zn wrote:

But I also get the sense that unlike me, anyway, you are very rigorous in what you will endorse in terms of genres. For example I find value in kinds of films you apparently don’t. To me, the main thing is always narrative craft, and different genres approach that differently. (I’m not really cinematic per se, I mean I don’t forget that they’re movies and/or extended tv series in the HBO style, but really my thing is narrative.)

I am not trying to talk you into or out of anything, and I am certainly not framing this as “my way is better,” but I am very open in terms of genre, and will get into a wide variety of things, some of which you might not enjoy at all.

I can’t help being invested in narrative the way I am, or enjoying different kinds of narratives in terms of genre. I didn’t “choose” that. I don’t reason my way toward it. It’s just…my “thing.” But it might be, I think, different from your primary investments and interests when it comes to watching and judging stuff.

Don’t get me wrong–I don’t even watch tv. People around me will talk about their favorite series of the year, and I don’t even know what they’re talking about. The way I watch tv is to buy or rent the entire series and binge watch it.

Anyway. It’s interesting that we have what appears to be different interests and tolerances in film and tv narrative, but that we completely agree on The Wire.

Well said.

I contain multitudes…of moodiness and anger toward the powers-that-create-film and ‘art’ in a capitalist system. So, if I’m in a particularly angry mood, i find it very easy to deconstruct and despise (DnD) whatever film, article, book, etc, I’m engaged with.

Most people mellow when they get old, but i got more pissed off at the system. It affects my movie judgments.

But not always. Sometimes i can put all the capitalism-blaming aside and appreciate a scene from a Marvel movie or romantic comedy or whatever.

Some of us are ‘mercurial’ you know 🙂

…there’s some shit about The Wire I ‘dont’ like now that I’ve seen it again. I think it was weak on exploring the danger of wiretapping and camera surveillance, etc. I think if it were to be made to day, they would have added a ‘snowden type’ character to talk about the dangers. The Wire as it was written is almost completely pro-cop in its dialogue about surveillance.

Also, the Levy (lawyer) character is great, and there are plenty of Levys but he was the only defense lawyer they showed. And there are so many other kinds. The Wire continues the “public defenders are lame” theme that is a common trope in US media. But there are so many different kinds of public defenders and some are great. Its a big subject and the Wire kinda plays into stereotypes on it.

There are so many great characters who had small parts in The Wire. (much like Game of Thrones). One i didnt appreciate until i rewatched it was the guy who played the Owner or Manager of the Baltimore newspaper in the final season. He’s like this George Will, ivy-league type of white guy who uses phrases like “it should be more Dickens-ion”. He played the role perfectly.

Also there was the scrawny, wiry, annoying, white union-guy in season two. The son of the Union boss dude. Always getting in trouble, always wanting to be a big-shot. He did an amazing job being annoying. I could hardly watch him, he was so annoyingly-real.

I could go on.

Prop Joe. OMG. Has there been a more fun character in the history of human art ?

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Zooey wrote:

Hence all the “Bride of Frankenstein” movies.

It’s been a long time since I read that book, probably over 40 years, but I liked it a lot at the time, and was just amazed it was written by a woman.

I MEAN 19-YEAR OLD! 19-YEAR OLD! That’s what I MEANT, SWEARTOGOD!!!

I always heard the theme of the book was human’s shouldnt play god and too much faith in technology is bad, etc.

But i didnt get any of that from the actual writing. Seemed to me it was a story about parenthood. Frankenstein was a REALLY bad parent. Abandoned the creation, like, five minutes after he made it. And so, the child became bitter and monstrous.

The book was incredibly ‘repetitive’. Internal dialogue was: page 50. “i regret making the monster”. page 51. “I regret making the monster.” page 52. “I regret making the monster.” And on and on until the very end. I mean, no growth, no change…just that. Over and over. Until the end.

Read it again sometime. Tell me what ‘you’ think.

I cant speak about the second or third version though. Percy edited a version, and Mary edited one…or somethin.

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I finished Chris Abani’s short novella, Song For Night, which zn recommended.

Its kindof a reality-based West African war-genocidal-dystopian story, told by a child-soldier who turns out to be…a mystery.

Really good book. Not quite as good as zn’s first-ever book recomendation (Green Tea) but still a good book.

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“…since land mines are banned in civilized warfare, the West practically gives them away at cost and in this way they are cheaper than bullets and other arms.”
Song For Night, C.Abani

post apoc-alypse ennui

nittany ram wrote:

“Wool” by Hugh Howley.

The first in a series of three books known as the Silo Saga.

It’s not as good as “The Road” but it holds your interest.

I’ve had Wool on a shelf for about fifteen years. Never gotten around to reading it, but I am probly gonna get to it this year.

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