476

(10 replies, posted in Off Topic)

The screenplay for Saw was written pre 9/11.  It was graphic but certainly not the worst thing ever, and by and large the film works in trying to convey creeping dread and a few solid scares.  SAW II was a case where Darren Lynn Bousman had written several screenplays (all pre 9/11) and one of his thrillers had made it to the desk of Twisted Pictures.  They said they liked it, but they were already finishing production on SAW, which was too similar.  They came up with the idea of him transitioning his script into SAW II.  After reading the production draft of SAW, DLB tried to "out do," the torture scenes of the original.  He went on to write and direct the next 3 sequels after that, all with increasing levels of gore.  So, while the timing is interesting, your theory doesn't necessarily apply.  Not that it's wrong either, just not cut and dry.

A Serbian Film is EXTREMELY specific to Serbian culture, and the unrequited hell that goes along with parts of their history.  The film works as the most literal of metaphors.  The filmmakers are trying to say you're fucked from birth, all throughout life you're getting fucked, you're forced into fucking over your wife, children, and family, you die getting fucked, and even after death they find ways to fuck you.  ALL THOSE THINGS LITERALLY HAPPEN IN THE FILM.  It was abhorrent to watch and I wish I could unsee it, but the filmmakers at least had a point of view and were trying to convey a message.  Serbia's atrocities have nothing to do with 9/11, and therefore A Serbian Film has nothing to do with 9/11.

477

(373 replies, posted in Off Topic)

I think there is a need for a singular word that describes a persons understanding for the entirety of existence, and their relative place in it.  "Universe," is limiting, because it's a specific celestial territory, and as many people theorize, there may in fact be several Universes either sequential or simultaneous.  "God," is limiting in that it is generally a singular consciousness that created all or part of existence, but it says little about our place relative to existence.  I seek a word that describes all of everything, especially when I am trying to understand my place in all of everything.  God, in some ways makes a sense, as does Universe.  But I would agree that neither is fully sufficient.

478

(373 replies, posted in Off Topic)

479

(373 replies, posted in Off Topic)

It largely depends on how you define God.  The traditional monotheistic interpretation of God is as a singular, masculine consciousness.  The Judeo-Christian-Islamic notion of God is one that those questions should be addressed to.

Yet, this construct of God is limiting.  There are other interpretations of God.  Some bend towards the Polytheistic (Hindu, most notably) that explain the somewhat conflicting ideas of life by stating there are many Gods and they're a pretty dramatic bunch, always stirring up shit.  There's also the view I have, which is God is not the creator of the universe, God IS the universe.  Meaning that we are all smaller moving parts of a grander whole, which is labeled as God.  When you here some philosophers say "You have God inside you," this is the idea they're building towards.

I've made no secret that I'm a Zen Buddhist who leans pretty Soto-ish.  Compassion and empathy for a living things is a cornerstone of my beliefs, and it's rooted in this idea that we are all interconnected, all interdependent on each other, because we are all part of a grander whole.  As such we are simultaneously divine, and inconsequential.  These are not conflicting ideas.  If you've ever surfed, you've probably seen a wave that you'll never forget.  Giant, majestic, and wholly unique.  And after it crashes...it's gone forever.  There will never be another like it.  But...it's also just water.  Water part of the same sea that churns in on itself ad nauseum until the end of the earth.  It's unique, but not.  Special, but not.  Beautiful, yet ordinary.  Such is the way (in my opinion) with all of existence.

So when asking your question, know that there are three ideas of God (basically, they all can be reduced to three opnions).  One God, All God, No God.  Your notion of the divine manifests as one of those three.  For me, the "All God," approach engenders compassion, understanding, and patience.  Those are the virtues I value above all others.  Even when I get indignant about stuff (i.e. The People vs George Lucas, Twilight) it comes from a place of frustration, rooted in compassion.  Because I recognize there is no divine origin for the evil, malevolence, and selfishness that exists inside of me and every other living thing.  It's just a byproduct of living.  As sentient beings, however, we have a choice.  We can't choose to be rid of hate or indifference, but we can choose to not act that way more times than not.  When you reframe the questions that way, you may find yourself not needing to look to the sky to for an answer.

How can I view the FTP?

481

(36 replies, posted in Episodes)

482

(68 replies, posted in Off Topic)

483

(68 replies, posted in Off Topic)

I appreciate you wanting to keep the spirit of MST3K going, but I don't think you get much from the skits.  I also think some of your bits are direct recalls of specific MST3K bits (the meter on your delivery during SC: Ghost was almost identical to the recurring gag from Space Mutiny).  It's a good start.  I would say don't be so slavish to MST3K.

Did you ever watch Broken Pixels?

488

(55 replies, posted in Creations)

490

(262 replies, posted in Episodes)

491

(30 replies, posted in Creations)

Yeah, Saffron is no joke.  Some chef's won't even touch the stuff.

492

(46 replies, posted in Episodes)

I don't envision us being a slave to the format forever.  I think you could make the argument for several director centric episodes.  For now, however, I want to keep the focus on individual films.

493

(46 replies, posted in Episodes)

They're both uniquely awesome.  I could see myself revisiting Stories We Tell more often than AoK, but that takes away nothing from either films awesomeness.

494

(55 replies, posted in Creations)

Love you guys.

495

(46 replies, posted in Episodes)

The IDA (Inernational Documentary Association) has announced it's nominees for the 2013 IDA Awards:

ACT OF KILLING
BLACKFISH
STORIES WE TELL
LET THE FIRE BURN
THE SQUARE

Those were for the Best Feature category.  We'll do Stories We Tell in an upcoming episode as it's really something extraordinary.

496

(12 replies, posted in Episodes)

I'm a 1000% in agreement with Trey.  This movie TERRIFIED me as a kid.

497

(449 replies, posted in Off Topic)

It's the XMen's most beloved and simultaneously reviled story lines.  Beloved because it was a hell of a yarn that plays almost like an Outer Limits episode in that its far more speculative Sci Fi than Super Hero.  It was equally reviled because this, coupled with Dark Phoenix, spawned an octopus' garden of alternate timelines, mishmashes continuities, and inarguably the wonkiest continuity out of any franchise in comics history, with Hawkman being the only exception. 

If handled right, it has the potential to be a great flick.

No, I was raving FOR Vertigo, as I did on the episode.  As for Taxi Drover, it's perfectly fine, just not the bees knees for me.

You guys have to keep in mind I was raised on a steady diet of 70's films, as well as foreign films and some pretty heady experimental stuff, too.  I think if you listen to me rave about Vertigo you'll understand that I am far more interested in character and theme than plot.  Taxi Driver just doesn't connect with me, hence my preferences.