Midnight Special Movie • Page 7

No Harry Potter, Kung Fu Panda, Xmen First Class, Ringo, Warrior, Goon or Mission Impossible? Movie cred lost

 

The only one of those I saw was Warrior, which was fine. A little too formulaic but good overall.

 

I'm sure there were way better movies that year but those were ones that jumped out to me. You should definitely check out the MI movies, the most recent ones are so much fun.

 

The one thing I would specifically like to echo was Brandon comparing the world class chef to the McDonalds employee. I'm not saying the chef should talk down to the burger flipper or be condescending, but I hate how the general feeling is one should not feel proud of their extensive knowledge of a given medium. If you listened to three hundred records across a wide range of styles, I think your opinion should be weighted differently than someone who bought a few CDs at the mall over the course of a year. The latter is not bad, or wrong, but the time and effort put into a passion should be rewarded and people need to stop lashing out when someone of a differing opinion comes forward with more knowledge to back that up. There is a reason I don't strike up fights with Brandon or Tet - I respect their opinions because they have put a lot more time and love and effort and dedication into forming them than I have. Mine is not invalid but it should be weighted differently. Wisdom is earned over time, and nobody should be made to feel bad about that. Ever. Sometimes you gotta listen to informed opinions. I also don't think either of them are ever all that condescending - I just think sometimes it's hard to be faced with the possibility that you may indeed be wrong. And that's okay!

edit: not directed at any one person in particular, but too often people on this site are unfairly insulted for being pretentious

 

I've yet to see Shotgun Stories or Loving, but I enjoy everything else Nichols has done, including Mud. I'd rank 'em Take Shelter > Midnight Special > Mud.

 

I missed a bunch here, but that's fine. I'll just say that I saw Take Shelter when it came out, consider myself someone who watches a lot of movies and sometimes even "takes them seriously" and I prefer Mud and Midnight Special to it.
1. Mud
2. Midnight Special
3. Take Shelter
4. Shotgun Stories
Haven't seen Loving

 

I disagree. If you're pretentious, I'm fine with you getting called out. If you're smart and knowledgeable and still unpretentious about getting that across, then that's fine. But if people act pretentious and get called pretentious...

 

There is probably no other word used more incorrectly in this forum than pretentious, although it was much worse a few years ago.

 

Sure.

 

This is what I'm getting at. People that are smart and knowledgeable on this forum are deemed pretentious unfairly. It happens very often.

 

Then I agree with you. That's not exactly what you said because you said "people are insulted for being pretentious" which is the only reason I disagreed, but yeah.

 

I said unfairly insulted because I think the criticism is untrue which is why I found it unfair, but I also struggle with not being as articulate as I'd like to so my bad if that got misconstrued

 

And yet a central tenant of your defense of your opinion is this nebulous, monolithic entity of 'serious film fans.'

I don't think I've read a single professional review that had a negative opinion about Mud, Midnight Special, or Loving. How serious do you think these critics are about film?

From what I can tell, I'm the only person on this thread who has actually seen Loving. How serious does that make me? Does that make my opinion about Midnight Special more worthwhile?

Intentional or not, the wording of your arguments are insinuating that anyone who doesn't share your opinion is not a 'serious film fan,' and therefore, their opinion is not as valid as yours.

We're all on this thread, talking not just about this movie, but about the director's body of work, and the output of another director who worked, at least partially, in a similar vein.

I think we all take it pretty seriously.

P.S.: I think Take Shelter is one of the most amazing, criminally underseen movies of the decade. I have been mildly disappointed by everything that came after.

 

How can your opinion on an entirely subjective art form be wrong?!

 

I've seen Loving.

 

Total oversimplication. I am not saying someone's opinion is inherently wrong, I am saying some opinions should legitimately hold more credence. For instance, dance music is a passion of mine and I work fucking hard at knowing as much as I can and learning about it. If someone wanted an opinion, I hope mine would matter more than somebody who heard a couple Calvin Harris songs on the radio.
Another example would be me, who doesn't know a whole lot about film, respects the opinion of people who have spent their lives dedicated to knowledge and appreciation of the medium. My opinion is not invalid and I have the right to think what I think, I also have the humility to accept and listen to people who have put time and effort into developing their opinions that I simply haven't. This doesn't have to be hard, it should not be offensive to admit a lack of knowledge and respect that others may have it. I'm not discrediting anybody's opinion, I'm saying some deserve more weight.

 

No, I don't think anyone really cares all that much. It is just a simple statement of fact and a response to someone saying that Mud is the "higher-rated" film. This is arguing for the sake of arguing.

 

oh great Morrissey is out here ruining threads and being pretentious again

 

I consider myself a cinephile. I go to the theater most every weekend. I am usually drawn to films based on the filmmakers and how it fits into their body of work. I have a vested interest in blockbusters, indies, animation, documentaries, and foreign film. I keep a list of every new movie I've seen each year, and for fun, I write lists of movies and who directed them, wrote them, how long they are, their MPAA rating, and when they were released.

Overall, I think I'm someone who gives a shit.

And NONE of that gives me the right to say that my opinion deserves more respect, or should be given more credence, than another's.

It doesn't make me some authority on the subject. It just makes me a guy who's watched a lot of movies.

 

How do you know how serious someone who works at McDonald's is? Have you asked them? Or do you just deign to know their passions based on where they work?

Also, I'm overweight. Does that make me serious about food?

 

Most serious food fans are overweight. Also, they all agree with me.

That's just a fact.

 

At this point you're just trying to provoke and reignite arguments that have passed over. You're trying to boil every statement down as if they weren't made as broad terms.

 

It is always bewildering when the most harmless of comments are blown so out of proportion. If I criticize something like a new Star Wars or Christopher Nolan movie, I expect it, but here it has reached its height since the forum switch-over.

 

You shouldn't expect it from Chris Nolan, he's made two plot hole ridden films lately. I'm halfway through Take Shelter now.....

 

People tried to shield Interstellar from criticism before it even came out. On the old forum, criticizing The Dark Knight Rises got people to behave very angrily.