Did you all remember the good times? Before film school, before we where even sure we wanted to explore cinema? When movies like "Transformer" and "random other blockbuster" were our personal favorite "masterpiece"?

But now things have changed for us. The film we watch are deeper, film school tells us to like this type of movie instead of this type, we're told what is and what is not a master piece, and old cinematic preference are teared apart.

You gotta go with it, or get "the look". You know, the "look". The one you get when you say out loud that you found this European "masterpiece" absolutely dull, and that you would rather have watched "The untouchable".

That's pretty much by this time that everyone in the class assume your retarded. But when you do ask why they liked to European masterpiece so mush, you first hear silence, and then a long, vague and unclear ramble about a movie they want you to think they've understand.
Seriously, they're literally just pulling it out of their ass as they're speaking. You look pretty retarder to me, but good job kidding yourself you're not.

Have you ever witnessed or felt this? People that don't want to look stupid so they pretend to understand the movie? It sucks. Why can't they be honest? Every teacher I had had an opinion on what was and was not a masterpiece. Very quickly this opinion would be known by every of his student, and you would see a quick shift in what students pretended to like and dislike. Those who resisted were labeled as dumb.

Discuss.

(In regard of the grammar mistakes: I'll check that tomorrow, It's hard for me to see them first hand because english = second language)

All I can do is clap in admiration at such a brutally honest telling of the truth!

I cant really think of any films that people pretend to like in order to be accepted.

Most of the people I know are pretty honest about what they like, and some of them really do honestly like the "deep" movies. A lot of people come right out and say they loved Transformers too though. We usually have really good arguments in front of the theater before leaving.

As long as you can explain why you think a movie is good that is not generally accepted as good among peers and professors, ("even i the explanation is nothing more than - "I had fun watching it") you shouldn't worry about this. I think you also shouldn't be so quick to assume that your peers are pretending to like all these "european masterpieces" as you call them. There are several movies I have in my collection that I love but can not explain why very eloquently.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: politicsofecstacy,

Yeah I think everyone is fairly honest and blunt about what they like and dislike.

However I would say that some films take a little bit more effort to enjoy and appreciate. 8 1/2 is the first example that comes to mind.

You might consider that just because you don't understand what someone is saying doesn't mean that the person saying it also doesn't understand.

quote:

Originally posted by braininabox:
I cant really think of any films that people pretend to like in order to be accepted.

I can't really think of any specific films either. But I can think of a few people who pretend to like experimental stuff just to seem deep.

I like foreign stuff, weird stuff, and transformers stuff. But some of this crap that people rave about is complete nonsense. Most of it is very 'experimental'. Think of the family guy version of an indie film (the clown flipping the pancake). I like experimental stuff. I've madeexperimental stuff. But that kind of meaningless nonsense ruins the genre. When people compliment it I can just see the beatniks snapping their fingers to a terrible poem.

When I scoff at these films, those who pretend to like them tell me I don't "get it". No, I get it. It's pretentious, useless bull****. I feel like submitting a film, comprised of random images and sounds, anonymously to a festival I can watch the review of, and seeing how the pull meaning out of the waffle.

quote:

I feel like submitting a film, comprised of random images and sounds, anonymously to a festival I can watch the review of, and seeing how the pull meaning out of the waffle.

Actually, I did exactly that once. We made a film that made no sense, had no story, and was intentionally all over the place. Now, when some people watched it, they were honest and one person directly said, "How dare you confuse me?!"

Then others went, "Ooo, I get it!" They pulled some weird life lesson and all the sudden it was deep and symbolic. The worst part is that even my co-director suddenly found it deep and meaningful.


But overall yes, most people are entertained by the same old stuff; they just see it less and therefore seem to like it less.

I am pretty open about what films I did not like that we watched in film class (She's Gotta Have It, The Sticky Fingers of Time, Meshes of the Afternoon). I'm sure plenty of people like them, but I simply don't.

And of course I have friends who declare that they only like films with deep meaning (and only make films with "a message"). Yet, they make films about hitmen and kidnapping, and come home amazed by Live Free and Die Hard. There's nothing wrong with liking those movies but be honest about it.

So of course people are still entertained by mindless Hollywood stuff. I still am. I don't think of those movies much afterwards but it's good entertainment. I do also love foreign films, some experimental stuff, and others things in that category. But, like many people, I watch a "deep" film and end up less than amused.

From another point of view, I know what it feels like to have people dismiss something that I sincerely love as non-nonsensical pointless garbage. Its a little frustrating having to try to prove that you actually do like something

This message has been edited. Last edited by: braininabox,

quote:

Then others went, "Ooo, I get it!" They pulled some weird life lesson and all the sudden it was deep and symbolic. The worst part is that even my co-director suddenly found it deep and meaningful.

What's wrong with finding meaning in someone else's nonsense as long as you're sincere about it and not claiming to just so you'll sound smart? I think that's a pretty amazing thing if someone can truly take a meaningful message out of something that was intended to mean something totally different or nothing at all. That's the beauty of art. If ten different people look at a Pollock painting with sincerity, you'll probably get 10 different interpretations/opinions none of which would necessarily be more valuable than the others in my opinion.

Nicely said, politicsofecstacy. Meaning shouldn't be spoon-fed all the time.

I used to be very prejudiced against arthouse films and abstract art. Then I went to college and became educated. Nothing spells ignorance like shutting yourself off from an entire genre of filmmaking, and worse, giving completely legitimate art a label like "pretentious." It's hard to understand that people finding their own personal meaning in what looks to you (or perhaps known to you) to be meaningless is an OK thing.

If I ever make a film with intentions that are not completely obvious and outlined with highlighter, which I hope I do, I will personally explain my meaning to anyone who questions it, and ask what they drew from it personally. That's what art is. Plain and simple.

It doesn't sound like you've actually been to film school. They don't tell you what not to like; rather, they emphasize theory and aspects of films you previously ignored or dismissed as trivial. They merely suggest considering the films in wildcard genres, and too many people take offense at that.

I, by the way, loved The Fountain, because I'm still trying to figure it all out to this day. I wouldn't mind watching it two, maybe three more times to get everything I can out of it. Isn't that the kind of film you wish you could make? Something with depth, emotion and a detailed story--even if nobody likes it--that satisfies your urge for storytelling rather than your popularity contest?

Also I'd like to add that I do hope you are watching films in which you cannot succinctly sum up why you liked it in a few words, a few minutes after watching it.

This message has been edited. Last edited by: funkbomb,