Movies that I just don't get

[pezagent]

Oh yeah,

Before I went off on my Tarantino-bashing, I forgot there's a lot of people in here that have "trouble" with Anime. Sometimes Anime is hard to get into, considering the Japanese style of "cartoon expression". The culture is different and the cartoons definately reflect a lot of it. I think a lot of Japanese Anime is heavy on the escapism so a lot isn't dumped in your lap--one just has to go with the flow and stop trying to put it within a Western-culture context.

However, I believe there are some Anime movies that anyone can enjoy--my favorite all-time Anime masterpiece is Ninja Scroll and if you haven't seen that movie then you're really missing out. On a more light-hearted note, one of the best movies ever made of recent was Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. If you haven't seen that yet, I definately recommend it as well.

/johnny

 

[Femerus the Gnecro]

I forgot there's a lot of people in here that have "trouble" with Anime. Sometimes Anime is hard to get into, considering the Japanese style of "cartoon expression". The culture is different and the cartoons definately reflect a lot of it. I think a lot of Japanese Anime is heavy on the escapism so a lot isn't dumped in your lap--one just has to go with the flow and stop trying to put it within a Western-culture context.

However, I believe there are some Anime movies that anyone can enjoy--my favorite all-time Anime masterpiece is Ninja Scroll and if you haven't seen that movie then you're really missing out. On a more light-hearted note, one of the best movies ever made of recent was Spirited Away by Hayao Miyazaki. If you haven't seen that yet, I definately recommend it as well.

Right. On.

That summed up my upcoming post nicely... now I don't have to write it

-F

 

[takyris]

I liked Spirited Away. I thought Ninja Scroll was stupid -- the usual power fantasy garbage wth a tacked-on anime-fantasy messed-up romance to boot. And I apologize for being so dull and foolish that I like Tarantino's dialogue, but really, people who tell me what to go watch in order to improve myself make my teeth hurt. Possibly, I've watched other movies. Possibly, after watching them, I still liked the other stuff.

I didn't say that I loved Tarantino. I said that I enjoyed some of his dialogue. If he stole it, he stole well. If you don't like it, that's your right -- and is, indeed, the point of this thread. But claiming that everything we like, you're above, and everything we dislike is above us is... well... not an enlightened way to go about your business. I might just as well say, "Many people who like anime don't understand what a sexist, creepy power fantasy it really is. It requires a deeper watch to truly understand the depth to which this genre generally caters to repressed young men with confidence issues."

I do say generally. As I said, I liked Spirited Away and thought that Mononoke had its moments. I'm willing to try stuff. I'm also willing to call a spade a spade.

 

[Dark Jezter]

"Many people who like anime don't understand what a sexist, creepy power fantasy it really is. It requires a deeper watch to truly understand the depth to which this genre generally caters to repressed young men with confidence issues."

 

[Mercule]

Let's see. I don't like "reality" TV. And I _do_ like game theory. Heck, my degree is in Political Science.

Anime. Dittos to what Joshua said.

Slapstick -- including most Jim Carey (I liked The Mask), Adam Sandler, Will Farrell (man, is that guy a hack), etc. I really don't laugh at these. You can throw Bean in here, too, but I like Monty Python.

The Weather Channel. I have known several people who let it play in the background all day long. How many times can someone possibly hear about the weather?

War movies. Oh, sure, Starship Troopers was fun, but I'm talking about Civil War/WWII/Vietnam. I just don't understand.

Hardcore porn. I like seeing pretty ladies in lingerie (or not ) as much as the next guy. I just don't see what the appeal of gaping at someone else having intercourse for two hours really is.

Edit: A specific flick that I just don't get is Armageddon. I've got friends that love this thing and consider it a "must own". It almost hurts me physically to watch it.

Oh, and anything with Kevin Costner in it. That man is worthless as an actor. People keep telling me that I have to see Field of Dreams. Considering that I like/understand baseball about as much as I do anime, I don't see that one in my future when you throw in Costner for giggles.

 

[pezagent]

I thought Ninja Scroll was stupid -- the usual power fantasy garbage wth a tacked-on anime-fantasy messed-up romance to boot.

I'm not sure what the "usual power fantasy garbage" means. :huh?:
That's a very subjective statement, you could be talking about anything. The "tacked-on anime-fantasy messed-up romance" thing is also rather vague... do messed-up romances only happen in Anime movies? Could you be more specific about how they are "tacked-on"? Seriously, I'm not catching your drift.

Ninja Scroll is a great movie, and I would recommend it to anyone. It certainly isn't "stupid."

And I apologize for being so dull and foolish that I like Tarantino's dialogue, but really, people who tell me what to go watch in order to improve myself make my teeth hurt.

Perhaps a trip to the dentist may be in order--or this could be a nervous condition you may want to look into. Is there any family medical history of spontaneous toothache suppression?

You don't have to apologize for being yourself, either.

I didn't say that I loved Tarantino. I said that I enjoyed some of his dialogue. If he stole it, he stole well. If you don't like it, that's your right -- and is, indeed, the point of this thread. But claiming that everything we like, you're above, and everything we dislike is above us is... well... not an enlightened way to go about your business.

Wait, you're telling me it's okay to voice my opinion. My opinion may be that your opinion sucks. Can you deal with that?

I might just as well say, "Many people who like anime don't understand what a sexist, creepy power fantasy it really is. It requires a deeper watch to truly understand the depth to which this genre generally caters to repressed young men with confidence issues."

You could say that. Oh wait, you did say that. Well, if that's what you believe, then okay. (It might not require a "deeper watch" but it may require a "better education".)

Japanese culture, in many ways, can be considered "sexist". That anime reflects this culture is part of it's personality. It's no more sexist than Baywatch or Beverly Hills 90210 or Maxum magazine. There is Anime for boys, there is Anime for girls. I know some girls who have just as many "anime fantasies" as boys might. It's not a big deal.

How this relates to Tarantino's dialog escapes me. It still sucks.

 

[pezagent]

Let's see. I don't like "reality" TV. And I _do_ like game theory. Heck, my degree is in Political Science.

The fact that you have a Poly-Sci degree and don't like reality makes perfect sense... oh wait, you don't like reality television... sorry, my bad...

/johnny

 

[Storm Raven]

Let's see. I don't like "reality" TV. And I _do_ like game theory. Heck, my degree is in Political Science.

Survivor is just about the only reality TV show where it comes into play because of the voting structure of the game. Most of the rest don't have this element, many of them don't even have voting elements to the game (and hence, hold little interest for me).

The unique aspect of Survivor is that the decisions are made by secret ballot by the players themselves based upon incomplete information (no audience voting, no extra information, and so on). Hence, it is an excellent means of observing a variation of the Prisoner's Dilemma played out by a variety of personality types.

 

[theburningman]

Characters in Tarantino's films aren't characters--they're puppets. No soul, no depth, no drama, just surface-level BS. John Hughes was writing this stuff long before Tarantino came along. Only he kept Sixteen Candles rated PG. Replace Ringwald with Thurman and you've got Sixteen Candles 2: Pulp Fiction.

I like John Hughes movies as much as anyone, but . . . huh?

 

[takyris]

I'm not sure what the "usual power fantasy garbage" means. :huh?:
That's a very subjective statement, you could be talking about anything. The "tacked-on anime-fantasy messed-up romance" thing is also rather vague... do messed-up romances only happen in Anime movies? Could you be more specific about how they are "tacked-on"? Seriously, I'm not catching your drift.

Ninja Scroll is a great movie, and I would recommend it to anyone. It certainly isn't "stupid."

Well, my big point in relation to your post was that this is primarily a thread for posting your opinions. Your opinions were posted using language indicative of statements of fact, not opinion, with veiled commentary implying that anyone who feels differently is less informed.

As for the usual power fantasy garbage, I'm going to stand by it (although tacked-on is probably overdoing it -- I stand by their romances generally being messed up situations that are wish fulfillment for geeks, but the power fantasy "All the hot girls like this guy, but he never realizes it" element is integral to the story, so it isn't tacked on, so consider that rescinded). Granted, the entire genre is not that bad, but in my opinion, large elements of it are -- and most of the anime-lovers I know do not differentiate between the "geek harem" stuff and the good stuff.

Sure, the same can be said for almost any other genre, but in most other genres, the fans differentiate between the good stuff and the bad stuff. I mean, fantasy-movie geeks will, on average, consider LotR good, D&D movie bad, and Krull campy, regardless of whether or not they personally like either of the above (I love Krull, acknowledging the goofball factor, and love to razz the D&D movie).

Perhaps we're thinking about different ninja scrolls. Poisoned chick, sword on a little wire, and something involving exploding corpses? I recall it being pretty, but ultimately mired in the usual brooding hero anime cliches and not interesting enough fight-wise to pull me in -- a movie that is pretty but stupid . That is, of course, only my opinion. And you are welcome to yours. But telling me that my opinion is the result of a lack of education or deep thought on my part is somewhat disingenuous.