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If you are a religious person, you probably won't like this film. I'm atheist and I'm pretty sure Aron is too and I think it definitely takes some broad shots at God/religion.
 
So it's like a David Lynch film?
I haven't seen all of his films but I don't think so. It's really like nothing I've ever seen before. Honestly, if they had marketed it properly, it wouldn't have left so many people confused about what they were seeing. There is one scene where it finally tied it together for me and I was finally like "ah, it's supposed to be ....". You'll talk about the film after you leave, which is maybe what he wants you to do. But it's not an enjoyable film.
 
Best movies I've seen this year:

Wind River
Detroit
It Comes at Night
Alien
Life

I really want to see Dunkirk and Downsizing.
 
I'd be interested in @rome8180 opinion on Wind River and Detroit. Both are very good IMO but I really don't get the love for Wind River. For a work of fiction (based on truth) it's completely unoriginal and totally predictable. It's cinematography is great also.

I think Wind Rivers story line has been played out completely. It's just like every other drama missing person mystery.

I mean Gladiators story line had been played out but it was a stand alone masterpiece due to its film editing and it completely blew down the cinematic doors. But it's the same plot as The Patriot and every other revenge epic.
 
So it's like a David Lynch film?
I haven't seen all of his films but I don't think so. It's really like nothing I've ever seen before. Honestly, if they had marketed it properly, it wouldn't have left so many people confused about what they were seeing. There is one scene where it finally tied it together for me and I was finally like "ah, it's supposed to be ....". You'll talk about the film after you leave, which is maybe what he wants you to do. But it's not an enjoyable film.
I thought it was strange that it was getting such mainstream marketing to begin with. I mean, here in Chicago there are literally ads for it in every train station. That's usually reserved for accessible blockbusters. I know that Aronofsky is coming off Black Sawn, but it still seems misplaced to think it would find a mainstream audience.
 
And CMon, you're the person who doesn't like either Mad Men or The Wire (probably the two greatest TV dramas ever made). So of course I'm going to take shots at your tastes.
 
I thought Black Swan was an ok film but I was still on the fence with Aranofsky as a director. Then Noah hit the theaters. Thank god I didn't spend $25 to see that piece of shit. Obviously I'll wait to see Mother when it hits Redbox.....maybe
 
So it's like a David Lynch film?
I haven't seen all of his films but I don't think so. It's really like nothing I've ever seen before. Honestly, if they had marketed it properly, it wouldn't have left so many people confused about what they were seeing. There is one scene where it finally tied it together for me and I was finally like "ah, it's supposed to be ....". You'll talk about the film after you leave, which is maybe what he wants you to do. But it's not an enjoyable film.
I thought it was strange that it was getting such mainstream marketing to begin with. I mean, here in Chicago there are literally ads for it in every train station. That's usually reserved for accessible blockbusters. I know that Aronofsky is coming off Black Sawn, but it still seems misplaced to think it would find a mainstream audience.
It's honestly the worst marketed movie I've ever seen. Had I known what I was getting into I may have appreciated it more but it was mind blowing how different it was. But honestly, I think it's one of the worst movies he's made.
 
I thought Black Swan was an ok film but I was still on the fence with Aranofsky as a director. Then Noah hit the theaters. Thank god I didn't spend $25 to see that piece of shit. Obviously I'll wait to see Mother when it hits Redbox.....maybe
I think his best movie is Requiem for a Dream, though I will probably never watch it again. Brilliant but so upsetting.
 
And CMon, you're the person who doesn't like either Mad Men or The Wire (probably the two greatest TV dramas ever made). So of course I'm going to take shots at your tastes.
Huh? I do like The Wire, I just don't think it's the GOAT. Mad Men I only watched a few episodes and gave up on it because I despised every character, not because it was a bad show. The Wire is top 10, likely top 5 for me. Just not #1.
 
I thought Black Swan was an ok film but I was still on the fence with Aranofsky as a director. Then Noah hit the theaters. Thank god I didn't spend $25 to see that piece of shit. Obviously I'll wait to see Mother when it hits Redbox.....maybe
I think his best movie is Requiem for a Dream, though I will probably never watch it again. Brilliant but so upsetting.
I agree on Requiem. You can tell it's obviously a great movie but I never ever want to see it again
 
@rome8180 I would like to defend "not liking" certain shows/movies despite their obvious merit as art.

Specifically regarding Mad Men, I quit watching it because sometimes watching a show like that stops being entertainment and starts being work-like. Sometimes, when you want to just chill on the couch, you don't want to be challenged by literary references nor do you want to "root" for characters who are so clearly flawed.

And sometimes, a show as great as Breaking Bad becomes unwatchable because the subject matter is something with which you are painfully familiar. Even with The Wire, which I really enjoyed, it's difficult to watch characters that you root for get capped. I understand that the fact that I rooted for these characters or felt shock or pain at their demise is part of the value of the show, but sometimes you just want to relax and watch Family Feud. I know @DukeNukem05 agrees with me on Feud.
 
Wind River was the best movie I've seen this year. Dunkirk #2. Baby Driver #3. Detroit #4.

I absolutely loved Sicario and Hell or Highwater so maybe it is just something with Sheridan's writing but I had a pretty strong feeling going into Wind River I was going to like it a lot.

Dunkirk was good and great to see in theaters but I think it has minimal rewatch value. Detroit to me also has 0 rewatch value. I would watch Baby Driver again.

My favorite films of 2016 were: Silence-Arrival-La La Land-Manchester By the Sea.

I thought Hacksaw Ridge was ok, and I have yet to see Fences or Moonlight. I didn't catch Moonlight in time and I was spending too much money at the theaters around winter break and chose Silence and La La Land over Fences. I also read the play in school so that added to why I didn't see it in theaters.
 
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@rome8180 I would like to defend "not liking" certain shows/movies despite their obvious merit as art.

Specifically regarding Mad Men, I quit watching it because sometimes watching a show like that stops being entertainment and starts being work-like. Sometimes, when you want to just chill on the couch, you don't want to be challenged by literary references nor do you want to "root" for characters who are so clearly flawed.

And sometimes, a show as great as Breaking Bad becomes unwatchable because the subject matter is something with which you are painfully familiar. Even with The Wire, which I really enjoyed, it's difficult to watch characters that you root for get capped. I understand that the fact that I rooted for these characters or felt shock or pain at their demise is part of the value of the show, but sometimes you just want to relax and watch Family Feud. I know @DukeNukem05 agrees with me on Feud.


I watch some things that are schlocky or stupid. And I'm not saying you should always be in the mood for something challenging. However, I find this quote to be appropriate here:

"In the end I am uplifted, profoundly so, by the bleakest, despairing work. It’s a great unburdening to read work of this sort. I do not want to be asked to pretend that everything is all right, that people are fundamentally happy, that life is perfectly fine, and that it is remotely ok that we are going to die, and soon, only to disappear into oblivion. I feel a kind of ridiculous joy when writing reveals the world, the way it feels to be in the world. That’s what hope is, a refusal to look away."—Ben Marcus

Even if you don't agree with that quote, I think you should be able to recognize the merit of something despite not liking it. People vomit their opinions as if they are important. It wasn't just that CMon said he didn't like The Wire -- regardless of what he claims now -- but that he kept asking when it "got good." I don't like Led Zeppelin, but I recognize the artistic brilliance of it. Also, my original point was that I don't hold much stock in the opinion of someone who doesn't like those shows -- not whether it was "right" or not to not like them.
 
I've outed myself on here before as one who didn't get the hoopla with Mad Men. My wife liked it, and I knew I was supposed to like it. But man, it was just boring as hell to me. I didn't care about anyone or the subject matter(s). This will likely be the end of me and Rome, but hey, my wife and I survived her quitting The Wire.
 
@rome8180 I would like to defend "not liking" certain shows/movies despite their obvious merit as art.

Specifically regarding Mad Men, I quit watching it because sometimes watching a show like that stops being entertainment and starts being work-like. Sometimes, when you want to just chill on the couch, you don't want to be challenged by literary references nor do you want to "root" for characters who are so clearly flawed.

And sometimes, a show as great as Breaking Bad becomes unwatchable because the subject matter is something with which you are painfully familiar. Even with The Wire, which I really enjoyed, it's difficult to watch characters that you root for get capped. I understand that the fact that I rooted for these characters or felt shock or pain at their demise is part of the value of the show, but sometimes you just want to relax and watch Family Feud. I know @DukeNukem05 agrees with me on Feud.


I watch some things that are schlocky or stupid. And I'm not saying you should always be in the mood for something challenging. However, I find this quote to be appropriate here:

"In the end I am uplifted, profoundly so, by the bleakest, despairing work. It’s a great unburdening to read work of this sort. I do not want to be asked to pretend that everything is all right, that people are fundamentally happy, that life is perfectly fine, and that it is remotely ok that we are going to die, and soon, only to disappear into oblivion. I feel a kind of ridiculous joy when writing reveals the world, the way it feels to be in the world. That’s what hope is, a refusal to look away."—Ben Marcus

Even if you don't agree with that quote, I think you should be able to recognize the merit of something despite not liking it. People vomit their opinions as if they are important. It wasn't just that CMon said he didn't like The Wire -- regardless of what he claims now -- but that he kept asking when it "got good." I don't like Led Zeppelin, but I recognize the artistic brilliance of it. Also, my original point was that I don't hold much stock in the opinion of someone who doesn't like those shows -- not whether it was "right" or not to not like them.

I think your Ben Marcus quote reflects why I read, more so than why I watch TV. I also completely agree that a person can recognize the artistic merit of something without liking it. With TV and movies, I think it boils down to whether or not I'm being entertained. For instance, I have a hard time watching shows that feature hard core drug abuse, like BB or The Wire, because of how hard core drug abuse affected my older brother and ultimately led to his death. Sometimes, I just can't deal with it.
 
@rome8180 I would like to defend "not liking" certain shows/movies despite their obvious merit as art.

Specifically regarding Mad Men, I quit watching it because sometimes watching a show like that stops being entertainment and starts being work-like. Sometimes, when you want to just chill on the couch, you don't want to be challenged by literary references nor do you want to "root" for characters who are so clearly flawed.

And sometimes, a show as great as Breaking Bad becomes unwatchable because the subject matter is something with which you are painfully familiar. Even with The Wire, which I really enjoyed, it's difficult to watch characters that you root for get capped. I understand that the fact that I rooted for these characters or felt shock or pain at their demise is part of the value of the show, but sometimes you just want to relax and watch Family Feud. I know @DukeNukem05 agrees with me on Feud.


I watch some things that are schlocky or stupid. And I'm not saying you should always be in the mood for something challenging. However, I find this quote to be appropriate here:

"In the end I am uplifted, profoundly so, by the bleakest, despairing work. It’s a great unburdening to read work of this sort. I do not want to be asked to pretend that everything is all right, that people are fundamentally happy, that life is perfectly fine, and that it is remotely ok that we are going to die, and soon, only to disappear into oblivion. I feel a kind of ridiculous joy when writing reveals the world, the way it feels to be in the world. That’s what hope is, a refusal to look away."—Ben Marcus

Even if you don't agree with that quote, I think you should be able to recognize the merit of something despite not liking it. People vomit their opinions as if they are important. It wasn't just that CMon said he didn't like The Wire -- regardless of what he claims now -- but that he kept asking when it "got good." I don't like Led Zeppelin, but I recognize the artistic brilliance of it. Also, my original point was that I don't hold much stock in the opinion of someone who doesn't like those shows -- not whether it was "right" or not to not like them.


When I asked "when does it get good" I was referring to when does this become the GOAT? S1 wasn't very interesting for me but the following seasons picked up. As for Mad Men, I just couldn't get into it.

My best shows of all time:

1-True Detective s1
2-Sopranos
3-Game Of Thrones
4-Breaking Bad
5-The Wire
6-Curb
7-Seinfeld
8-Deadwood
9-Six Feet Under
10-Fargo

Wow I forgot BB. Edited to add to the list
 
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1) The Wire
2) Mad Men
3) Battlestar Galactica (has flaws but gets this spot for being the best sci-fi show ever)
4) West Wing
5) Arrested Development

After that you get into a second tier. I don't really watch GoT so I can't speak to its quality, but I didn't like how it felt like they just took the books and added more rape. Breaking Bad I don't think had enough scope beyond its characters. Felt too much like another anti-hero show to me, though it did push that further than other shows have done. There were also too many episodes with ridiculous plot contrivances. If Fargo was just the first season it would make the cut. Six Feet Under gets an honorable mention, but everything after the second season is spotty at best (and steadily gets worse). There's a French show called Spiral that is almost as good as The Wire, imo. That probably would make my list at #3, but I wanted to restrict it to things people have actually heard of.
 

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