was pleasantly surprised.
Me too, except replace back of the dvd box with trailers on TV. I wonder if that movie would have done better if they had promoted it better. I had no idea what it actually was about until I watched it.
Viscousmemories I think mentioned watching Collapse and then going out and peeing on his lawn; I watched the trailer which was p. wizard and then I picked up a copy, and Qingdai and I watched it the other night. I'm going to recommend it with some caveats.
Much of the appeal of this movie is that the subject of the movie, Michael Ruppert, is so interesting, and speaks in absolutes. Many of the subjects he speaks on interest me. And people who have or claim to have inside knowledge regarding the activities of those in power draw my attention.
That said, I think his case for imminent collapse has some flaws. One central issue is that while peak oil- the idea that oil is finite and it gets harder and more expensive to extract over time after the easily accessed oil finds are depleted- is axiomatic, the timing and outcomes are not. Tar sand is more expensive and environmentally damaging to extract; however it costs about $25-$30 a barrel to produce, and as long as the oil price stays above that, then it is profitable to extract. Considering oil has stayed mostly above $50 a barrel for the last 5 years, it is likely that Canada and Venezuela among others will continue to exploit these reserves, which are estimated at almost three times the known world reserves of crude oil. So that pushes the clock back quite a bit.
Also his theory that the spike in human life on earth means there is a precipitous population collapse to follow- well, I can kind of agree, but mostly because of density, scale, monoculture, and resistant and virulent disease strains. When an earthquake or flooding hits an area, with our population density those disasters kill a lot of people, and displace a lot of people, to a magnitude that makes logistics for helping disaster relief monumental. Monoculture crops with identical gene stock across the globe makes a year when a nasty virus hits a staple crop have a massive effect. An outbreak of virulent influenza strains like at the beginning of the last century could be transmitted across the globe and wipe out huge portions of the population. But these things also wiped out huge portions of the population before our population growth spiked in the last few centuries; that isn't a new challenge, only the scale and rapidity of transmission or issues of global interdependence are new.
Ruppert's critique of electric cars and "clean" coal and other energy forms are mostly spot on in my estimation. His scathing critique of monoculture farming and our dependency on oil for every aspect of food production is good. Neither are revelations in this drunky liberal household, however.
His solutions around turning lawns into gardens, developing a skill that you can barter with, developing local community, and moving towards localized economies when possible is fine, and mostly something I think society lacks and could benefit from. But international trade is also a huge boon to economies; and without his peak oil timing I don't think that's going to end anytime soon, if at all. I am a proponent of supporting local farming and gardening myself, and I think we'll expand that each year, but for lots of reasons that are more on the sustainability and connection to place and being poor/ victory garden end of things. Ruppert supports sustainability, and that's great, but I think it may be for different reasons stemming from different conclusions.
Michael Ruppert also wrote a book titledCrossing The Rubicon, which is basically his case that Dick Cheney purposely allowed 9/11 to happen and/ or purposely crippled the ability of the US to defend against the attacks. He also makes a case that the NeoCons among others in the US government then used 9/11 as a pretext to get everything on their wish lists, including an Iraq invasion. While I think the pretext analysis is accurate, the rest of the theory to me is just not credible. I can expand on why somewhere else if someone likes, but Cheney and others don't need actual terrorist attacks to find a reason to go to war or implement policy- it just makes it easier.
This is only referenced briefly in the movie, that he has distanced himself from the 9/11 truth movement since 2004; however I think it bears more mention since it suggests a willingness to build cases that are not as airtight or sound as his sense of surety suggests.
Ruppert is mesmerizing, and the setting and camera style, the questions and the delivery all are powerful and stark, and I can recommend the movie without having to subscribe to all portions of the presentation.
This is only referenced briefly in the movie, that he has distanced himself from the 9/11 truth movement since 2004; however I think it bears more mention since it suggests a willingness to build cases that are not as airtight or sound as his sense of surety suggests.
This is only referenced briefly in the movie, that he has distanced himself from the 9/11 truth movement since 2004; however I think it bears more mention since it suggests a willingness to build cases that are not as airtight or sound as his sense of surety suggests.
In that the CIA sponsors war lords in Afghanistan and Columbia and various other countries, and the other activities that the war lords are involved in may be drug farms (cocaine and opium) it's not a stretch.
There are several interesting books written about Cambodia and the Golden Triangle trade.
This doesn't belong here or in the crappy movies thrad, but I didn't feel like starting one for intensely mediocre movies. That is, Yogi Bear. Having a 7-year-old means I get to see most of these animated films in the theater and rarely anything else these days. Megamind was worth the extra cash for the 3D version (not necessarily because of the 3D but because the film was lots of fun). This film, though, was bearly (urk) worth a matinee 2D price, so shelling out the big bucks for 3D sort of hurt.
The action sequences with the bears et al. were fun, but they're hung around a painfully by-the-numbers plot, i.e., Oh Noes A Meanie Politician Is Gonna Close Down Teh Park, with a Socially Awkward Love Interest subplot thrown in for bad measure. Why the fuck they'd do that when advancing these plot points is 1) boring to the kids and 2) annoying to the adults is somewhat beyond me. I mean, I get that it's just spewed from the [laptop] of the most shameless Hollywood hack*, but it seems all the more horribly wasteful to weigh down a mega-budget CGI film with this shit.
The turtle is cute. Moar turtle, less crapplot, plzkthx.
*HOLY SHIT, do we seriously not have a Side Show Bob smiley?
ETA: Guess the crappy movies thrad would've been a better fit after all. I didn't hate the film, and my kid didn't ask "Is it almost over?" -- so I wouldn't call it pure crap. Just disappointing.
__________________
In loyalty to their kind
They cannot tolerate our minds
In loyalty to our kind
We cannot tolerate their obstruction - Airplane, Jefferson
I am boycotting movie theaters. The insane cost makes it that much more important to me that it be a really good movie. I can't justify 20 or so per person for mediocrity.
A well-hailed movie, top movie at Sundance and all. But I really can't say I found it the greatest thing since sliced bread. I mean, kudos to the film-makers and their willingness to take risk, and also kudos for just telling the story without commentary or political undertones. But I think Gunner Palace was the more interesting movie.
I also wonder if the impact isn't as great on me simply because I've gotten a more 'in depth' experience than people who just watch the movie, it was more 'reality lite'. When I finally get to see Hooligans at War it should be an excellent barometer of 'reality vs fly-on-the-wall' for me.
Other movies watched.
The A-Team. Well... you don't go in expecting much, and you don't get much, so it's satisfying. Entertaining enough way to spend the hour and a half on the airplane, but I won't be rushing out to buy the DVD.
Toy Story 3. I think Lotso just needs a hug.
NTM
__________________
A man only needs two tools in life. WD-40 and duct tape. If it moves and it shouldn't, use the duct tape. If it doesn't move and it should, use WD-40.
I have been trying to get Steppenwolf on DVD for friggin' ages. I finally found it on Best Buy online, available on back order. Which means they were happy to sell it to me and then order it from the manufacturer, no matter how long it took. This turned out to be just shy of three months. But what the hell, it's all MINE now!
The DVD itself isn't stellar -- fullscreen, tracking is somewhat choppy -- but it beats not having the film at all. This was my favorite film during my college years. Hesse himself stated that it was impossible to really "get" the book if you weren't at least in your late 40s, but I suspect that was partly just him telling the damned hippies to get off his lawn.
Anyway, it's a fucking masterpiece. Flawed to be sure, but it's amazing how good the film is, being so faithful to such a difficult book. YMMV, of course -- the performances, music, use of animation, direction, etc., are all reviled by some and praised by others (except for Max Von Sydow, of course -- nobody disses Max). I wouldn't change a thing.
__________________
In loyalty to their kind
They cannot tolerate our minds
In loyalty to our kind
We cannot tolerate their obstruction - Airplane, Jefferson
I have been trying to get Steppenwolf on DVD for friggin' ages. I finally found it on Best Buy online, available on back order. Which means they were happy to sell it to me and then order it from the manufacturer, no matter how long it took. This turned out to be just shy of three months. But what the hell, it's all MINE now!
The DVD itself isn't stellar -- fullscreen, tracking is somewhat choppy -- but it beats not having the film at all. This was my favorite film during my college years. Hesse himself stated that it was impossible to really "get" the book if you weren't at least in your late 40s, but I suspect that was partly just him telling the damned hippies to get off his lawn.
Anyway, it's a fucking masterpiece. Flawed to be sure, but it's amazing how good the film is, being so faithful to such a difficult book. YMMV, of course -- the performances, music, use of animation, direction, etc., are all reviled by some and praised by others (except for Max Von Sydow, of course -- nobody disses Max). I wouldn't change a thing.
I really like the book. Wouldn't mind seeing the film.
__________________
Much of MADNESS, and more of SIN, and HORROR the soul of the plot.
You might find it for rental if you have a good rental place in your area. Amazon has it available for download, but no longer has the DVD in stock. When I was trying to find it, eBay gougers wanted like $200 for it. Best Buy's 3-month wait was annoying, but at least it only cost me 20 bucks.
__________________
In loyalty to their kind
They cannot tolerate our minds
In loyalty to our kind
We cannot tolerate their obstruction - Airplane, Jefferson
Re: Seen Any Good Movies...?
Sonoma Bear
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