TV/Movies Megathread

[celedhring]

It had more Idris Elba, but not a good thing this time.

Ciaran Hinds is frankly horrible in it, too. I was somewhat looking forward to see him playing the devil, but...

I actually watched the film because the directors are the same dudes that made the Crank films, and those are very stupid films, but very fun at the same time. This one is just stupid.

[Savonarola]

Zootopia (2016)

According to Wikipedia this is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated neo-noir buddy comedy-drama adventure film.  I must say this is one of the finest computer animated neo-noir buddy, comedy-drama adventure films ever made.  In the lofty annals of the computer animated neo-noir buddy, comedy-drama adventure genre this computer animated neo-noir buddy, comedy-drama adventure film will live on forever.



(Shakira has a song in the film and there's a dance number at the end so really the film should be a 3D computer-animated neo-noir buddy comedy-drama musical adventure film; but that would be just silly.)

This is set in a world of anthropomorphic mammals.  An idealistic young rabbit joins the police force and moves to the big city of Zootopia where she joins up with a smooth talking con artist fox to crack THE BIG CASE^TM.  The film is a parable of race relations as prejudice between the species exists.  This is a difficult subject, but one I think the film handles well.  It doesn't go for an easy resolution (in fact it mocks Disney films that do this) and it isn't overly soap-boxy (until the end where there's a "Change begins with you!" speech.)  Some of the jokes play on the idea of race relations, others are more whimsical (my favorite, sloths run the Department of Motor Vehicles in Zootopia.)  It's not typical Disney fare, but I thought it was good; something for children of all ages.

[Malthus]

Zootopia (2016)

According to Wikipedia this is a 2016 American 3D computer-animated neo-noir buddy comedy-drama adventure film.  I must say this is one of the finest computer animated neo-noir buddy, comedy-drama adventure films ever made.  In the lofty annals of the computer animated neo-noir buddy, comedy-drama adventure genre this computer animated neo-noir buddy, comedy-drama adventure film will live on forever.



(Shakira has a song in the film and there's a dance number at the end so really the film should be a 3D computer-animated neo-noir buddy comedy-drama musical adventure film; but that would be just silly.)

This is set in a world of anthropomorphic mammals.  An idealistic young rabbit joins the police force and moves to the big city of Zootopia where she joins up with a smooth talking con artist fox to crack THE BIG CASE^TM.  The film is a parable of race relations as prejudice between the species exists.  This is a difficult subject, but one I think the film handles well.  It doesn't go for an easy resolution (in fact it mocks Disney films that do this) and it isn't overly soap-boxy (until the end where there's a "Change begins with you!" speech.)  Some of the jokes play on the idea of race relations, others are more whimsical (my favorite, sloths run the Department of Motor Vehicles in Zootopia.)  It's not typical Disney fare, but I thought it was good; something for children of all ages.

I want to see this one with my kid.

Disney is doing some great stuff these days, ironically not very Disney-like.

For example, I mentioned a while back the animated Disney TV series Gravity Falls. It is awesome. It is like a mix of Twin Peaks, the X Files and The Simpsons, with a dash of Hieronymous Bosch and HP Lovecraft thrown in - in a kids show.   

The animation is very good, as you would expect from Disney, but what stands out is that the storytelling is very compelling. I'm surprised no-one here has apparently heard of it - I guess because it is, after all, a kid's show put out by Disney. It's a lot better than most adult shows (for example, it is far, far better than the latest X Files thing, covering basically the same territory - conspiracies and the paranormal.)

[crazy canuck]

I really dislike those show's reliance on the supernatural bullshit. I mean Christianity did not win in the West because of its magical powers.

Disagree.  From Constantine's victory at the Milvian Bridge, to the miracles of saints and the worship of relics, the history of the Church was very much about "magical powers".

Sure, it adapted the mysticism of the existing mystery cults, but Valmy's point still holds - that is not why it became the dominant religion.

Can you demonstrate a direct line from mystery cults to christian religion?

One example of many - the purported date for the birth of Christ.

[Savonarola]

I want to see this one with my kid.

I'd be interested in hearing your take on it.  I'm curious as to how much of the humor is culturally specific to the United States.

Disney is doing some great stuff these days, ironically not very Disney-like.

For example, I mentioned a while back the animated Disney TV series Gravity Falls. It is awesome. It is like a mix of Twin Peaks, the X Files and The Simpsons, with a dash of Hieronymous Bosch and HP Lovecraft thrown in - in a kids show.   

The animation is very good, as you would expect from Disney, but what stands out is that the storytelling is very compelling. I'm surprised no-one here has apparently heard of it - I guess because it is, after all, a kid's show put out by Disney. It's a lot better than most adult shows (for example, it is far, far better than the latest X Files thing, covering basically the same territory - conspiracies and the paranormal.)

I haven't heard of that (although I'm obviously not the target demographic.)  It sounds interesting.

[Malthus]

I want to see this one with my kid.

I'd be interested in hearing your take on it.  I'm curious as to how much of the humor is culturally specific to the United States.

I'll get the change this weekend probably ...

Disney is doing some great stuff these days, ironically not very Disney-like.

For example, I mentioned a while back the animated Disney TV series Gravity Falls. It is awesome. It is like a mix of Twin Peaks, the X Files and The Simpsons, with a dash of Hieronymous Bosch and HP Lovecraft thrown in - in a kids show.   

The animation is very good, as you would expect from Disney, but what stands out is that the storytelling is very compelling. I'm surprised no-one here has apparently heard of it - I guess because it is, after all, a kid's show put out by Disney. It's a lot better than most adult shows (for example, it is far, far better than the latest X Files thing, covering basically the same territory - conspiracies and the paranormal.)

I haven't heard of that (although I'm obviously not the target demographic.)  It sounds interesting.

Here's a wee clip, with an example of the animation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p3eKbKHcP1U

[The Minsky Moment]

I forgot.  If it's not in the Bible, it's bullshit.  So sorry for bringing facts here

The Bible is pretty good evidence of what the people who wrote it thought and believed, though.

[crazy canuck]

I forgot.  If it's not in the Bible, it's bullshit.  So sorry for bringing facts here

The Bible is pretty good evidence of what the people who wrote it thought and believed, though.

Or rather what the compilers of the original works believed.

[Liep]

Before and after shot of movie effects:

http://www.boredpanda.com/before-and-after-visual-effects-movies-tv/

I somehow find these both very impressive and very depressing.

[Razgovory]

That depiction did not come until the middle ages.  The first texts about Satan did not described him as horned figure.
If you take a modern bible, of course it presents him with horns.  But of course, do not read anything I posted.

Celtic horned god, aka Cernunnos, but it has many names, depending on which region still worshipped such gods:


A popular depiction of Satan:


such images, the horned devil, appeared around and after the Fall of the Roman Empire.  Coincidence that hords of barbarians bringing with them their cult would find their gods depicted as demons?  Don't think so.

I read everything you posted, but it did not contain "facts".  It contained speculation.  You do understand the difference, right?  In history when you claim A influenced D without actually establishing that it's called Speculation.  So when you say " Coincidence that hords (sic) of barbarians bringing with them their cult would find their gods depicted as demons?  Don't think so." It is speculation.  It's not even very good speculation, since the extremely obscure deity god you picked out would have been worshiped by a people who were already in the Roman empire and had been for a long time, (the inscription is found in France in the 1st century), not the invading peoples of the migration period.

To back up your statement you suggest that the horned passage is only found in modern bibles.  Well, here's a copy of the vulgate http://www.sacred-texts.com/bib/vul/rev013.htm

Here's the relevant passage  "Et vidi aliam bestiam ascendentem de terra, et habebat cornua duo similia Agni, et loquebatur sicut draco."

Since you obviously know so much about the period I won't have to translate the bolded part.

[viper37]

I forgot.  If it's not in the Bible, it's bullshit.  So sorry for bringing facts here

The Bible is pretty good evidence of what the people who wrote it thought and believed, though.

Sure, like any religious book.  However, if you have modifications to the texts that are done centuries later, these writing are likely to represent what those people thought the men who wrote it originaly thought.  It's not like there is one Bible left untouched since it was first written.

[Razgovory]

I really dislike those show's reliance on the supernatural bullshit. I mean Christianity did not win in the West because of its magical powers.

Disagree.  From Constantine's victory at the Milvian Bridge, to the miracles of saints and the worship of relics, the history of the Church was very much about "magical powers".

Sure, it adapted the mysticism of the existing mystery cults, but Valmy's point still holds - that is not why it became the dominant religion.

Can you demonstrate a direct line from mystery cults to christian religion?

One example of many - the purported date for the birth of Christ.

You have to better than that.  Exactly what attested rituals in on-going in Greek mystery cults were incorporated into early Christian practice.  And who claims this (it needs to be someone contemporary).  What I think you were alluding to in your statement about "the purported date for the birth of Christ." may be backwards.  There isn't much in the way of evidence importance of Dec 25 became important to the Cult of Sol Invictus before Christian use of the 25.  In other words, the pagans may have been trying piggy back on a popular Christian day rather than the other way around.  It's also possible that a Roman emperor took two differnt traditions and put them on the same day (the important days of Sol Invictus had been in August and  October not December.

[Razgovory]

I don't know why people discuss anything with Raz. 

Because you learn things and become better informed.  Take you for example:  While it took years and herculean effort, I was eventually able to explain to you when the Iron age began and the Bronze age ended. Not only that, but I am comfortable that you now have a least tentative grasp why the Bronze age is called the Bronze age and why the Iron age is called the Iron age.  It wasn't easy, but I think you are a better informed person now.

[celedhring]

Latest Captain America Civil War trailer looks pretty darn good.

Trailer's fine, but I'm worried that they turned this one into a superhero mashup like The Avengers.

[The Minsky Moment]

However, if you have modifications to the texts that are done centuries later, these writing are likely to represent what those people thought the men who wrote it originaly thought.  It's not like there is one Bible left untouched since it was first written.

That's usually more of an issue with the OT rather than the NT - with a few well known exceptions.  Because we have access to pretty old Greek manuscripts.  In the case of Revelation 13, there is a Greek text preserved on a 3rd century papyrus.