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Earlier in this thread Starship Troopers was briefly discussed. One reader thought the movie missed the social message of the books and enjoyed the entertainment value of the movie while another reader thought the movie succeeded in getting the message across. Clearly, it was entertaining but if we ask ourselves if the social message was delivered as well by the movie as was by the book I think you can agree the answer is no. My point is that in the movie medium, one is best served by sticking with one aspect of the story rather than try to do both.
I agree completely and if that’s the social commentary then it’s not going to interfere with the fun and the spectacle. That’s what I see as leaving it on the dance floor. Sure, it’s there but it doesn’t detract from the reason we give our hard earned cash to the person in the booth - to be entertained. I’m sure many people will want to see it just to see a woman superhero film and good on them. Just try to make a good superhero film and don’t let something as trivial as reproductive equipment get in the way of entertaining us all for a few brief moments.
Go visit your local park to watch children play. The world is perhaps not as dark as you see it.
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The problem in Hollywood is that you are not rewarded for art so much as earning money for the investors. It’s brilliant that she can be art-forward and still be wildly successful on the other side of the equation. Can’t wait to see more from her.
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I would say the world is not as bright for others as it is for you. Or perhaps the world is as it is and it all depends on how we look at it? Here’s my new floof, he makes everything better.
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U[quote=“Missy_Pants, post:59, topic:102050”]
I wish movies could be just fun
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I read a great Tweet storm (one word or two?) about a historian who can’t watch dystopian/post-apocalyptic stories without deconstructing the utter silliness of not showing farming, sheep, tanners, all infrastructure it takes to keep society afloat.
She didn’t want not to enjoy these stories but due to her expertise she couldn’t not think about it.
I think the same holds true for women who acknowledge their big, gaping hole in Hollywood. It’s why Jessica Chastain was called “brave” at Cannes for simply stating truth. Seriously, it’s sad we still have to call her “brave” for stating the obvious in 2017.
So, I agree with you. What is known and recognized cannot suddenly be unknown or unrecognized simply by watching children in the park.
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The filmmakers purposely subverted the message of the source material since the book was unapologetically and unquestioningly pro-military to the point of bordering fascism. Paul Verhoeven was going for satire with his movie adaptation, though audiences largely missed the point.
They even based Neil Patrick Harris’ uniform off an SS officer, for Pete’s sake.
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What IS that stuff that plugs up so many men’s ears, and turns them into such asshats?
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You can’t un-ring that bell. 
And that is a great tweet storm, I loved it and have re-tweeted and re-tumbled it!
(My friends and I have a long conversation about the impossible geology in Logan. Red sand desert to pine forest mountain… is not a thing that happens on this continent, and certainly not in North Dakota.)
I mean I would love to go to a movie and not be bothered by the lack of women, lack of people of colour or people with disabilities. But I always wonder… where did they all go? Was there a plague? A war? Eugenics? Like c’mon… the world is not made up of white men… its freaks me out that they don’t mind this and then that makes me think that this is actually a thing they want. (if you need a “notallwhiteman” here it is) And thinking that they want a world like that just send me to the dog park to play with my dogs, cuz that is a terrifying and dark thought.
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I brought up Troopers. And I will categorically state the satire Verhoeven brought was not missed on me, at all. It is one of the reasons I enjoy it. It is what helps elevate the entertainment value of the movie for me.
No I do not think the film brings the socio-political message the book does. Yes I think the film tries to bring its own to bear and does it just fine. No I do not watch the film over and over because of the message…I do because it entertains me. I enjoy seeing vicious alien insects blow to bits. I enjoy the blood and gore. I laugh my ass off at the character portrayals and how over the top so much of it is “johnny…johnny…hold me johnny.” I do not think Verhoeven wanted me to laugh at that, but I do (partly because Diz’s character is a total bad ass but spends the entire flick chasing this idiot is so unrealistic it is laughable).
I guess TL:DR point in all of this is simply…
A movie does not have to have an important socio-political message to be entertaining and vice versa. Having a message and being entertaining are not mutually exclusive to one another. And if you had to choose one for the other and couldn’t have both…I’d side with entertain me. Its a movie. That’s what I want first and foremost. In the ideal state, both are provided (For me that is The Birdcage or Winter Soldier…and The Fifth Element is my fave movie that does awesome in the entertainment but seriously lacks in the message department).
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After years of doing police work, many police end up with a dark view of humanity. It’s not uncommon to see the mechanism of dehumanization at work in their actions and attitudes. Eventually, they lose sight of the larger picture of humanity and begin to view the world with an us versus them perspective. Everyone is either police or suspect. Obviously this is not healthy or realistic. A person can be good but if they don’t behave the way the police insist they behave, they risk being attacked by the cop because the cop has lost their ability to empathise and view the world in any way but the one they have found themselves in.
Certainly not. However it can be instructive to see when you have fallen into the the mindset of believing nothing is simply fun to watch people having it for no other reason than the joy it brings. Spectacle and joy can exist which allows us to step outside of ourselves if only for a few moments. This, to me, is the real reason we love our summer blockbusters and why we spend our money at the theater and the best of them are the ones that jump in feet first and run with their premise no matter what it may be. We can escape from what is known and recognized for a few brief moments if we allow ourselves to do so. No, watching children play won’t unring the bell but it can give us another note to listen to so that we may remember than other songs are still being sung.
So… I am not a cop? And I don’t have a bleak view of the world? Its interesting to me that you pitch the trauma of being in the police and witnessing the worst of humanity against my simply being a woman in the world? LOL - that says a lot about what you think women go through.
I’ve not fallen into a mindset where nothing is simply fun… I disagree that any popular media can be without any socio-political meaning.
Despite what you think I actually love the world and most of the people in it, I’m generally a very happy person and lead a very active and positive life. That doesn’t mean I can’t see the issues in our world, or that there’s anything wrong with my view point. You want simple fun, excellent, go have that. Your simple fun, is deeper for me. Enjoy Wonder Woman, its really good!
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it better be. DC’s entire movie viability is riding on Wonder Woman’s shoulders.
now THAT is a social message.
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Which seems pretty damned unfair. They haven’t made a good Superman movie since 1980 and he keeps getting more chances.
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OMG DO NOT START WITH ME ON THAT I AM SO UPSET SERIOUSLY
Why do women not get to fail? Or even be mediocre? Why does Wonder Woman have to break box office records to be considered a success? We’ve had THREE spiderman franchises… 17 Wolverines, Batman survived nipple-gate, but Wonder Woman? She barely got the press coverage before opening that Thor is getting and Thor doesn’t come out until November! UGH! Double standards and sexist bullshit are yanking my chains today!
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The medium is the message, and every adaptation and interpretation is different. Saying something has “the” message doesn’t really work for adaptations.
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Hold on a second. It has nothing to do with any gender double standard. Its about timing. They’ve released so many duds that it is about “the next one has to be a hit”. If Justice league or Aquaman, or Flash, or whatever was the film opening this weekend, I would be saying the same thing.
For you, fine.
For Hollywood, not so much.
Win an oscar but be a woman you’re still seen as risky.
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Please explain to me this…[quote=“Brainspore, post:73, topic:102050”]
They haven’t made a good Superman movie since 1980 and he keeps getting more chances.
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I didn’t realize you are the sole voice to define what is or isn’t a good Superman movie.
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