As with I, being a new addition, vow to never let the overtaking of mediocre cinema to replace the Great. The Dark Knight was a fine film.
You’d hope that with a name like ‘The Auteurs’ the opinions wouldn’t be strictly mainstream populist. But see where it goes. Maybe it’ll surprise you.
So far, I like the fact that it’s not like IMDB or anything like that, but it’s not like certain parts of the Criterion forum where no one wants to talk about anything but the specific transfer of certain films. So as long as it’s a balancing act, I’ll be hanging around for certain.
This forum only looks like IMDB now because it just opened. Right now this place is like an explosion. But just give it a little time to settle down. There will be few noobs snooping around, but chances are that if someones favorite movie of all time is The Dark Knight, then they won’t have any interest in what films Criterion has to offer, and neither for the forums.
Angel loved the way you put in the Dark Knight is a great film. Yes it is, can’t wait for Dec.9th when it comes out in blu ray YYEAHH!!!! Merry Christmas everybody:)
I lament that I feel, even as a newb on this site, that this will boil down to one of two directions:
1.) The fanboys and Tarrantino disciples will flood the site with demands for dedicated bandwidth specifically to decry the flames on Optimus Prime.
2.) The regular contributorship of this site will go insular and speak only in the deepest of references and most pretentious of movie discussions.
I found this site through Criterion’s new website and I for one am incredibly thankful for a real place to discuss movies in a rational, informed manner, unlike sites like IMDB or aintitcool.com. If you folks don’t give up, nor will I.
“1.) The fanboys and Tarrantino disciples will flood the site with demands for dedicated bandwidth specifically to decry the flames on Optimus Prime.
2.) The regular contributorship of this site will go insular and speak only in the deepest of references and most pretentious of movie discussions.”
It’s not Criterion, anymore than it is IMDB or Spout or any other site. TA is about something different. open communication, passion, debate, networking, and the odd fist fight.
nerds, prophets and disciples be warned.
I’m with Joshua – as long as there is a balance, I’m not worried. It’s great to have threads for intense, passionate, deep discussions, but it’s also nice to have some where you can just pop in, list a few names or say “I hate that guy” and be done with it. I love 8 1/2 but I also love Die Hard. Variety is the spice of life, and so on…
I’m sure, once the forum gets settled and more organized, duplicate threads and other message board follies won’t be such a problem.
I think the forum should take on a different structure: perhaps better organization, so that there would be various sections. I can’t think of what that could all be, but it would be helpful to separate actual engaging discussions from the ones that are just like “WHATZ UR FAVE FILM EVER?”
At first I was interested in participating in such discussions, to see what others around here like and to share a few of my own favorites and lament what I hate, but it’s already become a non-stop barrage of lists after lists of the best and the worst. We all have different opinions. After a while, who cares?
Anyway, I think some organization would help focus down the topics. Hopefully. At least, it would make it easier to navigate, anyway.
I like this forum. The people seem really kind, helpful, and intelligent. I’ve never been to the IMDB forums (Although, unfortunately, I have seen their top movies list), so I couldn’t say if there was a difference, but I do like it here. I don’t know nearly as much as I’d like to about film, but this place seems like a great way to learn.
Indeed, I think it’s great that there’s everything from people that just love to see a good film to college professors.
I think it would be nice to link replies to a another member’s reply to a forum topic. That way if someone agrees of disagrees i can know without having to go back track on every single forum i’ve ever posted on.
I once read a post on anther forum by a guy who included films by Bergman, Ozu, and Libitsch on his very short list of favorite comedies. This transgression in itself is forgivable, but he went on to deride other’s selections as inferior.
I mean, it’s comedy; if Adam Sandler makes you laugh hardest, that has to count for something.
My point: Snobbery can get in the way of sound judgment and group-think can sometimes supplant honest expression. I don’t doubt that many people find “Smiles of a Summer Night” to be a laugh riot, but I suspect a lot of people pick it as their favorite comedy just because it was made by Bergman. Bergman’s my favorite director of all time, but give me a break. If I want to laugh, I’m popping in “Palindromes”, “Raising Arizona”, or maybe even something really stupid.
There is somewhat of a fine line between demonstrating one’s discriminating taste and being needlessly pretentious.
That said, I agree with the sentiments of those hoping this forum is not overrun with discussions of mainstream fare.
We’re counting on you, 53! Regulate!
I’m just saying: I loved Dark Knight, but I will also say that Brazil is perhaps my favorite movie, and I love Kurosawa and Stanley Kubrick and Roman Polanski.
I’m not a snob, but I can see where there is an issue with the way the internet can be, and about this site becoming like the majority of sites. Like if I have to hear how amazing Sin City is again I’ll rip my hair out. The second I laid my eyes on this site I breathed a heavy sigh of happiness, knowing I could come here and discuss films with other folks that appreciate them the same way I do, because there are very few people I know in real life with whom I can have that kind of conversation.
Don’t worry. I think this site is going to be just fine. :)
This place is much better than IMDB.
When I first saw the title I thought you were referring the the international economic condition.
“When I first saw the title I thought you were referring the the international economic condition.”
Ha! So did I!
This site has a long way to go down before it can be anything like IMDB. Like some others, I found it through Criterion’s website, so there’s already going to be a different kind of clientele. I don’t know where all this TDK nonsense came from, though.
Not referring to the international economic condition. I’ve posted that topic on the IMDB boards…
I’m kind of counting on this website being full of Criterion fanatics. Boards like IMDB and RottenTomatoes are just for your average joe who thinks Fight Club and Boondock Saints are the best movies ever made. Most (hopefully) people who actually hang around Criterion on a regular basis are above that. If I want to talk about The Dark Knight or whatever, I’ll go somewhere else. This is one of the few places where I can talk Weerasethakul and actually get a discussion going. I’m immensely thankful for that.
I see the original TS’s point
I personally am a cinema-whore. Like any art form, if it’s good, it’s good. I am content watching Au revoir les enfants as I am The Return of the Living Dead.
I can’t stand a hack director and embrace the Auteur theory, a film forum can easily turn into one of fanboy central. Let everyone have an opinion no matter how cool they think The Dark Night is (I have not seen it). Perhaps they will get turned on to more eclectic cinema in the process.
The elitist snobbery will kill this place faster than a Dark Night fan will.
I agree with 53, everyone is entitled to their opinion. If someone thinks that Fight Club is the greatest movie ever, great, good for them. There’s nothing wrong with thinking that. I think the best thing to do, instead of insulting them, is trying to help them and suggest more movies that they would enjoy.
I’ve been looking for an intelligent, thoughtful film forum, and TA fit the bill. From what I’ve seen thus far, I’m not worried about the quality of discussion. There is a great divide between this forum and IMDB’s.
Haha I really hope I’m no one of these people. I enjoyed the Dark Knight alot. But I haven’t seemed to notice anyone..demanding that..
Haha I really hope I’m no one of these people. I enjoyed the Dark Knight alot. But I haven’t seemed to notice anyone..demanding that..
Hmm… I’m not sure if I’m one of the noobs in question here. Regardless, I’ve never came across a movie forum that I could tolerate. IMDB’s message boards seem to be on par with Youtube comments, and those are… like… uh… frighteningly inhuman. I’ve always thought Criterion Forum was cool, but there doesn’t seem to be much conversation going on there. I only discovered TA when Criterion started its new site. I would have been here before had I known about it. I’ve enjoyed TA so far, even if there are a lot of people here with awful taste. I only wish we could quote other posters in our replies. I could also go for an italics button and maybe a link button or something, too.
For the record, I thought The Dark Knight was pretty good. I doubt it would make my top 20 this year, but, despite its flaws, I enjoyed watching it. At least most of it. It certainly did begin to drag on after a while.
@ Cory: Oh look at the can of worms you have cracked.
Our film present is rooted in our film past, and I hope this site can help people discover ways to understand that intertwined history.
Perusing the forums the past few days I’ve seen the same kind of idolization you are complaining about applied to the old masters instead of the new one. Who cares? I think this place has a lot of potential.
I heartily second 50’s last post, because it perfectly sums up my feelings in a much more eloquent way than I could have.
the potential of this place is vast. the best way to protect it is to keep the community open and inclusive. besides, i don’t think there is much danger in TA being overrun with a high signal to noise ratio. the name of the site alone is a filter.
I think, like any message board that’s this wide open, you sort of have to pick and choose what you get out of it.
cory
After reading the comments in quite a few topics, I can’t help but be worried that this site might turn into some kind of degraded offshoot of other movie database’s patronage that make the dark knight the number one movie of all time and will soon demand it’s inclusion into the collection.
Perhaps that’s unfair. I’m not sure yet.