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Author Topic: A rant: I'm tired of the same old geek bullshit  (Read 53361 times)
ghostwheel

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« on: February 16, 2013, 03:31:44 PM »

I've had enough of Star Wars and Star Trek. I could care less about any new movies from those francises. I'm tired of cutesy nerd steampunk/Lego/Avengers mashups and Yoda quotes. I'm sick to death of Star Wars parodies. It's not original, it's not funny. It's not even a clever pastiche as that would be something of an attempt at creating something new. It's a sign of stagnation.

There's better stuff out there.  Here's the truth: Firefly was better than Star Wars and Babylon 5 was better than Star Trek. And even though I didn't like Looper at least it wasn't another goddamn Terminator movie. As many a lacklustre sequel has shown, more isn't always better. Great, you liked Star Wars, now move on.

Sorry, I had to get that off my chest. It's just frustrating.
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György Dudas

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« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2013, 12:03:31 AM »

it's all about the merchandising

 Wink
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oNZove4OTtI

I have watched the early George Lucas of THX 1138 (and his student film on the same theme). It is Star Wars without the crap.
The sounds and visuals are wonderful, almost an abstract movie. Star Wars was the mass market application of THX 1138.

Star Wars I was enough. Lucas should have moved on, but he was hit by fame. He might have done great work, but fame was
intercepting.

THX 1138 director cut comparisons
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kIfTT8EGj3A

and the original from 1967, Electronic Labyrinth THX1138 4EB
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-oESKJ4LCVo

great work in my opininion. Forget Star Wars.
« Last Edit: February 17, 2013, 12:13:53 AM by György Dudas » Logged
ghostwheel

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« Reply #2 on: February 19, 2013, 11:02:18 PM »

It's not just Star Wars, it's the whole geek culture thing. It's the obsession over the same boring shit.

Or maybe I'm just in a bad mood.
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Michaël Samyn

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« Reply #3 on: February 20, 2013, 09:22:13 AM »

I had a moment like that a short while ago: http://tale-of-tales.com/bientotlete/blog/death-to-nerds/Smiley
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Bruno de Figueiredo

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« Reply #4 on: February 20, 2013, 02:18:11 PM »


I have watched the early George Lucas of THX 1138 (and his student film on the same theme).

As did I. THX 1138 suggests that there was once a guileless director there, one with some degree of vision. It's a serious science fiction classic by its own right, with some very powerful subtext and aesthetics to it; a fine spin on the Iron Heel / Brave New World / 1984 type dystopia, no doubt enriched by elements of a certain Platonic allegory. I haven't watched it in over a decade now, so it will be interesting to see whether it passes the test now. Or, maybe, I better keep the favorable impressions of my youth intact.

 ------------ // -------------

As for the rant, Shane, I couldn't agree more. It has long reached a point where this causes me nothing but disgust. But we must realize that, to some, these series of consumer products - evergreens, perhaps? - sustain that delicate balance between their living a satisfying life in their own retreat from reality and being forced to face a world we know is unbearable to them. There's a protecting veil of fantasy that must be kept intact, otherwise the consequences could be quite catastrophic from a social and economic standpoint.

But it was our industrial age - our commercial age - that spawned this breed of geeks and nerds with their bizarre consumerist habits and inability to adjust. If anything, I feel compelled to regard them as victims; theirs being a complex condition displaying many similarities with, for instance, the widespread dependency on prescription drugs.
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ghostwheel

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« Reply #5 on: February 21, 2013, 07:27:09 PM »

Well I am a nerd and a geek. I'm also an escapist. I like visiting and imagining other places and times. I hold science fiction in the highest regard. It has inspired many scientists and engineers and that is a good thing. The geeks and nerds of the past though, they wrote new stuff, now it's all fan fiction and endless francise novels. I don't believe anything is 100% original but where's the inspiration? People just want to visit the same place every time. It's like vacationing in your back yard.

I get bored with the same old shit. Imagining the same place is not a good thing, it's stagnating.
« Last Edit: February 21, 2013, 07:32:37 PM by ghostwheel » Logged

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György Dudas

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« Reply #6 on: February 22, 2013, 12:25:56 AM »

btw. does anybody know Beyond The Black Rainbow?
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uc8OGbETxf4

Panos Cosmatos, the director,  is an 80s geek/nerd or you can say he is obsessed by
Horror/Scifi movies of that time... also I like the idea of a black rainbow
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Bruno de Figueiredo

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« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2013, 03:29:46 AM »

I have watched "Beyond the Black Rainbow" almost a year ago. It reached a point when I felt convinced that I was witnessing one of the most important science fiction films in many years. However, despite the memorable aesthetics and a strangely captivating performance by Michael Rogers, Cosmatos lacked the vision, perhaps even the intellect to give it a proper conclusion. The film brings itself to a ruin near the end.

Then again, what could one expect from the son of George P. Cosmatos, the director of "Rambo 2" and "Cobra"?
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ghostwheel

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« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2013, 05:38:04 PM »

I've been putting off watching Beyond The Black Rainbow. It's one of those movies I can tell requires a certain state of mind. I am excited about the visuals and audio. The soundtrack composer Jeremy Schmidt does some really cool work. His only album Sinoia Caves - The Enchanter Persuaded is in the vien of Boards of Canada; that same sort of retro synth, hazy stoner vibe and I quite enjoy it.
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György Dudas

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« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2013, 09:32:09 PM »

Quote
The film brings itself to a ruin near the end.

I have to watch it again, but even though it becomes a bit of a horror/slasher
I am OK with that ending...

The commercial about the Arboria Institute is quite something. What if only it
would be true... some people can recompose themself. I like that idea.

I will check out Jeremy Schmidt, thanks for the note
cheers,
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Bruno de Figueiredo

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« Reply #10 on: February 23, 2013, 12:07:03 PM »

It displeased me. The film suddenly takes a turn from mind-boggling esoteric science fiction to a Carpenteresque Michael Myers slasher for no reason other than the fact that the director didn't know what else to do with it. Anyone can come up with a good premise these days and it seems that suffices. Personally I'm more susceptible to how that premise translates into something, not just the pledge of something. THX 1138, of which we spoke earlier, shows you how you can expand a good premise into something memorable. Who could forget that shot of Duvall covering his eyes whilst gazing at reality for the first time in a life lived underground. We never quite know if he will return to that society or break free. This alone has Plato's Allegory of the Cave written all over it.
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György Dudas

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« Reply #11 on: February 23, 2013, 02:06:26 PM »

true, true

judging from that video, Cosmatos is very into 80s Horror/Slasher
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DD00HW9ipSU

also I read a few interviews, where he explained the reasoning behind
Black Rainbow. As a kid, he was not allowed to watch R rated movies
but he could study the VHS covers... So, Black Rainbow is a re-imagining
of those films. That might lead to a split-personality of a movie...

cheers


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Bruno de Figueiredo

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« Reply #12 on: February 23, 2013, 04:39:43 PM »

This was interesting, especially because I also watched most of those films as a child and understand the root of his nightly terrors. Thanks for sharing, György.
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