Weekly Box Office and Film Discussion Thread

[Drtooth]

Sure, the guy's probably a jerk. I'm not defending him. And if people boycott him, that's great, that's our right as Americans. I'm just thinking of the big picture, a lot of authors and artists are horrible people. That doesn't mean people are evil for enjoying their art. I've talk to very liberal friends who support gay marriage but also like this story and don't want it to suffer just because the author's a jerk.

I see what you mean. But then of course, let's not forget the power of the dollar. No matter what, money from this movie is going to Card, and I'm sure (just like with Chik-fil-A) that he could foreseeably donate a large chunk of that to some anti-gay cause. Not to mention this sends the message not to bother with any more of Card's works (which slowly turn into stark raving looney author tracts... Ender's Game is pretty much the innocent book). If it wasn't for the possibility that this could give positive light to a crazy person who stopped writing stuff enjoyable for everyone, and that he could use that money for nasty things, I would indeed separate the art from the artist. But then again, there are a LOT of right wing comic book authors who aren't batcrap insane tools. Iron Man was created specifically to tick Hippies off. I love Iron Man.

I completely agree. Violent movies are not what causes school shootings. Period. I can't think of a bigger waste of time than vilifying action movies.

The disappointment is that an actor, especially one who's adamantly opposed to the NRA (again, scathing Funny or Die skit) takes their same pass the buck views on entertainment. Sick people will kill anyway, no matter what they watch, be it Rambo or Barney the Dinosaur. I'm no fan of action stars supporting the NRA. Sylvester Stallone actually came out against having assault weapons legally available when the other action stars played good little automatons.

Still, at the risk of this being a Jim Carrey bashing thread, it doesn't really seem to matter. Jim's not as big as he used to be, and his presence kinda hurts movies. The last successful thing he did was Horton Hears a Who, and that was just his voice.

 

[CensoredAlso]

But then again, there are a LOT of right wing comic book authors who aren't batcrap insane tools. Iron Man was created specifically to tick Hippies off. I love Iron Man.

And Tolkien disliked the fact that hippies loved his books, lol. What can you do?

The disappointment is that an actor, especially one who's adamantly opposed to the NRA (again, scathing Funny or Die skit) takes their same pass the buck views on entertainment.

I wonder if Hollywood in general is feeling nervous about being accused of contributing to the violence. Though then again that didn't stop them from making Red 2, lol. And I for one am glad.

 

[charlietheowl]

But then again, he used to hang around with Jesse "Inoculations cause Autism" McCarthy, so....

She's legitimately dangerous if anyone chooses to listen to her on vaccinations. All the reports that state vaccines are linked to autism have been discredited, yet she still trumpets it left and right. Not having your children vaccinated is stupid and reckless.

 

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She's legitimately dangerous if anyone chooses to listen to her on vaccinations. All the reports that state vaccines are linked to autism have been discredited, yet she still trumpets it left and right. Not having your children vaccinated is stupid and reckless.

I truly do sympathize with these mothers, they are desperate to find someone to blame. And God knows the medical community isn't perfect, lol. But I really hate it when people actively shut their brains off in order to fall for conspiracy theories like "vaccines cause autism."

Your child is autistic and is never going to be like other kids. You need to get over it, raise your child as best you can and not let your bitterness put other children in danger.

 

[Drtooth]

And Tolkien disliked the fact that hippies loved his books, lol. What can you do?

I find that hillarious. The full story on Iron Man was that Stan Lee and the rest (presumably Steve Ditko... I don't know if Jack Kirby was involved... I need to look that up) created Iron Man to troll Hippies and give them a character that they'd have no choice but to like. Tolkien had the opposite effect. But then again, Neo-Nazis also loved Tolkiens work because they equated one of the races with Jews, as they held the old stereotype about Jews being greedy. I forget which one because I never really got into the books.

I wonder if Hollywood in general is feeling nervous about being accused of contributing to the violence. Though then again that didn't stop them from making Red 2, lol. And I for one am glad.

Hollywood only gets a conscience about violence when it's convenient. Action movies will always be action movies, and (as I said) a lot of these action heroes lean towards the right and are in favor (and in some cases, members) of the NRA. Then you look at how they dumb down gun s and gunplay on kid's shows (all the while they sell toy guns to kids... talk about discrepancy), especially ones based on said violent movies... or at least share the shame franchise characters. Reportedly they toned down the guns in Beware the Batman, but that was only out of respect for the victims of the Colorado shooting. I personally couldn't tell the difference. I was expecting 4Kids style Super Soakers.

But Jim's acting on his own here. The school shooting (which has many contributors, but the media isn't one of them... okay... maybe Glen Back types that tell people to hoard guns for some imaginary Apocalypse they invented to sell books) totally drove him into a fit of depression. I strongly suggest checking out his Funny or Die. Not so much for the enjoyment (I liked it anyway, even though it journeyed down the Anvilicious route), but to see the mindset of someone that's THAT angry and depressed about such a lack of gun control.

She's legitimately dangerous if anyone chooses to listen to her on vaccinations. All the reports that state vaccines are linked to autism have been discredited, yet she still trumpets it left and right. Not having your children vaccinated is stupid and reckless.

Mentioned only for flavor. That kind of obsessive crusaderism that Jenny had against vaccinations is much similar to how Jim's been lately. Seems like that sort of rubbed off. Personal opinion... why the heck are we getting info from Jesse MacCarthy anyway? There are many celebrities that take on causes. Some of those celebrities did stuff people actually liked.

 

[CensoredAlso]

I find that hillarious. The full story on Iron Man was that Stan Lee and the rest (presumably Steve Ditko... I don't know if Jack Kirby was involved... I need to look that up) created Iron Man to troll Hippies and give them a character that they'd have no choice but to like. Tolkien had the opposite effect. But then again, Neo-Nazis also loved Tolkiens work because they equated one of the races with Jews, as they held the old stereotype about Jews being greedy. I forget which one because I never really got into the books.

That's interesting about Iron Man. I can totally see Stan Lee doing something like that, lol. I saw him at a convention recently, what a rascal, lol.

Neo Nazis are like the WBC, they will see this stuff in anything if they try hard enough.

Hollywood only gets a conscience about violence when it's convenient. Action movies will always be action movies, and (as I said) a lot of these action heroes lean towards the right and are in favor (and in some cases, members) of the NRA. Then you look at how they dumb down gun s and gunplay on kid's shows (all the while they sell toy guns to kids... talk about discrepancy), especially ones based on said violent movies... or at least share the shame franchise characters. Reportedly they toned down the guns in Beware the Batman, but that was only out of respect for the victims of the Colorado shooting. I personally couldn't tell the difference. I was expecting 4Kids style Super Soakers.

Agreed, Hollywood has to make like it cares but bottom line their main priority is what sells. I love when parents are all like, "What don't movies have less violence? Why don't we have better female role models? Hollywood is violent and sexist!" Lol, no honey, Hollywood is Capitalistic.

But Jim's acting on his own here....That kind of obsessive crusaderism that Jenny had against vaccinations is much similar to how Jim's been lately. Seems like that sort of rubbed off. Personal opinion... why the heck are we getting info from Jesse MacCarthy anyway? There are many celebrities that take on causes. Some of those celebrities did stuff people actually liked.

Not to get all gossipy, but perhaps it's not surprising they were together for awhile, heh. And yeah I don't even know why she's gotten a platform for anything.

 

[Drtooth]

Neo Nazis are like the WBC, they will see this stuff in anything if they try hard enough.

ANYONE can find anything anywhere if they choose to look for it.

Agreed, Hollywood has to make like it cares but bottom line their main priority is what sells. I love when parents are all like, "What don't movies have less violence? Why don't we have better female role models? Hollywood is violent and sexist!" Lol, no honey, Hollywood is Capitalistic.

I've said a million times before, I'd rather there be stronger efforts to curb real violence than to stop making violent movies. Guess which one gets more effort and attention? The easy to solve problem, yelling at Hollywood until they get their way. Personally, I hate the heck out of horror movies, especially gorn. What do I do about it? I don't see those movies and respect that people do like them.

As for female role models... oh ho ho... first off, women are going to have to get more creative roles in movies and TV shows. If they want their own positive role models, they are going to have to create them themselves, as only they understand the subtleties that men don't get. On the other hand, there's so much pressure to create one, but since everyone gets easily offended so easily, things get compromised to a personality devoid Mary Sue. It's like, she can't be attractive, but she can't be unattractive, she can't wear sexy clothes, but she can't wear anything frumpy... she can't be feminine but she can't be butch. She needs personality, but it can't be anything that can be construed as a negative stereotype. And then we have these bland, unlikable characters and they have no one but themselves to blame.

 

[CensoredAlso]

As for female role models... oh ho ho... first off, women are going to have to get more creative roles in movies and TV shows. If they want their own positive role models, they are going to have to create them themselves, as only they understand the subtleties that men don't get. On the other hand, there's so much pressure to create one, but since everyone gets easily offended so easily, things get compromised to a personality devoid Mary Sue. It's like, she can't be attractive, but she can't be unattractive, she can't wear sexy clothes, but she can't wear anything frumpy... she can't be feminine but she can't be butch. She needs personality, but it can't be anything that can be construed as a negative stereotype. And then we have these bland, unlikable characters and they have no one but themselves to blame.

Sometimes I honestly think it will be another 100 years before we get this right, lol. I really think society is just too young and immature right now.

If you want to get me mad though, show me some pretentious diatribe demanding a "strong female character." What the heck does "strong" mean? No one knows anymore, lol.

Is she "strong" because she can do martial arts? Because she tells her male employees off? Perhaps she is emotionally "strong" against adversity? Oh wait no, we can't say women are emotional, lol.

There were actually plenty of snarky, intelligent female characters in '30s and '40s movies. I think they've been forgotten because people think of the past and instantly think sexism.

 

[jvcarroll]

Lol, sorry I just felt like it in the moment.

Sure, the guy's probably a jerk. I'm not defending him. And if people boycott him, that's great, that's our right as Americans. I'm just thinking of the big picture, a lot of authors and artists are horrible people. That doesn't mean people are evil for enjoying their art. I've talk to very liberal friends who support gay marriage but also like this story and don't want it to suffer just because the author's a jerk.

Furthermore our government is not going to make it illegal to be gay. We shouldn't make this author more important than he is by taking his blusterings seriously.

That's the last I'll say on the subject so as not to be misunderstood.



I completely agree. Violent movies are not what causes school shootings. Period. I can't think of a bigger waste of time than vilifying action movies.

Unfortunately, Card is already an important figure. He is a toxic and tireless anti-LGBT crusader who sits on the board of NOM. They're a very powerful lobby. I know it seems foreign to you that being gay could be illegal, but it technically was in many US states until 1o years ago! It's not as silly as it sounds.

Regardless, I've seen the trailers of this film and it looks pretty horrible anyway. My verbal reaction to the trailer, before the controversy started, was that it was a great ball of suck. And I'm a guy who gives films more of a chance than most people.

I don't particularly judge others for going to a particular movie or supporting next year's Olympics. It's just my personal choice not to and I support others who share that sentiment. I think this negative attention focused on Card is a good thing because it exposes the difference between prejudice and a different point of view. Some of his books have disturbing and bigoted themes in them and they're aimed at children. I don't want him to have a film franchise and that's what this is really about.

I don't want Lionsgate to be in the Orson Scott Card business. This tactic worked in getting him tossed off writing a Superman comic this year. Even the artist quit on him. He's a jerk for many reasons. Many artists are. But my objection to him transcends that. He's racist, sexist, homophobic and very politically active. If Ender's Game by some miracle becomes a success and spawns other films by the author, then those who supported it have given money to a man who finances hate. It is an indirect link, but still a byproduct nonetheless. Again, I don't judge people for seeing the film, but I would encourage them to wait the extra few months for it to hit the movie channels or Netflix.

There is a point that we can separate art from artist. There's a threshold for everything. This is mine.

 

[Drtooth]

Unfortunately, Card is already an important figure. He is a toxic and tireless anti-LGBT crusader who sits on the board of NOM. They're a very powerful lobby. I know it seems foreign to you that being gay could be illegal, but it technically was in many US states until 1o years ago! It's not as silly as it sounds.

And his new Anti-Obama thing proves he's racist too. Not for being anti-Obama, clearly... but that nonsense about the underprivileged urban youth being his SS. Like I said, if you're a writer that has a political slant you'll start coming up with fictional conspiracy theories in your writings... and sooner or later, you actually start to believe them. He slid down that slippery slope years ago. Can't wait to hear him holler "victim" when people start going after how much of a fruitcake he is.

Regardless, I've seen the trailers of this film and it looks pretty horrible anyway. My verbal reaction to the trailer, before the controversy started, was that it was a great ball of suck. And I'm a guy who gives films more of a chance than most people.

I'm not going to lie, that film looks pretty lame, and like everything else. It might be some very important sci-fi story and all, but for a movie, it looks like the same blue filtered space non-epic we keep getting. Someone said Hunger Games in Space? Yeah. Totally, but boring.

I don't want Lionsgate to be in the Orson Scott Card business. This tactic worked in getting him tossed off writing a Superman comic this year. Even the artist quit on him. He's a jerk for many reasons. Many artists are. But my objection to him transcends that. He's racist, sexist, homophobic and very politically active. If Ender's Game by some miracle becomes a success and spawns other films by the author, then those who supported it have given money to a man who finances hate. It is an indirect link, but still a byproduct nonetheless. Again, I don't judge people for seeing the film, but I would encourage them to wait the extra few months for it to hit the movie channels or Netflix.

I'd say torrent it, or go to that old guy selling bootlegged DVD's in the subway. That way, NONE of the money would get back to him. I really wanted to do that for Cat in the Hat (to see how terrible it was without giving them any of my money), ditto the Lawn Gnomes do Shakespeare. The fear is that the film will be successful, and I predict far right Christian groups (ones that normally hate Mormons unless they can get something out of them) will passive aggressively jump to theaters to support the nonsensical "drunk uncle that ruins every holiday that everyone hates but somehow doesn't get shunned from the family" ramblings. Especially as fellow "victims" of falling out of popular favor and becoming irrelevant. Even if the movie does make money, something tells me Lionsgate will get a LOT of crap for working with Card no matter what and might just rethink a sequel.

But then again, what movie comes out not even a week after? A huge MCU film that has far more appeal. And the way they kinda extort people into seeing all the MCU films or forever be confused by the next Avengers movie, this might just sink that film.