For that, we can be thankful that Lorne Michaels and Michael O'Donoghue's attempt at a nationally televised execution by drowning was whittled down to inert mockery.

This, yes.

My working theory about people that love drama heavy entertainment are that have very boring and comfortable lives with little real stress, so they live vicariously through entertainment that shows them people leading lives more interesting and meaningful than their own.


I'm okay with some drama in a movie, or even a movie that becomes dramatic due to its setting (ie, grim-dark future shit) but drama for the sake of drama is so god damn insipid.

I've stopped watching Oscar movies for the most part. I think the last best picture winner I saw was Slumdog Millionaire, and that was tough to watch until the oddly happy ending.

Every year I look up the films they nominate and just go, okay a movie with bear rape, a movie with people fighting poverty or war or drug addiction or extreme racism in former time periods or someone who has dementia, hard gritty cop movie with hard gritty characters, shit exploding in WWII, priests molesting children, that one where the woman was kidnapped and her kid was raised in a room (oh that one looked like tons of fun) all his life, some dude growing up, some dude losing his mind, AIDS CANCER AIDS CANCER, people fighting mental illness, Ben Affleck (he's an affliction in and of himself), and i just wonder why would I pay money for any of this shit.

I can handle Marvel movies and dinosaurs now. That's where I'm at, Hollywood.

Drama is a fine and noble thing. I've seen dramas and been glad I did, but I practically have to be tricked into it. And if you want to get me to pay full price for a movie, that's going to require superheroes, and 3D.


Suprheroes, however, are not mere entertainment. See "Joseph Campbell and the Power of Myth"

Jesus no wonder I can no longer go to the movies and the theaters are all full of shit.

So I guess you don't like movies? Because you've described every studio film from the last 100 years.

That's far from true, JHMF

It's as true for virtually every studio movie as it's true for this one.

The shape of water made a bunch of money and won best picture just recently. The protagonist bangs a fish.

It was a pile of shit. But, it wasn't a soulless money grab.

A "soulless money grab"? I'm beginning to think Philip K Rosenthal has a point.

The Shape of Water was released by Fox Searchlight Pictures. Wikipedia says that Fox Searchlight Fox Searchlight "specializes in North American distribution of independent and British films alongside dramedy and horror films as well as art-house and foreign films and is sometimes also involved in the financing of these films." So, no, the shape of water probably doesn't qualify as a "studio film". And hey, we all know that indie films are some of the best films.

But neither film was made by a committee. They were financed by committees and made by artists.

In the movie business, there's no such thing as profit without risk. But there are soulless money grabs. Disney's "John Carter" was a soulless money grab.

I think you are confusing John Carter and Shape of Water. I seriously loved John Carter and Shape of Water felt like a two hour sermon. It was terrible. Every character in that movie was a fucking idiot. WHY DON'T I JUST FILL UP THE BATHROOM WITH WATER BECAUSE DURRRRR GOD JUST SHUT THE FUCK UP YOU STEAMING TURD OF A FILM

Shape of Water was like Gravity for self proclaimed INJTs, and Gravity is the worst film of all time.

JMH, you're forgetting about various auteurs and United Artists.

Whatever. I don't want to write that particular thesis. But come on, "Soulless Cash grab."? How condescending is that. Forget it. I'm not going to use the "H" word this time.

Huh. I'm sincerely happy that it brings you so much joy. But yeah, for my 2 cents, I really can't stand most musicals, including that one.

Yeah, I get that. For me it seems to be a recently acquired taste. Like I said, my reaction to Mamma Mia was a complete surprise.

I like musicals and Mamma Mia is just fun. Everyone has a happy ending in that movie. I like that. Call me corny but I wish more films were like this one.

Hypothermia is known as the sweet death. It works this way: being exposed to the intense cold, your body starts to shiver, trying to generate heat; this is extremely painful and is truly a horrible experience. Once your body is so worn out that it can no longer generate any heat, you become disoriented, and you actually stop shivering or feeling cold, you start feeling an innocent desire to lie down and sleep. A feeling of wellness overcomes you, and then you die, usually with a sweet smile on your face.

Apparently, a similar phenomenon can happen if you watch shit movies.

I love musicals and Abba both, but Mamma Mia was boring.