Unpopular Geek Media Opinions

[Mannahnin]

I was in Dallas. For most younger people at the time, owning a cell phone was cost prohibitive. This was back when you had to pay for a specific amount of minutes each month. The idea that it was unrealistic for not one of three graduate students to have a cellphone in 1999 is laughable. It's laughable not just because cell phones weren't that common in 1999, but that graduate students could afford one back then.

I think we still had pagers going in ‘99 lol

I carried a pager for being on call overnights for my job (at a cash-strapped nonprofit) until like 2004.

I just got back from getting dinner at a shopping mall where, back in the '90s, people would take one look at my RBF and move out of my way. This time I got walked into, 3 times, by people with their faces buried in their cell phones. If there had been smart phones in '99 "The Blair Witch Project" would have been a short webisode.

Assuming they had reception. As someone mentioned, with it being out in the sticks, they might not have.

They're such radically different mediums they really have to be different. I'll be honest with you, I'd rather watch Interview with the Vampire than slog my way through that book.

The book isn't great, but yeah. Some stories definitely work better adapted to different mediums. The Interview TV show is pretty great, and IMO better than the book. GoT the show is overall better than the books. IMO. (Speaking of hot takes.)

'Tis The Season: No matter how many memes proclaim it, Die Hard is not, in fact, a Christmas movie. To be a Christmas movie, the central narrative of the film must hinge on Christmas or Christmasness. Die Hard does not. It could have taken place at any time of year and turned out exactly the same way.

The central theme of Christmas is family / found family / loved ones, and so, the core plot of Die Hard, and even some of the side narratives, all are quite reflective of the season, and why I argue the temporal placement is neither incidental nor fungible.

Agreed. Christmas provides the reason John is in Los Angeles (to visit his divided family for the holiday), and it provides the opportunity for the crime- While the building is mostly empty for the holiday and thus more easily seized and controlled, and while the employees who are on-premises are centralized at a holiday party where they too can be more easily seized and held hostage.

 

[Reynard]

Agreed. Christmas provides the reason John is in Los Angeles (to visit his divided family for the holiday), and it provides the opportunity for the crime- While the building is mostly empty for the holiday and thus more easily seized and controlled, and while the employees who are on-premises are centralized at a holiday party where they too can be more easily seized and held hostage.

If it had instead been a big charity event, it would have made no difference at all to the actual story. Therefore: not a Christmas movie.

 

[payn]

If it had instead been a big charity event, it would have made no difference at all to the actual story. Therefore: not a Christmas movie.

 

[Bedrockgames]

I don't think the argument about whether Christmas makes a difference to the plot is particularly relevant. I think what matters is how Christmas contributes to the atmosphere and feel of a movie. Also is there a Christmas tree in any scene or is Silent Night sung at any point during the film (I think the moment you insert a Christmas Tree into a film, it is just automatically a Christmas movie: it just overtakes everything).

Anyways my favorite Christmas movies:

Black Christmas
Lethal Weapon
Gremlins
Elf
Goodfellas

 

[payn]

I don't think the argument about whether Christmas makes a difference to the plot is particularly relevant. I think what matters is how Christmas contributes to the atmosphere and feel of a movie. Also is there a Christmas tree in any scene or is Silent Night sung at any point during the film (I think the moment you insert a Christmas Tree into a film, it is just automatically a Christmas movie: it just overtakes everything).

Anyways my favorite Christmas movies:

Black Christmas
Lethal Weapon
Gremlins
Elf
Goodfellas

Who cares about Silent night?

 

[Bedrockgames]

Who cares about Silent night?

Lol. Honestly any Christmas song will do (Silent Night just feels like the go to "this is Christmas" song)

 

[Rabulias]

If it had instead been a big charity event, it would have made no difference at all to the actual story. Therefore: not a Christmas movie.

The rest of the building would not be empty if it was just a charity event. John would not have been out to visit his family for a charity event. The Christmas holiday is integral to the plot, though I grant you it is less central to the theme of the film.

 

[payn]

Lol. Honestly any Christmas song will do (Silent Night just feels like the go to "this is Christmas" song)

Christmas in Hollis is featured in Die Hard.

 

[Bedrockgames]

Christmas in Hollis is featured in Die Hard.

That is a good point. Goodfellas features Christmas (Baby Please Come Home):

 

[trappedslider]

If it had instead been a big charity event, it would have made no difference at all to the actual story. Therefore: not a Christmas movie.

Why would John have gone out to LA for a charity event?