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• Ah yes, well that probably explains the vast majority of your posts! - Audiophilander 10:31:49 04/08/08 (2)
  In Reply to: RE: "What film knowledge do you profess?".....Let's try Theater Arts/Acting was my major in college.... posted by TWB on April 07, 2008 at 21:41:48

  Apparently you were a drama queen in college (no sexual orientation reference intended). ;O)

  FYI, I was a Fine Arts major and English minor with many elective hours compiled with my Universities Film science and arts program. That may not qualify me to be a philosopher or highly regarded film critic, but it does give me some credibility in the knowledge department as a film historian. Who knows, maybe your background qualifies you to dance in a Broadway musical, but so far the tap-dancing isn't impressing me. :O)

  > > > "LOTR may have won a few awards..." < < <

  Ummm, yeah, just a 'few' ...11 for the last film, including Best Director and Best Picture; winning a total of 17 of 30 nominations for all 3 films, but who's counting. ;0)

  > > > "I said I MIGHT vote for McCain....and then again I may not vote at all" < < <

  Voting is a privilege, but it is your choice. However, if you're going to rail endlessly against Obama, spewing lies and hateful rhetoric, then don't expect folks to take you seriously when you say you MIGHT vote or MIGHT NOT.

  > > > "IMO LOTR won a few awards due to the old Academy sympathy vote....." < < <

  Nope, your opinion would be in error. LoTR: Return of The King won many awards because it was a grand achievement. Whether you personally like the series or not is another story.

  > > > ".....which if you know history of the Academy has happened more than a few times" < < <

  I'll ignore your condescending inference about my knowledge of the Academy and agree that this has happened on rare occasion in the past, but never in the case of a series of films nominated in subsequent years.

  > > > "Those LOTR films as a series were over-produced, tediously long and self-indulgent" < < <

  I totally disagree! In fact, I'd have to say that the extended versions are much better than the standard theatrical releases because the epic tale is closer to the source material which Peter Jackson faithfully envisioned. If you think the LoTR trilogy is tediously long, then I'd hate to ask what you think of grand epics like Lawrence of Arabia or How The West Was Won. Let me guess: if you like long films at all you probably prefer soapy stereotypical epics like Gone With The Wind, right? Or do you prefer short-subjects? ;O)

  > > > "I'm glad to see Jackson giving The Hobbit to del Toro who IMO IS a brilliant director!" < < <

  We can agree on the fact that del Toro can be brilliant, but not all of his films are great (The Devil's Backbone was superb, but Pan's Labyrinth had some serious logic flaws). OTOH, it's quite possible that he may be ideally suited for interpreting Tolkien material, as long as he doesn't take it too dark.

  > > > "If you want to know what films I consider "classics" search the archives." < < <

  I just want YOU to back up your own claims in this thread; if I'd wanted to search the archives to glean debate points that challenge your taste in films I would've done that. Frankly, I don't hold much stock in your opinions as it is. My time is a valuable asset that I'd rather not waste hunting through slap-dash hyperbole when all that was requested was "some of your 'brilliant' observations, criticism and cultural philosophy as it pertains to film study!" How difficult is that for someone of your 'infinite' wisdom?

  If you're unwilling to accommodate this simple request for an impromptu discussion of your views and persist in a "go fetch-it" line of reasoning, then I may be persuaded to take your suggestion a bit more seriously (without cutting you any slack). Are you sure that you want me to place the full weight of my 70mm anamorphic widescreen film perspective on your 8mm 'brownie' home movie viewpoint? ;^>

  Ciao,
  AuPh
  
  

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  Edits: 04/08/08   04/08/08
  • Sigh.....you really are annoying.....well you certainly have enough time on your hands to post.... - TWB 22:23:20 04/08/08 (1)
    In Reply to: RE: Ah yes, well that probably explains the vast majority of your posts! posted by Audiophilander on April 08, 2008 at 10:31:49

    endless drivel here....let's see if I can respond to some of this....
    
    1. "Who knows, maybe your background qualifies you to dance in a Broadway musical, but so far the tap-dancing isn't impressing me"- uh...yeah at one time I could have.... but not any more....and believe me when I say that Auph....I've NEVER tried to impress YOU!!!!!
    
    2. I said the films won awards....I still maintain that it was a weak year and the awards reflected the body of the work and NOT that particular film....which IMO WAS ridiculously long....I won't even comment on the longer version.....I'm an avid filmgoer and it takes alot to put me to sleep....I nodded off TWICE when I saw the last film at the theater.....
    
    3. "condescending inference"...."Sorry you're SO sensitive!!!.....my remark was not the least bit condescending....
    
    4. On the subject of epics.....I actually LOVE all of the films that you mentioned (including GWTW)....they are all in my library and I watch them from time to time...Lean and Ford (who directed part of HTWWW) have both directed some of my absolute favorite films....Lawrence Of Arabia and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance being two of those.....
    
    5. Jackson IMO has a great visual sense but lacks the ability to tell a concise story....he needs to stay out of the editing room and leave it to the professionals he hires ( I read somewhere that he is VERY involved in the process)...LOA has some wonderful examples of inspired editing and cutting.....
    
    5. "dark" can be a very good thing....YOU did not think that the LOTR's films were somewhat "dark"? .....if NOT we must have seen different films.....a director like Burton has made a career out of honing his skill with "dark" films......with Sweeney Todd being his darkest yet....of course the subject matter helped make the case.....
    
    6. Finally...I think I've given you a few glimpses as to my "taste" in films.....if you want more you'll have to engage me on a specific subject......
    
    

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    • Okay, that's more like it, and I'll make an extra effort to give you the benefit of doubt. - Audiophilander 01:05:13 04/09/08 (0)
      In Reply to: RE: Sigh.....you really are annoying.....well you certainly have enough time on your hands to post.... posted by TWB on April 08, 2008 at 22:23:20

      > > > "well you certainly have enough time on your hands to post....endless drivel here...." < < <

      Not really, I type fast and respond mostly at night when I'm not painting (insomniac that I am). As far as 'drivel' ...well, that's a matter of opinion. 1) Your's, which reminds me of a grenade pin thrown into discussions before the grenadier realizes what he's actually done, and 2) mine, which endeavors to enlighten through a measured responses, balancing information, humor and occasional sarcasm.

      > > > "(quote) - 1.'Who knows, maybe your background qualifies you to dance in a Broadway musical, but so far the tap-dancing isn't impressing me' (unquote) - uh...yeah at one time I could have.... but not any more....and believe me when I say that Auph....I've NEVER tried to impress YOU!!!!!" < < <

      That was sarcasm, not intended to be taken too seriously, but the point was that whether you're a stage actor or pole dancer it doesn't provide you with professional credentials to disrespect someone's empirical film criticisms as if you are more knowledgeable in that medium.

      BTW, I'm glad you NEVER try to impress me; that would be of greater than your misguided opinions. 8^D

      > > > "2. I said the films won awards....I still maintain that it was a weak year and the awards reflected the body of the work and NOT that particular film....which IMO WAS ridiculously long....I won't even comment on the longer version.....I'm an avid filmgoer and it takes alot to put me to sleep....I nodded off TWICE when I saw the last film at the theater....." < < <

      We'll have to agree to disagree on your assertion that Return of the King won 11 Academy Awards just because it was a 'weak' year, that the film was too long and that a true film lover would go to sleep on it unless they were suffering from some form of sleep deprivation, but I would recommend taking legal stimulants or drinking a pot of coffee before watching these epic fantasy films if it's that difficult for you to stay awake.

      > > > '3. "condescending inference"...."Sorry you're SO sensitive!!!.....my remark was not the least bit condescending....' < < <

      Well, it may have been an overreaction on my part given the tenet of some of your prior comments on the Outside board and the meat-puppet post you inserted in this thread in response to mr. grits. I'm not sensitive at all (if you don't know that by now, then there's little hope for you), but when my BS meter goes off in reaction to misguided criticism it's usually dead-on.

      > > > "4. On the subject of epics.....I actually LOVE all of the films that you mentioned (including GWTW)....they are all in my library and I watch them from time to time...Lean and Ford (who directed part of HTWWW) have both directed some of my absolute favorite films....Lawrence Of Arabia and The Man Who Shot Liberty Valance being two of those....." < < <

      I've seen all of those (including GWTW, which now comes across as horribly dated soap-opera fluff containing an embarrassment of racially whitewashed themes and very uneven performances). My film collection consists of around 2000 plus films, with many epics including the extended versions of the LoTR trilogy. Personally, I prefer Ford's late silent work even though HTWWW is a superb Cinerama epic as is Kubrick's 2001 (I was fortunate to see both of them in Cinerama back in the 60's), but David Lean was one of the best epic filmmakers, IMHO.

      > > > "5. Jackson IMO has a great visual sense but lacks the ability to tell a concise story....he needs to stay out of the editing room and leave it to the professionals he hires ( I read somewhere that he is VERY involved in the process)...LOA has some wonderful examples of inspired editing and cutting....." < < <

      Again, we'll just have to agree to disagree, because the Tolkien trilogy was virtually perfect as filmed and edited, IMIO.

      > > > (6.) "dark" can be a very good thing....YOU did not think that the LOTR's films were somewhat "dark"? .....if NOT we must have seen different films.....a director like Burton has made a career out of honing his skill with "dark" films......with Sweeney Todd being his darkest yet....of course the subject matter helped make the case.....' < < <

      Dark fantasy should be filmed as dark fantasy, but while LoTR is shadowy and intense it rarely falls into the dark category by my definition of it. The Hobbit should be even less dark than Tolkien's LoTR trilogy.

      Regards,
      AuPh
      
      

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      Edits: 04/09/08

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