I would argue that there is no such thing as objectively bad. It's bad for you and what you are looking for in movies. But another person might just be looking for mindless entertainment and for them it's great on that level. It's all opinions, man.
It's an interesting question. I think I was on the same page you with you, John Murphy, up until this year. Now I am more that I don't care what the other person thinks. If I love something and they are trying to telling me I'm objectively wrong for loving it because it's bad then what am I supposed to do - stop loving the thing I love so the other person wins the argument?
No you should not. You should go on loving what you love. That's what I'm saying is there's no such thing as being objectively bad or objectively wrong, regardless of what another person says because you arent that other person. Love and let love.
Who is anyone to decide what is objectively bad? Give me a million things wrong with a movie and I'll tell you why all those things work together to make a good movie. If someone could give me an objective objectively bad list of movies so I can watch them all, that would be great...or terrible...I can't decide...
You know the more times I watched The Mighty Ducks the less I thought Emilio Estevez's acting sucked in it. He went from being a bad to a good actor over say - 50 viewings. I have no idea how to keep objectivity.
Random thoughts: Your initial reactions to "They Came Together" were correct. It's become a comfort movie that I watch over and over. It's hilarious and you get to enjoy all the romantic comedy beats without having to watch a romantic comedy. I'm glad that I keep hearing about Colossal from you guys. It's not perfect, but it's about some things that it deals with very well and it's a movie that I keep thinking about and probably like it even more than when I saw it if that makes sense. I've of course noticed the same thing JB talks about. People finding roundabout 'think-piecey' ways to say everything is good. Just admit that you're willing to ignore things that are bad. I do this with '70s and beyond exploitation cinema. There are so many movies I enjoy that I would never care to argue as being 'good'. Enjoyable and good aren't the same word. Use different words. Thanks for the podcast guys.
Man, The Bad Batch. A movie I desperately wanted to like because it should have been catnip for me, but my heart just sank more and more during it. I can't even express why it disappointed me so much.
Wait people hate the dream loungers?!? That's crazy talk. The stadium sitting with a dream lounger is just great. I'm 6'2" and I no longer have stiff legs or numb butt from sitting on the old sits. Also, no one kicks your sits. It's so much better!
I’m sad no one talks about Wonderstruck. I think it’s a great movie that’s very underrated. I remember JB saying he didn’t care for the first half, and i can’t fault him for it, but for me that movie is one of the top of the year that no one is talking about
JB meant Gary Old*M*an, not Gary Old*H*am. He also meant "cache" (one syllable), not "cachet" (two syllables, different meaning). Also, think he meant opprobrium or disapprobation when he said approbation (opposite meaning of those). Cheers.
I am sorry for the occasional slip of the tongue. I am neither smug nor charming. I was blackout drunk when I recorded this podcast. Sorry. I have hit bottom.
It was I who told you about the The Love Witch print. It wasn't so bad that is was unwatchable, but it certainly had scratches, especially at the reel changes. Because of the overall aesthetic of it, the friend who I went with thought it was on purpose, to make it seem more like it was from the '70s--like Grindhouse or something. Anyway, love these year end shows and I can't wait for the Top Ten show.
PLEASE stop talking like a teenage girl, Patrick. Don't say "hashtag" before saying a word. You don't need to try so hard to sound like you're on a WB show or something. Love the show, but some of these affectations of Patrick's just makes it painful.
Criticize me all you want, whatever, but when I say things like "hashtag problematic" I am making fun of people who say things like "hashtag problematic." Not trying to sound like a teenage girl or on a WB show. Please try to criticize more accurately in the future.
Just FYI, re: Patrick's comment on 'Mother!" - "pretentious" means that something does NOT possess any artistic merit, yet tries for it - it doesn't simply mean that a movie is "artistic" or deals with certain themes or conceits that aren't dealt with in the norm. So by saying "Mother!" is "pretentious" - you're saying it has zero artistic merit. And judging by your appreciation of the film, it doesn't sound like that's what you believe.
One thing on mother! I think is we are obviously supposed to get the allegory, we know what's going on, we're supposed to because everyone knows this story...that's not the point. Critiquing it for that misses the point that the character of Jennifer Lawrence has NO CLUE what is going on because she doesn't know this story. It's not about us the audience, but the character not getting it. In order for that to work, we HAVE to get it. It's not ham fisted allegory for the sake of allegory. Mother is living this story for the first time and she is asking the questions.
JB meant to say "Maudie" was about Nova Scotia's most famous artist (not New Zealand). I point this out not to suggest JB's lost it but to help clarify what movie he recommended. We also talked about it on filmedincanada.net (shameless plug, sorry). Thanks for the great list of overlooked movies, guys. I knew I missed some good ones in 2017.
I would argue that there is no such thing as objectively bad. It's bad for you and what you are looking for in movies. But another person might just be looking for mindless entertainment and for them it's great on that level. It's all opinions, man.
ReplyDeleteIt's an interesting question. I think I was on the same page you with you, John Murphy, up until this year. Now I am more that I don't care what the other person thinks. If I love something and they are trying to telling me I'm objectively wrong for loving it because it's bad then what am I supposed to do - stop loving the thing I love so the other person wins the argument?
DeleteNo you should not. You should go on loving what you love. That's what I'm saying is there's no such thing as being objectively bad or objectively wrong, regardless of what another person says because you arent that other person. Love and let love.
DeleteWho is anyone to decide what is objectively bad? Give me a million things wrong with a movie and I'll tell you why all those things work together to make a good movie. If someone could give me an objective objectively bad list of movies so I can watch them all, that would be great...or terrible...I can't decide...
Deletehttps://youtu.be/X7nj8FXqZhY
DeleteThis does it for me.
You know the more times I watched The Mighty Ducks the less I thought Emilio Estevez's acting sucked in it. He went from being a bad to a good actor over say - 50 viewings. I have no idea how to keep objectivity.
DeleteI'm not the only one to have watched The Mighty Ducks 50 times, eh?
DeleteI like these episodes. Can’t wait to listen to it
ReplyDeleteRandom thoughts:
ReplyDeleteYour initial reactions to "They Came Together" were correct. It's become a comfort movie that I watch over and over. It's hilarious and you get to enjoy all the romantic comedy beats without having to watch a romantic comedy.
I'm glad that I keep hearing about Colossal from you guys. It's not perfect, but it's about some things that it deals with very well and it's a movie that I keep thinking about and probably like it even more than when I saw it if that makes sense.
I've of course noticed the same thing JB talks about. People finding roundabout 'think-piecey' ways to say everything is good. Just admit that you're willing to ignore things that are bad. I do this with '70s and beyond exploitation cinema. There are so many movies I enjoy that I would never care to argue as being 'good'. Enjoyable and good aren't the same word. Use different words. Thanks for the podcast guys.
I like this distinction very much, enjoyable vs. good. I’m going to use that...
DeleteFavourite quote
ReplyDelete"I'm a bigger guy so it's uncomfortable for me to ever sit on the fence!"
Love it
Great show as always
Man, The Bad Batch. A movie I desperately wanted to like because it should have been catnip for me, but my heart just sank more and more during it. I can't even express why it disappointed me so much.
ReplyDeleteWell, i need to re-listen to the beginning to write down the underrated, because there was some interesting souding stuff
ReplyDeleteWait people hate the dream loungers?!? That's crazy talk. The stadium sitting with a dream lounger is just great. I'm 6'2" and I no longer have stiff legs or numb butt from sitting on the old sits. Also, no one kicks your sits. It's so much better!
ReplyDeleteI’m sad no one talks about Wonderstruck. I think it’s a great movie that’s very underrated. I remember JB saying he didn’t care for the first half, and i can’t fault him for it, but for me that movie is one of the top of the year that no one is talking about
ReplyDeleteSo, neither of you watched The Last Face? What do I even write these columns for?
ReplyDeleteit's not like you sounded like anybody should watch it
DeleteWe need to retire the term "Douche Chills" for crying out loud
ReplyDeleteI agree 1 million percent with JB about bad movies.
ReplyDeleteWhat a terrific way to start the new year...
DeleteJB meant Gary Old*M*an, not Gary Old*H*am. He also meant "cache" (one syllable), not "cachet" (two syllables, different meaning). Also, think he meant opprobrium or disapprobation when he said approbation (opposite meaning of those). Cheers.
ReplyDeleteYou misspelled Dick*son
DeleteFourth-grade schoolyard taunts? Really? Yet, JB's unrelenting smugness somehow charms you? Anyway, big fan.
DeleteJust be nice, man. Why start stuff up? It does no one any good.
DeleteYou're right. I apologize.
DeleteNo problem. Have a good new year's.
DeleteI am sorry for the occasional slip of the tongue. I am neither smug nor charming. I was blackout drunk when I recorded this podcast. Sorry. I have hit bottom.
DeleteHAHAHA!
DeleteJB is not smug. He is a national treasure. He's just stating what he believes. #JB4life
DeleteIt was I who told you about the The Love Witch print. It wasn't so bad that is was unwatchable, but it certainly had scratches, especially at the reel changes. Because of the overall aesthetic of it, the friend who I went with thought it was on purpose, to make it seem more like it was from the '70s--like Grindhouse or something.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, love these year end shows and I can't wait for the Top Ten show.
PLEASE stop talking like a teenage girl, Patrick. Don't say "hashtag" before saying a word. You don't need to try so hard to sound like you're on a WB show or something. Love the show, but some of these affectations of Patrick's just makes it painful.
ReplyDelete#NegativeNancy
DeleteI literally said that I love the show. I just wince at some of Patrick's affectations, personally.
DeleteIf you love the show why go out of your way to criticize the host? Don't you know that the "hashtag" thing is tongue in cheek? It's being silly.
DeleteCriticize me all you want, whatever, but when I say things like "hashtag problematic" I am making fun of people who say things like "hashtag problematic." Not trying to sound like a teenage girl or on a WB show. Please try to criticize more accurately in the future.
DeleteI think we need more teenage girls on the show. #blessed
DeleteJust FYI, re: Patrick's comment on 'Mother!" - "pretentious" means that something does NOT possess any artistic merit, yet tries for it - it doesn't simply mean that a movie is "artistic" or deals with certain themes or conceits that aren't dealt with in the norm. So by saying "Mother!" is "pretentious" - you're saying it has zero artistic merit. And judging by your appreciation of the film, it doesn't sound like that's what you believe.
ReplyDeleteIt doesn't mean that. It means that it's trying for greater importance than it actually possesses. I know because I looked it up.
DeleteOne thing on mother! I think is we are obviously supposed to get the allegory, we know what's going on, we're supposed to because everyone knows this story...that's not the point. Critiquing it for that misses the point that the character of Jennifer Lawrence has NO CLUE what is going on because she doesn't know this story. It's not about us the audience, but the character not getting it. In order for that to work, we HAVE to get it. It's not ham fisted allegory for the sake of allegory. Mother is living this story for the first time and she is asking the questions.
ReplyDeleteSpot on, Ben.
DeleteWhat the hell?? I've never seen so many negative comments on one of these episodes! Geez guys.
ReplyDeleteAnyway, terrific show. JB rules. That is all.
I think Edw. and Stetson walked through the wrong door and all hell broke loose!
DeleteJB meant to say "Maudie" was about Nova Scotia's most famous artist (not New Zealand). I point this out not to suggest JB's lost it but to help clarify what movie he recommended. We also talked about it on filmedincanada.net (shameless plug, sorry). Thanks for the great list of overlooked movies, guys. I knew I missed some good ones in 2017.
ReplyDeleteOh no, Will— I’ve definitely lost it.
Deletethe "Primrose Path" and "Shrinking Violet" episode!!
ReplyDelete