Enjoy the Best, Not the Latest, Media

Post by BeetleB » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 12:31 AM UTC

JKCalhoun wrote: post #75

tallies wrote: post #26

As someone who apparently frequents much more pretentious online film circles than OP, the idea that the highest rated films and shows on IMDB represent the "best" of the mediums is kinda silly. The article uses Star Trek (2009) as its example of a mediocre film. Its IMDB rating is 7.9/10 from over 500k votes over 11 years -- surely this would place the film squarely in the "tried and tested" category. If I look on s…

Yeah, agree with the general sentiment of the post, but I think it does not go nearly far enough. The TV Series rating link: call me old or highbrow but I really thought Rod Serling's "The Twilight Zone" should be in the top 10. Nope, not even in the top 146. The U.S. "The Office" makes the top 146 (#13) but not the U.K. version. Fawlty Towers? Nowhere. Etc.

Post by BeetleB » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 12:38 AM UTC

inetsee wrote: post #12

I have read that the best way to get started in finding good films is to use awards as a starting point: Academy Awards, Directors Guild Awards, Screen Actors Guild Awards. These organizations are made up of people who live and breathe film making, and they vote for what they think is the best, not the most popular. Note that their choices aren't perfect; I've watched some movies that won awards that I really didn't…

Post by overtonwhy » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 1:17 AM UTC

alexilliamson wrote: post #39

tallies wrote: post #26

As someone who apparently frequents much more pretentious online film circles than OP, the idea that the highest rated films and shows on IMDB represent the "best" of the mediums is kinda silly. The article uses Star Trek (2009) as its example of a mediocre film. Its IMDB rating is 7.9/10 from over 500k votes over 11 years -- surely this would place the film squarely in the "tried and tested" category. If I look on s…

This is why I used to love Rotten Tomatoes: between the audience score, the critic score, and the top critic score, you get three telling data points about what sort of person us likely to enjoy the movie. I have read a lot less film criticism since Roger Ebert died though. It seems like recently anything remotely enjoyable on rotten tomatoes gets above 90.

Post by TylerE » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 1:39 AM UTC

MereInterest wrote: post #76

kinghtown wrote: post #52

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I don’t think Netflix is entirely at fault. It’s sad how most people seem to be super ok with flushing the past down a toilet. Like anything from before they were born is irrelevant. I think it’s selfish in a way but mostly I think people are terrified of coming across as weird. Like imagine going to work at a generic office and trying to talk about a half forgotten French movie like The Green Ray. There are too many…

I think part of it is also Netflix's shrinking catalog. Five years ago, before their initial contracts started running out, Netflix was a spot where you to go to watch anything. Netflix could afford to push people to tailored content because they had all the content. Now, however, those initial contracts have expired, and a host of streaming services have popped up. If I want to find a movie, I need to fire up Netfli…

Post by monkeycantype » Sun, Oct 04, 2020, 2:20 AM UTC

seg_lol wrote: post #55

alexilliamson wrote: post #39

Earlier quoted context omitted.

This is why I used to love Rotten Tomatoes: between the audience score, the critic score, and the top critic score, you get three telling data points about what sort of person us likely to enjoy the movie. I have read a lot less film criticism since Roger Ebert died though. It seems like recently anything remotely enjoyable on rotten tomatoes gets above 90.

Most critics are jerks, passing off attitude and masquerading opinion as deep domain knowledge. The comic book guy trope from the Simpsons or Sponge Bob. Roger Ebert [1] and Gene Siskel [2] were my introduction to analysis and argumentation. Watching two adults getting into a argument and discussing something using some sort of rules-of-engagement fascinated me. That they viewed a piece from so many angles, criticism…