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| -Short Attention Span Theater- |
| Actors Are Riff-Raff |
| 2021-02-13 |
| [National Review] Once upon a time, actors, musicians, and other entertainers were considered riff-raff, something like what a contemporary American snob might sneer at as carnies. That was, in that respect at least, a more civilized time. In our time, we have made demigods of entertainers. Human beings are very status-driven creatures (this is almost certainly an evolved trait rather than a learned behavior), and so it is probably inevitable that celebrity has become the weird mutant thing it has become in our time. There are many people in the audience, but only a few on stage. The problem with making gods of actors and the like is that while Americans may be idolators, we are still, at heart, Puritans. That means that we bring heavy moral expectations into our worship of the famous and the beautiful. "Leda and the Swan" is problematic — we only play at being pagans. |
| Posted by:Besoeker |
| #15 Some of my favorite Anime are: Last Exile, Bubblecrisis 2040, Witch Hunter Robin, Trinity Blood, Hellsing Ultimate, Rune Soldier (Parody of typical fantasy), The Saga of Tanya the Evil, Black Lagoon, Darker than Black, Itai no wa Iya nano de Bougyoryoku ni Kyokufuri Shitai to Omoimasu (Hilarious parody about breaking a game by doing the unexpected), Full Metal Alchemist:Brotherhood to name a few. |
| Posted by: Silentbrick 2021-02-13 20:23 |
| #14 $50 to go try to see Resident Evil through everyone dinking on their phones, or $50 to be in Resident Evil through your VR Game system? 2 hours of entertainment, sort of, or 100+ guaranteed adrenaline shit your pants fun? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2021-02-13 20:10 |
| #13 At some point actors will be replaced by computer versions that can do basically anything asked. It'll all be computer animation but look real. There will be come kind of transition but its coming and i suspect the Covid shutdown will only speed things up as who wants to pay those big salaries when there is no big opening weekends anymore. |
| Posted by: rjschwarz 2021-02-13 18:51 |
| #12 Thank you. One Punch Man had been suggested and here you too say so. Thank you for reminding me Ghost in the Shell was first a great anime. 80s Robotech TV series I thought was really good. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2021-02-13 18:39 |
| #11 Anime? Glad you asked. They are far better than the dreck Hollywood turns out these days. I'd also recommend watching Bollywood movies, start with Shah Rukh Khan movies and branch out form there. (Cheesy but fun popcorn movies). Go back to the anime sources for Ghost in the shell (The 1995 anime, not the putrid whitewashed 2017 "live action" garbage), Cowboy Bebop, Death Note, Samurai Champloo if you like sword fights, One Punch Man (which is quite humorous), and if you liked Blade Runner then try Psycho-Pass it covers someof the same philosophical ground with the same dark edge. Also try Monster - its based on a great Manga. brain surgeon Dr. Kenzo Tenma following his decision to save the lives of two young twins instead of the mayor of his town in Germany - Nine years after this fateful decision, Tenma discovers one of the twins, Johan, has grown up to be a monstrous serial killer, while the other lives an oblivious life with her foster parents.The plot chronicles Tenma's attempts to undo the mistake he made when saving Johan's life. Good Characters, cool story, and solid animation - plus Giant Robots in combat? Mobile Suit Gundam: Thunderbolt. Want more "Game of Thrones" feel? mercenary commander Griffith aspiring to rule a kingdom - that's 1997's Berserk. There are so many good ones out there available. The 1990's were especially fertile for manga becoming Anime. |
| Posted by: Deadeye Jaiting7534 2021-02-13 17:42 |
| #10 Kind of stumbled upon Attack on Titan; that has quite a following. A bit mainstream, but I thought Godzilla Planet of Monsters had some great questions. Enjoyed Transformers as it was during The Age of Cartoon. Even the Disney X-Men (there is a clip with Iron Man, which must be part of the Avenger/X-Men fusion idea) had some good points. Going to have to go with Voltron for the win, just fantastic writing, style, and animation. I know that's all kind of Main Street, any suggestions? |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2021-02-13 15:57 |
| #9 It's all about having a megaphone and using it in a heavy handed and often uneducated way. These 'entertainers" spout what they hear at parties and in green rooms. If they knew what they were talking about, nobody would care, and that's partly the point. When asked how was his weekend in jail on a marijuana beef, actor Robert Mitchun replied, "It was great. Like Palm Springs without the riff raff." |
| Posted by: M. Murcek 2021-02-13 15:57 |
| #8 I only watch anime. |
| Posted by: g(r)omgoru 2021-02-13 15:41 |
| #7 Needing a refreshing movie without pretentious actors and supercomputer graphics? Psycho Goreman There are some liners in there not good for children or discerning adults, but it isn't a cuss fest, just a couple liners. Suburban Commando Hulk Hogan in his prime, extra cheese. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2021-02-13 15:20 |
| #6 Seeking status is a learned trait IMNSHO. The compulsion to do that can be unlearned as well, but it is not easy. Some used to enter monasteries and convents to "unlearn" stuff like that. YMMV. |
| Posted by: Thineger Sproing6704 2021-02-13 15:08 |
| #5 ^ Yep. Not long before Hollywood scripts will be generated with AI and algorithms designed to optimize for worldwide downloads and streaming revenues. And then the actors will be replaced by AI-generated holograms. Coming soon, to a digital platform near you |
| Posted by: Snakes Bluetooth1623 2021-02-13 13:12 |
| #4 Not as good as they are credited as. How many of the 'top shelf' names are the same character in every single movie. If I had the time, I'd go take lines from Forest Gump and superimpose them into Private Ryan. Very similar to a running gag I have with daughter, where I print off a picture of a disney princess and in a word bubble put a princess quote from a different, or same, movie. They are all so 2d bland I have her confused about the actual origin of the quote - making my point. |
| Posted by: swksvolFF 2021-02-13 11:27 |
| #3 URL added. |
| Posted by: trailing wife 2021-02-13 11:12 |
| #2 Why the heck should we care at all about the opinions of people whose only claims to fame are that they are very good at pretending to be someone else, saying words that someone else wrote, and (in general) are better looking than the average person? |
| Posted by: Rambler in Virginia 2021-02-13 10:07 |
| #1 Talented actors who are great at bringing to life an interesting person, story, or song are admired. When the show is over and some of them go back to being themselves is when they look like total fools. |
| Posted by: Ebbomoger Speaking for Boskone4589 2021-02-13 09:22 |