TV/Movies Megathread

[Sheilbh]

Started watching Black Mirror. This shit is good. 

A favourite. Glad you're enjoying it.

[Martinus]

Started watching Black Mirror. This shit is good. 

A favourite. Glad you're enjoying it.

It has this sense of old style/British tv which had a thoughtful message.

[Martinus]

I think modern cinema/tv shirks away from being a "moral play" for being too trite/heavy handed. I think Black Mirror is unique is that it attempts it - and succeeds.

[celedhring]

National Lampoon's Vacation. Hey, that was actually pretty great. And I have never liked Chevy Chase much outside of Community. I have always avoided National Lampoon films like the plague, this is the first actually good one I have watched besides Animal House.

Also, I totally can relate to the disaster family vacation theme, which I guess is part of the charm of the film.

[Admiral Yi]

Have you seen Animal House?

[celedhring]

Have you seen Animal House?

National Lampoon's Vacation. Hey, that was actually pretty great. And I have never liked Chevy Chase much outside of Community. I have always avoided National Lampoon films like the plague, this is the first actually good one I have watched besides Animal House.

Also, I totally can relate to the disaster family vacation theme, which I guess is part of the charm of the film.

[Eddie Teach]

Why won't you answer the question?

[Martinus]

Although, I gotta say, after watching two episodes of Black Mirror in the row - this shit is dark. It is not for binge watching.

Edit: And by dark I mean it gets to you. "Dexter" or "Hannibal" are not dark as they are not even close to your reality. "Black Mirror" is - it hits very close to home. Uncomfortably so. 

[Admiral Yi]

Why won't you answer the question?

Yeah! 

[Eddie Teach]

Although, I gotta say, after watching two episodes of Black Mirror in the row - this shit is dark. It is not for binge watching.

Edit: And by dark I mean it gets to you. "Dexter" or "Hannibal" are not dark as they are not even close to your reality. "Black Mirror" is - it hits very close to home. Uncomfortably so. 

I really think one needs to either be a masochist or lack empathy to enjoy that show. It's quite bleak.

[Martinus]

I think it's the opposite (on the empathy side). I only watched two episodes, and it already made me rethink how I treat people in my life.

But then again, maybe it's different for people who are not natural born assholes.

[Eddie Teach]

I don't think you necessarily have to "enjoy" the show to be getting something out of it.

And like you said, it made you uncomfortable. Only masochists enjoy discomfort.

[Martinus]

I don't mean I enjoyed it. I meant it made me think. But as I said, I am an asshole in life (it comes naturally and largely unwittingly to me) so maybe I need stronger stimuli to ponder human condition.

[Sheilbh]

And like you said, it made you uncomfortable. Only masochists enjoy discomfort.

Also Brits. 90% of our comedy is about uncomfortable, horrifying social situations after all.

And I think the streak of humour, especially in the first episode, in Black Mirror is very helpful to enjoying it. But you're both right. It's a show that I love when it's on, but I'm very glad it's on weekly so, when it's finished, I can turn the TV off and quietly contemplate things

I think modern cinema/tv shirks away from being a "moral play" for being too trite/heavy handed. I think Black Mirror is unique is that it attempts it - and succeeds.

I think we're afraid of morality and 'moralism' because we associate it purely with a sort of censorious priggishness. Which is true and a risk, but moralism produces outrage and the best satire is motivated by a searing outrage.

Instead we get smothered with sentimentalism

[Martinus]

Yes but then again the old fashioned British principles are assholish (not that it is a bad thing) so this fits with my theory.