Unpopular Opinions

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Apparently [the Star Wars boycott] was a hoax, perpetrated by a couple of internet trolls.

 

*gasp*

 

You mean to tell me that something on the intrawebz might not be one hundred percent true and accurate?!?! Inconceivable!

 

More seriously, I've floated the internet troll theory in the past, and have also gotten "But some of them probably really believe that stuff" in response. At this point, it would have been more obviously a hoax or a joke if something like 'Han Solo should not be played by a white actor! #SocialJusticeWarrior' had been posted. Or, y'know, not, says the grizzled veteran of the Firefly fandom.

[proserpina65]

 

*gasp*

 

You mean to tell me that something on the intrawebz might not be one hundred percent true and accurate?!?! Inconceivable!

 

More seriously, I've floated the internet troll theory in the past, and have also gotten "But some of them probably really believe that stuff" in response. At this point, it would have been more obviously a hoax or a joke if something like 'Han Solo should not be played by a white actor! #SocialJusticeWarrior' had been posted. Or, y'know, not, says the grizzled veteran of the Firefly fandom.

It must be true - they can't say anything that isn't true on the internet. ;-)

[dusang]

More seriously, I've floated the internet troll theory in the past, and have also gotten "But some of them probably really believe that stuff" in response. At this point, it would have been more obviously a hoax or a joke if something like 'Han Solo should not be played by a white actor! #SocialJusticeWarrior' had been posted. Or, y'know, not, says the grizzled veteran of the Firefly fandom.

 

Yes, because online racism is so rare and the very sentiment so improbable, it was obviously a hoax.

[Cobalt Stargazer]

Yes, because online racism is so rare and the very sentiment so improbable, it was obviously a hoax.

 

Mmm.

 

From the Miscellaneous Celebrity News thread in another section of the forums:

 

Y'all have to read this interview with Anthony Mackie. My favorite part:

 

 

 

 

He also says something about how a black director for the Black Panther movie is unnecessary because it's not like they got a horse to direct Seabiscuit. 

 

Now, was it a stupid thing to say? Sure. But if people are going to read that and think Mackie means it when he probably doesn't (at least the stuff about dictators, I can't speak to what he might actually believe about the Black Panther movie), then perhaps he should have been more careful than, say, Matt Damon would have been. One of the benefits of the internet is that anyone can use it. One of the drawbacks of the internet is that......anyone can use it. Inclduing knuckleheads would apparently thought it would be hilarious to show off their eighth grade sense of humor. I don't think its out of line to expect more from the thirty-seven year old Mackie.

[greenbean]

The two are not mutually exclusive. I absolutely believe white power types were behind the use of that hashtags. And 4Chan is a virulent racist website among other things, so they had the chance to put two past-times together. Trolling and being racist.

[proserpina65]

Yes, because online racism is so rare and the very sentiment so improbable, it was obviously a hoax.

I'm not saying online racism is rare and that is was obviously a hoax.  That the original tweet was so quickly believed is testimony to how often racist shit does get posted online, but to me, it doesn't look like this had anything to do with white power types, just a couple of trolls who knew which buttons would get the biggest bang for the buck when pushed.

Edited November 3, 2015 by proserpina65

[Dandesun]

I'm laughing at the idea of a horse directing Seabiscuit. I kind of want to read that AU story.

[PrincessEnnui]

That actually was pretty funny, but I am laughing at Mackie, not with him. XD

[Ubiquitous]

Probably extremely UO: I don't give a shit about the new Star Wars. The prequel movies were so awful that I lost all interest. Also not interested in JJ Abrams as a director.

Yeah, they lost me when they announced Abrams would be involved.

[wanderingstar]

Probably extremely UO: I don't give a shit about the new Star Wars. The prequel movies were so awful that I lost all interest. Also not interested in JJ Abrams as a director.

 

I'm not interested in seeing it either. I never did watch the prequels, probably because everyone I knew said how bad they were.

Edited November 15, 2015 by Gillian Rosh

[kiddo82]

Star Wars blasphemy: I don't think the Phantom Menace (or any of the prequels really) is as bad as it's made out to be. It's not great but it's fine. And I don't have a problem with Jake Lloyd either. A lot of folks didn't care to see Anakin all "Yippee!" as a child, but at least this behavior was appropriate for a child. You know what grates my nerves persistently? Luke's pouting as well as his "Uncle Oooooweeeeen!" He was supposed to be what we would consider college aged, no? Even his whining on Dagobah is pretty insufferable.

Edited November 16, 2015 by kiddo82

[SmithW6079]

Seeing Taylor Kitsch mentioned on another thread prompted this: I quite enjoyed "John Carter," and I was really surprised when I read it was a flop.

[Crim]

Star Wars blasphemy: I don't think the Phantom Menace (or any of the prequels really) is as bad as it's made out to be. It's not great but it's fine.

I'm not responding to your opinion per se, this being the UO topic, but I'm curious if you ever listened to these: http://redlettermedia.com/plinkett/star-wars/  I think plenty of people consider the prequels just fine, some who don't see the original movies as all that great either, so the prequels were not really a letdown. Then again, people flock to the cinema for the new Star Wars: it's a spectacle, an event, it doesn't even matter as a movie, and with these record pre-sales it's already a successful tentpole blockbuster. UO, but I find this utterly hilarious. It could be the worst movie of the year, and it is already successful because a gazillion people bought tickets.

[ribboninthesky1]

I've always assumed Star Wars, at least in the US, has that huge nostalgia factor.  I imagine the public reaction to the first prequel was similar for the time period.  

[FozzyBear]

I really disliked Terms of Endearment. And by "dislike" I mean hate with the fire of a thousand suns! I didn't find any of the characters likable, including the children. Aurora was a horrible mother. Emma was a horrible mother. I thought their relationship was toxic, and it was a travesty that Aurora ended up getting Emma's children so that she could ruin them, too. I saw it almost 30 years ago; yet, I can still remember vividly the final scene with Aurora getting her granddaughter to move over closer to her. In my mind, that played like a horror film and I wanted the little girl to run screaming away from the monster grandmother. The Academy Awards show was unwatchable that year for me.

Ugg. It's the worst. I can handle movies about unlikeable characters (some of my favorite movies in fact), but everyone in TOE is so awful for no reason. And I'm supposed to like them, I think? Why do Emma and Flap get married? Why doesn't Flap raise his kids after Emma dies? Why does Emma's friend only want Melody after Emma dies? What the fuck was up with that? Why doesn't Emma ever get a job if they're broke all the time? Why are they broke all the time? Why does Aurora hate Flap from the get go? Why does anyone in that movie do anything they do? And then Emma dies and I don't care because I'm annoyed and like 90% of Deborah Winger characters she just seemed like a dumb, spoiled flake.

Edited November 20, 2015 by FozzyBear

[Bruinsfan]

Seeing Taylor Kitsch mentioned on another thread prompted this: I quite enjoyed "John Carter," and I was really surprised when I read it was a flop.

I'm a big fan of the original Burroughs novels and was braced for the worst, but really the only thing I took issue with in the movie itself was the Hulk-like leaps they had Carter making (as opposed to a still-impressive 30 or 40 foot standing leap that wouldn't have looked like videogame action), and that was a minor quibble. Most of the changes they made, like Dejah Thoris being a brilliant scientist with some agency rather than a perpetually-kidnapped damsel, were actually good ones and made for a better movie. That film's problems started and ended in Disney's marketing department.

[FozzyBear]

Pretty much everybody I know that saw John Carter liked it. Granted that's only 2 people, so roughly half of the total audience. It's IMDB score isn't awful either. It's not good, but there have been hit movies with worse reviews. From what I've read, most critics chalk John Carter up to a studio bungling the post production and promotion of a film more than it bring a bad movie.

[Blergh]

Here's a positive UO. I liked Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Hercules movie! I know it bombed but I thought it was a fairly good interpretation of the myth (and I think it was a good touch to show that how bragging and tall tales about real events COULD have eventually become myths). Moreover, I thought Mr. Johnson did an excellent job playing a character trying to find out if he was destined to be more than a fraud/mercenary yet was haunted by his own horrible past atrocities.  He put a great deal of cerebral and physical exertion  into this role and I'm sorry the movie didn't do better or be considered more than a joke by most.

[Julia]

Here's a positive UO. I liked Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Hercules movie! I know it bombed but I thought it was a fairly good interpretation of the myth (and I think it was a good touch to show that how bragging and tall tales about real events COULD have eventually become myths). Moreover, I thought Mr. Johnson did an excellent job playing a character trying to find out if he was destined to be more than a fraud/mercenary yet was haunted by his own horrible past atrocities.  He put a great deal of cerebral and physical exertion  into this role and I'm sorry the movie didn't do better or be considered more than a joke by most.

 

I thought they put a lot of effort into Jason Momoa's Conan movie too. I was just disappointed in both cases that they didn't give their stars (both of whom I've seen show a fairly wicked sense of humor when they were allowed to) just a little more old-timey Errol Flynnish swashbuckling to do. I really think they could have carried that off into successful movies.

Edited December 1, 2015 by Julia

[UYI]

I do not understand the appeal of Benedict Cumberbatch AT ALL. He looks like a lizard.

[cpcathy]

He's weird looking, indeed. And I am also not enamored by Tom Hiddleston either.

[proserpina65]

He's weird looking, indeed. And I am also not enamored by Tom Hiddleston either.

They're both good actors, but looks-wise, definitely not my cup of tea.

[Crs97]

I actually do find Benedict attractive in motion, but I might just be reacting to his voice. It covers a multitude of sins.

[UYI]

British accents CAN forgive a lot, I guess. :P

 

I like Tom Hiddleston dressed up as Hank Williams, at least. I like cowboy hats. ;)

 

Topic?

 

As far as Woody Allen movies go, I think Hannah and Her Sisters and Crimes and Misdemeanors both edge out Annie Hall, and I LOVE AH. Hannah actually made me a fan of Bach as a young teen. (And part of me, the part of me who loved his movies at 13 and wanted to be a director and move to New York, wants to believe the allegations aren't true. It's hard, but unlike with Roman Polanski, we don't know for sure here. I DON'T WANT TO BELIEVE IT. *sob*)

[Bruinsfan]

Here's a positive UO. I liked Dwayne 'The Rock' Johnson's Hercules movie! I know it bombed but I thought it was a fairly good interpretation of the myth (and I think it was a good touch to show that how bragging and tall tales about real events COULD have eventually become myths). Moreover, I thought Mr. Johnson did an excellent job playing a character trying to find out if he was destined to be more than a fraud/mercenary yet was haunted by his own horrible past atrocities.  He put a great deal of cerebral and physical exertion  into this role and I'm sorry the movie didn't do better or be considered more than a joke by most.

I really liked it right up until the end, when he pushed over that ginormous statue in a display of obviously superhuman strength. If they'd kept the ambiguity through the end by having him topple it via smacking a load-bearing support with his club or something, I'd have been much more of a fan.

[SmithW6079]

I haven't seen a Woody Allen movie since it came out that he was sleeping with his stepdaughter. Yes, he was not married to Mia Farrow, but he had been a presence in Soon-Yi Previn's life for 10 years as a father figure. And reading his entry on Wikipedia shows that he has a thing for teenage girls. That just makes him a gigantic sleazebag pervert, and I have no interest in watching a pervert's movies.

[Julia]

Woody Allen broke my heart. I really enjoyed his being someone who was a wiseass from Manhattan who people misjudged because he was a wiseass from Manhattan, well, for reasons. And I loved Hannah and Her Sisters, because it opened up the possibility of being less neurotic in the future than in the past.

 

And then he started making excuses for inappropriate relations with the teenaged daughter of the mother of his child (as it turns out, maybe) and I realized that he wasn't being ironic about being a sleazy asshole who slept with teenagers from expensive private schools when he made that movie about being a sleazy asshole who slept with teenagers from expensive private schools. 

 

I sort of want him to rely on someone exactly like him at the end of his life. 

Edited December 4, 2015 by Julia

[methodwriter85]

 

I really disliked Terms of Endearment. And by "dislike" I mean hate with the fire of a thousand suns! I didn't find any of the characters likable, including the children. Aurora was a horrible mother. Emma was a horrible mother. I thought their relationship was toxic, and it was a travesty that Aurora ended up getting Emma's children so that she could ruin them, too.

 

Well, if you've ever watched the sequel, you'd know you were pretty much right on that. (Although Emma's kids all get inexplicable happy endings while Aurora

dies happily in her sleep as an old woman of natural causes.

)

[Blergh]

Well, if you've ever watched the sequel, you'd know you were pretty much right on that. (Although Emma's kids all get inexplicable happy endings while Aurora

dies happily in her sleep as an old woman of natural causes.

)

 

 

 I didn't get why Aurora stayed in close touch Emma's 'friend' (who always struck me more as a female Eddie Haskell rather than a genuine friend to Emma) for many years after Emma's death even not being put out that she'd wanted to care for ONLY Melanie but not her brothers -yet had no problems having her hapless son-in-law Flap just drift away from her grandkids. I mean Emma's 'friend' was even LESS of a positive influence on the grandkids' lives than their negligent deadbeat. Yes, the late Miranda Richardson did as good a job as anyone could have re depicting the 'friend' but even she couldn't make her likable or sympathetic.  I'd have thought Aurora would have just developed an indifference to her instead of wanting to keep her around.

 

correction

Edited December 6, 2015 by Blergh

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I didn't get why Aurora stayed in close touch Emma's 'friend' (who always struck me more as a female Eddie Haskell rather than a genuine friend to Emma) for many years after Emma's death even not being put out that she'd wanted to care for ONLY Melanie but not her brothers -yet had no problems having her hapless son-in-law Flap just drift away from her grandkids. I mean Emma's 'friend' was even LESS of a positive influence on the grandkids' lives than their negligent deadbeat. Yes, the late Miranda Richardson did as good a job as anyone could have re depicting the 'friend' but even she couldn't make her likable or sympathetic.  I'd have thought Aurora would have just developed an indifference to her instead of wanting to keep her around.

 

correction

 

Although I agree that both Aurora and Emma were pretty terrible mothers, I feel compelled to correct your correction, Blergh. :-)

 

Miranda Richardson was not in Terms of Endearment. She is also still alive. Perhaps you're think of Natasha Richardson, (no relation) who passed away in 2009, and was also not in Terms of Endearment. The actress who played Emma's 'friend' Patsy is Lisa Hart Carroll, who only has a handful of other credits on IMDB.

 

Thus ends the nit picking. :-P

[methodwriter85]

Apparently there was an actress who is also named Miranda Richardson, who played as Patsy in the sequel, The Evening Star. (I get the confusion but this is the actual actress.)

[Constantinople]

Upon reflection, I would be perfectly satisfied if the original Star Wars from 1977 was the the only film in the series ever made.

[Amethyst]

I didn't get why Aurora stayed in close touch Emma's 'friend' (who always struck me more as a female Eddie Haskell rather than a genuine friend to Emma) for many years after Emma's death even not being put out that she'd wanted to care for ONLY Melanie but not her brothers -yet had no problems having her hapless son-in-law Flap just drift away from her grandkids.

 

This is interesting for me, because I saw The Evening Star way before I ever saw Terms of Endearment, and I actually enjoy ES more.  ToE isn't that enjoyable to me.  Just depressing.

 

It's heavily implied in tES that Patsy horns in on Aurora's life to be closer to Melanie.  Patsy would passive aggressively badmouth Aurora, and she moved into the neighborhood so she could invite herself over to see Melanie often.  If it were up to Aurora, she probably would have had Patsy and Flap sent off into a rocket in space, since they were both bad influences on her grandchildren.

 

Patsy's problem is that she wouldn't admit that she was a lousy mother who didn't want to raise her own kids.  I think she saw Melanie as her own pet project, and she'd eventually drop Melanie once she lost interest and leave Melanie adrift.  Aurora knew that Patsy didn't give a damn about her own kids and didn't want Melanie falling into that trap.

 

Patsy and Aurora get into a hilarious brawl on an airplane because Aurora finally tells her to back the hell off because Melanie is finally doing well on her own, while Patsy throws out that Tommy only went to jail to stay away from Aurora and they got to fighting.  

[Ambrosefolly]

I miss the gap in Zac Efron's teeth.

[Wiendish Fitch]

A shallow UO:

 

Looking back, I didn't think Barbara Hershey's collagen lips in Beaches were all that obscene or worthy of ridicule. Yes, it's very obvious she had something done, but compared to Goldie Hawn's lips in The First Wives Club (and real life) and poor Lisa Rinna, Hershey's lips are still fairly normal looking. 

Edited December 13, 2015 by Wiendish Fitch

[Blergh]

OK, here are a couple of seasonal OP's (and sorry they're not positive). I dislike both "A Christmas Story" and "Home Alone" having seen each of them once and believing that one time was quite enough for me and am sick of everyone trying to ram it down our collective throats that we HAVE to like these movies or think they're classics. Nope. Not me.

[jennifer6973]

I don't mind Home Alone, but I agree about A Christmas Story, saw it once, thought it was stupid.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I also find A Christmas Story horribly overrated. I will admit that the only scene that makes me laugh is the "Ooooooooohhhhh.... FUUUUUDDDDGE!" part ("Only I didn't say 'fudge!'"). Other than that, I really don't get the appeal. 

 

I also hold the UO of vastly preferring Home Alone 2: Lost in New York to Home Alone. It's funnier, more exciting, and I love that they dare to show a few scenes that don't idealize New York. And, man oh man, the music is among John Williams's best.

 

 

[Ohwell]

I loved A Christmas Story and while I don't sit through the whole movie anymore, I watch parts of it every year.  The movie I don't like is It's A Wonderful Life.

[SmithW6079]

I loved A Christmas Story and while I don't sit through the whole movie anymore, I watch parts of it every year. The movie I don't like is It's A Wonderful Life.

I HATE "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey never gets to live his life, to have his adventures. He's forever trapped in that town, responsible for everyone else's lives. Bah humbug. Edited December 14, 2015 by SmithW6079

[Shannon L.]

I've never seen It's a Wonderful Life and have no desire to, probably because of my mom's influence.  She hated it.  Thought it was really sappy.  I don't like A Christmas Story either, but parts of it are cute and, as an owner of a bloodhound, I always smile when I see the neighbor's dogs.

 

I did not want to see Home Alone and was pretty much trapped into seeing and have to admit that I enjoyed it more than I thought I would.  However, it didn't take long for me to get really sick and tired of the open-mouthed, double handed face slap that can still be seen in movies or on tv on occasion today. 

Edited December 15, 2015 by Shannon L.

[Wiendish Fitch]

I HATE "It's a Wonderful Life." George Bailey never gets to live his life, to have his adventures. He's forever trapped in that town, responsible for everyone else's lives. Bah humbug.

Preach. It. I'd rather live in Pottersville than dull-as-dust Bedford Falls.

[Ambrosefolly]

Preach. It. I'd rather live in Pottersville than dull-as-dust Bedford Falls.

People say that, but I think its a bullshit statement

[Julia]

I think it's at least a really audacious movie, as long as you don't think it's a heartwarming holiday movie (and I can't understand why anyone thinks that). It took some serious nads to make a movie which basically told returning soldiers that the best they could hope for was to be grateful for their small, unsatisfying lives while they fought an ultimately only partially successful battle to keep the rich from taking everything away from them with impunity because the law couldn't reach them. That's some seriously dark stuff, especially in the middle of the post-war triumphalism and with the red scare looming.

[Haleth]

I only see bits and pieces of A Christmas Story anymore (how can you avoid it?) but it does give me the warm fuzzies of nostalgia.  I used to listen to Jean Shepard tell these stories on the radio every night when I was a kid (late 60s? early 70s?) and no matter how many times I heard about the BB gun or the flat tire or the leg lamp they were still hilarious.  I don't think most people are aware there is a sequel to the movie that used his summer stories.  The movie was awful but the stories are still funny.  Old man Bumpus blowing up his porch with fireworks...

[Cobalt Stargazer]

I don't like A Christmas Story either, but parts of it are cute and, as an owner of a bloodhound, I always smile when I see the neighbor's dogs.

 

"Sons-a-bitchin'.......BUMPASSES!"

[SmithW6079]

I think it's at least a really audacious movie, as long as you don't think it's a heartwarming holiday movie (and I can't understand why anyone thinks that). It took some serious nads to make a movie which basically told returning soldiers that the best they could hope for was to be grateful for their small, unsatisfying lives while they fought an ultimately only partially successful battle to keep the rich from taking everything away from them with impunity because the law couldn't reach them. That's some seriously dark stuff, especially in the middle of the post-war triumphalism and with the red scare looming.

I don't believe "It's a Wonderful Life" was ever marketed as a Christmas movie. However, George Bailey wasn't a soldier. I believe he lost the hearing in one ear when the pharmacist slapped George's ear for pointing out his mistake in filling a prescription. 

 

I think Potterville would be a bad place to leave. It's not boring Bedford Falls that I object to. As I said, it's that George never lives the life he wants to; he's forced to live the life others have thrust upon him. 

[Julia]

I don't believe "It's a Wonderful Life" was ever marketed as a Christmas movie. However, George Bailey wasn't a soldier. I believe he lost the hearing in one ear when the pharmacist slapped George's ear for pointing out his mistake in filling a prescription.

I think Potterville would be a bad place to leave. It's not boring Bedford Falls that I object to. As I said, it's that George never lives the life he wants to; he's forced to live the life others have thrust upon him.

Yes, he was a civilian. It was one of the things about his life he was bitter about. But he was also living the life the soldiers were returning to. And I don't know if it was made as a christmas movie, but it's been fairly relentlessly associated with christmas since.

I totally agree about George's having his dreams taken away. It's one of the things I find brave about it, comng out at the same time as sunny-side-up movies like Best Years of our Lives, with a message of endless possibility. The message of Wonderful Life, JMO, is settle or your family gets it.

Edited December 16, 2015 by Julia

[proserpina65]

I only see bits and pieces of A Christmas Story anymore (how can you avoid it?) but it does give me the warm fuzzies of nostalgia.  I used to listen to Jean Shepard tell these stories on the radio every night when I was a kid (late 60s? early 70s?) and no matter how many times I heard about the BB gun or the flat tire or the leg lamp they were still hilarious.  I don't think most people are aware there is a sequel to the movie that used his summer stories.  The movie was awful but the stories are still funny.  Old man Bumpus blowing up his porch with fireworks...

I love A Christmas Story, but I don't need to see it more than once a year, and certainly not for 24 hours straight.  Can't stand Home Alone - yes, Catherine O'Hara's character, you ARE being a bad mother, but your husband is a sucky father too.

Edited December 16, 2015 by proserpina65

[proserpina65]

I totally agree about George's having his dreams taken away. It's one of the things I find brave about it, comng out at the same time as sunny-side-up movies like Best Years of our Lives, with a message of endless possibility. The message of Wonderful Life, JMO, is settle or your family gets it.

 

I've never really thought of The Best Years of Our Lives as having a message of endless possibility; I've always found it to be far more pessimistic and realistic about the kind of lives to which the veterans were returning, although the ending is more hopeful.  But yeah, Wonderful Life is just depressing to me, in that George never gets to have what he wants, but only what he has to settle for.