I hadn't thought of it this way, Mike, but I see what you mean. I suppose it's somewhat cyclical as well. The more successful you are the more likely your writing will generate that sort of conversation and the easier it is to move from one venue to the next. But that consistent voice is also valuable in becoming successful to begin with....
No - I think those are very good points. I just think that it would be more interesting to take a serious look - even a science fiction look - at a hypothetical American empire and pose those same questions, with less black and white and a little more humanity on the human side (or American side, or whatever). I know this is asking a lot out of modern cinema, though. As someone on this thread noted, big CGI blockbusters and thoughtful plots are somehow considered mutually exclusive. So I think you raise good points, and I think that maybe this movie did edge its way into the territory you're speaking of, but I think it could be done so much better.
Well Rufus, I guess I am falling into that trap a bit here myself...It isn't entirely mind-numbing, so you can watch it without constantly rolling your eyes, and it's especially visually stunning, even compared to its contemporaries in the CGI world. So it's worth seeing because of that. But it's certainly fair to want more out of our big budget, CGI films. Is it so hard to hire a few decent writers? Writers aren't paid anything anyways.
That's an interesting point. However, I think when it's done this way - in a sneaky way, not actually calling them American, not actually putting them in a similar situation to our own quagmires - that it doesn't really count. In other words, if the best Cameron can do is set up a caricature of our military, and place it in such an appallingly two-dimensional setting (they're killing a tree with bombs!!! And there's babies in that tree!!!) that is more akin to the Indian wars of the last century than to any conflict we're in now, then he doesn't deserve credit for a cultural watershed moment.
Well certainly the writing, acting, etc. didn't diminish the rest of the film. It didn't distract me from the entertainment I experienced. It just also made sure that I didn't walk away with much to think about other than how silly the story was.
The real question is do you think that’s a problem with graduate school admissions policy or a personal mistake? Do you think what you would learn in a B.S. program would be necessary to the successful completion of a graduate degree in engineering? Do you regret your English B.A.?
I don't know. Having never been in an engineering grad program, it's hard to say - though I would almost certainly need some more math classes. I certainly don't regret my English degree, though at times I wish I'd gotten more education prior to having children...
Well I looked into an engineering graduate degree, and my English BA means I'd pretty much have to do a second undergrad degree as a prerequisite to getting into the engineering grad program. A BS in some technical field would save me years of my time and thousands of dollars.
Also - look into the number of teaching jobs out there for science and math vs. the number for English, history, etc. As a society becomes more service oriented, of course lots of jobs will be available in service-oriented positions. But society also becomes more hyper-technological, and demand for newer and more advanced gadgets, medicine, etc. etc. becomes greater. So you have more of a demand for these degrees. Most people who get a graduate level degree in engineering or software engineering (etc) first got a technical undergrad degree.
No, I'm serious. You've said this before - that science and tech degrees are not going to be useful in the future. So if that's true, what will be useful in the future? Where will the jobs be if not in developing new technologies and consumer products?
On “writing as conversation”
I hadn't thought of it this way, Mike, but I see what you mean. I suppose it's somewhat cyclical as well. The more successful you are the more likely your writing will generate that sort of conversation and the easier it is to move from one venue to the next. But that consistent voice is also valuable in becoming successful to begin with....
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Exactly.
On “Textbook Wars”
Well look at the bright side.
On “Avatar”
You know that thing about underdogs that Jaybird was talking about upthread? That's why.
Good point.
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Kyle - that is the funniest thing I've read in ages. Ages.
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No - I think those are very good points. I just think that it would be more interesting to take a serious look - even a science fiction look - at a hypothetical American empire and pose those same questions, with less black and white and a little more humanity on the human side (or American side, or whatever). I know this is asking a lot out of modern cinema, though. As someone on this thread noted, big CGI blockbusters and thoughtful plots are somehow considered mutually exclusive. So I think you raise good points, and I think that maybe this movie did edge its way into the territory you're speaking of, but I think it could be done so much better.
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Are you implying that this movie was somehow predictable?
(That's a pretty damn good line, by the way.)
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Well Rufus, I guess I am falling into that trap a bit here myself...It isn't entirely mind-numbing, so you can watch it without constantly rolling your eyes, and it's especially visually stunning, even compared to its contemporaries in the CGI world. So it's worth seeing because of that. But it's certainly fair to want more out of our big budget, CGI films. Is it so hard to hire a few decent writers? Writers aren't paid anything anyways.
"
I didn't notice that. Must have been distracted by the blue.
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That's an interesting point. However, I think when it's done this way - in a sneaky way, not actually calling them American, not actually putting them in a similar situation to our own quagmires - that it doesn't really count. In other words, if the best Cameron can do is set up a caricature of our military, and place it in such an appallingly two-dimensional setting (they're killing a tree with bombs!!! And there's babies in that tree!!!) that is more akin to the Indian wars of the last century than to any conflict we're in now, then he doesn't deserve credit for a cultural watershed moment.
"
Well certainly the writing, acting, etc. didn't diminish the rest of the film. It didn't distract me from the entertainment I experienced. It just also made sure that I didn't walk away with much to think about other than how silly the story was.
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Sure. I agree. But I do wish that we could go beyond some of the worst cliches and actually plumb a few real emotional depths on the way.
On “The worst person of 2009”
This is one of those comments that I wish I'd written.
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I know. Gross oversight.
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You're trying too hard, Art Deco. This was just a fun thing to do for the end of the year. End of story.
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Really?? I can't be?
On “Happy New Year”
Yep - what Will said. Happy new decade y'all!
On “The Art of Magic in Fiction: An Interview with Lev Grossman”
Thanks everyone. Hope anyone who reads this interview and then goes and gets the book enjoys it. And totally read Jonathan Strange & Mr Norell also.
On “Does is it pay to attend college?”
I don't know. Having never been in an engineering grad program, it's hard to say - though I would almost certainly need some more math classes. I certainly don't regret my English degree, though at times I wish I'd gotten more education prior to having children...
"
Well I looked into an engineering graduate degree, and my English BA means I'd pretty much have to do a second undergrad degree as a prerequisite to getting into the engineering grad program. A BS in some technical field would save me years of my time and thousands of dollars.
"
Also - look into the number of teaching jobs out there for science and math vs. the number for English, history, etc. As a society becomes more service oriented, of course lots of jobs will be available in service-oriented positions. But society also becomes more hyper-technological, and demand for newer and more advanced gadgets, medicine, etc. etc. becomes greater. So you have more of a demand for these degrees. Most people who get a graduate level degree in engineering or software engineering (etc) first got a technical undergrad degree.
"
Also - I'm not just talking about BA's or BS's. I am also talking about higher education.
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No, I'm serious. You've said this before - that science and tech degrees are not going to be useful in the future. So if that's true, what will be useful in the future? Where will the jobs be if not in developing new technologies and consumer products?
On “The nation’s pulse and other nonsense”
Meh. Wrong question. Are all future heads of the DHS likely to stop all future attacks?
There, that's a better question.
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Well said.
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