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Why do you watch films? Entertainment, sure. But, on a site that's part of a

136.37.101.134
Posted on December 24, 2020 at 07:55:00
tinear
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 larger forum dedicated to hi-fi aesthetes, why not also watch films that have more meaning, depth, and that aspire to that highest of human achievement, art?

I love to listen to rock. I also greatly enjoy classical: is that genre "snobbish?"

 

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My dearest Tinman, people are snobs not the medium . . . , posted on December 24, 2020 at 13:45:54
Billy Wonka
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 I find very little art in film, it's rare. I like to be entertained without pretension or overindulgence. I have broad tastes and prefer to keep it that way.

Life should be a bundle of laughs otherwise misery will be your constant companion.

 

Hear here!..., posted on December 24, 2020 at 14:32:03
musetap
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 I ran across a snobbish genre once, took me a long time to clean it off the bottom of my shoe.

Thank you for including pretension in your response - it was the first word popped into my
brain reading the OP.

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

tin - you should know that a liking for the high arts. . . , posted on December 24, 2020 at 14:50:37
Chris from Lafayette
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 . . . such as classical music and artsy movies, will merely continue the abuses of The Patriarchy and its associated toxic masculinity! You'd better get your ears screwed on straight and get classical replaced with hip-hop! Otherwise, you WILL be cancelled! ;-)

 

I think there's more., posted on December 24, 2020 at 15:51:50
free.ranger
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 People might want something from film that is not just a story, but what the story represents.

Example: the Star Trek series stays popular by showing that we have continuance and achievement, even though we maintain our foibles. We overcome and go on to great things, carrying our baggage along. We feel good about that, even though traffic still waits outside the theater.

As opposed to the Star Wars series, which people are finding a drag. Showing that all the tech and achievement advances us to nothing but constant oppression, war and death. And showing that no one in that galaxy can shoot. Pathetic.

 

Funny thing is..., posted on December 24, 2020 at 16:02:26
musetap
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 I get 90% of my classical music fix in watching films and hearing their scores .

Many of them classic films!

PS - there's a great divide between hip hop and classical where most of the rainbow resides.

"Once this was all Black Plasma and Imagination"-Michael McClure



 

I hear you about the movie scores! [nt] ;-), posted on December 24, 2020 at 18:46:01
Chris from Lafayette
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RE: Why do you watch films? Entertainment, sure. But, on a site that's part of a , posted on December 25, 2020 at 10:25:47
Rod H.
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 As much as I love music, film is probably my favorite art form. I see much art in films that I like. If there is no art in a film I am unlikely to really enjoy it.

 

Put down your teacup, Chris. , posted on December 25, 2020 at 12:59:37
tinear
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 I also appreciate some country and hip-hop. And some contemporary music that is difficult to describe--- it's a mashup: i.e, MorMor,"Heaven's Only Wishful."

 

If you don't find art very often in film, it's you, not the medium. , posted on December 25, 2020 at 13:05:47
tinear
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 Shakespeare, Dostoyevsky, Hawthorne, Mozart, Raphael, Bergman, Tarr, Wong (Kar-wai). These great artists' works can be enjoyed by modestly educated people, though the more one knows of literature, film, and music, the greater the enjoyment.

The US is just one country, English but one language. The world has provided us with dozens of great directors and film artists who have created immortal works. But, one has to leave pretension at the door.

Champagne or beer? No. Both. Just because one cannot appreciate bubbly doesn't mean one who does is a snob or elitist.

 

I'm more into the sub-genre of "Conscious" Hip-Hop myself! ;-), posted on December 25, 2020 at 18:56:44
Chris from Lafayette
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RE: I'm more into the sub-genre of "Conscious" Hip-Hop myself! ;-), posted on December 25, 2020 at 19:16:09
rivervalley817
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 sub sub genre is even more tasty CFL

Conscious is so yesterday's diet, try CouCous hiphop

Merry Christmas!

best regards,

 

"try CouCous hiphop" - CouCous? - And besides, I'm not getting any sound!, posted on December 26, 2020 at 01:04:03
Chris from Lafayette
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 It's probably one of those HIP (without the hop) performances! ;-)

And a belated Merry Christmas to you!

 

Hahaha! I forgot about your aversion. "Excuse me, do you have any "Hop/Hop?" nt, posted on December 26, 2020 at 07:36:49
tinear
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 d

 

Thanks for making my case . . . , posted on December 26, 2020 at 13:32:35
Billy Wonka
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 I knew you would.

 

RE: Why do you watch films? Entertainment, sure. But, on a site that's part of a , posted on December 26, 2020 at 19:03:58
RGA
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 There are a number of factors with art and what people like. One of my university Literature instructors liked Harlequin romance novel. She noted that you never reread these things - they're bubblegum.

That's why I always liked the term Bubblegum pop for music that is pure surface level doesn't make you think music.

Everything is somewhat layered. Some of it is only the surface layer. Right down to a person's career choice. Do you work to live or live to work?

There was an excellent episode of M.A.S.H where Charles Emmerson Winchester III finds everyone boorish and he, with his Harvard Education, is a Classical music elitist. One day a visiting music/comedy group lands in the camp and a woman is playing the Accordion. Charles grumbles at the absurd instrument and cacophony of the music played. The woman then sits down at the piano and plays a classical piece to his amazement.

Why would you waste your time with that (____) when you play the piano so well?

You know the spiel that the people want what the people want and if you want to put food on the table playing Mozart may not cut it. Are they a sell-out or as an artist do you want your art to be seen and appreciated by more people? There is also a kind of vanity or just a need to be loved and accepted where an artist gets life-affirming acceptance being a "star."

This carries over to other art forms such as film or movies. I separate the words film and movies because for me the latter is a sort of fantasy land to get away from "thinking" and to get two hours away from life and to simply enjoy - comedy/action/horror for example.

Half my music collection is classical/Jazz but as an English Literature guy, I also appreciate "lyrics" and storytelling through poetry which is what rock/pop/hip-hop/country etc can bring to the table.

With this latter music - you don't have to study the history of Mozart or read about what the composition is about to "get" the background. With modern music, the story or message or idea is in the lyrics. Listening to a piece by Mozart with zero reading going in is just a piece of music lalalalalalala - "oh that's nice but so what?" What am I "getting" from that?

To a degree, it's the same for Shakespeare. If you read Shakespeare with zero education on it from a math teacher who took the English teaching job - as a student your appreciation from a blank reading will be seriously diminished. I know so many kids and adults who hate Shakespeare as a result of the way in which it was taught.

A scene in Mr. Holland's Opus was effective because he was not able to get classical music through to the students - they were failing because he was failing them. Once he brought in the music they listen to and then to work back from modern music to Beethoven they became engaged with Beethoven.

And then there is your own taste - using Aristotle's elements of a play (can be used for movies and film):

Plot
Character
Theme
Language
Rythm
Spectacle

Each of us falls along a dominance line of the left/right brain hemisphere. A left-hemisphere dominant-minded person tends to be logical analytical and mathematical. They may respond to a film's spectacle (camera angles, lighting, visual effects, and logic associate with the plot). A right hemisphere minded person is more artistic (lead with the heart over mind) and will probably be more interested in Character/theme/Ryhtm(mood) and their appreciation of spectacle will likely focus on the grand sets or vistas than on lighting effects or technical aspects of the movie.

And many people are on some sliding scale.

So does one focus on the lyrics and the singer in pop or rock song or do they focus on the musicianship of the guitar player or how great the drummer is and give a pass to the lead vocalist?

Plenty of people rave about Bob Dylan's lyrics - he won a noble for it - but he's not winning "greatest singing voice" awards. People listen to the lyrics, not the person delivering the lyrics.

For me with film or music or TV and even music - I am a less is more kind of guy. I don't have the patience for films that spend a bunch of unnecessary time presenting me with visuals that say "see look how good I am with lighting" "This shot is so cool look how I got the reflection in the mirror to hit the floor in such a way - blah blah blah.

Have an interesting story with interesting characters that I care about and chances are I'll like the movie -- whether it is high art or mainstream holiday movies.

Mr. Plinkett's review comparing the original Star Wars to the Phantom Menace at the last 3 minutes of his Phantom Menace review says it all. He puts the viewers to the test. Describe a character without talking about their jobs or their looks. Han Solo. Then some character in the Phantom Menace.

He illustrates movie making 101. His reviews are far more entertaining than the movies he reviews and I have seen his reviews more times than the movies! His review of The Phantom Menace with all the parts is around 90 minutes - I would PAY to see his review in the theater before I ever pay for another damn Star Wars movie! I know I will walk out with a chuckle.



 

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